POD Pet Products: Products, Supplies, Design Ideas & More

The market for print-on-demand pet goods is developing swiftly in 2025 because more pet owners want to memorialize their furry pals in special, one-of-a-kind ways. These items, including bespoke dog hoodies and personalized cat dishes, are both useful and sentimental, which makes them a top choice for both consumers and sellers.

This blog will tell you all you need to know to start and run a successful POD pet store. This is your guide to success in the growing pet industry. It includes information on the best-selling product categories, trusted suppliers, design ideas, and marketing methods.

Why Sell Print-on-Demand Pet Products in 2025?

The pet industry is doing nicely, and by 2025, the U.S. market is expected to be worth more than $157 billion. Growth is driven by more people owning pets—94 million households in the U.S. currently have pets—and a change in how people treat their pets.  Millennials and Gen Z, in particular, want high-quality and individualized products.

Key trends align perfectly with print-on-demand:

• Premiumization: High-quality, stylish, and health-conscious products.
• Sustainability: Eco-friendly materials and packaging.
• Personalization: Custom designs, names, and unique accessories.

This makes POD a low-risk, high-potential opportunity in the booming pet market.

Why POD Is the Perfect Fit?

Here’s where print on demand shines. Because you don’t need to keep inventory or invest in bulk production, POD lets you test new designs and products without risk. Want to launch a line of custom leashes for dachshunds? Go for it. Thinking about a Valentine’s Day collection for cats? Easy. You only pay after an order is placed, keeping your startup costs low and your business agile.

Plus, POD inherently supports sustainability; you produce only what’s needed, reducing waste and overstock. With the rise of AI design tools and automated workflows, creating and managing a POD pet store has never been easier, even for non-designers.

8 Best POD Product Categories for Pet Lovers

The top POD pet products combine practical use with emotional appeal, from custom portraits to matching outfits. These kinds of things will be quite popular in 2025 because you can make them your own, they last a long time, and they look good on social media.

1. Custom Pet Portraits

Few things tug at the heartstrings like a custom piece of art featuring someone’s beloved pet. Whether it’s a watercolor-style print, a bold digital illustration, or a hilarious “royal portrait” where the dog wears a crown, these products carry high emotional value. Pet portraits are also fantastic gift items, making them evergreen sellers around birthdays, holidays, and even memorials.

Pro tip: Find POD sellers that let you put your work on pillows, mugs, blankets, or canvases. This way, you may use the same design on a lot of different things, which can help you sell more.

2. Custom Dog Hoodies & Apparel

Instagram encourages a pet lifestyle that includes wearing pets.  Hoodies, tank tops, and bandanas that you may order on demand have become very popular since they combine style and usefulness. Owners love seeing their dogs in stylish gear, and personalization (like adding the pet’s name or a witty slogan) makes it even more irresistible.

Seasonal themes are especially profitable. Think Christmas sweaters, Valentine’s Day bandanas, or summer tank tops. These things are cute, and they function well on social media, so they are ideal for getting people to share and post pictures of the product.

3. Matching Pet & Owner Outfits

The "twinning" fad is going to be going for a while.  People can show off their bond with their dogs in a fun, visual way by dressing them in matching clothes.  A shirt for the person and a hoodie for the dog?

This is a "two-birds-with-one-stone" category that sells two goods at once and makes people feel good. These kinds of collections are great for talking to people, posting on social media, and giving as gifts.

4. Personalized Pet Beds & Mats

Beds and mats are essential items in any pet home, and when customized, they are special. Think of a cute dog bed that has been embroidered with the name of a pet or a feeding mat with a playful paw print. They can serve as useful as well as ornamental products, and the owners have an opportunity to fit pet equipment right into their interior design.

Allowing individuals to select their colors, fabrics, and sizes will attract a broad range of individuals, including those who reside in small apartments and those who have many large-breed dogs in their families. You should have the ads emphasize comfort, style, and duration of the product to convince the greatest number of people to purchase your products.

5. Personalized Pet Bowls

Every pet requires bowls, which are quite important.  They are an excellent POD product since they have built-in demand. Add personalization, and suddenly a simple bowl becomes a cherished item. A ceramic bowl with a pet’s name, a stainless-steel option with a quirky design, or a minimalist style for modern homes, all can appeal to different audiences.

Two key reasons to acquire this are its cleanliness and strength.  In your product descriptions, underline how robust the materials are and how easy it is to clean them to build trust.

6. Pet Memorial Products

The memorial niche is also quite strong, which is sad yet true.  When a pet dies, its owners often want a way to remember it. POD would enable you to make customized souvenirs such as photo blankets, personalized urns, or personalized wall art. Such products are not merchandise, but valuable symbols of solace in a challenging period.

When you visit this niche, be polite and kind. If you focus on the personal and therapeutic parts of your product, you'll be able to build strong relationships with customers who appreciate your sensitivity in this area.

7. Custom Collars, Leashes, & Tags

Practical, stylish, and always in demand, collars, leashes, and ID tags are evergreen sellers. Adding customization, whether it’s engraving the pet’s name on a tag or printing a unique design on a collar, gives owners a way to make these everyday essentials more personal.

Bundle these products into sets (e.g., a matching collar and leash combo) to increase your average order value. Durability and safety should always be central in your marketing to reassure buyers.

8. Pet-Themed T-Shirts for Owners

People who own pets want to demonstrate how much they love them on their sleeves.   POD T-shirts often have funny sayings like "Proud Dog Dad," meaningful sayings, or designs that are unique to a breed. It's easy to reach small groups of people, like cat lovers, dog rescue advocates, or even guinea pig fans, because the market is so large.

To stand out, focus on creative, witty, and unique designs. High-quality product mockups showing diverse people wearing your shirts will also go a long way in boosting conversions.

Best Print on Demand Pet Products Suppliers

The kind of POD supplier you choose will affect the quality of the goods, how quickly they get to your pet store, and how happy your customers are.  When it comes to diversity, quality, flexibility, technology, sustainability, and global reach, Printify, Printful, Gooten, and Gelato are all different.

1. Printify

Printify is a go-to platform thanks to its massive network of print providers. Acting as an aggregator, it gives you access to dozens of suppliers worldwide, each specializing in different product categories.

For pet entrepreneurs, this means you can source everything from custom bowls and beds to apparel and memorial products without juggling multiple accounts. With competitive pricing and fulfillment partners across the U.S., Europe, and beyond, Printify makes it easy to scale globally while keeping shipping times reasonable.

2. Printful

Printful is an excellent service to consider in case you want to create a high-quality brand. In contrast to Printify, Printful takes care of all the production and delivery itself, which guarantees the consistency of products and their delivery within reasonable timeframes. They have one of the best mockup generators in the industry, and you can display your products beautifully on your website.

3. Gooten

Gooten is known for leveraging the latest technology to sell a lot of different things.   Their catalog has everything you need for your pet, like dishes, blankets, and outfits.  They also have special features like full-wrap printing for ceramic pet bowls, which lets you be more creative. 

It is an excellent option for merchants who have been doing it for a while or who get a lot of orders because it has a strong API. Like Printify does with their global production network, they also cut down on shipping times by putting products closer to your clients.

4. Gelato

For eco-conscious brands or stores with a global audience, Gelato is hard to beat. Their entire model is based on local production, printing orders in the facility closest to the customer. This results in faster shipping, lower costs, and a significantly smaller carbon footprint, a strong selling point for today’s sustainability-minded consumers.

Add in seamless automation and integrations, and Gelato becomes a smart choice for scaling internationally while staying green.

How to Start a Print-on-Demand Pet Products Business

To do well in POD pet goods, you need to choose a niche, discover reliable suppliers, and come up with designs that pet owners would appreciate.   Test your products on sites like Etsy first, then develop your business with a customized Shopify store and powerful social media, SEO, and email marketing.

1. Research and Select a Niche

The broader "pet products" market is too competitive. Your success will come from a specific sub-niche. This is where you can build a community and become a go-to brand.

• Breed-Specific Niches: Target a specific, popular breed with a passionate owner base. Think French Bulldogs, Golden Retrievers, or German Shepherds. You can create designs with breed-specific humor, silhouettes, or characteristics.
• Pet-Owner Identity Niches: Focus on the identity of the owner. Examples include: "Crazy Dog Mom/Dad", "Rescue Dog Advocate", "Multi-Pet Household", "The Hiking Dog Owner".
• Emotion-Driven Niches: Tapping into emotional connections is highly effective. For example:
• Pet Memorial Products: A very high-value, high-demand niche. Offer memorial art, blankets, and keepsake items.
• Funny/Sarcastic Pet Humor: Designs that play on the humorous side of pet ownership (e.g., "My dog thinks I'm cool").
• How to Research:
• Social Media: Follow pet-related accounts and hashtags on Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest. See what people are talking about and sharing.
• Etsy: Search for "custom pet," "dog mom," or "pet portrait" and see what sellers are popular, what their bestsellers are, and what gaps you can fill.
• Google Trends: Use this free tool to see if a niche has steady or growing interest over time.

2. Pick a POD Supplier

This is the operational backbone of your business. As discussed before, a few key players dominate the market.

• Printify: Best for its vast product selection and competitive pricing, as you can choose from different print providers. Great for beginners who want to test a wide range of products.
• Printful: Excellent for a high-quality, consistent brand. Their in-house production and professional mockups give your store a premium feel.
• Gelato: Ideal if you plan to sell globally. Their localized production model can significantly reduce shipping times and costs.

Advice you can use: Get samples from your top two or three choices.  Before you sell to customers, this is an important step to make that the print quality, the materials used in the product, and the shipment speed are all good.

3. Create Your Designs

Your designs are your product. They must be unique, high-quality, and resonate with your target niche.

• DIY (Design Yourself): If you're creative, use tools like Canva (for simple designs), Adobe Illustrator, or Photoshop.
• Hire a Freelancer: Platforms like Fiverr and Upwork are full of talented designers who can create unique pet illustrations and text-based designs for an affordable price. Make sure to check their portfolio and reviews.
• Use AI to your advantage: AI art generators are getting better and better.  You can use them to make one-of-a-kind pictures or textures that you can then change and use on your products.

4. Choose Your Platform

This is where you'll sell your products.

• Etsy: Etsy is a great place to start.  It already has a huge built-in audience of people shopping for personalized and handmade items, including pet supplies.
• Shopify: The best platform for making your own store with your own brand.  You have complete control over your brand, marketing, and customer data.  It takes more work to get people to visit, but it's necessary for growth over time.
• Other Marketplaces: Platforms like Amazon Merch on Demand, Redbubble, and Teespring also allow you to sell POD products, but they offer less control and a more competitive environment.
• Actionable Advice: Start with one platform, such as Etsy, to get your business off the ground. Once you've validated your niche and designs, you can expand to a branded Shopify store and use your social media marketing to drive traffic there.

5. Set Up Your Online Store

Your store needs to be more than just a place to buy; it should be a destination for pet lovers.

• High-Quality Mockups: Use realistic mockups from your POD supplier or a service like Placeit to show your products in action. Show a pet wearing the hoodie or a bowl in a home setting.
• Compelling Product Descriptions: Use keywords that pet owners are searching for. Highlight the emotional benefits, like "A one-of-a-kind keepsake to cherish your best friend forever."
• Branded Experience: Ensure your store's branding (logo, colors, fonts) is consistent with your niche.

6. Market Your Pet Products

Marketing is how you drive traffic and get sales.

• Social Media Marketing: Pet content is one of the most interesting and impactful sorts of material on social media. (Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest)
• Search Engine Optimization: To help people find you on Etsy and in your own store, include descriptive, high-volume keywords in your product titles and descriptions.
• Paid Ads: Place advertising on sites like Facebook and Instagram that are aimed at a certain group of people. You can use terms like "dog owners," "cat lovers," or specific pet items to target consumers according to their tastes.
• Email Marketing: Create an email list from the start. This is the best tool you have for talking to clients personally and getting them to come back.

Tips for selling print-on-demand pet products in your online store

Success with print-on-demand pet products relies on SEO, social media, personalization, and building trust through safety and customer experience. Treat your store as both a brand and a community hub, test small, learn what sells, then scale with retargeting and gift-focused campaigns.

1. Master SEO for Pet Lovers

The key to getting organic traffic is search engine optimization. Think like a pet parent when creating product listings. Instead of vague terms like “dog bowl,” use detailed long-tail keywords such as “personalized ceramic dog bowl with name” or “custom pet portrait watercolor print.”

• Include main keywords at the start of titles.
• Write descriptions that emphasize benefits (comfort, safety, emotional value) over features.
• Don’t forget image alt text, it helps with Google Images ranking and accessibility.

Bonus: A blog on your store can pull in search traffic while building authority.

2. Leverage Social Media’s Love for Pets

Pet content rules Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest. Post photos and videos of real pets using your products, and encourage user-generated content from happy customers. Collaborate with micro-influencers (5K - 50K followers) for authentic engagement instead of chasing big names. And remember, building a community by responding to comments and interacting with other pet accounts will keep your brand top of mind.

3. Highlight Personalization and Safety

The best thing about POD is that you can customize it.  Give goods like collars, bowls, and beds names, pictures, and designs that are particular to the breed.  At the same time, if you talk about eco-friendly inks, non-toxic textiles, and durable materials in your descriptions, pet parents are more inclined to buy from you.

4. Position Products as Perfect Gifts

Don't simply sell to pet owners; also sell to those who buy gifts.  Holidays, birthdays, and special days like "Gotcha Day" are great times to do this.  To make the order worth more, put together goods like a matching shirt set for the owner and the pet.

5. Create a Frictionless Shopping Experience

No interaction is trivial. Employ true product mockups to avoid any surprises, deliver the schedule of shipment clearly, and provide timely customer service. Not too difficult policies, like a guarantee of ease or fast payback, are able to transform the sceptics into active followers.

6. Test, Learn, and Scale

Begin with a tiny amount, try out different items and designs, and focus on the ones that work best.  Retargeting ads are a wonderful way to reach people who have already shown interest. For example, someone who looked at a "custom dog mug" would be a good candidate for a follow-up offer.

Advanced Design Strategy for Pet Stores

Your POD pet store will be distinctive and emotionally engaging if it has a strong brand identity, tells stories, and uses consistent visuals.  Personalization, themed collections, and professional photos can help set your products apart and make lasting connections with customers.

1. Define Your Brand’s Archetype

Every creative decision should be based on your brand's personality.  If you're the fun-loving Jester (with humorous pet tees and offbeat decor), the nurturing Caregiver (with peaceful beds and memory keepsakes), or the adventurous Explorer (with outdoor gear for active pets), make sure the typefaces, colors, and patterns match that kind.  This gives you an identification that is easy to remember and recognize.

2. Bundle and Curate Collections

Instead of just selling individual items, try selling themed bundles like "New Puppy Kits" (a personalized bandana, collar, and owner tee) or seasonal collections like "Spooky Season" hoodies and mugs.  Bundling not only raises the average order value, but it also provides buyers with an incentive to buy more than one item at a time.

3. Take Personalization to the Next Level

Don't just give names; give clients the option to see their design before they order by offering headshots in several styles of art, personalized messages, or even real-time preview capabilities.  The more control you give, the more people will feel emotionally connected and the more valuable they will think it is.

4. Build a Strong Visual Identity

People should be able to tell right away that your store is yours.  Use different fonts, a consistent color scheme, and realistic lifestyle mockups that depict things in use, like a dog wearing a hoodie or a family drinking from bespoke cups.  This gives your brand a polished and trustworthy impression.

5. Tell Stories Through Design

Great designs evoke feelings. From rescue-pet themes to adoption-inspired collections, storytelling adds depth and meaning to your products. Share behind-the-scenes design processes on social media to show authenticity and connect with your audience.

Marketing and Branding Strategy for Print-on-Demand Pet Products

To stand out with print-on-demand pet products, you need to build a strong brand identity, use social media, and run targeted marketing.  Partnerships, promotions, and social proof build trust, make your business more visible, and transform pet lovers into devoted consumers.

1. Build a Powerful Brand Identity and Story

The story behind your brand is the most important part of your business.  What is your "why"? Are you celebrating the joy of having a pet, helping rescues, or selling stylish pet accessories?  Put this tale on your About Us page, in your social media posts, and in the descriptions of your products.  

Include a unique value proposition (UVP) that sets it apart, such as "eco-friendly, hand-drawn pet portraits" or "the funniest custom dog shirts online."   It is also crucial to keep everything looking the same.  Choose colors, fonts, and pictures that match the personality of your brand.   Stores that sell amusing products can use bright, bold images, while pet health brands might use calm blues and greens.

2. Social Media That Connects and Converts

Pet content is inherently viral; use that to your advantage. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest are perfect for visual storytelling. Ask customers to send in pictures of their pets using your products to get them to make content for you. Run contests or offer discounts for tagged posts to grow engagement.

Make short, hilarious videos of pets before and after they get a haircut, or of pets reacting to things that are popular right now. Don't simply post; become involved with pet communities, leave comments on postings, and be yourself.

3. Scale With Paid Advertising

After attaining organic traction, you should invest in paid advertisements, which will help you access very specific groups. Using Facebook and Instagram Ads, you can narrow down to pet owners by interest, behavior, or demographics. Good quality pictures, which are highly emotional, are important. As an illustration, rather than generic mockups, use happy pets using your product. Warm leads can also be converted into customers using retargeting ads. These are the individuals who visited your store and failed to make a purchase.

4. Drive Sales Through Promotions and Partnerships

Giveaways and contests are great methods to get people talking about your brand, especially when you work with pet charities or shelters.  This not only makes your brand more visible, but it also makes it more trustworthy.

Email marketing should be a cornerstone of your strategy; use it for abandoned cart recovery, announcing launches, or sending exclusive offers. Partnerships with local pet service providers (like groomers, vets, or sitters) can expand your reach. At the same time, affiliate programs help influencers and loyal customers promote your products in exchange for a commission.

5. Build Trust With Social Proof

The pet parents would like to see that your products are safe and reliable. Place customer reviews, add pictures of pets that have tried your product, and use trust badges like secure payments, or satisfaction guaranteed. Such a combination of testimonials and trust signals can greatly increase conversions.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How much does it cost to start a print-on-demand pet business?

The POD pet business is relatively cheap to start up compared to the traditional retail business. You do not have to have inventory on hand. As a rule, you will need a budget to install your Shopify or Etsy store, design tools, outsource artwork, and marketing. The initial cost may vary between $200 and 500 on average, depending on how professional you wish to be.

2. Can I sell print-on-demand pet products on Etsy and Shopify?

You may sell POD pet products on both sites, yes.  Shopify lets you control branding, design, and the consumer experience completely. Etsy, on the other hand, lets you reach people who are already looking for personalized presents and pet-related items right away.  To reach the most people, many successful vendors use both.

3. Print-on-demand suppliers offer the best pet products?

Popular POD suppliers like Printful, Printify, SPOD, and Gooten offer a wide range of pet products, from pet beds and bowls to custom collars and apparel. The best supplier depends on your product focus, shipping regions, and quality requirements, so it’s smart to order samples before committing.

4. Are pet memorial gifts profitable in the print-on-demand market?

Yes, the niche of pet memorial gifts is very strong as it is associated with a strong emotional meaning. Grieving pet parents will often connect with products such as custom pet portraits, memorial jewelry, or engraved frames. These are very personal goods and thus the customers are commonly ready to pay a premium.

5. Can I create breed-specific print-on-demand pet items?

Absolutely. A breed-specific design is among the most lucrative sub-niches within the POD pet market. A lot of people who own pets love the stuff that glorifies the breed of their dog or cat. You can make your target customers connect with you by providing illustrations of the breeds, quotes, or themed accessories.

6. What are the shipping times like for POD pet products?

Shipping times vary by supplier and location. Generally, production takes 2 - 7 business days, while shipping can range from 5 - 20 business days, depending on whether the order is domestic or international. It’s important to set clear customer expectations by displaying shipping times on your product pages.

Final Thought

Print-on-demand pet products have become an ideal combination of creativity, personalization, and the constantly increasing affection that people feel towards their furry friends. The right approach will help you transform ordinary designs into meaningful gifts, keepsakes, and daily essentials which will be treasured by the pet owners. Your POD pet business would easily develop to be a brand that pet owners love and refer to.