Tag: #rescuedog

Dog Food Overload: Where Do You Even Start?

Dog food. How do you pick? There are so many options out there—canned, dry, fresh, frozen, air-dried, shelf-stable… and honestly, I had no clue how to decide.

My vet did recommend going with one of the fresher food options, especially since Stanley is so tiny. He said that for a small dog, the cost of high-quality food is a lot more manageable, and the nutritional quality is usually better.

Bean, Feeling left out lately!

So, in the spirit of this blog, I’ve ordered four different sample packs to test out.

1. Sundays for Dogs

This one looks like jerky—very minimal prep, human-grade ingredients, and totally shelf-stable. I love the convenience. For a Stanley-sized dog, this food would cost about $18.75 per week.

2. Spot & Tango (UnKibble)

I added this one after seeing it pop up on a few “top food” lists. It’s a dry but minimally processed food they call “UnKibble.” I ordered their Turkey and Sweet Potato recipe.
Price: $16.50 per week—the most affordable of the four.

3. The Pet’s Table

This brand offers both fresh food and air-dried options. I ordered a combo pack with:

  • Chicken Casserole with Green Beans (fresh)
  • Chicken & Sweet Potato, and Salmon & Whitefish with Pumpkin (air-dried)

They also throw in a free bag of chicken bite treats with every order as long as you stay subscribed.
Cost: $21.70/week, with slight discounts if you buy 8 weeks at a time or tweak the fresh/dry mix.

4. Happy Howl

I love the idea behind this one—it’s fresh food that stays shelf-stable until opened, so only one box at a time needs to go in the fridge. I ordered their variety pack with:

  • Grandma’s Beef Stew
  • Tasty Turkey Feast
  • Lamb Delight

This one comes in at $21.25/week for Stanley. Price may shift a bit based on the flavors I choose long-term.

Stanley The Lap Dog

The Plan (and the Problem)

Now that I’ve ordered all four, I need to create a smart plan to test them—without upsetting Stanley’s little tummy. Switching foods too fast is never a good idea, so we’ll go slow.

What am I looking for?

  • High-quality ingredients
  • Convenience
  • Something Stanley is excited to eat
  • And all else being equal? I’ll go with the more affordable option.

I’d also love to try Ollie and The Farmer’s Dog down the line, but these four stood out first. I originally planned to test just three—but Spot & Tango’s ingredients, price, and single protein per flavor really appealed to me.

What He’s Eating Now

Stanley’s Home Base – And Puck’s!

Right now, Stanley is on Dr. Harvey’s, a mix-you-add-your-own-protein-to food that worked wonderfully for Cali. It was a great option for her kidney issues—customizable, tasty, and way better than the expensive prescription foods she refused to eat.

But for puppies, Dr. Harvey’s recommends adding protein, oil, plain yogurt, and cottage cheese—a little more involved than I’d like. It’s great food, but not the simplest option when there are other fresh choices that come ready to go.

Let’s Compare Together!

The samples should start arriving next week, and I’ll be blogging our journey as Stanley and I go through each one.

Do you feed your dog a fresh or air-dried food? I’d love to hear what you’re using and how it’s working for you. Drop your favorites (or fails!) in the comments—I’m always open to suggestions!

Grieving and Fostering

Grieving is hard. Letting go is harder. Everything in the house reminds me of Cali, but I’m healing slowly. Trying to focus on the happy memories.

A rescue I volunteer for put out a call for fosters yesterday. They needed seven fosters. I looked through all the little faces, all the different colors, and one caught my eye. She wasn’t a chubby little 3 month old puppy. She was a one year old lab mix that looked like she was holding the weight of the world on her little black shoulders.

I knew I wasn’t ready for a puppy, but maybe I could deal with this older dog? I wrote the volunteer coordinator and offered to come meet the dog, but someone had beaten me to it. OK, that’s good I thought, at least she found a foster home.

A couple of hours later, I got a message that the other foster family picked a puppy, and the other dog was still available. I replied right away and said I would come get her. It seemed meant to be!

When I went to pick her up, she was leaning into the legs of the volunteer that brought her out. She seemed so scared. Who knows what this sweet girl has been through in the past year? 

I bent down to her and diverted my eyes, eventually she approached and I was able to pat her velvety, soft ears. She was reluctant to leave the safety of the shelter, but she followed me with a little reassurance. We walked outside for a couple of minutes before I tried to convince her to get in the car. She wasn’t interested, but she let me pick her up and put her in.

The drive home was a little chaotic. She was clearly scared and talking to her helped, but not enough. She tried to climb from the backseat to the front, then she climbed in the back. I cracked a window for her and she calmed a little as she sniffed the air.

Once we got home, she got right out of the car, but didn’t want to go in the house. We walked around the yard for 20 minutes or so, sniffing the air, the snow, the mud. Eventually we approached the door again and she followed me inside.

I did what I needed to do while she basically stayed glued to my legs. I fed her dinner, but she seemed too nervous to eat. Eventually we settled in the living room, where she immediately jumped up and snuggled on the couch. We try to keep the couch as a cat safety zone, so I set up a blanket on the floor for her, and sat on the floor with her. I had to correct her a couple of times, but she eventually figured out that the floor was her place. As I put on the TV and relaxed, she stayed close, but sniffed her way around the room, and eventually ate her dinner.

We had a nice quiet night, lots of pats and snuggles. She didn’t want to go into her crate to sleep, but with some treats and coaxing, she went in. She barked a few times and settled down.

This morning we went for a nice walk around the neighborhood. She’s pretty good on a leash, stays right by my side. The hard part is not tripping over her because she wants to be SO close. She’s currently sitting next to me while I type, I think this girl would be an amazing companion for someone who works from home. She’s a perfect medium size, calm and so very sweet.

My heart is so happy to be able to help this girl, and selfishly to have a dog to take care of, and collar tags to jingle in the house. I hope she finds her forever home quickly, but maybe not too quickly!