Australian Pet Treat Trends 2026: What 60,000+ Sales Reveal

Updated April 2026. Based on 60,000+ verified pet treat sales from Huds and Toke's Sunshine Coast manufacturing operation, an Australian-owned small-batch decorated pet treat producer established in 2007.

Every year Australian pet owners spend more on their dogs, horses, cats and small pets. But what are they actually buying? We pulled the numbers from our own catalogue (60,000+ verified treat sales across 350+ products) to find the patterns that matter for anyone who works with, loves, or sells to Australian pet owners.

Some of these findings will be expected. Some surprised us. Here's what 12 months of real Aussie pet treat sales reveal.

The Top 5 Best-Selling Pet Treats in Australia (Past 12 Months)

1. Christmas Dog Treat Cookie Mix (4-pack) — 3,100 units. The single biggest seller across the entire range. Aussies clearly love including their dogs in the Christmas celebration, and demand for hand-decorated festive treats outpaces every other product category.
2. Kangaroo Micro Bones — Dog Training Treats — 3,066 units. Kangaroo is the runaway favourite protein for Australian dog training. Lean, hypoallergenic, and uniquely Aussie. See the full kangaroo treat range.
3. Chicken Micro Bones — Dog Training Treats — 2,122 units. Soft, bite-sized, low-fat, and a favourite of professional dog trainers including the Detection Dogs for Conservation program at the University of the Sunshine Coast. Browse chicken training treats.
4. Veggie Tubes — Vegetarian Dog Training Treats — 1,871 units. The presence of a vegetarian option in our top 5 is genuinely surprising and reflects a real shift in how Aussies are thinking about plant-based options for their dogs.
5. Sugar Free Horse Treats — Veggie Horse Bix 1kg — 1,718 units. Equine health awareness in Australia is rising, particularly around laminitis, Cushing's, and metabolic syndrome. Sugar-free horse treats are no longer a niche product. Browse sugar-free horse treats.

Five Genuine Surprises in the Data

1. Kangaroo is Australia's #1 dog training treat protein

Across all single-protein dog training treats sold over the past 12 months, kangaroo outsells beef and chicken combined for the small-bone training format. Kangaroo's appeal is part nutrition (it's naturally lean at under 6% fat and rich in iron), part availability (it's truly novel for almost all Australian dogs), and part identity. Aussie owners want Aussie ingredients in their dogs' treats. The RSPCA's guidance on pet feeding also encourages choosing high-quality, single-source proteins where possible.

2. Vegetarian dog treats have crossed into mainstream

Veggie Tubes (a vegetarian training treat made with carrot, beetroot and pumpkin) is in the top 5 best-sellers across the entire range. This isn't a vegan-owner novelty product. Sales volume confirms it's used as a daily training treat by mainstream dog owners, particularly those with dogs on weight management or with sensitivities to common animal proteins. Browse grain-free and functional treats.

3. Christmas drives roughly 18% of annual dog treat volume

Across the past 12 months of sales, Christmas-themed products accounted for 11,096 units in the dedicated Christmas dog treats category alone, plus another 11,000 in Christmas dog cookies. Combined with general gift box sales over the November-December period, the Christmas season represents close to one-fifth of yearly dog treat volume for the brand. The implication for retail planning is clear: Christmas inventory needs to be locked in by August. Browse the Christmas range.

4. Hand-decorated novelty treats sell far more than expected

The Krispy Kreme-Inspired Doggie Doughnut 6-pack landed at #7 best-seller across the entire range (1,449 units). When we look at the Doggy Donuts category as a whole, it consistently outperforms most "functional" treat categories. The takeaway: photo-friendly, social-media-shareable treats have real commercial pull beyond their initial novelty. Browse the Doggy Donuts range.

5. Sugar-free horse treats outsell molasses-based equivalents in 1kg packs

Among 1kg horse treat packs, the sugar-free Veggie Horse Bix outsells the traditional Molasses Horse Bix 1,718 units to 1,229 units. For horse owners buying in volume (where the cost-per-treat matters most), the sugar-free formulation is now the preferred choice. This reflects growing awareness of equine metabolic conditions, particularly among owners of ponies, retired horses, and laminitis-prone breeds. Browse functional horse treat range.

What Aussies Buy Most by Pet Type

Across our 350+ active products, the unit-sales breakdown by pet category looks like this:

• Dog treats and bakery: 60,605 units sold. By far the dominant category.
• Dog training treats specifically: 15,130 units. Most popular formats are micro bones (kangaroo, chicken, beef) and soft Veggie Tubes.
• Dog dental chews: 14,051 units. Single-protein semi-moist chews lead.
• Soft dog treats: 13,870 units. Used by trainers and senior-dog owners primarily.
• Horse treats (all categories): 11,398 units. Sugar-free now trends ahead of traditional sweet treats in 1kg formats.
• Christmas-themed dog products: 22,000+ combined units across cookies, gift boxes, and themed bakery.
• Frosted dog cookies (signature carob and yoghurt range): 27,581 units across all decorated cookies.

What This Means for Australian Pet Owners

If you're a dog owner in Australia, the data suggests you'll find good company in any of these choices: kangaroo training treats for everyday reward work, sugar-free options if your dog has weight or metabolic concerns, hand-decorated cookies for celebrations and gifting, and dental chews for daily oral health support. The spread of formats Aussies are buying reflects a maturing market where pet owners increasingly understand that not all treats need to do the same job.

If you're a horse owner, the rise of sugar-free options for daily use is the trend most worth knowing about. Combined with the steady popularity of functional turmeric-based horse treats, it's clear that Aussie horse owners are leaning into ingredient-led, condition-aware choices for their horses' day-to-day rewards. The Pet Food Industry Association of Australia (PFIAA) notes the broader industry is shifting toward functional and condition-aware formulations across both companion animal and equine sectors.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best-selling pet treat in Australia?

Based on Huds and Toke's most recent 12-month sales data across 60,000+ verified pet treat purchases, the single best-selling product was the Christmas Dog Treat Cookie Mix 4-pack, with 3,100 units sold. The best-selling year-round (non-seasonal) product was Kangaroo Micro Bones for dog training, with 3,066 units sold.

What is the most popular protein for Australian dog training treats?

Kangaroo is the most popular single-protein for dog training treats sold in Australia. It is naturally lean (under 6% fat), naturally hypoallergenic for most dogs, and a true novel protein for the vast majority of Australian dogs that have not been previously exposed to it through their everyday diet.

Are vegetarian dog treats becoming popular in Australia?

Yes. Vegetarian dog treats (specifically the Veggie Tubes range made with carrot, beetroot and pumpkin) ranked in the top 5 best-selling products in our most recent 12-month sales data, with 1,871 units sold. This places vegetarian options ahead of many traditional meat-based training treats and reflects a meaningful shift in how Australian dog owners are thinking about their dogs' diets.

What percentage of pet treat sales happen at Christmas?

Christmas-themed dog treats accounted for over 22,000 unit sales across the dedicated Christmas dog treats and Christmas dog cookies categories over the past 12 months. When combined with gift boxes and seasonal bakery, Christmas season represents close to 18% of total annual dog treat volume for premium Australian-made brands.

Are sugar-free horse treats safer than traditional sweet treats?

For horses with metabolic conditions like equine Cushing's (PPID), insulin resistance, or a history of laminitis, sugar-free horse treats are recommended by veterinarians and equine nutritionists. Sugar-free formulations replace molasses with vegetable-based flavours like beetroot, carrot, and apple. Always check with your vet about appropriate treat quantities for horses with metabolic conditions.

Where can I buy these top-selling Australian pet treats?

All products mentioned in this analysis are made on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland by Huds and Toke and are available directly through our online store with Australia-wide shipping capped at $12.95 per order. Browse the full dog range, horse range, cat range, or small pet range.

Methodology

This analysis is based on aggregated unit-sales data from the Huds and Toke product catalogue, covering 350+ active products across dog, horse, cat, and small pet categories. Sales volumes are total units sold per product over the 12-month period ending April 2026. All products are 100% Australian-made on the Sunshine Coast. Categories include dog treats, dog bakery, horse treats, cat treats, small pet treats, and accessories.

If you would like to cite this data in your own reporting, please attribute to Huds and Toke (hudsandtoke.com.au). We're happy to share more detailed breakdowns on request — contact us via the contact page.

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About Huds and Toke. Founded on the Sunshine Coast in 2007, Huds and Toke is one of Australia's longest-running independent pet treat brands. We hand-decorate dog cakes and cookies, slow-dehydrate single-protein meaty treats, and formulate functional horse treats from a small-batch facility in Coolum Beach, Queensland. Our treats are used by pet owners, breeders, vet clinics, and professional dog trainers across Australia, including the University of the Sunshine Coast Detection Dogs for Conservation program. Read more about our brand and team.