I’ve been the lucky and proud mom to a Bichon Frise named Winston that I rescued from Happy Tails Dog Rescue about 5 years ago. Since then its been a match made in heaven and I’ve enjoyed every minute of having him.

Strangely, around the time of the pet food recall back in 2007 Winston went off of eating his dog food. At the time I was buying him the best food I could buy but it was made by Menu foods (like most dog foods) and I don’t know if there was something wrong with it… but after several days of not eating I got scared and decided to start making my own dog food. I read a lot of web-sites and books about what I can and can’t feed my dog and finally came up with a diet that suits his needs and palette.

Recently a lot of people have been asking me how they can make their own dog food at home.  Here is the recipe that I use. Its very easy, healthy and actually costs less than store bought, mass produced dog food. This diet is based on the BARF diet.

One of the deciding factors that this diet was healthy for Winston in general was the fact that he had started to develop a small tumour under his left leg (in the arm pit area) and after a few months of feeding him his new diet the tumour completely disappeared! His health also improved as did his energy level. He seemed like a much happier dog overall.

Some people have commented that their dog tends to beg a lot now that they make his own food. I’ve never had that issue with Winston. He is eager to eat and often sits with me while I put together his food.

Hint – if you feed your dog 1 cup of dog food kibble, the equivalent is to feed him/her 1 cup of fresh food packed down.

Recipe: (makes about 14+ portions of food based on feeding Winston 1.5 cups of food a day, divided into 2 meals)

In a large slow cooker pot set to Low to cook overnight combine the following:

1kg of frozen mixed vegetables (contains peas, carrots, corn, beans, etc.)
1 cup of dried cranberries
1/2 cup ground flax seeds (also called flax seed meal)
1 3/4 – 2 cups of Brown California Rice
1 apple cored and sliced (be sure to remove all of the core as it is poisonous to dogs)
1 can of pure pumpkin
1 tin of Bean Medley (thoroughly washed and drained)
2 fresh carrots sliced and chopped thinly
6-8 small potatoes sliced and chopped
2 cups of chicken or beef broth

Mix together in the slow cooker bowl all of the above until all ingredients are spread evenly throughout for cooking.

Add 1-2 cups of water poured over the top to ensure adequate moisture
Add 2 chicken legs (with backs attached) to the top of the above ingredients

Cover with lid and cook overnight (approx 6-8 hours on low)

When the food is done cooking remove 2 cooked chicken legs from the top of the meal (using tongs or a fork) and de-bone them (be sure to get the small bones too).  Add chicken meat back to food and discard bones.
Take 1 pound of lean ground beef and brown it in a frying pan. Drain excess grease. Add browned ground beef to the rest of the food and mix together.
Allow food to cool and done!

From here we usually portion out the entire batch into several small plastic containers with 1 days worth of portioned food in each. We then freeze them all and remove from freezer to fridge 1 day in advance (to thaw) as needed. I usually put the food in the microwave for about 40-60 seconds to warm before serving. Be careful it is not too hot for your pet to eat to avoid burning his/her mouth.

Winston loves it! He gave it 4 paws up!

If you have any questions – don’t hesitate to contact me or leave a comment.

Here are also some handy lists of foods not to feed your dog:
Foods to Avoid Feeding Y0ur Dog
Dangerous and Toxic foods to Dogs
25 Human Foods Toxic to Dogs