Doggy beer: The next big thing or barking mad fad?

This article is part of our digital feature on petcare

Nothing beats a well-deserved drink after a long walk with your dog. But you may feel a pang of guilt when you sit down with a cool pint and your pup’s stuck with a bowl of tepid water. Such a scenario inspired Arjan Berendsen to create a more exciting drink for his Weimaraner, Canto.

Pioneering doggy beer brand Snuffle was born, and can now be found on UK shelves at Pets at Home. The retailer takes 4,000 bottles of Snuffle every year and this figure is expected to increase as the brand is introduced into more branches. And Snuffle isn’t alone. A handful of bold brewers in Europe and the US are producing doggy beer, and consumers are lapping it up.

But what exactly is doggy beer? Should it even be classed as beer? And are people actually buying it as more than a novelty treat?

As you might have guessed, it isn’t really beer at all, despite most brands being packaged in convincing bottles and some even produced in real breweries. It is non-alcoholic, non-carbonated and isn’t fermented like real beer, but as Snuffle says, it is beer ‘in the emotional sense of the word’.

The brand wanted to make the country’s beer culture inclusive to dogs too, and spokesman Stefaan Dielens says the product has always been about “sharing the moment with your best friend”.

The product may scream novelty, but Dielens believes the health benefits of Snuffle – said to aid hydration and a shiny coat – are what lead to repeat purchases. Events such as Christmas, birthdays, football games and barbecues, where owners want to involve their pets in the celebrations, are also lucrative occasions.

Lisa Morton, co-founder and brand director at Woof & Brew has seen similar success with her doggy beer brand Bottom Sniffer. “It’s been flying off the shelves and we have seen a very high rate of repeat orders from both direct to consumer and trade,” says Morton. “It’s also drawn a high level of interest with gift retailers and monthly subscription boxes.”

The beer now has more than 400 stockists in the UK and more than 100 dog-friendly pubs have also put their orders in.

“The unwavering strength of the emotional bond we share with our dogs is in no way related to class or income, meaning pet brands can reach and appeal to a vast audience,” says Morton. “Pets are now members of the family and the humanisation of pets is a trend that continues to grow in strength. There has been a huge increase in the awareness and importance of natural, healthy products for our pets, and owners are prepared to pay a premium.”

So the foreseeable future’s looking bright for doggy beer. Whether the novelty factor will stand the test of time remains to be seen, but brands – and dogs – can certainly enjoy it for now. Cheers!

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