Millennial Pets Will Be The Big Winners this Christmas

 Today's pets are enjoying an almost human existence with many of Australia's 5.7 million pet loving households, spending thousands of dollars each year to secure the health and happiness of their treasured animal companion.

Known as 'pet-parents', rather than 'pet-owners', these passionate pet lovers across Australia are indulging their four legged canine and feline 'fur-kids' with clothing, gifts and products to celebrate milestones and festivities.

Around 50% of pet owners are expected to buy a gift for their pet this festive season with toys, treats and gifts packs set to be the top sellers.

The affectionate terms, 'fur-baby', 'fur-kid' and 'pet-parent' particularly resonate with young Millennials who consider their pets as 'starter children'. Three out of four Millennials admit that  they are more likely to splurge on an item for their pets, rather than on something for themselves.

Petpreneur, Katrina Thomson, founder of Australian personalised pet products business, IdPet (www.idpet.com.au), says that pet parents are increasingly humanising their furry best friends and spoiling them with their very own customised and personalised accessories.

"It's about showing that you are a proud pet parent with an eye for what your Doggo needs, and believe you me they need that personalised Furburry Neckerchief or custom superhero collar and lead set. Non essentials are becoming the new must-have essentials when it comes to your fur-baby - there is no such thing as over spoiled," Ms Thomson explained.

IdPet is preparing for a busy Christmas period with spending on their bespoke, custom made pet products already receiving steady orders from Australian and international pet lovers even before the festive season as begun.

"We create a personalised squeak plush Candy Cane Toy and can personalise gift packs complete with homemade treats, a Christmas themed plush toy and treat bag for the all-in-one gift for every pet."

IdPet began specialising in custom made and printed pets clothing and products in 2013 and now boasts a strong loyal customer base.

"Our personalised range has expanded so much over the past year. Now we're custom making birthday themed neckerchiefs and matching toys," Ms Thomson explained.

"We're also finding that many pet lovers treat welcoming a new puppy into their home just as they would a new baby, so our 'Puppy Essentials Pack' with collar, lead and also prove popular."

Doggy Goodies in the Mail

Recently we've seen a number of businesses offering dog products by subscription. And it seems that some just come and go, mainly because the quality of the products they supply aren't good, or the price is just to much.

The lastest addition is Gracie's Goodies and we have a feeling that this one might be different and we're hoping it will stay around for some time to come.

The Gracie's Goodies box of dog treats and toys is  delivered to your home or office every month. and contains dog treats and toys carefully selected by Sue Dingwall, a fully qualified dogbehavioural trainer based in Sydney. Sue has carefully sourced toys that are unique and different to those you find in regular pet stores, while the food treats are sourced from Australian suppliers to ensure quality and origin of each product.
“When I started looking for treats and toys for my own dogs, I couldn’t find the right products to support  the training I’d done with them,” Sue told us. “But as I started to build up a good selection of products, my clients began to ask for my recommendations.. That’s where the idea for Gracie’s Goodies was born. We’ve taken the research and hard work out of shopping for your dog, with this subscription-based box that offers variety every month.”

The team behind Gracie’s Goodies – Sue and her sister, Jane Wilde – are pitching the subscription service towards dog owners who either don’t have time to make repeat visits to pet stores to purchase treats and toys for their dog, and those owners who are baffled by the volume of choice and don’t know where to begin to select the right products. Gracie’s Goodies has done all the hard work for its human customers and their pets.

For clients who have recently welcomed a puppy into their home, Gracie’s Goodies offers the “cutie per tutti box”, which is tailored specifically for young puppies from 0-6 months. The product selection caters for puppies at each stage of their development and helps their owners avoid the confusion associated with

The boxes are tailored to suit different sized dogs, in three categories: small (0-10kg), medium (11-25kg) and large (25kg +). Subscription packages are offered for 1, 3, 6 and 12 months.

As a new company founded by two women who care about ethically sourced products and have a track record of giving back to the community, Gracie’s Goodies is proud to sponsor a Delta Therapy Dog team,Val and Quis, as part of the red bandana program.

Having received our first box, we were impressed not just by the stylish packaging, but also the careful selection, with all the products being of the highest quality. Our box contained a Jax and Bones Rope Toy, Beasties Peanut Butter Biscounts (the office dogs loved them!), Paws Dental Chcken Triple Joint Chew, 100g Yoghurt Drops and Chicken Pops rawhide chews.

Our only comment was that the Chicken Pops were loose in the box, and should probably have been packaged. Other than that, we were very impressed. These boxes would make an ideal gift to the dog lover in your life, or just the dog you love in your life.

Visit http://graciesgoodies.com.au/ to order or for more info.

LifeSPRINGS Walkies - Natural Nutritional Health Treats for Dogs

We love to find tasty dog treats which are Australian made and owned, and we were recently sent some LifeSPRINGS Walkies™ Nutritional Healthy Dog Treats for Dogs to road test.

These tasty treats help ensure that your dog is receivinga balanced intake of trace minerals and vitamins that may not be present in your dog’s current food.

LifeSPRINGS Walkies Natural Nutritional Healthy Dog Treats provides your dog with a unique nutrient formula not found in pet food or dog treats with over 70 major and trace minerals and 14 vitamins.

LifeSPRINGS Walkies® Original & Tiny Bites Nutritional Healthy Dog Treats for Dogs will help ensure that your dog will receive a balanced intake of trace minerals and vitamins that may not be present in your dog’s current food.

Healthy smelling and not too greasy, the office dogs loved the Walkies treats, and while it's too early to tell, we're confident the extra minerals and vitamins will help general health and a shiny coat.

For more information, visit www.lifesprings.com.au

Pet Indulgence Dry Shampoo by Joseph Lyddy.

The Joseph Lyddy Pet Indulgence range has released a dry shampoo specifically for dogs! Taking the stress away from troublesome bath times!

Perfect for the colder winter months, this dry shampoo instantly refreshes your pets coat leaving them smelling deliciously clean. The dry shampoo uses all natural ingredients and is enriched with essential oils, and will leave your pooch smelling of delicious honey, vanilla and coconut!

The Joseph Lyddy Easy Wash Dry Shampoo For Cats & Dogs retails for $12.95 and is available fom the Joseph Lyddy online store.
Website: www.josephlyddy.com.au