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Why this matters:this is the lesson you'll use most. Nearly every question at the freezer is really one of these four: how much, how do I switch, what about bones, how do I handle it safely.
The starting point for an adult dog at a healthy weight is 2% to 2.5% of body weight per day.
So an 80 lb dog eats somewhere between 1.6 and 2.4 lb a day depending on the goal.
Two things to tell every customer. First, this is a starting point, not a prescription — metabolism and activity level vary a lot between dogs. Second, weigh the dog every few weeks at the start and adjust. That's the whole method.
Point them at the Feeding Calculator on rawperformancedogfood.com rather than doing the arithmetic at the counter. It's faster and they can use it again at home.
Puppies are not on the adult percentage. A growing dog needs far more food relative to its weight, and the amount drops as it grows.
| Age | Daily amount (% of current body weight) |
|---|---|
| 2–3 months | 8–10% |
| 4–5 months | 6–8% |
| 6–8 months | 4–6% |
| 9–12 months | 3–4% |
| 12 months + | 2–2.5% |
Two ways to use this:
If you don't know the adult weight — which is most of the time — use the chart above, weigh the puppy regularly, and move down the bands as they grow.
If the owner is genuinely certain of the expected adult weight — a known breed from a known breeder — you can instead feed 2–2.5% of that expected adult weight from the start.
Point them at the Feeding Calculator on the website either way; it accounts for age, weight, activity and condition.
We don't have a fixed chart for these. Don't estimate. Use the Feeding Calculator, or call (289) 272-0454.
Nobody thinks less of you for checking. They think a great deal less of you for guessing wrong.
There are two ways, and the right one depends on the dog.
Straight switch. Fast the dog for 12 to 24 hours, then start on raw. Serve at room temperature for the first few days to give the stomach a chance to adjust, then feed straight from the fridge after that. Most healthy adult dogs handle this fine.
Gradual, over a week. Better for sensitive dogs, and for owners who are nervous about the whole idea.
| Days 1–2 | Days 3–4 | Days 5–6 | Day 7 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25% raw | 50% raw | 75% raw | 100% raw |
Either way, start with a simple protein — Pure Chicken or Pure Turkey are the easiest to digest. Don't start someone's first-ever raw dog on rabbit or duck.
This is where staff most often either oversell or miss something the dog genuinely needs.
Feeding Pure or a Signature Blend? Two things need adding:
Feeding Gourmet? No kelp needed — it's already in the 5% greens. But they still need an omega-3 source. This is the one staff most often get wrong, so it's worth committing to memory: Gourmet does not mean "nothing to add."
The one exception to fish oil: if they're feeding Pure Salmon or Turkey & Salmon, they don't need it. It's already an oily fish.
"Why isn't the fish oil just in the food?" Good question, and there's a real answer: fish oil oxidises and breaks down sitting frozen. Putting it in the recipe would mean selling a degraded product. Added fresh at the bowl, it does its job.
| Feeding | Add kelp? | Add omega-3? |
|---|---|---|
| Pure (except salmon) | Yes | Yes |
| Pure Salmon / Turkey & Salmon | Yes | No |
| Signature Blends | Yes | Yes |
| Gourmet | No | Yes |
Probiotics support the gut microflora that helps a dog digest and absorb nutrients. One practical detail worth knowing: if a dog is on antibiotics, probiotics should be given about two hours after each dose, or the antibiotic just kills them.
Recreational bones are separate from the ground bone in the food. They're for dental health and for mental stimulation — a dog working on a bone is a busy, satisfied dog.
Warn customers about the stools. After a bone, they're often white and crumbly, and sometimes a dog gets a bit constipated. That's normal and not a reason to panic — but a customer who hasn't been warned will assume something's wrong.
Thawing in the fridge? Safe to refreeze.
Thawed at room temperature? Use it within 3 days and do not refreeze.
In the freezer? Every tub is stamped with an expiry date — one year from the day it was made. That same date is our batch number. Tell customers to rotate old tubs to the front and use them first, and if a container ever gets cracked, use that one next.
Left in the bowl? Raw food shouldn't sit out more than 2 hours — and only 1 hour above 21°C. If the dog hasn't finished within 15–20 minutes, lift the bowl and store it properly.
Supplements: once opened, use within 6–9 months, kept somewhere dry, dark and cool. Unopened they last about 2 years. They can be frozen for up to 6 months, though they may go lumpy — just mix once thawed.
Never microwave it. Heat destroys the enzymes, phytonutrients and nutrients that are the entire point of feeding raw.
Customers ask this often, usually meaning well. The answer is a firm no, and you need to be able to say why.
Our food contains ground bone. Raw bone is soft and safe. Cooked bone dries out, hardens and fragments into sharp edges. Even a light sear can do it.
Cooking also destroys the nutrients and enzymes that are the reason for feeding raw in the first place.
So: thaw, portion, feed. If someone wants to add cooked rice, that's fine — but the rice is cooked separately and mixed in afterwards. The raw food never sees heat.
You will get asked about bacteria. Often nervously, and sometimes by someone who's been told raw feeding is dangerous.
The honest, calm answer has two halves.
For the dog: dogs are built for this. Their saliva kills bacteria on the way in, and their stomachs run at a pH of 1–2 — strongly acidic, far more hostile to bacteria than ours.
For the human: treat it exactly like raw chicken for your own dinner. Wash your hands, the bowl, the utensils and the surface afterwards. That's it — the same routine you already follow in your own kitchen.
Don't be dismissive of the question. "It's totally fine" is less reassuring than explaining why.
One important limit
You are not a vet, and you shouldn't be one. If a customer describes a sick dog, ongoing digestive problems, or a dog on medication, the answer is "that's worth a conversation with your vet" — and you can offer to help with the food side once they've had it.
Nobody expects you to diagnose anything. Saying so plainly builds more trust than guessing.
