Pawleo dog diets: Meet the hipster hounds who probably eat better than you

Clean eating, organic, raw food, paleo, super foods, bone broths, craft brews: just when you think these buzzwords have all been hash-tagged to death, the next line of insta-worthy dishes is for dogs, with these same food trends now being embraced for our four-legged friends. Even the JERF (Just Eat Real Food) movement has its canine equivalent in BARF – Biologically Appropriate Raw Food.

Companion animals truly are the new fur-children, with Roy Morgan research released last year showing more Australians live in households with pets than with a child, meaning the humanisation of pet food is here to stay. Choice says we spend $1.8 billion a year on the stuff. It's gone from "dog food" to fully fledged canine cuisine. Dogs can now dine on delicacies such as green-lipped mussels, enjoy Golp's Vanilla & Green Tea ice-cream for dessert and wash it all down with a beer, such as BeerDog's Bitter non-alcoholic, beef-flavoured brew.

No strangers to this world, the pair have also been running what they call their "canine super-food label", Because I Luv My Dog, since 2013. "Because I Luv My Dog makes real super food for dogs, using fresh healthy ingredients of human-grade quality. We love to pack in our super-food ingredients where possible, such as organic kale, carrots and apples," Crandon says.

This concept of human-grade ingredients is what's hot right now, with every brand Good Food spoke to in Victoria, NSW and Queensland having it as a selling point. "Our customers are investing in their pet's health and they want to be reassured that we are using high-quality produce," says Pawleo's Jessica Morton, who makes grain-free raw food using seasonal ingredients. "Sometimes I add homemade milk kefir for probiotics and we add natural supplements such as turmeric, as an anti-inflammatory, and local raw honey, [which] during spring-time helps combat seasonal allergies; plus ingredients like fish oil and flax seeds help maintain skin and hair health," she says.

"When human-grade meat is used, customers know that it is sourced from a regulated industry that monitors stock welfare, the use of chemicals and hormones, as well as illnesses and parasites," says Morton.

"Often diseased and sick animals will end up in pet food," says Andrew Skinner, co-owner of Sydney-based Jollie, which makes low-salt, dairy- and gluten-free gourmet dog treats. "One can only imagine the impact on the dog's health of eating such food," he says.

It is this point that is driving Jenni Zheng, who last month opened her pet boutique, The Paw Principality, in North Melbourne. She stocks locally made, fresh foods from BARF brands such as Pawleo, Paleo Pets and Green Tails, and also has freshly made sausage rolls and meat pies available. For her, the health of dogs is not just about adding to their longevity, it also reduces vet bills.

"I am seeing more and more that dogs are needing to be on special diets for different reasons. Just like children, it seems that dogs with food allergies is becoming more common. For this reason owners are more aware of the ingredients that goes into the food they are feeding their dogs," says Melissa Batterson, who runs Molly and Me Barkery, Illawarra's first dog bakery.

While the health of the dogs is a big factor, it's also about collecting those social-media likes. You thought we were done photographing our own food? "You will start seeing trends of food-sharing snaps of canines showing off their dog bowls and the mouth-watering options on offer," predicts Crandon.