21/08/2026
RAW DOG FOOD — THE TRUTH
More and more dog owners are choosing to feed their dogs a predominantly raw diet.
Full disclosure: I’m one of them and I strongly believe that, when properly formulated, raw feeding is one of the best ways to feed a dog. So why am I such a big fan of raw feeding?
1️⃣ It’s minimally processed
Unlike kibble and many tinned foods, raw food hasn’t been subjected to the same high-temperature cooking and processing. This means the ingredients are much closer to their original form.
2️⃣ It’s closer to the diet dogs evolved to eat. Dogs are descendants of wolves and share the vast majority of their DNA with them. While our domestic dogs have certainly evolved alongside humans, their digestive anatomy and nutritional requirements still reflect their carnivorous ancestry.
For me, a properly formulated raw diet makes a lot of sense. So if raw feeding has so many advantages, why don’t more people do it? There are certainly some valid considerations, but there are also a few common arguments against raw feeding that I believe are overstated.
✅ VALID CONSIDERATIONS
1. Convenience - Raw feeding can be a little messier than simply pouring kibble into a bowl. You need freezer space, preparation and somewhere suitable to defrost the food.
2. Hygiene - You are handling raw meat, so sensible food hygiene is important. But this isn’t some unique danger associated with feeding dogs raw. If you already prepare raw meat for your own meals, you should already be familiar with the basic principles: wash your hands, clean surfaces and utensils, keep raw meat refrigerated and avoid cross-contamination.
3. Training rewards - Raw food obviously isn’t the most practical reward to carry around in your pocket during a training session! 😂
For training, we often use other rewards — but that doesn’t mean the dog’s main diet can’t be raw.
❌ SOME COMMON ARGUMENTS AGAINST RAW FEEDING
“Raw food is dangerous because of bacteria.” This is probably the biggest concern I hear. Raw meat can certainly contain bacteria, which is why good hygiene is important. But the presence of bacteria doesn’t automatically make raw feeding inherently unsafe.
The same applies when you handle raw meat to prepare your own food.
The important point is responsible handling and preparation, rather than assuming that raw food is automatically dangerous.
“Raw feeding is a lot of work.” This used to be a much stronger argument. When I first started feeding raw around 15 years ago, it was far less developed than it is today. We were making our own meals using the traditional 80% meat, 10% bone and 10% offal approach. Things have changed dramatically.
Today, there are plenty of commercially prepared frozen raw foods designed to be nutritionally complete. In many cases, you simply portion it, defrost it and serve. It really can be that simple.
🔎 LOOK AT THE LABEL
One thing I particularly like about raw food is that it’s often very easy to see what you’re actually buying.
Rather than relying on clever marketing, look at the ingredients and the nutritional information.
As with my previous posts on tinned food and dry kibble, I’ve included examples of typical raw food compositions so you can judge for yourself. I’m not saying everyone has to feed raw, but I do think every dog owner should understand what they’re actually feeding their dog rather than simply accepting whatever the pet-food industry tells them is best.
So, having looked at tinned food, dry kibble and raw food over the past 3 days. What do YOU think is the best way to feed a dog — and why? Let’s have the debate.
