Eight years ago, raw feeding was a mystery to me. I had heard about this way of feeding but had been programmed for well over a decade to believe that dogs were supposed to eat kibble. Raw feeding was very different from anything I had known. I had inquired with a couple of my long-time dog mentors as to their thoughts on the raw feeding phenomena which was gaining popularity. They all dismissed it as being no better for your dog than kibble. They warned me of the risks associated with feeding raw. They would tell me raw is not balanced. They would tell me dogs can get sick from salmonella poisoning. It’s too expensive they would tell me. I listened to them mainly because when you are used to doing something, it’s easier to stick with what’s comfortable. Humans in general resist change. At this point in time, I was no different. I was intrigued by the idea of feeding raw. The logic made sense. It aligned with the way I viewed human nutrition. I’m a firm believer that health is derived from real whole foods. Processed and convenience foods are bad for the body, especially long-term.

I started out feeding the old Sportsman’s Choice dog food from Sam’s Club back in the mid 1990’s. I believe they stopped making it or changed the formula which led me to start buying Diamond brand dog food by the pallet from Tractor Supply. Everything was business as usual, until it wasn’t. Out of the blue I had two dogs die randomly in the same week, and a third dog was looking terrible. One of the dogs that died was at my mother’s house. It was very strange, but there was one common denominator. They all were eating the same dog food. It was at that moment that I decided that I was done trusting a label on a bag of dog food to tell me what I was putting into my dogs bodies.

I am regularly asked what I feed my dogs. To the dismay of many, there are no secret formulas or supplements. When I first started, I religiously followed the diet outlined in the Pit Bull Bible by California Jack (John A. Koerner). I would weigh everything and I would never leave out an ingredient. As time has passed I have developed my own way of feeding. It is predominately based on the diet of California Jack’s. In my diet you will not find measurements, because I do not measure my dogs’ food. I simply adjust the amount of food I feed based on the size of the dog, their age, activity level and overall appearance. If the dog is looking a little lean, I simply add more food. If the dog is looking a little heavy, the dog will get less food until he is where I would like him.

  • Raw chicken quarter with the skin and bone (sometimes they get chicken breasts with skin and bone)
  • Chicken hearts & gizzards
  • Chicken livers (only twice a week)
  • (1) Par boiled egg
  • (1) Tablespoon of yogurt (not fat free)
  • (1) Teaspoon of oil

As you  will see, there is nothing special or over the top with my dogs’ daily maintenance feed. It is basic, yet provides all that the dog needs in order to thrive. A common mistake I notice some raw feeders make is going over the top with what they feed. They want to do the best that they can for their dogs and in doing so they get extra creative with their raw meals. In many cases, this causes more harm than good.  As an example, there seems to be a fad among raw feeders to feed a variety of exotic ingredients every day. While variety is good, consistency is also needed. It’s important to find that balance.  Less is sometimes more in life, and I think feeding our dogs is one of those cases. The above diet is a general guideline as to how I feed. In the winter months when I have access to venison scraps the dogs will get venison meat and bones supplemented into their meals. I like to rotate my oils: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, 100% Pure Wheat Germ Oil, Fish Oil, Vegetable Oil, Leftover Oil from Cooking, etc. Variety to the diet is good. Just try not to go overboard. Try not to over-complicate it. If you want to substitute beef liver in place of chicken liver for a few weeks, cool. If you want to substitute beef in place of the chicken for a few weeks, no problem. One thing I do not like, and I see and hear too often are people who try to feed raw the lazy way. Meaning, they give their dogs a chicken quarter a day and say they are feeding raw. This is not ideal. The dog surely needs more in terms of nutrients and vitamins than what can be derived from only a single leg quarter. Do not do that. Take the extra time and add your organ meats and the rest of the basic ingredients.   

Raw Fed Dog

I’ll close this article by saying that experience has taught me that neither dogs nor humans were meant to eat processed foods. It is not up for debate with me. If you are a die-hard kibble feeder, more power to you. However, you will never convince me that kibble is healthier for dogs because it is simply not true. I’ve seen such a transformation in my dogs’ health and longevity from changing their diets. Good luck and if you have any specific questions feel free to hit me up or comment. I’ll do my best to help. If you want to have a debate over kibble versus raw, save your time because I’m not interested.

Andrew Seguss
Andrew Seguss


9 Responses

Rod Bailey
Rod Bailey

January 12, 2021

Do you every feed fish? Mackrel, sardines, tuna or salmon

Ted
Ted

May 15, 2018

I’ve been raw feeding for the last 3 years. Raw feeding is far superior to any commercial kibble in my opinion. For those folks who are worried about switching, check out mypetcarnivore.com based out of Indianapolis. Their site has great information for the beginner and offer whole ground products to minimize the worry about meat, bone, organ%. Outstanding customer service.

Canine Athletes
Canine Athletes

April 14, 2018

Hi Sheila- The only time I added vegetables and fruits are during training. This is more so just to cover all bases. In my experience I have found no evidence that veggies and fruits help the dog. I have not found any evidence that it hurts the dog either. So during training, I will add a dehydrated veggie/fruit mix to their diets. I will be posting my conditioning meal plan soon. Thank you!

Sheila visser
Sheila visser

April 02, 2018

Awesome read. I agree %100 raw feed is the way to go!! And it’s not complicated. I have a food preparation day and get great whole turkeys for $1 a lb. that’s cheaper than high end kibble and much healthier. So no fruit or veg added ever????

Richard Davis
Richard Davis

April 01, 2018

I came across your collars and I like the 2" working collar. Looking over your site I came across your article on raw feeding, I just started feeding raw and I liked your article. I will be purchasing 4 collars and maybe even a few baseball caps.

Tony Morgan
Tony Morgan

March 22, 2018

I haven’t been raw feeding that long so yeah I think i was over doing it hehe trying to cover all the bases

Supreme One
Supreme One

March 19, 2018

Awesome read, I think I’m one of the ones that over do things. But basically I’m in the ball park. I’m overspending most definitely, when I don’t have to thanks for the article. 💪🏿

Wendell
Wendell

March 19, 2018

Awesome. Ive been feeding raw diet for 6 years now with great results. I weigh food and tweek meals as needed per dog. I also add small portions of pureed fruits and veggies. High energy dogs, retaining proper nutrients. And less waste for cleaning.

Kevin Martinez
Kevin Martinez

March 18, 2018

Amazing!! Love it I have been trying to do this with my dogs for a while but my dad always keeps me back from doing it

Leave a comment


Also in CANINE ATHLETES BLOG

HOW TO CURE CHRONIC EAR INFECTIONS IN DOGS
HOW TO CURE CHRONIC EAR INFECTIONS IN DOGS

I’ve had a dog who has been dealing with chronic ear infections. He would itch his ear and shake his head profusely to the point that he would give himself hematomas. An ear hematoma is when the ear fills up with blood. It’s basically the same thing wrestlers and jiu jitsu players get. The ear fills up with blood inside the ear flap and leads to what's called cauliflower ear.
Delmanto Kennels of Brazil
INTERVIEW WITH DEL MANTO KENNELS

It would be hard to argue that any kennel has had a bigger impact on the ADBA show scene over the last ten years than Delmanto Kennels of Brazil.
DIY: Bone Broth Recipe
DIY: Bone Broth Recipe

Another thing I do in the winter is cook my dogs a homemade bone broth. I don’t do this every day, but when the weather is extremely harsh or I have some extra time, I make a large batch and give it to them in the evening.

Never miss new gear, promos, and other cool things.