There’s a lot of buzz about the benefits of eating organic foods, but what about clean eating…for dogs? We caught up with the owners of three local barkeries to find out what those might be.
RAW by Canines First
4908 McKinney Avenue, 214.760.8677
5460 W. Lovers Lane, Ste. 302 – 214.350.0808
After beginning her career as a dog trainer, Owner Susan Strough started investigating dog food alternatives in 2006 when she began needing health answers for her dog that she wasn’t getting from the medical community.
RAW prides itself in being a completely grain-free store. “Wild dogs in nature wouldn’t be seeking out grains, they’d be seeking out a prey animal,” Strough explains. “Grains can be inflammatory and are unnecessary. They are just fillers. When you put grain in the place of where nutrients should be, there’s going to be a hole in the dog’s nutrition.”
RAW’s ingredients are chosen based on the alpha-prey model, which states that the alpha dog in a pack gets the choice pick of a prey animal: the heart, lungs, and liver. These organs are packed with the most nutrients, and “shouldn’t be thrown away,” Strough explains, “they are the best part.” A champion of a grain-free lifestyle, Susan firmly believes in the health benefits that come with making the switch from regular dog food. “Their weight is stabilized, their fur is shinier, and their eyes are brighter. The nutrients keep their teeth clean, too.” And, a big plus for those who pick up after their pets: “the dogs’ stools will get smaller and more firm.”
POSH Dog Barkery
930 E. 15th Street, Ste. 400, 972.424.0164
4760 Preston Road, Ste. 248, 214.705.1790
An avid dog lover, Founder Jeffery Rottman began researching organic pet food options back in 2009, when he discovered 1 of his 4 dogs suffered from a wheat allergy. After learning how to craft tasty treats specific to his dog’s allergies, Jeffrey created a website that laid the groundwork for POSH Dog Barkery, which opened in 2011.
“We’re a small, local business; we’re not a chain,” Rottman says of POSH’s boutique atmosphere, which guarantees personalized attention for each customer and furry friend. “We’re both a manufacturer and a retailer,” he added. “Everything is made in-house, from scratch.” POSH offers an Everyday Organic line, which features products of a whole wheat, organic base, along with a Limited Ingredient grain-free line.
Rottman’s fastest-selling item? Turkey and chicken jerky. Launched in 2013, the jerky is locally sourced and made in-house from antibiotic-free meat. Specialty cakes and pastries, chews, and other delicious treats are also available for purchase, keeping POSH true to its “barkery” name. “Each treat is designed around the flavor,” explains Rottman. “For example, blueberries for antioxidants and lavender for coat and skin.” POSH also is home to many community fostering events, including a monthly “Yappy Hour” for dogs (and a BYOB happy hour for their humans,) pet photography sessions, and on-site adoptions.
Homegrown Hounds
4101 Worth Street, 888.929.2697
“I had a pleasantly plump Boston Terrier who would eat everything, and I had to find a way to keep him happy but help him lose weight at the same time,” the store’s founder Melanie Fox said. She began researching recipes online and decided to start cooking for her dog; however, the recipes she came across in her research weren’t quite working for her. “Some were too high in water content, for example, so he’d pee in the bed.” Taking the situation into her own hands, Melanie, a certified canine nutritionist, decided to start creating her own recipes.
Homegrown Hounds is a non-profit and the funds flow directly into supporting Houndhaven, the dog rescue Fox also founded. Everything sold in the store is made in-house, and all recipes are Fox own. “I don’t sell anything I wouldn’t feed my own dog, and customers know exactly what goes into the food and can see all the ingredients I use behind the counter.”
Fox guarantees that every included ingredient is beneficial to a dog’s health. “I use, for example, pumpkin seeds and carob for digestion,” and the only flour she uses is oat flour “because it is easy to digest.” She also dehydrates her dog food, which prevents the good nutrients from being killed when cooking it at high temperatures. Homegrown Hounds’ most popular items are the specialty chicken jerky and her Awesome Filling, a Play-Doh-like treat made from pumpkin, organic peanut butter, carob, and flaxseed that can be used to fill bones or Kongs. Fox also hosts a monthly cooking class, and her Snackin Wagon (Homegrown Hounds’ food truck for dogs) can be seen making its rounds throughout the city!
