Future Trends: What’s Next in Interactive & Smart Pet Toys
The numbers tell a clear story. The smart pet products market reached $4.9 billion in 2024 and will hit $28.2 billion by...
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The numbers tell a clear story. The smart pet products market reached $4.9 billion in 2024 and will hit $28.2 billion by 2033. Smart pet toys and devices grew from $2.5 billion to a projected $6.8 billion by 2033. Pet parents spend more on their animals each year, and they want technology that delivers real value.
We watched this shift firsthand at all of the pet shows, from SuperZoo to Global Pet Expo. At Global Pet Expo in Orlando, the New Products Showcase featured innovations across 13 categories, from smart feeders with HD cameras to interactive toys that adapt to pet behavior. The message from both shows: retailers demand products that solve actual problems, and they place orders when they find them.
The market today
Pet ownership reached 94 million U.S. households in 2025. The global pet toys market stood at $3.9 billion in 2024 and will reach $15.3 billion by 2032. Interactive dog toys show higher search volume than durable toys, meaning pet parents prioritize mental stimulation over simple chewing.
Search trends from 2024 reveal what buyers actually want. Smart toy demand peaked in November 2024, with consistent growth through early 2025. The problem: 34.9% of product reviews cite durability issues, specifically noting toys fail with aggressive chewers. This gap between buyer interest and product performance creates opportunity for manufacturers who can deliver both intelligence and durability.
Pet companies can adjust by launching enrichment toys with natural materials, smart feeders that recognize individual pets, and wellness products that address specific health concerns.
Five trends that will define 2026
Adaptive play intelligence
AI is taking over the world and the way we look at technology. The pet market is no stranger to it. AI in pet toys moves beyond pre-programmed responses. Current products follow scripts: press button, toy reacts. The next generation learns from each interaction.
Toys with adaptive intelligence might start tracking how a dog plays. Does the pet prefer chase sequences or puzzle challenges? Does energy peak in morning or evening? The toy can adjusts difficulty, changes patterns, and introduces variety based on accumulated data. One ball might start with simple rolling motions, then add unpredictable bounces as the dog masters basic chase behavior.
But here is the challenge. Pet owners won't accept toys that stop working when WiFi drops. Manufacturers need to partner with AI developers who understand edge computing and can build learning models that run locally.
The business case is clear. Adaptive toys extend engagement. A static toy entertains for days or weeks before becoming predictable. A learning toy maintains novelty for months, reducing returns and increasing customer satisfaction. The premium price of these toys will become justifiable when the product actively prevents boredom.
Emotion recognition through biometric integration
Pet wearables track steps, calories, and sleep. Smart collars monitor location. The gap: these devices don't talk to toys. Pet parents accumulate disconnected data points across multiple apps, extracting limited value from individual devices.
But things might change in the following years. A smart collar detects elevated heart rate and changes in movement patterns that signal anxiety. The data can feed directly to interactive toys, which adjust play modes to provide calming stimulation. When the collar registers normal activity levels, toys switch to higher-energy engagement.
Manufacturers should design toys that work independently but gain intelligence through integration. A ball that rolls unpredictably serves its basic function without connectivity. Add a compatible collar, and the same ball adjusts activity based on stress levels detected throughout the day.
Sustainability meets intelligence
Biodegradable materials and smart technology seem contradictory. Electronic components require plastics, metals, and batteries that complicate eco-friendly design. Yet pet parents increasingly demand both sustainability and technology.
The solution: modular construction. Companies can try to separate the electronics from the materials pets actually interact with. This approach addresses multiple concerns. Sustainability-conscious buyers appreciate reduced waste. Cost-conscious buyers value the ability to refresh worn exteriors without replacing expensive electronics. Manufacturers benefit from recurring component sales and customer lock-in through the reusable electronic core.
Brands adopting biodegradable materials will capture 30% of premium segments, according to market analysis. But sustainability as a standalone feature doesn't justify premium pricing. Combine it with superior functionality, and customers accept higher costs.
Multi-sensory engagement
Dogs don't experience the world through sight alone. Their reality combines smell, texture, sound, and visual input in ratios completely different from human perception. Yet most toys focus on just one or two senses.
Multi-sensory toys engage multiple inputs simultaneously. A ball emits sounds at frequencies dogs prefer, releases mild scents during play, and features textured surfaces that provide tactile feedback. The combination creates richer experiences that maintain engagement longer than single-sense toys.
Technology enables dynamic sensory changes. A toy that releases the same scent every time becomes predictable. A toy with three scent cartridges that alternate randomly maintains novelty. Add sensors that detect which scent the dog prefers, and the toy can emphasize that option while occasionally introducing variety.
Light integration follows similar logic. Toys that light up offer visual stimulation, but random flashing provides less value than purposeful illumination. A ball that glows brighter when moving faster teaches cause and effect.
Different colored lights for different play modes help pets learn which interaction type to expect.
Personalization and subscription models
Generic toys serve average pets. No such animal exists. A five-pound Yorkie and an 80-pound German Shepherd require completely different play experiences. Current solutions: separate product lines by size.
Future solution: adaptable products customized for individual animals.
Subscription models complement personalization. A quarterly box delivers new exterior shells for existing smart toy cores. Each delivery introduces different textures, shapes, or configurations that maintain novelty. As the pet's preferences become clear through data collected by smart cores, subsequent boxes include designs that match demonstrated play patterns.
Making it work: technology requirements
The trends sound good in theory. Making them real requires specific capabilities that most pet toy manufacturers lack.
Toys need to communicate with other devices, share data through standardized protocols, and function within smart home ecosystems. This means supporting platforms like Apple HomeKit, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa. Pet parents already use these systems for lights, thermostats, and security. Toys that integrate seamlessly fit into established routines. Toys that require separate apps and protocols add friction.
We might not see all of these trends in 2026. But the reality is that the pet market will continue to evolve, grow, and develop. Product development requires a new mindset, a different way of thinking. The goal for companies is to build components that work both separately and together. For example, a smart ball should function as a ball. Yet, when paired with a collar, it gains capabilities. When connected to a feeder, it coordinates meal times with play sessions. This modular approach lets customers start small and expand gradually.
Durability testing must become more rigorous. Interactive toys cost 2-3 times more than basic alternatives. They need to last correspondingly longer. Standard testing involves mechanical stress tests. Real-world testing requires actual dogs over extended periods.
Technology development accelerates. What seems futuristic today becomes standard in 18-24 months. Manufacturers need to think beyond immediate product cycles.
How to Position For Success?
If your company is in the pet industry, it is time to review your current product line against the upcoming trends.
Identify 2-3 technology partners who can accelerate development. Create consumer education content starting now. Pet parents don't automatically understand why adaptive AI or emotion recognition matters. They need to see concrete benefits: less destructive behavior from bored dogs, better health outcomes from activity monitoring, stronger bonds through enhanced play. Content that explains these benefits in clear, jargon-free language builds demand before products launch.
Attend industry events with purpose. SuperZoo 2026 and Global Pet Expo 2026 represent opportunities to test concepts, gauge buyer interest, and identify emerging competitors. But attendance alone provides limited value. Go with specific questions to answer, demonstrations to conduct, and buyer feedback to collect.
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