RAW. You feed your dog WHAT?!?!?!???

RAW- it's what's for dinner at our house.  Our dogs eat out of the fridge- not out of the bag.
But why and how???  Here's some basics in case your tired of scary recalls and high prices and sick dogs...

Let's start with the WHY:
1.  Dog food you buy at the store or vet office- even top quality/expensive/ fancy commercial dog food- is made in a plant somewhere far away.  It is processed.  Regardless of how safe and how meticulous the process, it is processed.  And because it contains "meat"- and I use that term loosely- it has preservatives of some sort.  Most of your hard earned dollars are paying for the process- not the food.  Bags and packages, marketing, labor, factory overhead, shipping- that's what you're paying for!  And to keep the food from costing more than your house mortgage, they use the cheapest forms of ingredients- yes even your expensive food with the wild animal on the bag.
2. WHY:  Your dog itches, his ears smell gross, he licks his paws, his skin is red, his eyes are weepy, his hair is thin, he has no energy, he's always hungry, he has no focus or attention span, is hyper and he poops several times a day, etc. etc. etc.  The WHY is because your dog's body is expending all it's good stuff trying to figure out how to un-process and use the garbage that was in his bowl.

SO now here's the HOW (and it's much simpler than you think.) 
 I've heard comments like "I don't have time to cook for my dog."  Um, that's why it's called "RAW."  You don't cook it! 
 I've also heard "Doesn't it cost way too much?"
The answer is NO!  It costs around $7/week to feed a relatively large dog, which in most cases is much less than expensive store bought dog food.

So, how do you figure out what to feed?
1.  Think like a dog.  If we did not feed them, they would catch and eat animals- raw.  They munch on grasses and some vegetation.   But the majority of their diet would be high quality protein.  They do not whip out their cell phone and check calorie counts and nutrient charts.  It's not that complicated!
2.  How much to feed?  A good rule of thumb (or paw) is about 1/2lb of food per 25lbs. of dog, but their metabolisms and exercise levels are all different, so that varies.  Ninja- the dog pictured raiding the refrigerator was way too thin when we got him, but has gained 9lbs. in 2 months on raw.  Steel, my little pork chop has lost 5lbs because we focus more on fiber and low fat content.
3.  My ingredients:  Blood bone meats like turkey necks, ox tails, chicken quarters, salmon, sardines (packed in water- not soy oil) and eggs.  I also get scraps from the meat plants for free which include nice big femur bones, unbleached tripe and gross organs that are icky to look at but SO GOOD for your dog.  
I throw in a smorgasbord of veggies and fruits, bananas, apples, green beans, broccoli, carrots, etc.  And then some good mushy stuff- plain greek yogurt and pumpkin.
I throw the veggies in a food processor to rough chop and give it some crunch and then throw everything else in the blender to make a grool.
 Then I fill a pitcher with it and store it in the fridge.  I can make 3 gallons of food in 10 minutes.  And it's up to you how high quality your ingredients are.  Personally, I'm on an Aldi's budget, but organic or fresh is awesome if you can afford it!
*You do have to be sure to treat their food as you would yours.  Don't leave it out.  Keep it frozen or refrigerated.  Wash your hands and dog dishes after each meal.  The good news is that dogs' digestive systems are much more acidic than humans' so they are not as prone to things like salmonella. 
Each dog gets a piece of meat (bones included) and a cup of grool.
Coconut oil and sardines are wonderful for older dogs with urine incontinence and dementia!  Oatmeal can be added to firm up stools.  Natural peanut butter can add calories.  You can play with your recipe gradually till you find the perfect combination that makes your dog shine!
As always, check with your veterinarian and google ingredients and be sure you're not feeding anything toxic like grapes or raisins.  Many vets are not on board with the RAW diet yet, but contemporary veterinarians are seeing the benefits and encouraging a raw diet.
 When you first introduce your dog to raw, start slowly!  Add one ingredient at a time, so if something doesn't agree with him, you will know which one it is.  Occasionally dogs get diarrhea at first, but just go slow- unless you have billy goats like mine that can eat anything!
And lastly, don't back track by feeding garbage treats!  There is so much poison in those store bought things.  Home made whole treats are much cheaper and healthier!