Milk-Bone
Milk-Bone is a 115-year-old U.S. dog treat and biscuit brand, owned by J.M. Smucker Co. since 2015 and manufactured in Buffalo, NY, selling 20+ treat varieties through mass, grocery, and pet specialty retail.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1908
- HeadquartersSaint Augustine, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Milk-Bone does
Milk-Bone is a U.S. consumer packaged goods brand of dog biscuits and treats, founded in 1908 in New York City and manufactured in Buffalo, New York since 1957. Its portfolio spans more than 20 product varieties organized around format (biscuits, soft and chewy, long-lasting chews, dental chews) and use case (everyday treating, training, dental health, medication administration via Pill Pouches, puppies and small breeds), with formulations featuring real meat as a primary ingredient and, since 1977, fortification with 12+ vitamins and minerals. Sub-brands include MaroSnacks, Brushing Chews, Comfort Chews, Pill Pouches, and the entertainment-licensed Krypto Treats, plus a co-branded Milk-Bone X Jif peanut butter line.
The brand's commercial model is mass-market CPG retail: products are sold as one-time consumer purchases through national grocery chains, mass merchants (Walmart, Target), pet specialty retailers (PetSmart, Petco), and direct e-commerce at milkbone.com, with marketing executed through Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, the Dog Blog, entertainment partnerships (Warner Bros/DC Studios, Cleveland Browns), and a long-running service-dog partnership with Canine Assistants established in 1997. Milk-Bone has been a wholly owned brand of The J.M. Smucker Co. since its March 2015 acquisition from Big Heart Pet Brands, and the Buffalo facility achieved TRUE Zero Waste Gold certification in 2019.
Milk-Bone firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Milk-Bone
- Legal name
- Big Heart Pet, Inc.
- Website
- https://milkbone.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1908
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Milk-Bone is a 115-year-old U.S. dog treat and biscuit brand, owned by J.M. Smucker Co. since 2015 and manufactured in Buffalo, NY, selling 20+ treat varieties through mass, grocery, and pet specialty retail.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Milk-Bone industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Dog Treats
- NAICS
- Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing (311111), Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing (311821)
- SIC
- Food And Kindred Products (2000), Cookies & Crackers (2052)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Pet Treats & Chews (AFADAFAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Treats & Chews (CRADAFAE), Dental & Oral Health Supplements (HLAMALAG)
Keywords
Where Milk-Bone is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saint Augustine
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Milk-Bone business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Consumer Pet Treats Sales: Milk-Bone generates revenue through the sale of dog treats and biscuits across multiple retail channels including national grocery chains, mass merchants (Walmart, Target), pet specialty retailers (PetSmart, Petco), and direct e-commerce. Products are sold as one-time consumer purchases with various size and format options.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Milk-Bone product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Milk-Bone manufactures and sells dog biscuits and treats for U.S. dog owners, offering 20+ varieties across crunchy biscuits (Original, Flavor Snacks, MaroSnacks, Mini's), soft & chewy treats (including Pill Pouches for medication and Milk-Bone X Jif peanut buttery treats), long-lasting chews (Comfort Chews, Flavor Rolls), and dental chews (Brushing Chews). Products are fortified with 12+ vitamins and minerals, made with real meat ingredients, and produced at the company's Buffalo, NY manufacturing facility.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- MaroSnacks: Dog treat brand under Milk-Bone featuring treats in various flavors including large, small, peanut butter flavor, and bacon flavor.
- Milk-Bone X Jif
- Comfort Chews
- Pill Pouches
- Brushing Chews
- Krypto Treats
Products and services
- Original Dog Biscuits The flagship crunchy Milk-Bone biscuit, originally launched in 1908 (renamed in 1915). Fortified with 12+ vitamins and minerals, designed as a classic everyday dog reward treat. Available in small, medium, and large sizes since 1940.
- Flavor Snacks Biscuits Flavored crunchy biscuits introduced nationally in 1962 with six original flavors (milk, meat, vegetable, cheese, bone, liver). Designed to add variety to everyday dog rewarding.
- MaroSnacks Milk-Bone sub-brand of dog biscuits available in multiple flavor and size options including large, small, peanut butter, and bacon. Marketed under the MaroSnacks® name.
- Mini's Biscuits Smaller-sized Milk-Bone biscuits designed for small-breed dogs, including special-edition seasonal variants such as the Red, White & Woof Mixed Berry flavored biscuits.
- Soft & Chewy Dog Treats Soft-textured dog treats for dogs preferring a tender chew. Parent product line under which specialty items like Krypto Treats Soft & Chewy Mini's (with real beef and filet mignon) are sold.
- Pill Pouches for Dogs Soft, chewy treats specifically engineered to wrap around pills and capsules, simplifying medication administration for dogs. Targets dog owners who struggle to give oral medication to their pets.
- Brushing Chews Daily dental treats for dogs formulated to help clean teeth and freshen breath. Brushing Chews are positioned as a daily-use dental care chew within the Milk-Bone portfolio.
- Comfort Chews Long-lasting chews for dogs made with real USA raised beef; rawhide-free. Designed for extended engagement and as a comforting chew.
- Flavor Rolls Long-lasting chew offering in Milk-Bone's chew portfolio, providing extended chewing engagement.
- Milk-Bone X Jif Peanut Buttery Treats Collaboration product line with Jif peanut butter. Includes Peanut Buttery Bites, Peanut Buttery Cups, Peanut Buttery Dipped Biscuits, and Natural Peanut Butter Spread products, all made with real Jif peanut butter.
- Krypto Treats (Soft & Chewy Mini's with Real Beef & Filet Mignon) Soft and chewy mini dog treats made with real beef and filet mignon. Tied to Warner Bros/DC Studios' Supergirl movie partnership featuring Krypto the Superdog.
- Holiday-Themed Dog Treats Collection Seasonal holiday-themed assortment of dog treats including seasonal biscuits, candy cane-shaped biscuits, and a holiday countdown calendar. Sold online and in retail outlets.
Quantifiable outcome
- Milk-Bone brand partners generated over $100 million in media value for Warner Bros/DC Studios Supergirl campaign with 80+ sponsors
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Milk-Bone
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Milk-Bone technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Milk-Bone partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Warner Bros/DC StudiosflagshipMilk-Bone is one of 80+ brand partners in Warner Bros/DC Studios' Supergirl movie promotional campaign, representing one of the largest promotional partnership campaigns ever with over $100 million in media value. Includes 65 international partners and 14 North American partners. Milk-Bone Krypto Treats are specifically featured as a tie-in product for the film featuring Krypto the Superdog.
- Cleveland BrownsflagshipIn 2022, the Cleveland Browns announced The Barking Backers, presented by Milk-Bone. This is the team's first fan club for dogs and dog parents, providing exclusive items and access to members-only events during football season.
- Canine AssistantscoreMilk-Bone began a partnership with Canine Assistants in 1997 to provide treats for service dogs around the world. This is a long-standing partnership supporting service dogs and their handlers.
- JifflagshipMilk-Bone has developed a product line collaboration with Jif peanut butter, creating Milk-Bone X Jif treats made with real Jif peanut butter. Includes Peanut Buttery Bites, Peanut Buttery Cups, Peanut Buttery Dipped Biscuits, and Natural Peanut Butter Spread products.
- Dunkin' Joy in Childhood FoundationminorMilk-Bone has partnered with the Dunkin' Joy in Childhood Foundation, which supports dogs who bring joy to hospitalized children. Includes co-branded Dunkin' Vanilla Glaze Flavor Dog Biscuits.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Milk-Bone competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pedigree: Mars Petcare's flagship mass-market dog food and treat brand; directly comparable to Milk-Bone in targeting mainstream U.S. dog owners via grocery, mass, and pet specialty channels with biscuits and chews.
- Old Mother Hubbard (Wellness): Heritage baked dog biscuit brand under Wellness; closest direct analogue to Milk-Bone's crunchy biscuit positioning with a natural-ingredient angle.
- Blue Buffalo (Blue Buffalo Pet Foods): General Mills-owned premium natural pet food brand with Blue Bones and Blue Stix treats; competes for the same dog-owning households but at a premium/natural price tier versus Milk-Bone.
- Beneful: Nestlé Purina's mass-market dog food and treat brand; comparable to Milk-Bone in targeting value-tier dog owners through Walmart, Target, and grocery distribution.
- Beggin' Strips: Nestlé Purina's bacon-flavored soft dog treat brand; competes head-to-head with Milk-Bone's soft & chewy treats in mass and grocery channels.
- Greenies: Mars-owned dental dog chew brand; directly comparable to Milk-Bone's Brushing Chews in the functional dental treat segment targeting daily oral care for dogs.
Emerging players
- Wellness Pet Food: Independent natural pet food and treat brand targeting premium and health-conscious pet parents; an emerging competitor pressuring Milk-Bone in the natural treat segment.
- KONG: Maker of KONG stuffing treats and long-lasting chew products; competes with Milk-Bone's Comfort Chews and Pill Pouches in the functional/enrichment treat category.
Broad incumbents
- Hill's Pet Nutrition: Colgate-Palmolive-owned science-led pet nutrition brand with Hill's Science Diet treats; a broad incumbent in pet health and nutrition that overlaps with Milk-Bone's fortified/vitamin positioning.
- Purina (Nestlé Purina PetCare): Largest U.S. pet food manufacturer with extensive dog treat and biscuit offerings (Beggin' Strips, Busy Bone); a broad incumbent that competes with Milk-Bone across biscuits, dental chews, and training treats.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Milk-Bone social profiles
Digital presenceMilk-Bone financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Milk-Bone leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Milk-Bone funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Milk-Bone M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Milk-Bone
What does Milk-Bone do?
Milk-Bone manufactures and sells dog biscuits and treats for U.S. dog owners, offering 20+ varieties across crunchy biscuits (Original, Flavor Snacks, MaroSnacks, Mini's), soft & chewy treats (including Pill Pouches for medication and Milk-Bone X Jif peanut buttery treats), long-lasting chews (Comfort Chews, Flavor Rolls), and dental chews (Brushing Chews). Products are fortified with 12+ vitamins and minerals, made with real meat ingredients, and produced at the company's Buffalo, NY manufacturing facility.
Is Milk-Bone a public or private company?
Milk-Bone is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Milk-Bone founded?
Milk-Bone was founded in 1908. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Milk-Bone based?
Milk-Bone is headquartered in Saint Augustine, United States, in the North America region.
How does Milk-Bone make money?
One revenue line is on record: consumer Pet Treats Sales.
Who are Milk-Bone's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pedigree, Old Mother Hubbard (Wellness), Blue Buffalo (Blue Buffalo Pet Foods), Beneful, Beggin' Strips and Greenies. Emerging players are Wellness Pet Food and KONG. Broad incumbents are Hill's Pet Nutrition and Purina (Nestlé Purina PetCare).
Does Milk-Bone have an API?
No public API is recorded for Milk-Bone.
What industry is Milk-Bone in?
Milk-Bone's product category is Dog Treats. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFADAFAF, Pet Treats & Chews, with a secondary code of CRADAFAE, Treats & Chews. Its NAICS code is 311111 and its SIC code is 2000.