Raw feeding more than one dog

Raw feeding two or more dogs is mostly the same as feeding one, just more of it. The bits that change are the maths, the freezer, and keeping the peace at mealtimes.

Work out each dog separately

Dogs of different sizes and energy levels eat different amounts, so work out each one on its own and then add them up. Most adult dogs eat about 2 to 3% of their body weight a day.

If about 90% of that is mince or a blend and 10% raw bones, those two dogs get through a 10 kg carton of mince in roughly ten days, and a 10 kg carton of bones lasts around three months. Run each dog through our raw dog food calculator to get their own numbers.

One food for everyone, or different foods?

If all your dogs can eat the same proteins, one blend for the whole pack keeps things simple: one carton open, one thawing routine. Breeders Mix was built for exactly this kind of volume feeding. It’s beef, horse, goat and offal, with no chicken, lamb or fish.

If one dog needs to stay off a protein, it’s often easiest to feed everyone what that dog can have. When that isn’t practical, label containers clearly and keep that dog’s food on its own shelf in the fridge.

Mealtimes

• Feed each dog in their own spot, far enough apart that nobody feels the need to guard their bowl.
• Pick bowls up once the meal is over, so the fastest eater doesn’t hoover up the rest.
• Bones are the high-value item. Give them in separate rooms, crates or corners of the yard, and supervise.
• Watch weights. In a multi-dog home it’s easy for one dog to quietly gain while another loses.

Freezer and ordering

With several dogs, freezer space is the thing to plan for. A 10 kg carton of mince is about 30 × 20 × 15 cm, and the cartons stack neatly. Plenty of multi-dog households end up with a chest freezer just for the dogs.

Some of our customers with several dogs order six cartons at a time. And when one customer mentioned her freezer was full, we joked she might need another three or four dogs to help eat it all.

The delivery fee is per order, so a bigger order spreads it further. Our mixes, minces and bones come in 10 kg cartons, and rolls come ten to an 18 kg carton. You’ll find them all in our bulk raw pet food range.

Dogs and cats in the same house

Five of our products are marked “For Dogs & Cats”, including Fussy Mix and Chicken Mince, so one order can feed everyone. Our guide to feeding cats raw meat has amounts for cats.