Buddy's and Bubba's Homemade Dog Food

A very good base..and ratio of veggies, carbs and meat... Rachel Ray had a similar one...she gave me the idea of 1 bunch parsley, chopped, added at the end not cooked... My dog has cancer and I need to restrict carbs. I use lots of greens. My vet had me use pumpkin. But what I want to share is that it needs calcium and the vet said to give him 2 Tums. Heck with that.... I put it in a pressure cooker, the bones dissolved, no kidding. I add liver, at the end and change veggies as I find them. I will never use store dog food again...

This was my first attempt at making dog food at home. It is a raving success. "Buster," our 7 year old Beagle mix rescue dog devoured it on the very first serving and continues to do so. After several days on it now, I can say that it treats him and his digestive system much better than the very expensive dry commercial dog food we were feeding him. This recipe is a bit time consuming and I will check this site for other dog recipes, but I will make this one again. The only other issue is that he would not eat the kidney beans, so I'll maybe double up on the rice. This recipe made 8 pints and he gets two of them a day. Checking on the calories, this falls within the requirements for a 28 1/2 pound dog, and allows for a milk bone or two a day. I'll do some checking on the need for any additives, but like one blogger said, "Yeah, and where do they come from?" Thanks for a great recipe from me and from Buster- his tail wags constantly while "dining" now!!

My dogs started this in January, there is less waste and my beagle's ears are no longer full of wax/allergy ick ALL the time. I had tried all the no grain high end specialty foods and pre-packaged raw foods but the dogs responded better to this. I wish I had before and after videos of their energy and and health issues. Give it a try. Lastly, since I have three dogs I added Lentils to make the recipe more cost effective.

This really tasted great, but after a few days of eating the leftovers, I hurt my back trying to lick myself. I'm doing much better now, and am getting more and more flexible. Maybe someday...

This recipe is awesome! It's a bit of a bummer that it takes so long to make, but if that's what it takes to have a healthy puppy, I think I can sacrifice the time. I decided to make this after I had been feeding her top of the line store bought dog food; she started itching herself excessively (even though she gets advantage regularly) and her ears were getting smelly and funky (even though I clean them with a solution regularly). I'm losing faith in commercial dog food and with all of the recalls lately, I'd rather feed my dog something I know is safe! I used fresh broccoli and spinach and chopped them up into TINY pieces for my 4lb dog. She gobbled this down so quickly, it was amazing. I will update my review after I've been feeding this to her for a while, but definitely the prettiest and best smelling dog food I've ever seen.

This is a great base recipe. The blue berries are a fantastic idea, I would also add some flax seeds and, if your pet is older, some glucosomine. I would leave out the beans. If you are looking for a dog food recipe because your dog does not respond well to store bought, (ie- skin problems, allergies, etc), you should try leaving out the beef and or chicken and trying alternate protiens like fish or venison. Also the pumpkin contains a LOT of fiber, which is great for a constipated dog, (in fact if your dog is ever constipated a can of pumpkin pie filling should do the trick), so a messier stool may result if you use too much. Also I would be very cautious with the cottage cheese as most dogs are lactose intolerant, but a tiny bit for texture would probably be alright. Thanks for this recipe!!!! One more thing-the fish oil would deffinately be better than olive oil!

on webmd, they state that garlic can be toxic to dogs. I would research and consider removing that ingredient.

I have 2 dogs, an average sized male Doberman with typical skin allergies, and a donkey sized Mastiff. This food is great for them both, not to mention cheaper. My dogs love this food so much I have to watch them eat so they don't steal food from each others' bowls. When I fed them the food that costs $65 for a 35lb bag they would sit and stare at me, or leave food in the bottom of the bowl. Not anymore. My personal additives: pork roast since I have one dog with a beef allergy, but cook it VERY thoroughly, dogs can get trichinosis too. I've also added asparagus, and a tablespoon of plain yogurt with live cultures just before serving to cut down on the gas.

This recipe is a miracle. My little Yorkie won't eat a thing. He was under weight and he would starve himself. I tried every dog food under the sun. The first time I made this recipe he gobbled it down plate after plate. He has been on a diet of this food only for about 4 months now and he is a completely different dog. He is happy, a good weight, energetic, basically everything you want for your little best friend. Now when his plate is empty and he is hungry he barks for me to fill it. Thanks so much for this amazing recipe. It's easy and 1 batch lasts me a few weeks. :)

I am the author of this recipe and I just wanted to respond to Teresat and the issue she had with the loose stools in her dogs. Canned meats and fish contain a lot of sodium and that can definitely cause loose or runny stools. Even with the canned beans I rinse and drain them thoroughly, or I use dried beans, just takes longer when I have to cook them. Also, some dogs with delicate digestive systems react better to a change in diet when it is introduced gradually over a period of a week or two before fully implementing the change. I hope this works for you!

I decided to test this out on my two dogs before giving the recipe to my Mum (her dog is 14 years old and has some health issues). So far my two love this food. For my 10lb dog she gets it all by herself but the 40lb dog gets a half and half mixture with his regular food, just because he has a big appetite. Now that I have made it a few times I have switched up the ingredients a little, exchanging pretty much whatever meats and vegetables I have on hand but the rest stays pretty much the same. I also took another reviewers advice and give them a spoonful of regular yogurt with their dinner to cut down on their gas. I am happy that I found this recipe because my dogs literally dance around waiting for their dinner now.

Careful note! Garlic and onions can cause anemia in dogs and cats. (Also, grapes and raisins can be toxic in large amounts). Can't wait to try this recipe today. Great reviews!

Excellent! It is time consuming so I make 1 1/2 to 2 batches of the recipe at once since I am freezing the majority in freezer bags with portions for three days. I also save time by using skinless, boneless chicken thighs and throw in a few chicken livers when they are about done. I use a food processor for the chopped chicken (but not the livers) and for the veggies and it makes a great mixture. I use refried beans so they are already mashed. I used the garlic only once but didn't like the smell in my refrigerator. The fear of anemia is remote -- only if they get too much garlic at once. I like cream cheese instead of cottage cheese as he doesn't like cottage cheese on it's own. Pumpkin is the way to go instead of carrots. You save time by purchasing the large can of pumpkin, using what you need, and pre-measuring the rest in bags for the freezer. I put this down next to a higher quality store bought food and Buddy's and Bubba's won the event.

Have been feeding my Chihuahuas this recipe for 2 weeks now. I have one that has very bad skin allergies for a long time and we have been trying different dog foods over the last year with no results. I decided to try homemade and sure enough, his pink irritated skin almost looks normal! They LOVE this food. LOVE it. I love that it suggest other ingredients. I made up 6 batches tonight. I put 1/4 cup peanut butter in 2 of the batches. Blueberries in another. Switched up the cottage cheese with shredded cheese. I'm going to try some cranberries next time. My pack of Chihuahuas are going to love the next few meals. Thank you Buddy and Bubba's human for this recipe!

My one year old pitbull mix (50 pounds) was having crazy allergic reactions to the commercial food brands no matter how "real" they claimed to be. I started doing research on homemade food and finally found this great recipe filled with healthy foods for her. She goes bonkers when I'm filling her bowl, wags her tail and does all kinds of tricks for me! It is such a great feeling knowing I'm feeding my dog the best. On a student budget this is affordable, it cost me about $25 to buy all these ingredients and feed her 1-1 1/2 pound of food a day (1 cup in the morning and 3/4 of a cup at night) . Some added tips: You need to add calcium (grind up eggshells), add an omega and a multivitamin. I add ground up eggshells, fish oil and "Solid gold seameal" (a all natural supplement for coat, immune and heart health.) Liver once a week and a boiled egg once a week is great for them too! Check with your vet that this recipe meets your dogs needs (all dogs are different some require more of this and that than others may), you gotta be extra safe with your four legged creatures. Happy feedings!

Not a quick recipe, but has made all the difference to my St. Bernard's skin. Before we started adding this to his dry food he scratched almost continuously and REALLY had an unpleasant odor. Just days after substituting this for the canned food we had been adding to his dry food, the odor is gone and he rarely scratches. I do triple the recipe because it is time consuming to make. I freeze it in plastic containers and take it out as needed. I do not add the garlic as I have been told it is kin to the onion, therefore not good for dogs.

We ran out of dog food, so I made this in a pinch with some of the things that I had lying around the fridge. I didn't have chicken, so I used cooked hearts and gizzards, chopped. In place of the oats and cottage cheese, I had some stale Special K fruit & yogurt cereal. Used a can of black eyed peas in place of the kidney beans. Accidentally bought a bag of frozen broccoli and cauliflower, so I used that, and a few handfuls of fresh baby spinach. I have a Great Dane/American Pit Mix, so he is a very big boy (about 80 lbs, but still growing), but not super active. His dry food recommends about 3 3/4 of food a day, so I have given him about 2c. for breakfast so far. He LOVED it so much that I had to take it away from him for a few minutes because he was gobbling it too fast! My only "complaint" is that there are no serving guidelines in the recipe--do I simply give him the same amounts as his dry food, or is this more fattening, and therefore I should be giving him less? At any rate, I will be making this again with some of the other suggested ingredients. I will be looking for ways to cut down on prep time, too. Thank you!

I would skip the garlic

FYI: the cook included notes about the garlic causing anemia and to use it sparingly or not at all. This is a wonderful idea - found this by accident looking for dinner for my family using chicken leg quarters. My dog has been having the same problems as others mentioned (ear wax buildup, constant scratching, etc..) so I am elated that there's a recipe that can alleviate some of his problems, if not all. Thank you, BKBISHOP

This looks like a great recipe but I would like to know serving size by weight if possible.

i didnt have chicken so i added some bacon and i didnt have broccli so i added 2 jars of babyfood green beans. and i didnt use olive oil cuz i didnt have any i didnt put no type of oil in it oh and inste of spinch i used chopped collered greens my german shepard loved it .

Garlic is posinous to dogs and cats??? Everything else in the recipe looks good.

People are commenting on the long cook time. Most of the ingredients that take a while to cook are things you will be cooking during the week anyway. Browning a lb of beef for dinner, brown 2 and set 1/2 aside in the fridge. Same with chicken. Etc. I double on ingredients when I'm cooking during the week and then I batch up dog food on the weekend.

My Great Dane/ Shepherd mix is one happy baby now. Have always felt odd about feeding corn based commercial foods. Cant believe the difference in his coat, let alone his demeanor. Not too shabby on the pocketbook either :)

This recipe produced a dish that looked and smelled so good that I was almost tempted to try it! I have a 20 lb. French bulldog, and she is a picky eater and prone to dry skin and shedding, along with some sensitive stomach issues. I was worried that she wouldn't like it, but she attacked it as if she had never seen food before! She loved it and seemed so much more satisfied when she was done. I made a double batch and it will likely last 3 or 4 weeks easy...and it was inexpensive! Can't wait to see what kind of results she gets!

I just made this for the first time for my two dogs. They loved it last night when they got their first serving and this morning when i fed them. My Chihuahua Squirt is a picky eater I have had to feed him table food for over a year. I usually make him veggies and sweet potatoes but this is wonderful..he weighs 6 lbs. and ate the whole 1/4 cup i gave him...that is a new one..my other dog Cholie a mini schnauzer is also picky and she loved this food =) I will continue to make it for them =) thank you for sharing

I reviewed this earlier, but just wanted to add that if your dog gets an allergic reaction, omit the oatmeal.

My two dogs have have been on this food for a week, and I just made a second batch. They truly love this fresh tasting food, and didn't have any digestive issues when I made the switch. In fact, I was surprised at how much less I was cleaning up after them outside. I think this food has resolved my Chihuahua's constipation, and I no longer have to trick my senior dog into eating--it's good to see her eating with enthusiasm. Thanks to Buddy and Bubba for sharing their recipe!

Garlic is very toxic to dogs. This is extremely dangerous for someone who doesn't know much about dog health to find and use your recipe. A lot of people start feeding their dogs homemade meals because of their health in the first place. A dog with a compromised immune system will not tolerate garlic.

My 12 yr old Rott mix dog Harley, who has never had health problems, was diagnosed with diabetes last July and almost died...he lost 20 pounds seemingly overnite and he now has to have shots of insulin every 12 hrs and likely won't live a lot longer. I can't say for certain but I feel that commercial dog food somehow contributed to his illness, eventho he got some of the better rated, more expensive stuff most of his life. He was always a picky eater but now he's ill he's even worse. I found this recipe soon after and started making it, freezing baggie portions. HE LOVES IT! His blood glucose level improved and he started gaining weight! I lost this recipe when I moved a few weeks ago and his glucose jumped dangerously high and he lost weight because I've had to coerce him with expensive kibbles and canned foods, scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, whatever, but he is not interested. I'm so glad I found this again and I'm going to start feeding it again tomorrow! He always has a bucket of fresh water and a bowl of good quality kibbles available as well. It's more trouble than opening a can of food etc but I feel it is SO much better for him and he is worth the effort.

Leved the recipe. Perhaps maybe all the commentors could post some recipes as well. They certainly to have plenty of advice/expertise on the subject. Would love to see more.

I made this for my fussy 4 pound Chihuahua puppy who never eats anything and he absolutely loved it. The bulldog, lab and border collies also loved it. I left out the garlic because dogs should not eat garlic or onions. Simple ingredients and easy to make, I love this recipie.

My Dexter Wonderdog loved this recipe. He is a very picky eater so this was an unqualified success. With this recipe I got 23 individual 3/4 c. servings which seem to be enough for my 9 pound Maltese. When I make it again, I am going to use chicken breasts because they are much easier to skin and bone.

We ran out of dog food, so I made this in a pinch with some of the things that I had lying around the fridge. I didn't have chicken, so I used cooked hearts and gizzards, chopped. In place of the oats and cottage cheese, I had some stale Special K fruit & yogurt cereal. Used a can of black eyed peas in place of the kidney beans. Accidentally bought a bag of frozen broccoli and cauliflower, so I used that, and a few handfuls of fresh baby spinach. I have a Great Dane/American Pit Mix, so he is a very big boy (about 80 lbs, but still growing), but not super active. His dry food recommends about 3 3/4 of food a day, so I have given him about 2c. for breakfast so far. He LOVED it so much that I had to take it away from him for a few minutes because he was gobbling it too fast! My only "complaint" is that there are no serving guidelines in the recipe--do I simply give him the same amounts as his dry food, or is this more fattening, and therefore I should be giving him less? At any rate, I will be making this again with some of the other suggested ingredients. I will be looking for ways to cut down on prep time, too. Thank you!

My 18 month old Shih Tzu Sputnik suffered frequent bouts of pancreatitis on the most expensive kibbles. No more! I make this up and freeze the extra in zip lock bags. He loves it so do all his bff's. (best furry friends). I did leave out the garlic and I often substitute organic canned pumpkin for carrots. Thanks for sharing.

I have to be honest - I did not try this but I did not want to lower the ratings, and yet I did not know how else to answer "Teresat" who said her dogs got the runs on this recipe. I think maybe the problem is that she added a can of sardines. I recently gave my dog a tiny bit of tuna as a treat and he loved it but his stools immediately got too soft. Try the recipe as written and don't add any canned fish.

Wonderful recipe! My dogs thrive on it. I have always fed garlic to my dogs and have always read it was a good thing. I think the webmd critical review may be off base.

My dog likes this a lot. I wish there was more of a gravy in it.

My chihuahua loves this food! Thanks for a great idea.

My bulldogs had terrible itchy, stinky skin, but after 2 weeks or so eating this food (fed along with Iams dry food)their skin is cleared and the awful odor has vanished. The correct nutrition cured the issue quickly, whereas veterinary medicine was only able to bandaid the problem. We have been battling this problem for more than 2 years. This was a lifesaver. Scooby and Goliath are grateful...Thanks for the recipe!! PS-I have been adding 1/4 c. of raw honey lately and the boys eat it up!

Good basic recipe which can be switched up to vary your dogs diet. Time saving tip, just throw all the ingredients in a crockpot cover with water and cook on low for 12 hrs (bonus: the chicken bones will become soft and completely safe for your dog to consume which adds much needed calcium and minerals). Also, garlic is not bad for dogs in small doses (1/2 to 1 clove of garlic daily is safe depending on dog size) in fact many people argue it is quite healthy.

This recipe cured my Boston Terrier of a history of digestive woes. For the first time in his life he is a an enthusiastic eater. Even his gas problems are totally gone, and they were so bad that he used to leave the room after "cutting one".

Wow! Or perhaps I should say BowWow! My 2 standard poodle girls think this is the best. They also want to know what took me so long. I made up a batch of this (forgot 2 of the ingredients-oops!) but it has solved the problem of left overs in the dishes. I mix it about one third to two thirds of their dry food and it goes like magic. Thanks to BKBISHOP for placing this on Allrecipes!

I added tuna instead of ground beef, and opted for quinoa instead of the brown rice/ rolled oats. To comment on the garlic issue, it depends upon the age of the dog and whether it is an outside dog. We've always given our hunting dogs garlic on occasion to control worms/outdoor parasites with no ill effects.

Personally, I find sardines to be a great source of vitamin D for dogs. I would add a tin or two of sardines, ground up. I used 75% lean ground beef to analyze this recipe, and I came up with 54% fat, which is high, but which won't hurt your dog, as the recipe is 19% protein, and has a good amino acid profile. The omega 6 to omega 3 fat ratio is about 10 to 1. I would probably make one half or all of the oil, salmon oil to improve that and get some DHA into the recipe.

I use to feed my dogs the BARF diet, but it was so involved, but haven't found anything I like to replace it until now. This is a great dog food, but to make it nutritionally balanced I added a few things. For convience I used 1 lb ground chicken instead of leg quarters. I added a heart, a kidney and a liver minced up finely. I LEFT OUT THE GARLIC and added 1/4 cup yoguart, two eggs and shells put into the food processor. I also added one apple and pear graded. I make a double batch since I have two dogs. With a few changes this is a perfect recipe. I feed them raw chicken neck and wings in the morning and this at night. What happy dogs they are!

this was a big hit with my dog Bub. he's usually a picky eater but he was all over this and wanted more. he seemed to know the whole time that he was getting cooked for; standing by patiently.

I stumbled on this recipe trying to find something my two 18-month old Havanese boys would eat. They would barely touch the Wellness kibble we put out and ended up eating mostly lamb-rice sticks from Costco, which I knew was not a balanced diet! After reading the rave reviews of this recipe, I made a batch and began feeding it to them two days ago. I mixed it with the kibble (to give them something hard to chew on as some reviewers suggested) and added a tin of sardines for the extra vitamins. They LOVED it - gobbled it down voraciously and literally licked the plate clean. I was so gratified to feed them something they loved and was good for them. BUT since they started eating it, both dogs have had diarrhea/very soft stools and can't hold it overnight or even for a few hours while we're away from the house, so the last two days I've woken up or come home to messes inside. We walk them 3x a day but they're still going inside. HELP! Should I discontinue feeding this to them?

This is great! Nice and tasty! I don't even own a dog!

I have been making this for almost a year. My golden retriever loves it. I did substitute the pumpkin for the carrots, eliminated the garlic, and added flaxseed. My vet told me to add one ground up TUMS per cup for added calcium. It freezes well so I make a triple batch which last 6- 8 weeks.

I'm making my 3rd batch today (making a double batch finally, this recipe only lasts for 5 days with our big doggy!) and she's been doing great on it.

Mine is a 7 year-old, 20 lb. Japanese Chin/Papillion mix. She's been eating canned Wellness with a few pieces of chicken mixed in for years. She won't eat dry, crunchy food. While it took me hours to prepare this (triple batch), I have a great supply in quart size ziplock bags in the freezer. I omitted the cottage cheese, subbed canned pumpkin for the carrots, added flax seeds and, when serving, add yogurt. I did run the green veggies through the food processor. She's been on this new food plan for a week and loves it. I've been watching her for differences and what I've noted is that she is more perky and happy, and she now walks me instead of vice-versa. I wondered if it was my imagination until my neighbors pointed out the same changes. Her bm's are unchanged, but kind of green. Overall, I'm delighted with the results thus far and wish I had fed her this way from the beginning. Know in advance though, if you triple the batch as I did, you'll need some really big cookware and a free afternoon. The next time, I'll do a double batch and it will go a lot quicker. Good luck!

My 1-year-old cavalier is very fussy and just picks out the chicken in any other recipe I tried. For this one, I steamed fresh organic broccoli and pureed it along with the spinach and a can of chickpeas. When it was finished, it looked very green and I was skeptical as to whether or not she would eat it. Well, she licked her bowl clean and was begging for more. This is a very good, well balanced recipe that your dogs will enjoy.

Both my dog and cat love it

I love making this for my dogs. I completely replaced our regular dry dog food with this recipe for the past couple months. It's a much healthier alternative and it seems to be helping with the dogs' allergies.

All I got to say is.............both of my dogs devoured this dish.....

Our two love it, but we are trying to bring an 83 lb Aussie pup down to 68 lbs. Are there a LOT of calories in this? I only feed 1/3 a cup with 1/3 cup of Wellness Core Reduced Fat twice a day. Ruby is 58 lbs, and seems like SHE is getting skinny. He is big boned and active, but you can't feel his ribs. Is this recipe too fattening?

This is a great base recipe! I just made it for the first time for my 2 year old small boxer-mix who has both sensitive itchy skin and a sensitive stomach. I have switched her dog food countless times due to both being picky and allergic reactions. Needless to say, she scarfed this up and licked her bowl (both are very rare!). I added some chicken hearts and gizzards, subbed a sweet potato for the carrots, and left out the cottage cheese. I put some parmesan cheese instead and will add a scoop of yogurt when I feed her for the calcium. I also give her RMB (raw meaty bones) as a treat (again for calcium). I hope this makes a big difference with her skin and stomach, but for now, at least she's eating!

My dogs LOVE this. They have grain allergies so while waiting for my vet to order a new type of food to try, I decided to give this a whirl. It's a lot of food. I don't know who says this is cheaper than dry food--but they really really did love it. I have two dogs, siblings--a female that is 50lbs and a male that is 60lbs. I doubled this recipe and I gave them 3/4 c 2x a day. Calorically it was the same as the food they were eating (Blue Buffalo). Doubling this recipe gave me enough food for 2 dogs for 4 days. A few notes: I bought frozen chicken breasts. Less fat with no skin and the lean white meat was better for them than the dark meat--plus I didn't have to pick bones. I used 1 16 oz bag of frzn chopped spinach 1c of pumpkin instead of carrots 1 bag of steamfresh sugar snapped peas, chopped in food processor I did puree the kidney beans. Next time I will use lentils for economy. I SKIPPED THE GARLIC. IT'S NOT GOOD FOR DOGS. I may skip the oats next time--if these guys are allergic to all grains, I'll just add more rice. Otherwise, I highly recommend. They love it. I love feeding them food with no chemicals!

My chow loves this recipe. We shaved her beautiful coat two years ago and nothing worked for it to come back. It is growing in slowly and I beleive the good nutrition of this food helps!

Since I have started making my dogs on food, he no longer has the itchy or smelly skin. This recipe is the best I have found thus far. I only added in powdered egg shell

This recipe is fantastic! We tried about 3 different types of expensive holistic, all natural puppy chow for our 8-month old lab mix with a serious heart condition ($65 for a big bag), but in the past month stopped eating it and wasn't being himself - so I cooked up a double batch of this recipe and he absolutely loves it! He devours the whole bowl and is a completely different puppy - so much more energy and playfulness and much less destructive chewing.

I just made this for my doggie and she really seemed to like it. She was even begging before I was done like she knew it was for her! My only complaint is the long prep time...be prepared to cook for over an hour.

We made this and did an experimental feeding it was a huge hit.

This is very similar to what I make for my dogs but all these recipes are leaving out fish oil which is very important for omega 3s. Also dogs can't digest kidney beans so pinto beans work best.

Very flexible recipe. My little terrier has been eating this since we adopted her and she's a healthy, happy, bundle of energy. I make up a huge batch and then freeze it by using an ice cream scoop to put it in silicone cupcake liners in a muffin pan. The "muffins" pop out and go into a zip bag. One muffin gets defrosted in the microwave everyday at lunch. It's even easy when she goes to visit her grandparents while we travel.

My Frenchie is very finicky and she wouldn't touch even the most expensive store bought food. However, now that I started using this recipe, she gobbles it up as if she has never seen food before! I triple the recipe and portion servings into 1.5 cup gladware containers and freeze them so that I have about a month's worth of food on hand. I use all frozen veggies instead of canned ( except for the beans ) to cut down on sodium. I highly recommend this recipe for finicky eaters and folks who are conscious about keeping their pet healthy!

Ummmmm.... anyone else wondering why there is garlic, a known toxin to dogs, in this recipe? Maybe before you make up a recipe check with someone that has a degree in animal nutrition. I don’t know maybe you veterinarian!

Buster and Zachary loves this doggie casserole. I omitted the carrots and used pumpkin. I also added some flax seed for fiber and omitted the beans.

spinach is not good for dogs...hard to digest as well as causing other health problems...the AMC suggests that you check with your vet before introducing it to your dogs diet...its hard on their kidneys...brown rice is hard for them to digest as well...and lets just get into the whole garlic thing...garlic is toxic to dogs and cats....people should do their research before giving their pets these recipes because the people who are making these are not Veterinarians...it could do more harm than good...i would talk to your vet about what foods are harmful before choosing any new recipes

It is so good I was tempted to eat some myself! The dogs love it!

Since my old Shih tzu had to have most of his teeth pulled I have bought almost every canned and that rolled dog food stuff and all he had said is YUK! I ran across this recipe at 9 PM but since I had everything to make it , I DID! Now at 10:20PM I have the happiest two dogs in the universe.!!!!! NEVER store bought gain! I can't thank you enough

We have been making this for our dogs for a year and a half. They absolutely love it! Their allergies and hot spots have all but disappeared! ??

Just a comment; dogs should not be given garlic. In addition, brown rice is difficult for dogs to digest and white rice should be used.

Made this with fresh beef in the other quantities mentioned but in the Instapot. I left out the chicken because I didn't have any.... 1.25 lbs beef, 1 1/2 cups brown rice (leftover already cooked), oats as in the recipe, 1 chopped zucchini, carrot chopped but not shredded (no time), 5 oz fresh spinach, 10 oz frozen cauliflower (partially steamed), frozen peas in lieu of kidney beans, garlic powder instead of raw garlic. All other ingredients as is. Sauteed beef, added thawed or fresh veggies, 2 1/2 cups water, a wee bit of garlic powder, oil, and cottage cheese and slow cooked for 2 hours. A keeper! Fuzzy approved!

My little old lady loves it and my wife thinks her eyes have even cleared a bit. been using this recipe or with a few substitutions for a few months now. the only concern I have is her teeth. We give her a couple of crunchy bones each day so hopefully that'll do the trick. We don't add the oil but once a day we put a couple tablespoons of salmon oil in. loves it.

A very well balanced basic recipe. Adding the blueberries, eggs and fish oil as suggested in the footnotes will help perfect it. I would remove the garlic just because most people won't have a clue how much is to much.

I'm not sure yet. After 3 days one dog (chi/JRT) will eat it if he gets hungry enough. The other dog (chi/Italian Greyhound) still won't touch it on his own but will eat it from my hand when I try to entice him. The only changes were substituting pumpkin and lentils, and using half as much broccoli. The first dog has skin allergies and they flared up the first day he had the food. Not at all sure the food caused it. He gets into everything. I'm going to keep trying because I think ultimately they'll eat it. But - not sure yet.

Garlic and onions are toxic to dogs. Garlic does NOT belong in a dogfood recipe.

My dog loves this food. She is 14 years old and has a lot of skin problems. I have tried a lot of different remedies for her problem and this recipe has done more for her condition than anything else. I also treat her affected areas with coconut oil and that also has helped a lot. I found that using a pressure cooker to make this recipe cuts down on cooking time considerably. I will continue to give this food to my dog and will probably try some of the alternative suggestions I read in other people's reviews to change it up a little from time to time. Also I am kind of confused about the garlic issue. I have been giving her a pill that is brewer's yeast and garlic that is supposed to be for healthier skin and now I am wondering if I am doing something wrong.

As others have said, this is a great base. I have been making my babies their food for a few years now. I only make their food on the stove if I am low on time, otherwise, I throw it all in a crock pot and cook until meat is done and rice is no longer crunchy. I make a large batch and use 4-5 leg quarters and have them at the top of the crockpot to make sure I do not lose any bones into the food. I also add some egg or liver. There are so many combinations of ingredients and I try and change it up by what’s on sale at the store. (Always look up what foods are safe). Personal experience tip: peas, quinoa, and white potatoes give (My)dogs the WORST gas.

This recipe is a pain in the neck to make, but it is the best thing that ever happened to my dog. She is overweight. She didn't like dog food, wet or dry, so I gave her too much table food, mainly meat and vegies. She absolutely loves this food!!! I think it is going to help with her weitht. No problem with what is good for her now. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.

I made this and I ate it! My dogs loved it. I have have read some articles that warn about spinach but not the garlic - use your own discretion. I had been feeding Purina One Turkey and Venison to my dogs. I, myself, did not eat it. It had wheat in it, and my older dog developed digestive issues. The dry kibble also had a shelf life of 14 months on the last bag I bought. Somehow, that just didn't sound like a good thing.

My pooch loved it pretty easy to make. However; if you have a small dog I recommend cutting the ingredients in 1/2 (my dog is only 7lbs). This recipe made enough for 2wks for her, we feed her twice a day. I set aside a small portion and added the cottage cheese and feed her. Didn’t know how her stomach would react to the cheese.

I didn't have all the ingredients, so I improvised a little with adding ground turkey instead of beef and using frozen peas instead of beans . My dog loved it!

Dogs loved it. They are members of the clean plate club. Also got hearts, gizzards and chicken liver and cooked in the rice steamer as the rice cooked. Then I buzzed them in the blender as a weekly supplement treat in addition to the food. Dogs need organ foods occasionally but it may be too rich to include daily. I measured the food out in to individual plastic bags in portion size and froze all but what I need in the next few days. A double of the dog food recipe gave me 24 cups. Taste great.

It is advised to use only white rice in dog food. No brown rice!

Both my little guys love this recipe. Very curious on how to cook this in a pressure cooker! Any advice?

Buy a pressure cooker and you'll reduce your chicken cooking time by 50-70%. You can find them at resale shops cheap.

I added boiled eggs, including shell, which I ground in the food processer. I also added pumpkin and applesauce. I have a spaniel mix that has horrible skin problems. He's been eating this for 3 weeks and his skin issues are also cleared, hair regrown and very sleek. My 2 dogs used to pick at their food, now its gone in minutes. I also give them sardines packed in water without salt to help with the oils their bodies need.

I would not add the garlic. It is in the same class as onion for dogs, it is toxic!

This recipe saved my sanity! My 9 year old daschund was always an extremely picky eater. After several digestive issues - pancreatitis brig the most recent, he lost all o great in food. We were one day away from the veterinarian needing to insert an esophageal tube when I was sent this recipe. He loved It! Gobbled down every bite! I hadn't seen him eat like this since he was a puppy . His brother loved it too. This is his food from now on. I'd give it 10 stars if I could!

I have used the base several times. Keep messing with ingredients. Use more rolled oats and no rice. Plenty of veggies. I like cannellini beean or pinto beans or green beans. Cooked chicken and use the broth for the extra moisture you need for beans and oats. Also I almost puree mine for my small dogs. Also use cooked eggs in every batch. Diane

My dog has been getting fussy with canned food so I tried this and he loves it! Instead of carrots I boiled and mashed a sweet potato. Making a second batch today.

This is the 3rd time I use the recipe. Each time, I change the vegetables and have added sweet potato. Kardi (my very picky dog) loves it! We finally found something that she doesn’t get tired of eating. This usually last 2 week’s, we leave enough for a week and freeze the rest! Thank you for sharing with us!!