If there’s one thing PATS is good for, it’s discovering products you didn’t know existed. I spent two days wandering around the Pet & Aquatics Trade Show at the NEC Birmingham, meeting brands, looking at new launches and inevitably, coming home with an ever-growing list of things I want to try with my own dogs.
But with so many pet products under one roof, it takes quite a lot to make me stop in my tracks.
These were the products that genuinely made me say “WOW” at PATS 2026 – either because they solve a problem brilliantly, put a clever twist on something we already use, or are simply unlike anything I’ve seen before.
Max Fusion dog toys made with Nike Grind
Max Fusion has created a range of dog toys using Nike Grind, a recycled material made using manufacturing waste and recycled materials from Nike footwear. The range is heavily centred around enrichment, rather than simply producing another collection of chew toys.
The one that particularly caught my attention was the dumbbell. It looks like a little gym weight, but you can put treats into either end to turn it into an enrichment toy. The dumbbell is made using up to 80% natural rubber alongside at least 20% Nike Grind, so there’s a genuinely interesting sustainability story behind it too.
Skipper Cod Skin Crisps
These made me laugh because they genuinely look and feel like a packet of crisps.
Skipper’s has taken 100% cod skin and turned it into crunchy dog “crisps”, complete with proper crisp-style packaging. There’s also a salmon version. There’s nothing unnecessary added – the Cod Skin Crisps are simply 100% cod skin – and they’re naturally high in protein and Omega-3. It’s one of those products that isn’t overly complicated, but the execution is brilliant. I can absolutely imagine sitting in a pub with a packet of crisps while the dogs have their own.
Make-your-own Doggy Ice Cream
Dog ice cream itself isn’t new, but I really liked Dog & Bond’s take on it. Rather than buying a ready-made tub, you make the ice cream yourself at home. Just add water, mix and freeze.
The peanut butter mix contains peanut butter, coconut flour and milk yoghurt powder, with no artificial additives or fillers, and you can either buy the mix on its own or as a kit with a reusable paw-shaped silicone mould.
It feels like part treat, part activity – particularly fun for dog birthdays or hot summer days.
Dofu Cat Furever Cling
Technically one for cat owners, but anyone who owns a dog that sheds will understand why this got my attention. Dofu Cat’s Furever Cling is essentially a sticky cleaning wipe designed to grab pet hair and dust from hard, non-fabric surfaces. Instead of simply pushing fur around, the plant-based adhesive makes it cling to the wipe. The wipes themselves are made using recycled plastic bottles.
They demonstrated it to me at the show and it really did pick the hair up. For a house containing three pugs, you can probably understand my excitement. Each box contains 36 wipes, which can be used on both sides until covered in hair and dust.
HiPaws freeze dried treats
There are a lot of freeze-dried treats on the market now, but what made HiPaws stand out was being able to actually see what you’re feeding. Rather than chopping everything into identical little cubes, HiPaws keeps much of its range recognisable in it’s original form.
The prawns look like actual prawns. The chicken mini breast fillets still look like pieces of chicken breast. There are also salmon and duck fillets, while the beef liver is cut into more practical pieces because, understandably, an entire piece of liver would be a bit big. I really liked that transparency. There’s something reassuring about opening a bag of treats and immediately being able to identify exactly what’s inside.
The Paws Lab range
The range includes eye wipes, dental wipes, ear cleanser, skin products, dry shampoo and a Daily Protection Spray. The whole collection is built around the brand’s patented SilverTi+ technology – a combination of nano silver and titanium dioxide designed for antimicrobial pet hygiene.
I was shown a demonstration of some of the technology on the stand and it looked seriously impressive.
Another detail I really liked is the approach to fragrance. The products I was particularly interested in are made without added fragrance or are fragrance-free, rather than trying to make your dog smell artificially perfumed. Their wet wipes, for example, are alcohol-free with no added fragrance, while the dry shampoo is fragrance-free.
Kong Corkz
KONG Corkz are edible stoppers designed to plug the opening of a stuffed KONG. That means you can fill your KONG with yoghurt, treats or whatever combination your dog loves, push a Corkz into the end and make it harder for everything to immediately fall back out.
There’s still a hole through the centre, so your dog can get to the filling, but it helps prolong the enrichment and contain some of the mess. You can also freeze the whole thing for an even longer-lasting activity. This is one I’m very keen to try at home.
LickiMat CrateMate
Another really clever adaptation of a product many dog owners already have. The LickiMat CrateMate is essentially a LickiMat designed specifically to attach securely to a dog crate. Adjustable straps allow you to position it at different heights, while two suction cups mean it can also be attached to surfaces such as tiles, glass and baths.
What particularly caught my attention was the raised edge surrounding the licking surface. If you’re using something messy, it helps contain it rather than letting everything drop straight down into the crate.
WildWash 5-in-1 Magic Mud
A spa treatment for your dog. It looks remarkably similar to the sort of clay face mask us humans would use, except you massage it into your dog’s coat and skin.
The treatment uses bentonite clay alongside ingredients including magnesium, activated charcoal and aloe vera. This product is designed to de-shed, exfoliate, nourish the skin and coat and help remove impurities. You massage it into a wet coat, leave it to work for around five to ten minutes and then rinse.
Wooly Woof dog walking bag
I love products that solve several problems at once, and Wooly Woof’s dog walking bag was another one that made me stop. It’s made using recycled materials, and this bag has been designed specifically around everything you might need while out hiking with your dog.
There’s space for all the usual walking essentials and it comes with a bottle, but the bit that impressed me most was hidden at the back. Unzip the rear compartment and it opens out to create a water bowl for your dog. It’s one of those tiny design details that makes you wonder why more dog walking bags aren’t designed this way.
Booster Ball
Another enrichment product that caught my attention was the Booster Ball. You place a treat inside and screw the toy together, leaving your dog to access it through the openings around the outside.
But the really clever part is underneath. There’s a button at the bottom which allows you to gradually ‘boost’ the treat upwards. If your dog is struggling to reach the treat, you can move it closer to the opening.
It also means that as the treat becomes smaller, you can keep moving it upwards and extend the amount of time your dog can actually enjoy it.
Zee.Dog Long Leash
A great idea from Zee.Dog that I can see being genuinely useful. The Long Leash can be adjusted from 1.75 metres all the way up to 3 metres using Zee.Dog’s sliding adjustment system. Despite the extra length, it still feels surprisingly compact and lightweight.
Rather than carrying separate leads for different situations, you can shorten it when you need more control and give your dog additional freedom when you’re somewhere suitable for exploring. It also has an anodised aluminium hook with a screw lock for extra security.
My product of the show: Woof Poomergency
Of everything I saw at PATS, this is the smallest product – and definitely my favourite. Meet Poomergency.
We have all done it. You leave the house, your dog does their business and you suddenly realise there isn’t a poo bag attached to the lead. Poomergency is essentially one full-sized poo bag rolled up incredibly small inside a tiny silicone holder that can live permanently on your keys, lead or dog’s collar.
It isn’t supposed to replace your normal roll of poo bags. It is literally there for an emergency. The keyring version holds one backup bag, while the collar attachment can hold two, and Woof sells tiny individual refills to replace them once used.
It is such a simple solution to a problem almost every dog owner has experienced that this gets my Product of the Show.
PATS is absolutely huge, so this is by no means the whole list – just the products that made me stop in my tracks while walking the show. Some were clever, some were completely unexpected and a few came home with me to try for ourselves.
Which one would you most like to get your paws on?
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