What you feed your dog is probably one of THE most important decisions you'll make for your dog.

While fresh air, sunshine, rest, exercise, temperence and fresh, clean drinking water is important, I  have always believed that nutrition is the key to optimum health in our dogs.

I have done and continue to do much research into canine nutrition in order to determine what would be considered the best diet for optimum health for my dogs. 

I had found much conflicting information and many unsubstantiated claims. In the past, I would change my dog's foods as one food would cease to "work" and try another. I knew in my heart that the very best diet for dogs would be as close to their natural diet as possible.

I believe that a quality well balanced Raw, Species Appropriate diet is the best we can do for our dogs as it mimics what they would eat in the wild and is what God created them to eat.

Having said that, I also understand that feeding a species appropriate or biologically appropriate raw food diet is not easy for for some to accept for thier dogs.

I currently feed a 100% Raw diet. While I choose to feed a more species specific raw diet (SARF) There are many that feed what is called the BARF diet to their dogs.

While some pet owners will not be comfortable feeding their dogs raw meat, almost anything you can do to add variety and live enzymes,probiotics, etc. such as fish oil supplements with natural occuring Omega 3 fatty acids  non processed cooked meats and organs along with probiotics to your dog's food will be extremely beneficial.

Cooking for dogs is even healthier then feeding Kibble! If you still don't have the time or means to prepare home a cooked diet for your dogs, The Whole Dog Store offers only what we consider to be the best,in freeze dried, dehydrated raw and even organic, healthy Kibble (please click on the catagory above or below to see my recomendations)

Dog's were not designed to digest grains and actully do not manufacture the enzyme needed to digest or utilize grains. My beliefs about certain foods, backed with research and experiences of my own and others such as, (Dogtor J, a veterinarian who is a celiac) made me sit up and take note about 15 years ago!

Dogtor J's info and web site http://www.dogtorj.net/

Articles on grains in dog foods
Grains In Commercial Pet Foods
More About Grains

There is so much information on line and in great books on how to feed a raw diet to your dog that I can only give you a small list here to get you started:

Switching To Raw
Species Appropriate Nutrition
BARF Questions and Answers
Optimum Pet Nurtition
The SARF Diet
Raw Feeding FAQ
Books On Raw & Natural Diets

*My Own TESTIMONY*

When we started feeding raw, it was a complicated BARF diet, we also had the additional challenge of having puppy buyers that did not share our enthusiasm for this way of feeding. We began to look into dehydrated raw foods and holistic, no grain frozen pregared diets and began to supplement feed our pregnant bitches with Nature's Variety Freeze Dried Diets, Honest Kitchen and Wysong Archetype Buffet™ as well. We then would wean our puppies onto these foods. In the last 8 years we went totally to a raw meat and bone diet and even wean our pups onto it.

We still believe we can safely recommend the freeze dried diets mentioned above to our new puppy families that can not feed a true raw for what ever reason.

We still have the occasional new puppy owner wanting to feed a dry kibble diet from time to time and do carry and often recommend the only ones we have used in the past with success and feel we can still recommend if one is still unsure of switching to a more species appropriate diet.

These can be found on our Dry Food Page

The Whole Dog only carries food products that we have personally used and feel are a good nutritious diet for your dogs.

Please take some time to check out these foods and be sure to listen the to the audio and view the video on our HPN Foods page or read the article in our Articles section on What's Really In Pet Food"

Freeze Dried or Dehydrated Foods

Raw Frozen Foods

Dry Food

Doggie Delicacies Treats & Cookies