YOU LIKELY STOCK dozens of types of dry kibble, but most pet parents stick to the same brand. Make it easy for customers who want to try a new dry food diet, whether they want to switch to ancient grains or a super-premium holistic blend. Design a simple graphic that offers easy instructions to transition foods and turn them on to these new blends available at independent stores like yours.

Wellness Core Wholesome Grains
WellPet

KEY FEATURES:The four recipes in this protein-packed blend focus on poultries and fish, including deboned turkey, ocean whitefish and herring.

SALES TIP: Healthy by design, these recipes offer maximum protein, nutrient-rich grains and superfoods.

wellnesspetfood.com, (800) 225-0904

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Lifespan Dry Food
PetGuard

KEY FEATURES:: Crunchy nuggets made from USA-sourced chicken plus beet pulp and alfalfa meal for fiber.

SALES TIP: This is the OG diet: The first all-natural holistic dry food for dogs of all ages, sizes and breeds.

petguard.com, (929) 515-1436

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Cricket Crave
Jiminy’s

KEY FEATURES: A sustainable and nutrient-dense blend of cricket protein powder, oats, quinoa, sweet potato and other plant-based ingredients, baked in the USA in small batches.

SALES TIP: Every dog that snarfs an insect-based supper over traditional proteins saves 220 gallons of water.

jiminys.com, (844) 454-6469

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Highlander Beef, Oats and Barley Recipe
Fromm

KEY FEATURES: This Scottish-inspired, grain-inclusive entrée features beef, lamb, haddock, oats, fruits and vegetables.

SALES TIP: Mix and match: The new recipe joins a larger family of grain-inclusive and grain-free entrées designed to be interchangeable, delivering variety with every meal.

frommfamily.com, (414) 439-1900

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Natural Dry Dog Food
Hound & Gatos

KEY FEATURES: A protein boost for pups, this blend is more than 84 percent protein, made from real meat, fish or poultry and fresh, whole eggs.

SALES TIP: All killer, no filler — this blend nixes peas, chickpeas, lentils and white potatoes.

houndgatos.com, (888) 896-2951

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Diamond Pro89 Beef
Diamond Pet Foods

KEY FEATURES: Pork and ancient grains join forces with energy-dense protein sources and amino acids to support hard work and endurance.

SALES TIP: An all-star blend for working and performance dogs, it contains 89 percent protein to help build and maintain muscle.

diamondpet.com, (800) 442-0402

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Ancient Wetlands Canine Recipe with Roasted Fowl
Taste of the Wild

KEY FEATURES: Roasted quail, roasted duck and smoked turkey combine for a diet rich in highly digestible protein.

SALES TIP: The art of ancient grains: Focus on the pet parents who prefer grains like sorghum, millet, quinoa and chia seed over fillers.

tasteofthewildpetfood.com, (800) 324-4808

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Carnivore Grain Free Lamb + Wild Boar Recipe
Go! Solutions

KEY FEATURES: A heavy hitter in the protein aisle, with added digestive enzymes, probiotics and prebiotic fiber promote good digestion, protein utilization.

SALES TIP: Lamb and salmon and boars, oh my! Each recipe in the line includes between six to 11 animals as protein sources.

petcurean.com, (866) 864-6112

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Dog People Are Cool T-shirts — a new addition for us. Found them at SuperZoo. — Beth Staley, Happy Dog Barkery, Downers Grove, IL

Products

• Weruva’s pate line of canned food took off last month. We’ve been pointing it out to the customers that have affirmed their cats won’t eat textured foods and have overlooked Weruva in the past. Our casual recommendations seemed to have led to trial and feline approval. — Jack Carey, Food for Pets, Manchester, NH
• Puzzles! People are loving puzzles for their pups. The Outward Hound Puzzles are the best sellers for us. We love selling interactive toys as we know the benefits of an engaged dog. — Tammy Vasquez, Bark Life, Seminole, FL
• Redbarn Bully Slices were our best sellers last month. We sell them in bulk and display them in tin pails with a chalkboard sticker. We carry four flavors and our visitors love to mix and match. — Wendy Megyese, Muttigans, Emerald Isle, NC
• Earth Animal No Hide Chews. We love it as much as our customers because it’s a good healthy chew that is fully digestible, comes in six flavors, and four different sizes. Dogs love it! We don’t even need to put it on sale, it just sells itself! — Kimberly Gatto, The Wagging Tail, Las Vegas, NV
• Victor’s Puppy/Adult Grain Free dog food. We sell what we feed our guests, so parents can see that their pet likes it, and if it’s a long-term board, they can sometimes see a difference in coat, gait and disposition. — Suzanne Locker, ABC Pet Resort & Spa, Willis, TX
• Rawbble Freeze Dried Dog Food in five flavors and three sizes, priced from $9. Limited ingredient and really great value. Customers have been changing from other brands. — Nancy Okun, Cats n Dogs, Port Charlotte, FL
• Bulk biscuits. But we did just raise our price on them from $4.99/pound to $5.49, and no one batted an eye! Our bulk cookie bar takes up a good amount of room, and it should be generating a higher margin for us because of that. — Shane Somerville, Paddywack, Mill Creek, WA
• Sales of bone broth from Primal have definitely increased. We suggest to our customers to add good moisture to the pet’s diet. — Renee Gonzalez, Waterloo Feed and Pet Supply, Waterloo, IL
• Pet Releaf continues to be a strong go-to for those looking for CBD. — Keefer Dickerson, Nashville Pet Products, Nashville, TN
• Raw food and supplements, particularly Answers products. — Diana Farrar, Fifi & Fidos Pet Boutique, San Antonio, TX
• Fromm Gold is still sitting on top. — Janelle Pitula, Wags to Whiskers, Plainfield, IL
• K9 Kraving Smoked Duck Feet are our best seller at all our locations. We sell more than 5,000 of them a month! — Nancy Guinn, Dog Krazy, Fredericksburg, VA
• Yellow Dog collars were a big hit in October. We brought in three color choices of candy sugar skulls for Dia De Los Muertos and sold out of them. Of course, we restocked right away and were pleasantly surprised at how quickly they moved. — Charlsye Lewis, Metro Animals, Fort Worth, TX
• Health Extension foods and treats. — Brett Foreman, euPAWria Holistic Pet Center, Owego, NY
• Farmina dry dog food was crazy up! It is appealing to consumer in the weird land of DCM. They are loving the ancestral grain line. Honestly, we haven’t done any promotions on it. It has been word of mouth. — Anna Woodcock, Brown Dog Bakery, Ankeny, IA
• CBD products from Super Snouts. Our top seller was the Chill Out calming water-soluble chews. Our customers especially like the six-chew trial size — perfect for the customer who is not sure about CBD products. They are inexpensive ($9.99 retail) and easy to use. Once they see how well it works, they come back for the larger size package (60 count). — Paula Jaffe and Sue Hepner, Cool Dog Gear, Warrington, PA
• Nature’s Logic Beef was our biggest seller. German Shepherd breeders buy seven big bags a week! — Kelley Nelson, Central Dawgma & The Dawg Wash, Hagerstown, MD

Services

• Our lead groomer took the first spot for sales last month. A close second was self-wash. We haven’t been running promos on either since both are so busy — hate to make it even more of a wait then it already is! — Jennifer Larsen, Firehouse Pet Shop, Wenatchee, WA
• Our deshedding treatment was extremely popular in October. — Danielle Wilson, Bath & Biscuits, Granville, OH
• We had a flash one-day sale on daycare packages: 20 days usually costs $680, but we sold them for $620. Clients bought them like crazy, and we were able to realize an addtional $15K in package sales. — Angela Pantalone, Wag Central, Stratford, CT

2020 Pet Sitter of the Year Named

Pet Sitters International has named Jeanne Crockett of Crockett’s Critter Care in New Bern, NC, the 2020 Pet Sitter of the Year. Crockett will serve as the “face of the professional pet-sitting industry” and will be crowned at PSI’s 2020 Pet Sitter World Educational Conference in October. petsit.com, crockettscrittercare.com

Registration Open for Atlanta Pet Fair

Registration is open for the Atlanta Pet Fair and Conference, March 12-15. The fair will feature more than 100 exhibitors, 65 educational seminars, four panels, nine independent certification courses and half-day intensive classes. Throughout the weekend, there will be dog and cat grooming demonstrations and a variety of business development and marketing sessions. atlantapetfair.org/registration

ASC Helps Indies to Sell Online

Animal Supply Company is partnering with e-commerce platforms BigCommerce and Shopify to help independent pet retailers enter the online space. animalsupply.com/connect

PLC Initiative Helps Consumers Acquire Dogs

The Pet Leadership Council has launched Be Dog Smart to help consumers make informed decisions about dog acquisition, whether by way of a professional breeder, shelter or rescue, pet store, friend or family member. “The success of the pet care community rests on consumer trust and confidence, which is why the PLC found it imperative to gain a better understanding of the public’s wants and needs when it comes to companion animals,” said Bob Vetere, executive director of the PLC. Be Dog Smart offers a website with information such as costs to consider, questions to ask and information on identifying responsible breeders, shelters, rescues and pet stores. Resources are available for pet pros who wish to help promote Be Dog Smart to consumers. bedogsmart.org

Global Takes Place Feb. 26-28

Global Pet Expo, ranked the 46th largest trade show by Trade Show Executive magazine, and presented by the American Pet Products Association and Pet Industry Distributors Association, takes place Feb. 26-28 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. globalpetexpo.org