In case you haven’t noticed, Americans are pet crazy. There are almost 90 million dogs and more than 94 million cats living in our homes. According to statistica.com, a whopping 68 percent of all U.S. households owned pets, and that’s up from 56 percent in 1988. It’s estimated that the average pet owner spends $477 dollars a year just on food treats for their pets.

Keeping our pets healthy and happy is certainly driving the increase in the sales of natural pet products such as natural pet foods. But natural pet food isn’t the only growth area in the natural pet products industry. Pet owners also trying other natural pet products, including healthy dog treats, vitamins and supplements, shampoos, and more.

In this story, we highlight some great natural choices for dogs. (We’ll cover natural cat products in a different story.)

Top natural dog food

As people choose a more natural diet for themselves, they also tend to start looking for natural foods for their dogs. Finding the right natural or organic dog food for your pet can mean reading lists of ingredients, studying product reviews and even becoming educated on the differences between natural, grain-free and organic dog foods. PetLifeToday.com examined an extensive list of natural dog foods, and they picked Wellness CORE Natural Grain-Free Dry Dog Food as the best of the best. This natural dog food will keep your dog interested in mealtime by providing great flavor and plenty of essential nutrients.

Wellness CORE Natural Grain-Free Dry Dog Food comes in seven flavors, each of which contains ingredients including antioxidants and probiotics. Not only will you be giving your cherished four-legged friends a healthy diet, but you’ll feel good in the process. The runner-up in the PetLifeToday study was Merrick Grain-Free Recipe Dry Dog Food.

Healthy dog treats

It’s not always clear who enjoys dog treats the most. Sure, dogs love eating a tasty treat. But dog owners sometimes seem to enjoy giving their pets a treat just as much as their dogs love eating them. With that said, the best healthy dog treats contain natural and organic ingredients, and they are also low in calories.

TopDogTips.com ranked healthy dog treats, and Rocco & Roxie Supply Co. Jerky Sticks came out on top. Why? Rocco & Roxie Supply Co. makes their dog jerky sticks treats from high-quality beef, chicken, or turkey. The meat is slow-smoked for 15 hours, and that gives them a texture and taste that the company guarantees all dogs will love. Rocco & Roxie dog treats are made in the USA and do not include artificial preservatives or fillers like soy, wheat, corn or gluten. (These ingredients are commonly found in other dog treats.) Each bag of these gourmet dog treats contains approximately 25 sticks that are 7-8 inches long, which may be given whole or broken into pieces for smaller breeds. These are not a cheap treat for your dog, but reviewers say these Jerky Treats are a hit with even the pickiest of dogs. Also scoring well on the TopDogTips list were Newman’s Own Organics Premium Dog Treats.

The best healthy shampoo for dogs

Kimberly, a dog lover who blogs at https://keepthetailwagging.com, did a test of natural dog shampoos. Of the five shampoos she tested, Ewegurt Shampoo Soap Bar and 4-Legger Dog Shampoo were the clear winners. According to Kimberly, the best dog shampoos meet these requirements: cleans thoroughly, rinses cleanly and easily, not a ton of suds, nice and light scent, gentle on the skin, cruelty free, no chemicals, no unnatural fragrances and no unnecessary ingredients.

The Ewegurt Shampoo Soap Bar works much like a bar of soap. It is easy to use—just get your dog wet and scrub him or her with the bar. It’s easy to control how much you use. The Ewegurt Shampoo Soap bar has a mild scent as you scrub your dog, but the scent goes away so all you’re left with is a dog that smells clean. There’s just enough lather during the bath to let you know there’s soap, and it rinses off easily and thoroughly. Ewegurt shampoo soap bars come in three shapes (traditional soap bar, paw print, and a sheep), and each bar sells for about $10 on Amazon.

4-Legger Dog Shampoo is a liquid shampoo. (Be careful when pouring it out of the bottle, because it doesn’t contain any thickening agents so it pours quickly.) This shampoo performs well and has a gentle scent that rinses away. The ingredient list of this certified organic shampoo is impressive: organic coconut oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, natural essential oil blend of lemongrass and rosemary, rosemary extract and organic aloe vera. A 16-ounce bottle of 4-Legger Dog Shampoo sells for about $16 on Amazon.

Dog-friendly backyards

When your dog ventures outdoors, is your backyard a safe place for him or her to relax and play? Read How to Create a Dog-Friendly Yard.