Can You Sell Dog Treats on Amazon.com? (Solved & Explained!)

Yes, you can definitely sell your dog treats on Amazon and it’s a very lucrative market to do so, with pet supplies earning over $600 million in 2020 alone. To get started, you will need a business license, as well as a seller’s license for the states where you will be selling your treats.

Alternately, you can also start off simply selling to Canadian customers, as all Canada requires is proper licensing in your own state if you want to sell and ship your treats there.

Once you’ve got your business license, you can create your Amazon seller account, enter your business info and business credit card info, and after that you can just name your store and start listing your products. If you are looking to make a little extra money from home, Amazon is an excellent way to do it!

In today’s article, we’re going to answer questions about selling your treats on Amazon marketplace. How should you label your treats? What is the best way to ship them? Find out the answers to these and other important questions so that you can start your business off right!

Details are waiting for you in the sections below!

How do I sell dog treats on Amazon?

If your treats qualify for sale on Amazon’s platform, getting set up is a piece of dog-treat cake. You just need to follow these basic steps:

  • Create your Amazon seller account
  • Enter in your business information to prove your business is licensed
  • Add your business credit card information
  • Provide proof of your identity
  • Name your store
  • Start adding in your treat listings

It’s a fairly quick process, with the exception of your proof of identity, but Amazon advises that this generally takes no more than 2 days (and often it’s a done deal within 24 hours).

Do you need approval to sell dog treats on Amazon?

Aside from your business license, you just need to make sure that your products fit within Amazon’s guidelines, with homemade treats falling into the ‘Animals and Animal related products’ category. Do not try to post them under ‘Amazon handmade’, as this category specifically prohibits pet treats and foods.

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Provided that your product fits the Animals and Animal related products guidelines, you will be allowed to sell your treats on Amazon with no further approval or licensing beyond your local business license and seller licenses for states (where applicable).

Do you need FDA approval to sell dog treats?

if you are selling dog treats within the United States, then your products need to include an honest ingredient list as part of their labelling to meet with FDA requirements for sale. The FDA does indeed regulate dog treats, but they do not require premarket approval before sale.

Just be sure that you include those ingredients on your labelling, however, or you’ll have federal trouble down the line!

Can I make dog treats at home and sell them on Amazon?

Yes, you can certainly make your treats at home and sell them on Amazon, provided that you have a business license that legally allows you to do so and Seller licenses for the states that you will be selling in. If you already have the pre-requisites met, then all you need to do is sign up, set up your store, and get your treats listed.

Do pet supplies sell on Amazon?

Yes, Pet supplies do quite well on Amazon and in 2020 it was reported to constitute around 600 million dollars in sales! Remember, 68 to 70% of American households have a pet and as people love their pets, you’ve got a lucrative market that is always going to have a large customer base.

Amazon will let you tap into that market and is considered to be an excellent place for selling dog treats and other pet products.

How do you package dog treats to be sold on Amazon?

For simplified, but good-looking packaging, you should invest in small, medium, and large paper bags, and get a stamp made with your company name, address, and other contact information. You will also want a vacuum sealer to ensure that your treats arrive fresh.

Invest in a printer as well, so that you can print ingredients labels with nutrition information and when it’s time to package, stamp your bag, stick a label on the back, and place your vacuum-sealed treats inside before sending them out. It’s simple and inexpensive, but it looks quite professional.

How do you label pet treats for sale on Amazon?

For the best labels and to ensure label compliance in just about any scenario, include the following on your labels:

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  • Company name and treat name
  • A statement along the lines of ‘intended for canine consumption’ to identify it as pet food
  • An accurate list of ingredients
  • Nutrition information by serving (optional, but recommended)
  • Any special instructions for feeding your treats

With these basics, your customer will be informed, the FDA will stay happy, and you’re ready to professionally label and sell your treats on Amazon.

Are dog treats sold on Amazon taxable?

Yes. While pet food is sort of a gray area, if you are selling your pet treats on Amazon then you need to pay the taxes on them. Human food isn’t taxed, but animal food is considered differently (except in one court case where the pet food was also fit for human consumption).

As such, unless you are willing to risk fines, imprisonment, and hefty court fees then you should do things right from the get-go. Sell your treats, pay the taxes due, and be done with it.

Can I ship dog treats?

Yes, you can ship dog treats within the United States, but outside of your home state you will require a Seller’s license for the states that you are serving and each state has their own requirements.

As such, you need to research the states you are shipping to, as some may require additional labelling or other state-specific requirements.

You can also make things easy in the beginning by simply selling and shipping to Canada and in your home state, as Canada and your home state only require that you be licensed at your point of origin to sell and ship the treats.

How do you ship perishable dog treats?

Invest in a vacuum sealer and in a food dehydrator for best results. The food dehydrator will add a couple of weeks to your treat’s shelf-life and will make those treats even crunchier, and we all know that dogs love crunchy treats!

After dehydrating, vacuum sealing the package makes it easier for shipping and also helps to ensure that your treats arrive fresh, with that shelf-life timer most often starting once they break the plastic seal.