Introduction
Three Dog Bakery is a popular brand of dog treats and baked goods founded in 1989 in Kansas City. The company markets its products as “oven-baked” using “human-quality” ingredients. Three Dog Bakery has baked treat products like cookies, biscuits, and food toppers as well as frozen raw and wet foods.
“Human-grade” is a term used to describe pet foods made with ingredients that are approved and regulated for human consumption. However, there is no legal definition or standards for “human-grade” pet foods. Companies can make their own determination. The key aspects are using human food grade ingredients and manufacturing under human food standards.
This article will examine whether Three Dog Bakery’s ingredients, sourcing, and production standards meet the criteria for human-grade pet food. Research on their formulations and facilities will help determine if Three Dog Bakery’s claims of human quality stand up to scrutiny.
Sources: https://www.amazon.com/Three-Dog-Bakery-Classic-Filling/dp/B009MI0C90, https://www.target.com/c/dog-treats-supplies-pets/three-dog-bakery/-/N-f3xknZs7prn
Three Dog Bakery’s Branding and Marketing
Three Dog Bakery was founded in 1989 by Dan Dye and Mark Beckloff as a business focused on creating fresh-baked dog treats and food using natural ingredients. The company emphasizes the use of wholesome, natural ingredients in their marketing and branding. Their logo features hand-drawn dog characters and their stores aim for a cozy, homestyle bakery aesthetic (Petfood Industry).
Three Dog Bakery promotes their products as being lovingly hand-crafted in small batches using recipes similar to human baked goods. Their branding focuses on the freshness of their treats and foods, portraying an image of an artisanal neighborhood bakery. This emphasis on natural, wholesome ingredients and homestyle baking is central to Three Dog Bakery’s marketing approach.
Three Dog Bakery’s Manufacturing Process
Three Dog Bakery products are made in Kansas City, Missouri at their own bakery and kitchen facility. The company uses locally-sourced ingredients from trusted suppliers whenever possible. All baking and production takes place in-house under strict quality control supervision. According to
Petfood Industry, Three Dog Bakery pursues “human-quality manufacturing” processes and standards.
Ingredients are carefully evaluated for quality, safety, and nutritional value. Raw ingredients are cleaned, prepared, and processed in small batches. Safety and sanitation protocols are implemented throughout the facilities. According to an article from
Startland News, Three Dog Bakery’s founder believed “that by using human grade ingredients and small batch baking they could make a pet treat that pet parents could feel good about feeding their dogs.”
Finished products are visually inspected and tested to ensure they meet specifications. Temperature controls, product sealing, and timely shipping protocols help preserve freshness and shelf-life. The company highlights their made-from-scratch, locally-sourced ingredients and home-style baking process as setting their treats apart from mass produced alternatives.
Three Dog Bakery’s Product Lines
Three Dog Bakery offers a wide variety of baked goods for dogs including biscuits, cookies, sandwich cookies, soft baked treats, and meat treats. Their recipes emphasize natural ingredients like whole wheat flour, oatmeal, honey, peanut butter, eggs, yogurt, applesauce, carrots, and bananas.
Some of their most popular cookie recipes include:
- Peanut Butter and Carob Chip Cookies made with peanut butter, carob chips, whole wheat flour, and eggs. https://threedog.com/product/treats/classic-cookies/peanut-butter-carob-chip-cookies/
- Pumpkin Cookies with pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, molasses, and whole wheat flour. https://threedog.com/product/treats/classic-cookies/pumpkin-cookies-for-dogs/
- Oatmeal Cookies containing oatmeal, whole wheat flour, bananas, and yogurt. https://threedog.com/product/treats/classic-cookies/oatmeal-cookies/
While Three Dog Bakery does not offer complete dog food meals, their treats are designed to be healthy, natural, and made from human-grade ingredients.
Definition of Human Grade Pet Food
The term “human grade” when referring to pet food indicates that the ingredients and finished products are of high enough quality for human consumption. According to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), for a pet food to be considered human grade it must be manufactured in a facility that is FDA or USDA inspected and approved for human consumption. All the ingredients must also meet FDA or USDA requirements for human edible products.
This means the ingredients are sourced from vendors who supply foods suitable for human consumption, and the manufacturing process meets the stringent safety standards for handling and processing human foods. Things like hygiene, temperature control, pest control, storage, and handling are regulated just as strictly as for foods made for people. Any incoming ingredients as well as the finished pet food itself must meet microbiological, chemical, and physical standards acceptable for human grade products (Source 1).
In contrast, feed grade ingredients only need to meet the lower quality and safety standards set by AAFCO for animal feeds. So human grade pet foods are produced to a much higher benchmark in facilities that make food for human consumption.
Evaluating Three Dog Bakery’s Ingredients
When assessing the quality and sources of Three Dog Bakery’s ingredients, it’s important to compare them to typical standards for human grade pet foods. According to the ingredient list for their Classic Crèmes dog treats, the main ingredients appear to be wheat flour, vegetable oils, and sugar. While these don’t contain any known toxic ingredients for dogs, they also aren’t particularly high quality sources of nutrition.
Typical criteria for human grade pet foods require ingredients that are fit for human consumption, free from fillers, artificial preservatives, rendered meats, and anonymous meat meals. Three Dog Bakery’s ingredients suggest their manufacturing standards may align more closely with mass-produced commercial pet treats rather than premium human grade products. Their treats appear designed primarily for taste and enjoyment rather than exceptional nutrition. While occasional treats are fine, these ingredients wouldn’t meet the same standards as high-quality whole food diets made with human-edible ingredients.
So in summary, while Three Dog Bakery’s treats don’t contain anything overtly harmful for dogs, their ingredients also don’t suggest the same manufacturing quality as many human grade pet food brands that focus on minimally processed, nutritionally dense whole food ingredients. Their treats offer enjoyment but don’t necessarily meet the highest standards for everyday nutrition.
Expert Opinions on Three Dog Bakery
Three Dog Bakery has received mixed reviews from veterinarians, pet nutritionists, and pet owners when it comes to their “human grade” claims. Here’s a summary of some of the key expert opinions:
According to veterinarian Dr. Karen Becker (https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/three-dog-bakery-bake-to-nature/), “They say do not give pets human food yet most dog foods today say human grade ingredients.” She cautions that just because an ingredient may be safe for human consumption, that does not mean it is optimal for dogs and cats from a nutritional standpoint.
Many customers have left positive reviews on sites like Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Three-Dog-Bakery-Cookbook-All-Natural/product-reviews/0836269195) and Chewy praising Three Dog Bakery’s use of “human grade” and natural ingredients. As one reviewer wrote, “All human grade ingredients, nothing but the best for our d-o-g-s.”
However, some pet nutritionists argue that Three Dog Bakery’s products are still highly processed and not significantly different from many other commercial pet treats and foods. They recommend looking at the specific ingredients and nutrition rather than just the “human grade” label.
Controversies and Criticisms
There has been some debate over the ingredients and manufacturing practices used by Three Dog Bakery. One criticism has been the use of prebiotics like yucca schidigera in their treats and baked goods. While some view yucca as an unnatural additive, others argue it serves as a safe natural flavor enhancer with digestive benefits for dogs.
Additionally, some customers on Reddit have questioned if Three Dog Bakery’s products are truly made in human food facilities as claimed, or if they cut corners to maximize profits. The company insists all items are baked in USDA-inspected human bakeries using high quality, natural ingredients.
In response to ingredient concerns, Three Dog Bakery touts their commitment to never using artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. They also highlight their National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) membership and adherence to strict quality control standards. While perspectives may differ on certain ingredients, Three Dog Bakery maintains transparency and aims to reassure pet parents through their manufacturing certifications and oversight.
Conclusion
In summary, Three Dog Bakery creates their baked treats in a human food production facility under USDA guidance and uses high-quality, human food-grade ingredients. While they don’t specifically market their products as “human grade”, their manufacturing practices and standards align with that designation. Based on research, Three Dog Bakery treats are:
- Made in a human bakery, not a pet food plant
- Subject to the same health and safety regulations as human food
- Free of rendered meats, artificial preservatives, and other low-quality ingredients
- Formulated by Food Scientists to be tasty, healthy, and safe
Therefore, while Three Dog Bakery avoids making the “human grade” claim outright, the available evidence suggests their products meet the criteria for that designation and are of equivalent quality to human edible foods.
References
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