The US pet market continues to show resilience and momentum. What share of the overall market do dog products and services account for, and which product categories drive the most spend?
Dog owners are protecting essential care while becoming more selective in where they invest their dollars. Veterinary care now commands the largest share of the dog owner’s budget at 31%, followed closely by products at 29% and food at 27%. Food remains resilient, but owners are stretching those dollars through value-oriented choices as higher-cost care continues to take up more of their wallets. The takeaway is that owners are not abandoning familiar routines; they are recalibrating them. Brands and retailers that offer accessible price points, pack sizes and clear value per use can help owners preserve everyday food and treat occasions without increasing total spend.
Which trends are you seeing in the dog food and treats segment?
The central trend is value-conscious rebalancing rather than retreat. Owners are protecting core nutrition: average food spending increased by 2%, while treat spending declined by 11%. Dry food is again the anchor, with 72% feeding dry alone or with mixers and toppers, while basic/generic food purchases increased by 15%. At the same time, premium and purpose-driven formats remain resilient. Fifty-six percent of dog owners purchased food with special attributes, and 19% purchased human food for their dogs. In treats, function matters: meat treats lead at 44%, followed by dental or breath-freshening treats at 42%. Chews are purchased by 65% of owners, and shoppers increasingly favor supermarkets and other convenient, value-forward channels.
What does the profile of the typical US dog owner look like, and how has it evolved in recent years?
Dog ownership is broadening: 53% of US households owned a dog in 2025, reaching 71 million households, and multi-dog households are up 19% over seven years. The owner base is increasingly multigenerational: Millennials remain the largest share of owners, while Gen Z’s share rose to 21% and Gen X’s to 28%. That generational expansion is also shaping spending behavior. Basic food purchases rose 20% among Gen Z and 36% among Millennials, while their dog food purchases at discount and mass-merchandiser retailers increased by 38% and 44%, respectively. At the same time, both groups continue to make selective upgrades. Gen Z purchases of human food rose by 64%, and Millennial purchases rose 42%, showing that value-seeking is less about choosing the cheapest option and more about balancing affordable staples with targeted, higher-benefit additions.
How do you expect dog ownership and spending to develop in the coming years, and what opportunities does this create for manufacturers and retailers?
We expect dog ownership to remain structurally resilient, but spending growth will be more selective than broad-based. In 2025, owners rebalanced budgets toward products with a clear health, convenience, enrichment, or daily-care payoff. The strongest opportunities are therefore in accessible value, functional benefits and easy replenishment: dry food plus mixers and toppers, food with functional or human-grade attributes, dental chews, and grooming solutions.
Retailers can differentiate through knowledgeable staff and solution-based displays that organize products around owners’ needs – such as dental health, calming, at-home grooming or functional enrichment – rather than simply by category. Clear benefit claims, good-better-best price tiers and adjacent merchandising can help shoppers compare options and build an effective care routine within their budget. Manufacturers can support that shopping experience by making the benefits and value immediately understandable, using transparent ingredients and clear guidance on which needs each product addresses. They can also create flexible formats, trial sizes and price tiers that let owners add targeted benefits without committing to a full premium routine. Packaging and merchandising materials should answer the practical questions owners are asking: what problem does this solve, and why is it worth the price? The goal is not simply to be the lowest cost; it is to offer the clearest return on the owner’s dollar.
