WHY I DON'T FEED KIBBLE
Every breeder has a line in the sand — a point in the journey where something shifts, and you realize you can’t go back to “before.” This is mine.
Why I feed raw meat to my dogs…
…and why I hope other breeders will at least hear my heart on this.
For me, this started with how we live at home. Jeff and I don’t eat heavily processed foods, and it didn’t make sense to offer something to my dogs — my family members — that I wouldn’t eat myself or feed to a child. Once I stepped into the world of nutrition and saw what it does for developing bodies, I couldn’t go back. Many of you who avoid fast food for your own health know exactly what I mean.
As breeders, we’re entrusted with those fragile, formative stages. I take that seriously. That responsibility is the reason I simply can’t bring myself to offer processed feed to mothers or growing babies.
And here’s my blunt truth: KIBBLE IS NOT FOOD to me. It is a product — a highly processed feed designed first for shelf stability, and not for biological vitality. I have seen inside kibble manufacturing facilities, and I genuinely gagged. Those experiences changed me permanently. Everyone has their own comfort levels and their own reasons; this is mine.
My role as a breeder is to make the best decisions I can for the puppies born here and for the families who trust me. I’ve seen, again and again, how nutrition affects immune systems. I’ve watched the difference between dogs raised on fresh food versus dogs who go back to processed diets. Some families stay with raw or whole prey, and their dogs glow with the brilliance of it. Others transition to kibble and see more health challenges. These patterns are not theories to me. They are years of watching Boxer after Boxer.
I wean my puppies to raw meat and whole prey because I believe it gives them a powerful start. Not everyone continues with whole prey, and I don’t expect them to. But when someone does, the results speak for themselves.
My goal has always been to raise Boxers who are strong, resilient, and long-lived. I want these dogs to walk children to bus stops, grow up alongside them, and still be there when they leave for college. In a time when reaching double‑digit ages is a celebration for this breed, I remember when that used to be the baseline.
So as long as I’m here doing this work, I will stay the course. Extreme nutrition for extreme immune systems. No compromises.
Meet Flame, a third‑generation raw‑fed Boxer. Supremely healthy, she never needs to see a vet.
And meet Nestlé, a local Boxer whose 20‑year life set a beautiful standard for what’s possible. (Nestle is not my dog. She sets the bar high for me and I love sharing what is possible.)
I believe that every silver faced Boxer deserves a story long enough to cross that finish line with the grace of good health.
Why I feed raw meat to my dogs…
…and why I hope other breeders will at least hear my heart on this.
For me, this started with how we live at home. Jeff and I don’t eat heavily processed foods, and it didn’t make sense to offer something to my dogs — my family members — that I wouldn’t eat myself or feed to a child. Once I stepped into the world of nutrition and saw what it does for developing bodies, I couldn’t go back. Many of you who avoid fast food for your own health know exactly what I mean.
As breeders, we’re entrusted with those fragile, formative stages. I take that seriously. That responsibility is the reason I simply can’t bring myself to offer processed feed to mothers or growing babies.
And here’s my blunt truth: KIBBLE IS NOT FOOD to me. It is a product — a highly processed feed designed first for shelf stability, and not for biological vitality. I have seen inside kibble manufacturing facilities, and I genuinely gagged. Those experiences changed me permanently. Everyone has their own comfort levels and their own reasons; this is mine.
My role as a breeder is to make the best decisions I can for the puppies born here and for the families who trust me. I’ve seen, again and again, how nutrition affects immune systems. I’ve watched the difference between dogs raised on fresh food versus dogs who go back to processed diets. Some families stay with raw or whole prey, and their dogs glow with the brilliance of it. Others transition to kibble and see more health challenges. These patterns are not theories to me. They are years of watching Boxer after Boxer.
I wean my puppies to raw meat and whole prey because I believe it gives them a powerful start. Not everyone continues with whole prey, and I don’t expect them to. But when someone does, the results speak for themselves.
My goal has always been to raise Boxers who are strong, resilient, and long-lived. I want these dogs to walk children to bus stops, grow up alongside them, and still be there when they leave for college. In a time when reaching double‑digit ages is a celebration for this breed, I remember when that used to be the baseline.
So as long as I’m here doing this work, I will stay the course. Extreme nutrition for extreme immune systems. No compromises.
Meet Flame, a third‑generation raw‑fed Boxer. Supremely healthy, she never needs to see a vet.
And meet Nestlé, a local Boxer whose 20‑year life set a beautiful standard for what’s possible. (Nestle is not my dog. She sets the bar high for me and I love sharing what is possible.)
I believe that every silver faced Boxer deserves a story long enough to cross that finish line with the grace of good health.
FLAME |
NESTLE
|