Starting a dog treat business from home and selling your homemade dog treats to dog lovers can be a very rewarding and fun career path. Whether you want to sell your dog treats at Craft Fairs, Farmers Markets, Online, or in a Retail Store, you will need to know where to get started and how to follow the correct homemade dog treats regulations. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you embark on this exciting journey.
Develop Your Dog Treat Business Recipes
When you first start making dog treats, you can quickly become overwhelmed with the numerous homemade dog treat recipes available online and in dog treat cookbooks. The best advice is to be aware of the ingredients in these recipes. Not all ingredients are safe for dogs to eat, even those found in physical cookbooks. Here is an important list of human ingredients to avoid feeding your pets:
- Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets: Always review this list to ensure you do not accidentally feed harmful ingredients to any dogs. You can also ask your local Veterinarian for their opinions on ingredients you are unsure of.
The best approach is to keep it simple. Master a good, healthy plain recipe, then add to it. After developing your own recipe, the best way to keep your dog treats from becoming moldy is to buy a basic dehydrator and dehydrate them for 8-10 hours after baking. This will extend the shelf life of your dog treats without added preservatives. Dehydrators can be found on Amazon and in Outdoor, Camping Supply stores, starting at around $30.
Send Your Dog Treats to a Feed Lab
As you start your dog treat business and get to the part where you are sending your dog treats to a commercial feed lab, rest assured that it is easier than it sounds. Simply search for “Commercial Feed Labs” online. Many of them are very helpful with entrepreneurs who are just starting their dog treat businesses and will provide you with helpful tips and guidance if needed.
You can get your treats tested for under $50-$70 each. Prices may vary, so compare costs from lab to lab. Once you find a Commercial Feed Lab, make a quick phone call or drop an email to your State’s Department of Agriculture to ask if they “approve” of the particular lab you want to use. Then, ask what Guaranteed Analysis tests they require for homemade dog treats, as each State is different.
Bag up your treats according to the Commercial Feed Lab requirements and name your dog treat (e.g., “Peanut Butter Dog Treats”). If you are decorating your dog treats and dog cakes, be sure to decorate them with dog treat icing and frosting prior to submitting them for Guaranteed Analysis testing. It is best to avoid adding food coloring to ensure your entire treat is tested correctly.
Register with Your Department of Agriculture
Now you can design your labels with your dog treat business logo, add the Guaranteed Analysis that you receive from the Commercial Feed Lab, and submit the labels to your State Department of Agriculture. Remember, you do not need to send them your actual dog treat recipes or treats. They are there to help you, so do not be afraid to ask questions or make changes to your label as requested.
If you never change your dog treat recipe, you only need to do these steps once, then you can just bake and sell. Prior to submitting your labels, use the Treat Label Guidelines as a reference, but remember that each State has different guidelines that may be updated annually. Submit your labels when you are ready to begin selling your dog treats to ensure you have the correct, current requirements.
Additional Resources
If you would like to start your dog treat business quickly and correctly, consider checking out this amazing step-by-step, in-depth, personalized guide from start to finish on how to build a profitable dog treat business.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION!
Starting a home-based pet treat bakery can be a fulfilling and profitable venture. By following these steps and utilizing available resources, you can create a successful business that brings joy to both pets and their owners. Happy baking! 🐾
