I love my dogs, Justice and Tampa, and I admit they have a small closet and two toy boxes filled with dog products just for them. So it wasn’t a hardship for me to attend the 2015 Global Pet Trade Expo, which covered about 13 football fields with more than 900 pet product exhibitors, with the majority selling dog products.
One of the big trends was, “If it’s good enough for me, it’s good enough for my dog.” I picked 12 very human, very new dog products for you to peruse — so new that most of these aren’t even available in stores yet.
1. Buster Activity Map
We probably all played with some type of activity center as a young child. This is one just for our dogs. It features a simple mat and has various tasks attached to it. Each task has a different degree of difficulty. Just put a treat inside each envelope or pocket, and let your dog do the rest. It’s perfect for keeping your dog engaged at home or on the go. Buster Activity Map starter kit costs $69.99, and more tasks are $10 to $15; kruuse.com.
2. Doggy Don Ear Muffs
We don’t have to keep our dogs’ ears out in the cold, because now they’ve got earmuffs, too! The Doggy Don Ear Muffs have an adjustable chinstrap, fit dogs 10 pounds and up, and keeps dogs’ ears warm with faux fur. They cost $17.99 at doggydon.com.
3. Sensa Snoozer
Our dogs no longer have to sleep in our beds to enjoy the comfort cushioning of memory foam. TrustyPup’s new dog bed is made of memory foam cushion from shredded foam remnants left over from human products. The memory foam conforms to our dogs’ body contours, and high-loft fiber fills the dog bed’s thick, supportive sides. Good for us — the Sensa Snoozer is machine washable; trustypup.com.
4. Tea for Spot
If you are like me and love tea, you’re going to love having tea parties with your dogs with these new teas. Oh yes, there’s a new brew in town. There are five dog teas to choose from: Daily Brew provides essential daily nutrients; No Worries, Mutt promotes relaxation and anxiety relief; Kissably Canine controls dog breath by tackling odor-causing bacteria; Leaps & Bounds supports joint health; and Tea Party contains five bags each of the previous teas. Each tea tin has 20 individually wrapped tea bags. And that’s not all — we also get three stylish teacups for dogs: plaid, zebra, and paw print. These eight-ounce porcelain cups are fused to the saucer to avoid spills and have a skid-resistant silicone rubber base. A tin costs $9.95 and a dog teacup $19.99 at teaforspot.com.
5. Skipping Stones
Remember those idyllic days when you hung out at the lake and skipped stones? Now your dog can make those memories, too. Just toss the new play-and-chew skipping stone into the pool, pond, or lake, and your dog can bring it back. So long, soggy dog balls! Skipping Stones come in three shapes: Fat Bob, Easy Rider, and Tiny. The stones cost $13 at kurgo.com.
6. Dental Chew Bristle Brushes
One thing we all want: Dogs who brush their own teeth! Well, we’re getting closer. This chew toy looks like a toothbrush and chew toy in one. It has cleaning bristles, action nubs, and ridges to help keep dogs’ teeth clean. They cost 11.99 to $18.99 at nylabone.com.
7. My Dog Nose It
Unfortunately, skin cancer isn’t only for humans — our dogs are at risk, too. Dog lover Jill Stephens developed basal cell carcinoma on her nose and later noticed her dog, Cody Joe, was showing effects of the sun on his nose, too. After her veterinarian recommended using sunscreen, Jill decided to hire a chemist and create a dog-safe sunscreen specifically for the dog nose, but which can be used on ears and other unprotected areas, too. I love Jill’s story and how she went above and beyond to protect not only her dog, but our dogs as well. The sunscreen costs $12.99, but Jill wants to share a 25-percent off discount code with the Dogster community. Just use discount code PET25 at mydognoseit.com.
8. Healthy Water Enhancers
We humans love our water enhancers, and now our dogs can, too. Want your dog to drink more water? Just squeeze in some Vegalicious Super Berry Blast, Mango Coconut Chiller, or Fresh Breath Vanilla Mint into your dog’s water bowl. Not only are they flavoricious, but they’ve also got Vitamin C and antioxidants. The dog water enhancers contain 24 servings and cost $4.99 at foufoubrands.com.
9. Can Toy
I say “soda” and my husband says “pop,” but no matter how we say it, soda pop is downright American. And now dogs can enjoy it, too, but in a much healthier and fun way. Meet the Can Toy. It’s a dog toy puzzle made of natural rubber, tooth tested, and certified to meet Europe’s rigorous standards for children’s toys. The Can Toy has openings at each end for you to put in treats. It comes in medium, large, and extra large, and in three styles: Orange Squeeze, Lemon Lime, and Orange Crush. The toys cost $19.99.
10. Puffsters
There’s nothing like opening a fresh bag of Cheetos and then seeing your dog giving you that pleading, oh-please-share look. No more! My dogs can finally have their own puffy goodness with Puffsters. Dogs will see these all-natural, air-puffed snack chips and think they’ve gone to human treat heaven. Puffsters come in four flavors: Apple and Chicken, Banana and Chicken, Sweet Potato and Chicken, and Cranberry and Chicken. Retails from $4.99 to $5.99 at lovingpetsproducts.com.
11. Woof Poof
Admit it, we’ve all got a bath pouf somewhere. Let’s not leave our dogs out of this bath-time cleansing ritual — get them their own bath poufs! Check out the ShowSheen Deodorizing Bath Pouf and the Ultrashield Green Flea & Tick Bath Pouf. These soft pouf scrubs are filled with ShowSheen soap buttons, which last more than 15 washes. The Ultrashield Woof Pouf’s eco-friendly formula repels flies, fleas, and ticks. The ShowSheen Woof Pouf is great for on-the-go shampooing and helps with skunk smell. They cost from $7.99 to $9.99 at absorbinepet.com.
12. Bark B-Q
First there was Petchup, Muttstard, and Mutt-n-aise, and now there’s a Bark B-Q pork-flavored condiment. Created for picky pets, these flavored condiments mimic human’s love of condiments to make food taste better. They’re made of natural food-grade nutritional ingredients. A two-pack costs for $17.90 at mypetchup.com.
All photos by Melissa L. Kauffman.
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About the author: Melissa L. Kauffman often goes by Mel to friends and canines alike. She lives in North Carolina with her two forever puppies, Tampa Bay and Justice; two feisty parrots, Deacon and Carlisle; a betta fish named Edgar Allan; and her husband, Scott. Mel is the senior editorial director for Catster and Dogster print magazines.
