The Dog's Dinner

My name is Max, and I make my own dog food.

I know. I sound like a crazed Dog-Mom with too much time on her hands, but believe me when I tell you that I'm not! I don’t let our dogs sleep on the bed. I don’t buy my dogs cute “outfits” (not even for Halloween), and I don't push them around in a Doggy Stroller (although I think that would be hilarious as a prank for Mr. Handsome). He would definitely think I’ve lost my marbles.  

But I do make my own dog food at home. Hear me out. We have two Whippets: Zeus and Domino. We got them as puppies from a reliable breeder after a friend nearly lost a thumb to a rescue dog. Judge me if you must, but I'm OK with that decision.

We fed our Whippet puppies on a Vet-recommended, kibble-and-canned-food combo they liked for a while. Until they didn't. Maybe they got sick of the same food every day, or their appetites changed as they got older. The more likely scenario is that they developed a taste for people's food because we fed them table scraps instead of throwing them away. But, again, I'm OK with that, so judge away if you must! 

We tried everything. We bought different types of canned and dry foods, but they hated it all and would let their dog food get dry and gross until we caved and gave them table scraps with their kibble again. It was a problem.

One day, I was researching dog food (I know, but I was desperate), and I came across a Freeze-dried dog food brand developed by a Vet. Of course, they loved it, but it cost us over $160 a week (or $22 a day) to feed them, even when we mixed it with their store-bought kibble. I don’t spend that on my lunch! 

Back to the Internet. I kept getting ads for fresh dog food, which was crazy expensive. But, when I looked closely, the ingredients weren't that special: Ground beef, ground turkey, brown rice, carrots, leafy greens, etc. That's when it hit me. I can make that! 

I started with cheap ground beef + turkey from my local supermarket and whatever I had in the fridge: wilted kale and some baby spinach. Then, I added brown rice and a can of organic pumpkin from Thanksgiving. It smelled like real food (because it IS real food). THEY LOVED IT.

Over time, I’ve refined my recipes depending on what’s in season/on sale/leftover, so they get a little variety, and I don’t have to feel guilty about throwing out old blueberries or Swiss Chard.

IMPORTANT: Some foods are big no-nos for dogs. Don’t be tempted to give them that leftover Eggplant Parmesan.

This is my basic recipe, but feel free to use whatever veggies or carbs you have handy. I keep a 50/50 ratio of meat to veggies/carbs but adjust depending on your dog's digestive system. Go slowly, at first, to see how they tolerate it. Then, I recommend mixing it with their regular food until their stomachs adjust. 

I make a month's worth of food for my two dogs at once. But you can cut the recipe in half if you have one dog, a smaller dog, or want to make a small batch to start! 

• 3lbs Ground Beef
• 3lbs Ground Turkey 
• 4 lbs. Potatoes (any kind: Russet, Yukon, Sweet, or even Purple Potatoes or a mix of all above! If you‘re not using potatoes, you can substitute four 4 cups of brown or white rice)
• 4 cups of mixed veggies. I use whatever is around, but some ideas are cabbage, spinach, swiss chard, kale, carrots, Brussel sprouts, etc. No onions! No tomatoes! 
• 3 cans of pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling, just 100% pumpkin). 
• Sometimes, I throw in some fruit like pulpy apples, squishy blueberries, or over-ripe bananas. No grapes!

• If I’m using rice, I throw it into a rice cooker. If you don’t have one, get one! It makes everything easier.
• If I'm using potatoes, throw them into a pot to boil.  

• While the starches are cooking, grab a big stockpot and cook the ground meat on medium-high heat until browned. You may have to do this in batches, so a nice, big mixing bowl comes in handy here. DO NOT ADD SALT OR SEASONING! 

• Onto the veggies. You can cut them by hand, but a Food Processor makes this step so much easier! The good ones are pricey, but I've had mine for ten years and use it almost daily.
• Pulse your veggies (and potatoes) into small pieces. Do NOT over process. You want it to have a little bit of texture.  

• Mix the processed veggies, meat, and rice/potatoes together in a large mixing bowl, keeping in mind the ratio of approximately 50% veggies + starch to 50% meat. Use all the meat fat!