You can learn a lot about where the dog industry is heading by walking around SUPERZOO for a few days. Sometimes the trend is obvious because you can\u2019t go ten feet without seeing another version of it. Other times, it\u2019s a handful of products doing something genuinely different that makes you stop and pay attention.<\/p>\n
Our team was at SUPERZOO 2026 in Las Vegas, where more than 1,200 exhibitors filled the show floor and more than 2,000 new products made their debut. The official New Product Showcase alone included more than 1,000 products, with categories covering everything from functional nutrition and wellness to smart technology and AI.<\/p>\n
After seeing what was there (and comparing notes once everyone\u2019s feet recovered), a few trends kept coming up.<\/p>\n
Some are continuations of things we\u2019ve been watching for a while. Others are newer. And at least one involves leaving the hair on the cow hide, so 2026 apparently isn\u2019t interested in being boring.<\/p>\n
Here are the dog trends that stood out most at SUPERZOO this year, along with some brands that stood out in each category. Not all of these are available to buy yet, though. <\/p>\n
1. Freeze-Dried Treats Are Getting Simpler<\/h2>\n
Freeze-dried dog treats aren\u2019t exactly new. What stood out this year was the continued push toward limited-ingredient and single-ingredient versions<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Instead of long ingredient panels and elaborate recipes, we saw plenty of products where the selling point was basically: this is meat. We freeze-dried it. The end.<\/p>\n That\u2019s not necessarily a bad thing.<\/p>\n Simple ingredient lists make it easier for dog owners to know exactly what they\u2019re feeding, especially when they\u2019re dealing with food sensitivities or trying to identify which ingredients agree with their dogs.<\/p>\n It also fits into a much bigger trend we\u2019ve been watching in dog food. Owners increasingly want recognizable ingredients, but they don\u2019t necessarily want to deal with the storage and handling that comes with fresh or raw food.<\/p>\n Freeze-drying lands neatly in the middle.<\/p>\n \t\t<\/p>\n \t\t<\/p>\n \t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\tWe earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.<\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Functional mushrooms have been creeping into the pet supplement world for several years. At SUPERZOO 2026, they were hard to miss.<\/p>\n Reishi, turkey tail, lion\u2019s mane, cordyceps and other mushroom varieties are showing up in powders, chews, treats and functional formulas targeting everything from immune support to cognitive health.<\/p>\n The trend even made it into the SUPERZOO New Product Showcase winners. Real Mushrooms \u2013 Functional Mushrooms with Krill<\/strong> won the Holistic\/Alternative Therapies & Supplements category.<\/p>\n That doesn\u2019t mean every mushroom product automatically deserves a spot in your dog\u2019s supplement cabinet. This is an area where the specific mushroom species, formulation, dose and supporting research matter quite a bit.<\/p>\n Still, mushrooms have clearly moved out of the obscure-supplement corner of the pet industry.<\/p>\n Expect to see a lot more of them.<\/p>\n \t\t<\/p>\n Real Mushrooms Turkey Tail with Qrill Organic Extract Immune-Support Flavored Powder Supplement for Dogs & Cats combines organic turkey tail mushroom extract with Qrill\u2122Pet Antarctic krill powder in every serving. This tasty powder delivers beta-(1,3)(1,6)-glucans to help maintain a healthy immune response and support your pet’s microbiome.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \t\t<\/p>\n \t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\tWe earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.<\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n AI was everywhere at SUPERZOO, but the interesting part wasn\u2019t seeing the letters \u201cAI\u201d slapped onto another pet gadget.<\/p>\n We\u2019re finally starting to see companies use it for things that could actually be useful.<\/p>\n One of the biggest examples was Talktail\u2019s AI Pet Health Monitoring Collar<\/strong>, which won the Overall Judges Award<\/strong> in SUPERZOO\u2019s New Product Showcase. Talktail\u2019s system monitors physiological measurements including heart rate, oxygen saturation and temperature.<\/p>\n That win is significant. Talktail didn\u2019t just win a technology category. It took the overall award in a showcase containing more than 1,000 products. <\/p>\n The larger trend here is one we\u2019ve been expecting: pet tech is shifting from tracking what your dog does to interpreting what that information might mean<\/strong>.<\/p>\n That\u2019s a much more interesting use of AI than generating a cartoon picture of your dog as Napoleon.<\/p>\n Keeping dogs healthy as they age isn\u2019t remotely a new idea. Calling it longevity<\/strong> certainly feels newer.<\/p>\n SUPERZOO had plenty of products aimed at supporting dogs throughout a longer lifespan, including supplements and functional foods marketed for healthy aging, cognition, cellular health, mobility and other age-related concerns.<\/p>\n Fera Pets,<\/a> for example, introduced Longevity Soft Chews containing ingredients including NMN, resveratrol, phosphatidylserine and MCT oil. <\/p>\n The interesting shift is that these products aren\u2019t necessarily being positioned exclusively for senior dogs. The message is increasingly about supporting healthy aging before<\/strong> a dog reaches his senior years.<\/p>\n Apparently plain water has been underperforming. One of the clearest trends at SUPERZOO was the continued growth of functional hydration<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Pawp Water is one example. The company makes ready-to-drink functional water for dogs in formulas targeting hydration, gut health, calming, and hip and joint support. Its electrolyte formula contains sodium, potassium and magnesium, while its hip and joint variety includes collagen.<\/p>\n \t\t<\/p>\n This functional hydration pack includes four targeted formulas\u2014Electrolyte Hydration, Gut Health, Hip & Joint, and Calming\u2014giving you an easy way to rotate daily support based on your pup’s needs. Each can is crafted with purified water and functional ingredients designed to complement hydration while supporting digestion, mobility, and relaxation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \t\t<\/p>\n \t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\tWe earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.<\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Then there are broths and meal toppers from companies such as Brutus Broth, which turn adding moisture to food into something considerably more appealing than pouring another splash of tap water over kibble.<\/p>\n \t\t<\/p>\n \u00a0Every serving of Brutus Bone Broth for dogs is infused with Glucosamine and Chondroitin to support healthy hips and joints in all dogs including puppies and older dogs. Available in multiple flavors, including a plant-based recipe. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \t\t<\/p>\n \t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\tWe earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.<\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The idea makes sense, particularly for dogs that aren\u2019t enthusiastic water drinkers or dogs eating primarily dry food.<\/p>\n What stood out at SUPERZOO was how much hydration is merging with functional nutrition<\/strong>. These aren\u2019t simply flavored waters. Brands are using the liquid format to deliver ingredients traditionally found in supplements.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve watched collagen take over the human supplement aisle, you probably saw this coming. Collagen appeared across dog treats, chews, broths, functional waters and supplements at SUPERZOO.<\/p>\n Some products focus on mobility and joint support, while others connect collagen with skin, coat or general wellness.<\/p>\n Bone broth fits naturally into this trend, too. Gn\u00fc Bone Broth Chews<\/a> actually won SUPERZOO\u2019s Dog category this year, while other brands introduced broth-based toppers, butters and treats.<\/p>\n We\u2019re interested in this trend partly because it overlaps so many categories. Collagen isn\u2019t sitting in one bottle labeled \u201cjoint supplement.\u201d It\u2019s becoming an ingredient built directly into foods and treats dogs are already consuming.<\/p>\n Whether every dog needs extra collagen is another question entirely. But judging by SUPERZOO, we\u2019re going to be seeing considerably more of it.<\/p>\n This was one of the more visually memorable trends from the show.<\/p>\n Brands are leaning harder into minimally processed, whole-animal treats and chews, including products that retain the animal\u2019s hair or fur.<\/p>\n Yes. Hair and all.<\/p>\n Girls Gone Raw<\/a> focuses on small-batch, species-appropriate treats and chews, while Bar46 Farms<\/a> produces single-ingredient beef hide chews from cattle raised on its own Idaho farm. Bar46 specifically sells hand-rolled hair-on beef hide chews<\/strong>.<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t going to appeal to every dog owner. If you\u2019re already slightly disturbed when you can identify which anatomical part a chew used to be, the fur probably isn\u2019t helping.<\/p>\n But the products fit squarely into the larger movement toward less processing, traceable sourcing and using more of the animal rather than turning meat into something completely unrecognizable.<\/p>\n They\u2019re also a reminder that \u201cnatural dog treat\u201d is becoming considerably more literal.<\/p>\n This may end up being one of the most important trends from SUPERZOO 2026.<\/p>\n Pet owners can increasingly collect samples, run tests or send specimens to laboratories without starting every health investigation with a veterinary appointment.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t![\"First](\"https:\/\/image.chewy.com\/catalog\/general\/images\/moe\/068e80eb-7454-78f9-8000-cde85d5748b0._AC_SS600_V1_.jpg\")
\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n2. Mushrooms Are Everywhere<\/h2>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tReal Mushrooms Turkey Tail with Qrill\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t![\"Real](\"https:\/\/technobark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Real-Mushrooms-Turkey-Tail-with-Qrill.avif\")
\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n3. AI Is Moving From Novelty to Health Tool<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/technobark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/talktail-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n4. Dog Longevity Is Becoming Its Own Category<\/h2>\n
5. Hydration Is Getting the Functional-Treat Treatment<\/h2>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPawp Water Variety Pack Electrolyte, Hip & Joint, Calming, Gut Health Water\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t![\"Pawp](\"https:\/\/image.chewy.com\/catalog\/general\/images\/moe\/06a61083-4fc4-7ec3-8000-f78469203434._AC_SS600_V1_.jpg\")
\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tBrutus Bone Broth for Dogs Dog Food Topper\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t![\"Brutus](\"https:\/\/technobark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/brutus-broth.jpg\")
\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n6. Collagen Has Officially Made the Jump From Human to Dog Wellness<\/h2>\n
7. Whole-Animal Treats and Hair-On Chews Are Having a Moment<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/technobark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Fur-on-treats-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n8. At-Home Pet Health Testing Is Expanding Fast<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/technobark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/tick-test-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/technobark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Nicole-Headshot-2014-fb.jpg\")
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