Flying Saucers

Businesses cater to the hound's tooth.

Dog food is dog food is dog food, right? Hardly. As a growing number of canine owners are realizing, there's quite a bit more to certain mutt munchies than just your typical, garden-variety pet fare. And, yes, quicker than you can ask "How much is that doggy biscotti in the window?" die-hard dog lovers are snapping up gourmet delectables for the hounds in their lives.

Not that it's an impulse buy. "This is a group of people for whom their dog is not a dog--it's a family member," says Joe Nemie, 38, describing the loyal clientele for his and 30-year-old wife Christi's Dogs For America Gourmet Canine Treat of the Month Club in Olde Town Portsmouth, Virginia. "These are for dogs that are really pampered."

Such pampered dogs eat up the delicacies dished out by the Nemies as well as scores of dog bakeries nationwide. And, with Dogs For America's membership ranks projected to swell to between 15,000 and 20,000 by next year, it's clear there's a demand for more treats du jour. Observes Nemie, "We've touched a nerve."

This article was originally published in the December 1998 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Flying Saucers.