The selling of dog food seems to cycle through one of several themes. It’s either better for the health of your dog, easier for you, or tastier to your dog. Hopefully, it’s all three. These two drawings are from 1941.
I always liked the “fake hamburger” phase of dog food, which took place in the 1960s and early ’70s. Here are ads from 1964, 1967, and 1973. If it looks good to us, it must look good to the dogs, right?
And who can argue with a brand of dog food called “Mighty Dog,” which shows a poodle on the label?
One big question when it comes to dog food is, “dry or canned?” It seems to me that canned dog food is advertised more heavily than dry food, and I do think it is a tougher sale. Given the choice, I’d always go with the convenience and more appealing smell of dry food. I assume it’s nutritionally equal to its canned equivalent.
The present is a good time in pet foods, I think, in that the emphasis seems to be more on health than gimmicky packaging or amusing shapes. Even the cheap stuff at Costco is probably better than what our parents fed their dogs. But I kind of miss the Gaines Burgers and its see-through packaging.
This article was last modified on May 17, 2023
This article was first published on August 6, 2010
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