The Farmer’s Dog DIY Base Mix
The Farmers Dog now has a base mix. Theyll create recipes for you based on the details you provide about your dog, you order their base mix (they call it a DIY Nutrient Mix) and shop for the recipe ingredients at your local store.
Based on my answers, I would receive three boxes of the DIY Nutrient Mix every two weeks for a total of $80/month for four big dogs. With meat prices climbing, this is still an expensive option, but there are still ways to save.
While this option requires more work, its no different than my meal prep routine.
As I stated at the top, in 2021, Rodrigo stopped eating raw. Today, he will eat a mixture of raw and cooked together, but the days of putting a bowl of cold raw dog food in front of him are OVER.
For Rodrigo, I mix an 80/10 blend of cooked muscle meat and a variety of raw organ meat with Dr. Harveys Paradigm, a low glycemic base mix. Yeah, I slip some raw in there every time; dont tell my dog. I alternate this with some raw meals. After years of feeding my dogs, I know exactly what works for each of them.
But, if I were new to feeding fresh food, Id prefer to start with The Farmers Dog (or a reputable raw food brand) before attempting DIY. For me, the most impressive difference about The Farmers Dog is that they help pet parents get closer to DIY by offering a base mix. I dont know any other fresh food company other than Dr. Harveys (recommended) and The Honest Kitchen, that offers a base mix.
The Farmer’s Dog Uses Legumes and Potatoes
Im not a veterinarian, nutritionist, or a meal formulator, so my opinion is based on preferences I have for my dogs based on what Ive learned about dog food over the past decade.
Im not a fan of feeding grains, white potatoes, or legumes to dogs. I dont mind feeding sweet potatoes as a treat every now and then, but its not a regular part of my dogs diet. If this had been a few years ago, I would have slammed this food for these ingredients, but after a few years of working with the Animal Diet Formulator, I have a new appreciation for formulating meals for dogs.
So, while Im not a fan of these ingredients, I acknowledge that these ingredients are in the food for a reason and not a filler.
WHITE POTATOES: potatoes are a great source of fiber (gut health) and provide B Vitamins, Vitamin C, manganese, magnesium, and antioxidants. And potatoes contain resistant starch, which means that the starch isnt broken down and absorbed by the body.
SWEET POTATOES: sweet potatoes are a great source of fiber, Vitamins A, C, and B, manganese, potassium, and copper. Sweet potatoes support gut health, the beta-carotene supports vision health and the immune system, and its loaded with antioxidants.
LENTILS: lentils are a great source of fiber, B Vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, copper, and manganese.
So, while these ingredients would raise a red flag for me; a little bit of reading quickly identified their benefits.
Were going to find a nutrient blend or vitamin mix in most foods that we buy for our dogs, whether theyre processed kibble, cooked food, or raw. Using a nutrient blend is the easiest way to produce a nutritionally complete meal without the need to use 100 ingredients or make the food too expensive for the average pet parent.
As I stated above, Im impressed with brands that share the details of their nutrient blend. Over the years, Ive come to realize that transparency in the pet food industry is rare because of competition. Everyones ingredients are proprietary.
The Farmers Dog meets AAFCO standards and I feel the way about AAFCO as many raw feeders. Its hard to trust an organization that takes its lead from the executives of grocery store kibble brands. But, sadly, when it comes to pet food brands, fresh food brands dont have a lot of options in this area. And, for folks new to feeding fresh food, its important to show them that The Farmers Dog is nutritionally complete.
There may also be industry requirements that pet food brands need to meet.
What’s in the Box? My Video Review of The Farmer’s Dog
Here is my quick video showing what’s in the box, and what my canine reviewer thought about this dog food.
Did you watch it? As you can see, my canine taste-tester’s review of The Farmer’s Dog was an absolute success.
Listen to that smacking at the end of the video, haha!
Review of The Farmer’s Dog: It meets the approval of canine taste-testers everywhere.
I know what you’re thinking. “Dave, you’ve convinced me that The Farmer’s Dog is a decent pet food, but come on, is it really as great as you say it is? Why should I think about switching?”
And here’s my reply: How’d you like to potentially add months, even years, to your dog’s life?
That’s not as hype-y as it may sound. Here’s why…
According to Dogs Naturally magazine, a years-long study of 522 dogs by Lippert and Sapy (2003) found something truly astonishing. Their data showed that dogs who were fed high-quality, freshly made, real food had an average life expectancy of 13.1 years versus just 10.4 years for dogs fed commercial processed pet food.
The dogs lived nearly 3 years longer.
The researchers (who were both veterinarians) concluded: Feeding dogs fresh, nutritious food — real food that hasn’t been over-processed, loaded up with chemical additives, sprayed down with awful preservatives or hammered by high heat — “is a guarantee for better protection, well-being and longer life expectancy.”
Now, imagine getting benefits like THAT with all the convenience of timely home deliveries from The Farmer’s Dog.
They’ve done all the work for you — all you have to do is open the fridge, pop open the pouch and spoon some food into your dog’s bowl. If you want, you can warm it up in the microwave first. And then … watch your spoiled pup gobble it up like nobody’s business.
That feeling? It’s like your dog is getting a giant hug from you with every delicious, savory bite of every meal.
No grocery store trips, no raw meat to handle, no hours spent cooking for your dog, and (my personal favorite) no dirty pots and pans to scrub clean.
Yay. I could get used to this.
Raw Vs. Cooked Pet Food – Which Is Better?
The Farmer’s Dog is a well-known custom dog food that we decided to test out with two of our canine companions. This review will help you better understand whether The Farmer’s Dog’s all-natural, fresh dog food is right for you and your dog.
Before you find yourself subscribing to The Farmer’s Dog, here is our experience after feeding it to our dogs for a month including, price, ingredient quality, taste, and any other questions you may have about the experience as a whole. Let’s get started!