What Charlee Bear Products does

Charlee Bear Products is a privately held, family-owned natural dog treat manufacturer founded in 1992 by the Gottsacker family and operated under the parent entity Gott Pet Products, headquartered in St. Francis, Wisconsin. The company operates a portfolio of six product lines across baked, freeze-dried, and filled treat formats: Original Crunch, Grain Free Crunch, Grain Free Meaty Bites, Bearnola Bites, Nuggets, and Necessities Toppers. Core manufacturing technology is centered on conventional baking for crunchy formats and freeze-drying for raw-meat and meal-topper SKUs, with a "Pocket Perfect" trademarked formulation designed to prevent crumbling during training use. Products are positioned around low calorie counts (under 3 calories per treat), natural ingredients without artificial colors/flavors or common allergens (corn, soy, wheat), and increasingly around functional health targets (hip/joint, immune, skin/coat, digestive) using ingredients such as turmeric, algal oil, probiotics, postbiotics, and flaxseed.

The business generates revenue through one-time purchase sales of physical treat products distributed via three channels: (1) retail pet stores and pet specialty chains nationwide, (2) a national direct sales force of Strategic Key Accounts Managers managing retail relationships, and (3) direct-to-consumer e-commerce through charleebear.com. Customer segments span individual dog owners seeking healthy training treats, professional dog trainers (endorsed by Animal Behavior College), and nonprofit rescue and service-animal organizations (including Guide Dogs of America) receiving product donations. The company has expanded its category footprint via the 2018 acquisition of Hound & Gatos Pet Foods Corp. and through product launches, with two new lines (Nuggets and Necessities Toppers) introduced in 2025. Charlee Bear has not raised external capital, has no public subsidiaries, and remains wholly family-controlled under President Peter Gottsacker.

Name

Charlee Bear Products

Legal name

Gott Pet Products

Website

https://charleebear.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Charlee Bear Products is a family-owned natural dog treat manufacturer founded in 1992 and operated under Gott Pet Products, producing low-calorie baked, freeze-dried, and filled treats across six product lines for individual dog owners, professional trainers, and pet rescue organizations nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Natural Dog Treats

NAICS

Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing (311111), Animal Food Manufacturing (3111)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Cookies & Crackers (2052)

akta.pro primary industry

Treats & Chews (CRADAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pet Treats & Chews (AFADAFAF), Functional & Veterinary Diet Pet Food (CRADAFAF)

Keywords

• Natural dog treats
• Pet treat manufacturing
• Freeze-dried dog treats
• Grain-free pet treats
• Low-calorie training treats

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Dog Treat Product Sales: One-time purchase revenue from sale of various dog treat product lines including Original Crunch, Grain Free Crunch, Meaty Bites, Bearnola Bites, Nuggets, and Necessities Toppers. Products sold through retail and direct-to-consumer channels.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Charlee Bear Products manufactures and sells all-natural, low-calorie dog treats across six product lines: Original Crunch (baked), Grain Free Crunch (baked grain-free), Grain Free Meaty Bites (freeze-dried raw), Bearnola Bites (baked clusters), Nuggets (filled crunchy treats), and Necessities Toppers (freeze-dried meal toppers). Products are positioned for training rewards with approximately 3 calories per treat and are sold through retail pet stores and direct-to-consumer channels in the United States.

Product overview

Charlee Bear Products is a family-owned pet treat company (operated by Gott Pet Products) offering a portfolio of natural dog treats. The product line consists of six distinct offerings: Original Crunch (baked wheat-based crunchy treats), Grain Free Crunch (grain-free crunchy treats), Grain Free Meaty Bites (freeze-dried raw meat treats with probiotics), Bearnola Bites (baked granola-style clusters), Nuggets (crunchy outside with creamy filling, featuring functional ingredients), and Necessities Toppers (freeze-dried meal toppers with functional health benefits). All products are characterized by low calorie counts (2-3 calories per treat), natural ingredients, and 'Pocket Perfect' design for training use. The company was founded over 30 years ago and remains headquartered in St. Francis, Wisconsin.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Necessities Toppers: Functional freeze-dried meal toppers for dogs with ingredients targeting hip/joint, immune, skin/coat, and digestive support.
• Nuggets
• Bearnola Bites
• Grain Free Crunch
• Original Crunch
• Grain Free Meaty Bites

Products and services

• Original Crunch Baked crunchy dog treats made with wholesome ingredients like garden veggies, cranberries, chicken liver, and real cheese. Available in four flavors (Chicken Soup & Garden Veggie, Turkey Liver & Cranberries, Cheese & Egg, and Liver) at less than 3 calories each, designed for pocket-perfect training rewards.
• Grain Free Crunch Grain-free crunchy treats crafted with real chicken, turkey, or pork protein plus antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables. Five flavors (Turkey Sweet Potato & Cranberry, Chicken Pumpkin & Apple, Bacon & Blueberry, Beef & Cheese, and P.B. & Banana) at less than 3 calories each with Pocket Perfect designation for training use.
• Grain Free Meaty Bites Raw, freeze-dried meat treats infused with real fruit or vegetables, made from select cuts of raw meat, poultry, or fish blended with raw produce and freeze-dried to lock in nutrient value and flavor. Contains probiotics for digestive support across five varieties.
• Bearnola Bites Baked crunchy clusters crafted with wholesome pantry ingredients like cranberries, peanut butter, honey, and oats. Four flavors (Pumpkin Spice, P.B. & Honey, Cranberry Cobbler, and Blueberry Pie) made without wheat, corn, soy, artificial flavors, or preservatives.
• Nuggets Crunchy-outside treats with creamy filling inside, crafted with wholesome ingredients like strawberries, chickpeas, and eggs, plus functional ingredients such as turmeric and algal oil (high in Omega-3 fatty acids). Five varieties including Bearcuterie Bites, PB & Beary Parfait, Sunny Side Up, Shepherd's Pie, and Straw-Beary Swirl. Winner of the 2025 Independent Innovation Award.
• Necessities Toppers Freeze-dried raw meal toppers for dog food featuring functional ingredients (flaxseed, turmeric, EPA/DHA-rich marine microalgae oil, cultured yeast, postbiotics, coconut flour). Four functional formulations: Hip + Joint Support (Salmon & Whitefish with turmeric and cultured yeast), Immune Support (Beef with strawberries and butternut squash), Skin + Coat Support (Pork with pork mucosa and flaxseed), and Digestive Support (Chicken with postbiotics and coconut flour). Available in shaker container format.

Quantifiable outcome

• Recommended by Animal Behavior College for professional dog training use
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Guide Dogs of AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Guide Dogs of America to provide hardworking service dogs with nutritious Charlee Bear treats. This reflects the company's commitment to supporting service animals and their handlers.
• Pet Rescues and SheltersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive sponsorship of pet rescues and shelters across the United States through product donations. Organizations can request donations via the company's donation request form.
• Animal Behavior CollegecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCharlee Bear treats are one of Animal Behavior College's recommended treats for professional dog trainers, providing legitimacy and credibility in the professional training market.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wellness Pet Company: Wellness offers natural dog treats, food, and supplements with a strong specialty pet retail presence. Its product positioning around natural, grain-free, and functional ingredients closely mirrors Charlee Bear's portfolio strategy, serving overlapping consumer segments in independent pet stores.
• Stella & Chewy's: Stella & Chewy's is a premium raw and freeze-dried pet food/treat brand. Its freeze-dried raw treats directly overlap with Charlee Bear's Grain Free Meaty Bites line and Necessities Toppers, both targeting the raw-food-oriented pet parent.
• Buddy Biscites / Buddy Cookies: Buddy Biscites is a premium baked dog treat brand known for natural, oven-baked formulations sold in specialty pet stores. It directly competes with Charlee Bear's Original Crunch and Bearnola Bites product lines.
• Primal Pet Foods: Primal is a leading raw and freeze-dried pet food/treat manufacturer serving the specialty and natural channel. Its raw freeze-dried treat formats compete head-to-head with Charlee Bear's Grain Free Meaty Bites and Necessities Toppers in independent pet retail.
• Zuke's (Chewy): Zuke's specializes in natural, low-calorie training treats and is well-known among dog trainers and outdoor enthusiasts. It directly competes with Charlee Bear's Pocket Perfect training treats in the same low-calorie, frequent-reward category.
• Old Mother Hubbard (Wellness): Old Mother Hubbard's Natural Balance and Oven-Baked dog biscuits are positioned similarly to Charlee Bear's baked crunchy treats. Both brands compete in the natural, baked, low-calorie segment of the specialty treat market.
• Cloud Star (Wellness): Cloud Star produces natural, wholesome dog treats and operates in specialty pet retail. Its focus on clean ingredients and soft/baked treat formats overlaps with Charlee Bear's Original Crunch and Bearnola Bites lines.

Broad incumbents

• Nature's Variety (Instinct): Nature's Variety's Instinct brand offers raw, freeze-dried, and functional pet foods/treats. Its raw and functional ingredient positioning closely parallels Charlee Bear's Necessities Toppers and Meaty Bites, but at much broader scale.
• Milk-Bone (Mars Petcare): Milk-Bone is the mass-market dog biscuit leader owned by Mars Petcare. While its products are commodity-positioned, it sets the price and consumer-experience benchmark for baked dog treats like Charlee Bear's Original Crunch and Bearnola Bites.
• Blue Buffalo (General Mills): Blue Buffalo is a leading natural pet food and treat brand now owned by General Mills. Charlee Bear competes directly in the natural/functional dog treat segment, but Blue Buffalo operates at vastly larger scale with mass-market distribution that Charlee Bear's specialty retail model does not match.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/charleebeartrts
• Facebookfacebook.com/CharleeBear
• Instagraminstagram.com/charlee_bear_dogtreats
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/charlee-bear-pet-products

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Charlee Bear Products