Homemade Dog Food. Farmers Recipe. How we do it. 

My son's dog died from cancer, and his wife started making their food. So when I got my dog 4 years ago, I decided I'd make her food too. I have another dog now as well. I make it like meatloaf, and then I freeze it in ziplock bags that are an individual size for their dinner. I still give a high-grade kibble in the morning. I put 3 pounds of hamburger and 3 pounds of ground turkey, 1 can of pumpkin, 3 cans of sardines in water that is salt free, 1 cup of wild blueberries, 5 to 6 eggs, chopped broccoli or riced broccoli, 2 cups of fresh or 1 cup frozen spinach, 1 cup of butternut squash (fresh cubed that has been frozen), 3 TBSP flaxseed oil, 1 - 2 TBSP of Dog Greens- Organic and Wild Harvested Vitamin and Mineral Supplement Powder, Dog Greens Seaweed Calcium. I very rarely add rice, but when I do, it is brown and only 1 cup. Everything I can find is organic when possible and affordable. - Updated to add that I make my own Kefir and I add that to their evening meal as well, 1/8 to 1/4 cup.

There’s many so many reports lately of dogs becoming very ill by certain brands of kibble. Dog food is not regulated. Between kibble and vaccines dogs are developing illnesses and passing too soon. I’ve been making almost this exact recipe for my 2 for well over a year. It is work, but my babies deserve it and are worth it.

My mommy makes all my food. I like liver, rice,broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, sweet potatoes,green beans For treats I like to eat fresh coconut, papaya, pumpkin seeds, stems from broccoli.😋

Our last golden had cancer & our lil chi had liver failure. The vet said put our lil girl on a supplement + boiled chicken, rice, & green beans in equal parts. The vet was surprised in two weeks, from near death, our girl had improved labs, & lived another year with improved functioning. She passed at 16 yrs. Our golden now, only eats food i make at home. I even prep & freeze her food when we travel. Excellent health now at 7.5 yrs!

I salute you and your viewers……i been cooking 🧑‍🍳 for my dogs 🐶 for years….they live longer….my Chico BARKS every time he’s about to eat….i make enough for a month at a time…..about $50 total if you shop at Aldi 😊….bless all you fur baby lovers….they are GODS gift to us🐶

Your recipe is very similar to mine. One thing different that I do is I save bones from our human meals and then make bone broth that I use to cook my recipe in. I add about a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar while making the broth to draw out more calcium. If the bones get soft enough that I can break them by smushing with my fingers, I toss those into the food. I also don't peel my sweet potatoes...just wash them up really well. I use Kale instead of spinach. It bothered me to use one-time containers to store the food, so I purchased reusable silicone zip-top bags. They work really well for us.

I think feeding raw and gently cooked homemade food like this is way better than buying any of that expensive food from the stores. Even if you break even. This is way better for your babies. I hope they live a long time! ❤. Oh also, you don’t have to ever peel sweet potato for your dogs. The skin is good for them. Just leave it on and cook. 😊

Looks good! We do something similar, but buy 10 lb bags of chicken leg quarters (CHEAP) for the meat. We can put all ten pounds on cookie sheets and bake for 1 hour at 400 degrees, then cool and de bone. We add rice, greens, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and about a dozen boiled eggs which we run through the processor - shells and all. We usually get the little steamer bags of mixed peas and carrots and broccoli. It saves us a lot on food costs, but yes, it is a chore.

For about 6 weeks now, I've been doing almost exactly what you did for exactly the same reason. We've Our "approximately 10 year old Shih Zhu is a rescue, too. She had started to fet sluggish and it looked like she was declining. We saw an almost immediate improvement in her. God bless you

I buy frozen mixed veggies and frozen spinach; it cools off the broth, meat and rice/oats after they are done cooking; you don't have to mix well. At first dogs may be picky but mine were not. they lick the bowls

I started making my dogs' food a few months ago. I put in whatever meat I have, usually chicken. I need to add more vegetables, but I put in barley, brown rice and lentils. I also cook up some scrambled eggs every day to make sure they have enough protein. They love it!

We started making our own dog food a month ago. It’s easy and doesn’t cost much more than the dry dead food. I can make a weeks worth in an 8 quart pressure cooker. Dice up and place the sweet potatoes(unpeeled )on the bottom followed by frozen peas and carrots followed by 2 cups brown rice 2 cups of water, a cup of pumpkin purée then ground liver and chicken hearts and 5 pounds of turkey on top. we mix it up by putting a couple cups of blueberries and bananas in some batches. Cooks for 30 min then let pressure dissipate on its own. I’ve used kale and broccoli, but it makes it very foul smelling when you serve it to them so we’ve chosen to give nutrients with other vegetables.

Great looking dog chow! I go through phases of feeling inspired to make our dog home-made to mix with his kibble and he loves it.

Great video and I'm sure Hank and Miss Bear love it! Blessings

This is a great idea Jill. We will give this a try for our four little ones. Breaking even however much better quality.

Great idea and healthier than commercial dog food.

My Mom used to call this "doggy stew". Our dogs were always SO super healthy, too.

I have been making my dogs food for about a year now, he is 4. Basically the same kind of ingredients that you had mentioned. Sometimes a change it up a bit to give him variety. I only use brown rice once in a while. I also add a herb/spice blend that I made which has turmeric, sage, rosemary, thyme, ginger, chamomile and dandelion root…these are all very safe and good for dogs. Every day I add 1 tsp of a flax, chia and hemp seed blend and 1/4 tsp of ground up to powder organic egg shells for calcium. I am hoping to have our little man around for many, many years to come!

Thank you for this!!

Les Feldick and Grace Ambassador really good to listen to.

Awesome!! Thank you

Thank you for sharing this recipe. We are starting our pup on this recipe with some added pumpkin and kibble and he absolutely loves it!

I’m going to start feeding my pup Homemade food. Your right about the way the kibble has been looking. He loves the veggies in this recipe. So going to feed him this healthier way! Thank you! ❤ God Bless

Wonderful! We had a vet that used to say regarding food etc..."Pay now or pay later". Also I have read that even high end dog food gets cooked at a very high temp and the high temp causes a toxic carcingoen in the dog food. One of the reasons for the rates of cancer in our pets. Raw food also has value. Stella and Chewys is one of the few if only freeze coated dry dog foods that are not cooked at high temps. Thank you for being an inspiration on so many fronts Jill.

Thank you for this video. Very informative. I recently got a bernedoodle since I retired. I've been mixing his dry with chicken and sometimes sweet potatoes . I never thought of using ground Turkey.

Thanks for this.

This is an amazing start! I can see how much you care for your pups by the way you take the time to cook for them :D Oftentimes homemade diets are lacking nutrients because organs aren't added (and they shouldn't be cooked because nutrients become depleted) so I would recommend adding some liver, whether that is air dried or raw and blended to your recipes! Organ meat is cheap and basically like natures multivitamin

This is how i make mine too for my small dog . She loves it and looks smaller through her flank ares ,and she has so much extra energy now

Feeding them better as early as possible does help them live a better life and longer. Debbie

I'm so glad to see this! I make the exact same for mine! have for years minus the beef. I cook and pure' butternut squash for a change from pumpkin. organic coconut oil once a day as well. we never have issues and they have regular bowel movements . want to also mention my vet always comments on how great their teeth and gums look as well. for treats they get greek yougurt, pnut butter, cooked eggs lots of different berries, bananas, apples and watermelon. On occation I cook bacon but only about every 2 months.

I add eggs and crushed up egg shells (dryed in the oven for a couple of hours and then crushed finely in the blender) to our dog food when I make it for them. They love it!

Ty for the video . I have 2 GSD and 2 other dogs . I'm definitely going to feed this with our kibble.

Yum my favorite

I need to start doing this!

I started my 10 yr old Border Collie mix, "Brea" on a recipe very similar and she ABSOLUTELY LOVES IT AND ITS LOVING HER !!!... Its like the clock has turned back 8 yrs. cause she bounces around like a baby pup, feeling much better than she did before, such a Blessing !!!...God Bless You Sister, Great Video !!!

I used to boil chicken and then remove and chop up the meat and use the broth that is left to cook the rice in. Get a few more nutrients from the water that way. This was a sensitive stomach to get a dog to start eating again recipe. When we have corn on the cob I will leave a bite or two on the cob and have taught my dog how to nibble it off the cob while I hold it. (Corn cobs can cause obstructions) She is very into “snacks” aka bites of whatever we are having for a meal so she is used to people food and if needed I can switch her over quickly. She loves her cooked and then dehydrated sweet potato treats too!

I really enjoyed your video . I recently started making my dog her food and she loves it. I have added power vitamins to the food right before I serve it to them. I love your authentic way of explaining things .

Yeah, now that's what I'm talking about. 😊 it's been 3 years this month that I've been feeding the cats homemade food twice a day. It comes out of my own food budget. My recipe is very similar, except I add sardines or canned salmon. Unsalted no oil. Sometimes they get chicken, beef or liver. Organ meat is good for them. Salmon for dogs too. I sometimes use plain oatmeal as a filler. The canned pumpkin has gone way up in price. I always add something orange, so carrots or sweet potato. 1/3 protein, 1/3 veg, 1/3 filler. They love it and their coats are beautiful. Eggs are probably good too.

When I first got our dog & for many years I made my dog his food. I found out he was missing taurine in the food and I believe this contributed to his heart issues he has now. He never ate dog food until the last several years when we determined he was allergic to the chicken I had been feeding him for years. I've tried making his dog food again but it starts going bad before he can eat it all and he doesn't seem to like it as much as when I use to make it. I'm glad your dogs like the food and aren't experiencing stomach issues. I think it's because you are making the food versus switching to dog food you buy.

Oh my goodness! Yes it's the best for our paw friends. I started doing my dog's home food 3 year's ago and they love it , I included chicken ground beef together in this recipe, plus half dozen of eggs, I had a teaspoon of tumuring . My cost is 95 a month. I my sweet babies are small so .

Ive never seen canned pumpkin... part of our spring growing is chucking pumpkin seeds out and watch them grow lol.. and usually heaps will grow in the compost bed anyways...NZ is where i live and pumpkin has always been a part of our normal diet...pumpkin scones, pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, roast pumpkin, mashed pumpkin, lol I feel like Forrest Gump's friend..describing all the ways to eat shrimp... Anyway.. I have subscribed..i love this video especially for my dog food, and cant wait to check the rest of your content ...God bless and Thankyou for sharing...

Snap! Same here, same type of recipe/considerations. Goodness knows what’s in the commercial brands , but you can bet it’s not as good as home cooking. Well done!

Jill I spend that much on our dogs and will give this a try. I have been feeling we need to do something for their health. It’s not feeding kibble. I saw a dog on RU-vid that was 17 years old. He ate much of what his owner ate. Healthy food. This looks so good.

I cook liver with carrots or sweet potatoes and brown rice for my dog. Green beans, cabbage, butternut squash, pumpkin I give her.

Great video.. much healthier meals for the furbabies..I home cooked for my special needs furbabie that passed 2 years ago now, Nippy had a poor liver function, I know and feel blessed we had 12 beautiful years together, and the homecooking prolonged his life. ( although Nippy is still very missed). I have recenetely rescued to senior dogs for our local humane society , I have been feeding my new boys healthier store bought pet food, wet & dry food, but I'm not feeling good about this. I'm going to start homecooking again, using my instapot. Blessings to you and your family.

Yum yum!

Great video. Glass containers work great when I freeze mine. Worth the investment to keep plastic leaching in the food. God Bless❤

I make mine for my Isabella cream daschound almost exactly the same! I use chicken instead of turkey, I also add a few boiled eggs and mango and or frozen bananas. Our Luna ( a rescue) has sensitive skin, the homemade food works very well for her, cleared her skin, and her coat is beautiful. We also give her a multi vitamin for daschounds to cover what nutrients are not in her food. I have also added turnips and rutabaga when I can get it.

I just started making my own dog food for a single mid-sized dog. It will be about twice the cost of Purina One in the 40-pound bags ($60), but my dog dives in, unlike the commercial food. I have not had the heart to put in organ meats, but may eventually (yeah, I know bad pun). I tasted my first batch - it is something I would eat for dinner!

My cat LOVES sweet potato. I need to look into make the Beans food. 😃😃

Great ideas! I think you’ll find ways to make your dog food even better and more economical. Once your chicken keeping takes off, especially. I do add eggs to my homemade dog food, about a dozen of my own eggs (I grind the shells to add them) to my 10 gallon batch. I also alternate batches made with brown rice and minimally processed rolled oats. When I process meat birds I use the byproducts for dog food, as I do my retired old hens. I grow extra oregano, kale/spinach, sweet potatoes, squash, and carrots just for the dog food. I don’t add peas because they just don’t grow well enough for me. If I have extra green beans I add some. Almost all the organ meats I get are either from my birds or from a friend that harvests several goats each year. My cuy are just getting to the point I can use them for dog food, and I’ve been using those organ meats plus the pressure-cooked-then-dried bones ground up. I have a very good meat grinder that handles those little bones easily. I buy whole frozen mullet (guts and all) at a local oriental chef-bulk store to add variety and trace minerals. It’s about the cheapest fish I can find whole. Even the cats like the fishy batches, although most of them also like the chicken and love the cuy. I really try to vary the ingredients and “flavors” to help make sure my nutritional bases are covered and my animals remain interested in their food. You don’t have to cram in every single nutrient every day, just be sure they get what they need over the course of each week or two. That’s what my vet explained to me. He said it’s pretty much the same for all animals, including humans. Y’all stay cool! Only 103 here now, so not as hot as I was expecting. 😂😅 Did you think you can freeze dry that dog food? Hugs.

I have 2 shepherds.. my aunt has always made her dog food for the dogs they live to be 15.,16 years old

I add plan yogurt and my brother add egg to my and his dog food. I will go to our local meat packaging/ processing store and buy pup disk thats all leftovers meat and bone made into patty from cow, sheep ect... mostly cow. Which the lady who told me about them said its safe for humans to eat them. I cook the pup disk and add to both dog food. I so want to try your recipes which i don't think my dog will eat cook spinach. Thanks for sharing.

Barley and wheat can give some dogs allergies itching, licking hot spots my precious baby had those systems R.I.P. PRINCESS!!! MAKING DOG FOOD IS BEST .

I no longer feed rice...I use chick peas, quinoa and oatmeal. I also feed squash, zucchini, boiled eggs, chicken bone meal I make, chicken thighs. I dont use broccoli or spinach. I do use small amounts of organ meat as well. Since I stopped feeding processed dog food my dogs coats are so shiny and clean. No more paw licking or head shaking.

Hello. I do frozen vegetables I find they are a bit more affordable and I put all my veg in the crockpot frozen my meat and rice cooked with some water. My dogs absolutely ❤ it.

This recipe looks great and reminds me of what I’m using on my dogs. I will say that we also add some canned pumpkin may be a couple tablespoons, and I am now adding some organic plain yogurt. I’m learning to make my own yogurt to cut down on costs. I quit feeding any kibble due to the fact that one of my LGDS consistently had a reaction and would limp for days after kibble. I will also say that I’ve had a concern after losing some dogs to cancer with va((inz. I watch another RU-vid channel with a dog trainer/expert who does a lot of very informative vids on how to keep them healthy. Rachel Fusaro. Fair warning, she’s like the energizer bunny! Ha ha! Still praying for rain and at least today it’s quite a bit cooler. God bless!

One can GROW alot of these veggies pretty easily too. Yes DOG FOOD grow on "trees" (a garden) lol

I have been feeding my two small dogs a mixture of chicken, black beans, pumpkin, brown rice and alternate the pumpkin with sweet potatoes. Also add some chicken broth soaked hills kibble (very small amount). Looks like i need to add some eggs and organ meat

Thank you for sharing this with us. Now I'll be making some for my dogs too.

Merry Christmas Family,

Please don’t give dogs spinach or rice! I fed my precious shih zu chicken, vegetables and rice her whole life. She died of heart disease. Same as my precious terrier. Heart disease. Give them a carnivore diet. I changed my last dogs diet to meat, salmon and sardines and his back legs were lame now he’s like a puppy. Vet said he needed surgery and would never be 100% 2 years ago!! ❤❤

If you scrub sweet potatoes well you don’t have to peel them. Cut them in cubes. I sauté my meat in the instant pot first then I add everything else, sweet potatoes on the bottom. At the end when I mix it up I add the pumpkin, blueberries and any supplements.

Jill, when you starting the 365 pantry stock challenge, I started canning dog food. It seems half the preserving I've been doing toward that challenge has been dog food. We only have one dog and she doesn't eat commercial canned dog food anymore. We do add kibbles also and she has had a lot less tummy issues.

I cook for my pups. I just made 12 lbs of turkey/chicken, veggies and supplements. I have an old nesco that has slow cook setting, so cook it for about 4 hours. My dogs coats are so smooth, their poops are better now than all the years on kibble. My little one was such a picky eater, but not anymore, the two big girls love it. Best thing, they are actually losing a bit of weight, and acting younger. They are 13, 9, and 8. ❤

I just made this for my dog last weekend I might have used the wrong pumpkin I did add chicken liver to it he loves it! The can food I was buying has been discontinued and he was not really eating it anymore I do put the home made over his dry he eats the whole bowl now. I hear blueberries are good to add

I just learned there are food grade 5 gallon buckets. I’m 63, and never knew that.

You don't need pumpkin if you're using sweet potato. You can also give them RAW meaty bones.

Fed your fur babies exactly what you would eat yourselves. ❤

It's great you are cooking the dogs' homemade food. It is important that you do keep supplementing with some added kibble because unless you add nutritional supplements containing vitamins & minerals, the food could be nutritionally deficient. It's a difficult balance with commercial dog food and what seems to be an increase in dogs suffering from human diseases. I've unfortunately lost some of my pets due to early deaths, too. 😢

EXCELLENT strategy ! I can see why they enjoy it. Have you considered making peanut 🥜 butter (and banana too?) dog biscuits instead of kibble perhaps?

Give all of the potatoes, skin has lots of nutrients. I'd do everything in the instant. Add some fresh grated ginger, a couple of coconut oil, some blueberries or cranberries (dried or dehydrated) and some tumeric and blk pepper (blk pepper activates the tumeric). When fixing the food bowls, top it with some sardines , can be cans just make sure they are in water and not oil.

This is great Jill....I am going through the same thing....dogs, cats, chickens. Trying to set up a food forest in the chicken pen. Also planning garden for things that I don't really care for but can feed to the animals. AWESOME video. Thanks so much. Do you freeze part of your batch or will it keep 2 weeks in the fridge? Oh...I wanted to ask too if it would hurt the dogs to eat the sweet potato peels? Jesus bless.

Dogs don’t have teeth that are made to chew grains. Wolves in the woods don’t hunt for rice & grains, they hunt for meat.

I rinse all my canned veggies about 3 times even the ones that say no salt.

I boil ground beef with just enough water. Once cooked I let it cool down before I place it in the freezer for maybe 2 hours to turn the fat solid that way it is easier to scrape off.

We wash and cook egg shells for 15 minutes at 150 c, then grind them in the coffee grinder. It gives them calcium and helps clean their teeth. Love all dogs 🐕 especially my German Shepard Aida. Do you think this could be dehydrated if you don’t have much freezer space? Still making and loving your Texas Trash ❤️🙏🕊👍😁

I do the same thing, but I add some raw fish for the omega 3s. Usually sardines, sometimes smelt as I can catch them local in my area rather easily.

I tried the farmer’s dog for a month and now my dog won’t eat it anymore , I’ve been throwing it to the trash , it’s throwing $$ away . I’m going to try this !! Thank you

Hi, I use frozen spinach, peasand carrots green beans and kale in my dogs food.

Great recipe. Thanks for sharing. Do you freeze these packets or just keep in refrigerator?

Constructive criticism: In case you weren't aware spinach and sweet potato are higher in oxalates. The sweet potato, carrot, pumpkin and rice is a high starchy carb/sugar diet being inflammatory which can lead to IBS and Pancreatitis. Rice can contain arsenic and holistics are learning that grains in general can block adsorption of nutrients as well as absorb Taurine stored within the biolasics and digestive juices carrying it out through the feces. With the included kibble this is a high plant based diet.

New subbie;

Bone meal is a plant fertilizer. Please do not give it to your dogs. Add grass-fed powdered bone broth instead.

This can be a touchy subject, so much goes into “kibble” food. Most are crap fillers. You have the protein, carbs, some fiber, maybe look at more healthy fats and fatty acids, as well as essential vitamins and minerals. Like you said in the video animal organs like the liver can help a bit, but not if they fats are cooked out. Flaxseed and salmon oil are good to look into. There is a great article out by a veterinarian explaining in none veterinarian terms, he cover and explains so much like, Did you know dogs need 20 different amino acids, there body can produce 10 of those but need the other 10 from there diet, which come from protein. It’s good to see more people getting away from what is called dog food. 👍🏼

I make my own food too, and I add some hard boiled eggs in mine and they like that too. That is especially good if you have chickens and usually have extra.

I would use the peas during the liquid and rinse with water before adding

Either way if it costs the same your babies are healthier in the long run. Less vet bills and they’re happier and more energetic. I did plus pumpkin squash bonemeal and added eggshells from boiling eggs for calcium. Chicken livers for the cats beef liver for the dogs. Some gizzards. They love it. No waste. Kibble can become rancid.

The correct amount of calcium is crucial in either natural form or supplement. It's not just bone health but it's crucial and will make some veggies toxic without it

I also have gone to making my cats and dogs food. Once you have the supplements and the good meat grinder you are good to go.

Jill, if and when you get your celery growing & harvested. Would you be willing to freeze dry or dehydrate some of the leaves? I can't find celery leaf in any of the grocery stores. I use it in tuna & chicken salad if I don't have fresh on hand. I would be more than happy to pay you for it. All I can find is celery salt or seed. Another thing you can add to your online store.

Love this - I use to make food up for my dogs - knowing about carrots and peas, have to be careful because of the sugar amount, I'd try using pumpkin instead of peas. 🤔

Cook the veggies in no sodium organic bone broth and add gently cooked meat

And if you want to save even more money, use gallon silicone bags that you can wash and reuse or jars or something you can wash and reuse. Just a tip.😜

It would be nice if you had a written recipe.

Hi,nice to see you make homemade food for your furry babies…in India 🇮🇳 I always do that ..a small advice pls add couple of teaspoons of turmeric powder when boiling your veggies..it’s really good for immunity

You can substitute canned kidney beans or black beans, low sodium, instead of rice. I also use livers and gizzards with bonless chicken leg.

Im all about making my 4 German shepherds homemade food. Im paying easy $400+ on food for my fur babies... I also gave 3 cats

Thanks for sharing! Can this be blended then given? Our boy only has a few teeth so cant chew anymore really lol. Oh and also how to tell how much to give? Our boy is 40ish lbs, we'd still give him some dry food w this.

Jill, will you put those bags in the freezer till you need them? Ive made dog foor much like that that I pressure canned in jars. This encourages me to do more.