Go On… Have an Affair! Why Loyalty Isn’t Always Best When It Comes to Raw Dog Food

We’re going to say something that might sound rather scandalous coming from a pet shop:

Stop being so loyal.

When you find a raw dog food your dog loves, it’s very easy to become devoted to it. Same brand. Same range. Same order every week.

But when it comes to your dog’s dinner, perhaps it’s time to play the field a little.

Try another brand. Experiment with different proteins. Mix budget-friendly options with something a little more premium.

Your usual raw brand won’t be offended. There’ll be no awkward conversations. Nobody needs to move out.

And if you do decide to try something new?

“It’s not you, it’s me.”

At Woofingtons, we stock a huge selection of raw dog food because we don’t believe there’s one single “best” raw dog food brand for every dog.

Mixing raw dog food brands can give you more choice, introduce different proteins and recipes, make life easier when your usual food is out of stock and help you make better use of your weekly dog food budget.

Why Mixing Raw Dog Food Brands Can Give Your Dog More Variety

One of the great things about raw feeding is the amount of choice available.

Different raw dog food manufacturers offer different recipes, proteins, textures, ingredients and approaches to formulation, so there’s really no reason you have to settle down with just one.

Play the field a little. Try a new brand. Go on… push the boat out and try two new brands at once. We’re not here to judge. 😉

Your dog certainly won’t complain.

You might discover that you prefer the beef from one manufacturer, the duck from another and a more premium recipe from someone else entirely.

For example, your freezer might contain an affordable everyday option such as Prime Raw Dog Food or Durham DAF Raw Dog Food alongside something from Bella & Duke Adult Raw Dog Food, Bella & Duke Superfoods or another premium range.

And before you know it, what started as an innocent little experiment has turned into a freezer full of different brands.

Be a little more promiscuous in the dog bowl.

Different meats naturally have different nutritional profiles, so introducing a sensible variety of proteins can help create a broader and more varied diet.

Of course, variety alone doesn’t automatically make a diet nutritionally complete. You still need to understand what you’re feeding and make appropriate choices for your individual dog.

If you’re unsure about the differences between raw feeding styles, our Raw Dog Food Guide UK – 80/10/10 vs 80/20 explains the different approaches in more detail.

But there certainly isn’t a rule saying everything in the freezer needs to have the same logo on it.

Your Dog Doesn’t Know Which Raw Dog Food Brand Made It

This is something worth remembering.

Your dog isn’t looking at the packaging.

They don’t know that Monday’s beef came from one manufacturer and Saturday’s duck came from another. They’re interested in what’s inside the bowl.

Different manufacturers have different strengths.

You might love the value of one range, prefer the ingredients in another, find a protein your dog loves from somebody else and fancy adding something particularly good from a more premium range.

So why restrict yourself?

Mix brands. Mix price points. Explore different proteins and find a selection of raw foods that work well for your dog.

Our 80/10/10 raw dog food collection alone contains numerous manufacturers and protein choices, making it easy to explore beyond the brand you normally buy.

Budget Raw Dog Food + Premium Raw Can Work Brilliantly Together

This is one of the biggest reasons we think a little brand disloyalty can actually be useful.

At Woofingtons, we stock raw dog food across different price points because everyone’s feeding budget is different.

If you have a large dog, several dogs or simply a household budget to stick to, feeding exclusively from premium raw ranges can become expensive.

But it doesn’t have to be a choice between budget OR premium.

Why not have both?

More economical ranges such as Prime Raw and Durham DAF Standard Raw can help keep the cost of your weekly raw dog food shop manageable.

You can then use some of the money you’ve saved to introduce higher-quality premium raw foods for other meals.

Instead of spending your entire budget on one particular range, you can build a weekly shop containing affordable everyday options alongside carefully chosen premium recipes.

Perhaps budget raw makes up a larger part of the week’s food, while several meals come from one of your preferred premium ranges.

It’s about asking a slightly different question.

Rather than:

“What’s the cheapest raw dog food I can feed?”

Or:

“Can I afford to feed premium raw every day?”

Ask:

“What’s the best weekly raw diet I can put together with the budget I have?”

That opens up far more possibilities.

Your budget stays manageable, your dog gets more variety, and you have the opportunity to include some better-quality foods without paying premium prices for every meal.

And your regular brand never needs to know.

Different Raw Dog Food Brands Mean More Choice

No manufacturer makes everything.

One raw dog food brand might offer a fantastic selection of everyday proteins, while another has more unusual meats. Another might specialise in premium recipes, while another offers straightforward budget-friendly raw.

If you only ever shop from one manufacturer, you’re limiting yourself to their particular range.

Being prepared to shop across brands opens up a much larger selection of proteins, including chicken, beef, turkey, duck, lamb, pork, fish, rabbit, game and more unusual options.

You could also explore different styles of raw food. DIBO Free Flow Raw Mince, for example, offers a different format to traditional frozen blocks, while ranges such as Naturaw Original 80/10/10 give experienced raw feeders another option when building variety into the freezer.

You may find your dog absolutely loves a particular recipe from a manufacturer you’d never previously considered.

Sometimes it pays to look beyond your usual type.

Mixing Brands Can Make Raw Dog Food Availability Easier

There’s another very practical reason not to become completely dependent on one raw dog food brand:

Availability.

Raw dog food is a frozen product, and manufacturers occasionally experience shortages. Particular proteins can go out of stock, production can be delayed and deliveries don’t always arrive exactly when expected.

If your dog only ever eats one particular recipe from one particular manufacturer, suddenly finding it unavailable can become a problem.

If your dog already enjoys several brands and proteins, it’s much easier.

Your usual chicken isn’t available?

Try another manufacturer’s chicken.

No duck?

Choose turkey.

Your regular brand hasn’t arrived?

Have a little fling with somebody else.

No panic. No driving around Greater Manchester searching for the last remaining packet of your dog’s favourite dinner.

This is one of the reasons we think it’s useful to find several raw foods that suit your dog, rather than becoming completely reliant on one product.

Complete Raw Dog Food vs 80/10/10: Know What You’re Mixing

We’re encouraging a little promiscuity in the dog bowl here — not complete chaos.

It’s still important to know what you’re feeding.

Some raw dog foods are formulated as complete foods, while others are sold as complementary foods.

Traditional 80/10/10 raw dog food, for example, shouldn’t automatically be assumed to be nutritionally complete simply because it contains meat, bone and offal in those proportions.

That distinction becomes particularly important when you're mixing several raw dog food brands. Look at the individual product rather than assuming that every packet of frozen raw food is nutritionally equivalent.

Our Raw Dog Food Guide goes into more detail about raw ratios and the differences between 80/10/10, 80/20 and complete raw foods.

Puppies also have particular nutritional requirements while they’re growing, so extra care should be taken when choosing and rotating their foods. There are foods specifically formulated for growth, including options such as Bella & Duke Puppy Raw Dog Food.

And if your dog has a medical condition, known allergies, intolerances or has been prescribed a particular diet by your vet, constantly changing foods simply for variety may not be appropriate.

Being adventurous is one thing. Being reckless is quite another.

Introduce New Raw Dog Foods Sensibly

Every dog is different.

Some dogs seem capable of eating practically anything without so much as a second thought.

Others only need to look at a different protein and their stomach starts drafting a strongly worded complaint.

If your dog has a particularly sensitive digestive system, introduce unfamiliar brands and proteins sensibly and keep an eye on how they respond.

Once you’ve found several foods that agree with them, you’ve got much more freedom when putting together future raw dog food orders.

And once you've settled on the foods you want to include, our Raw Dog Food Calculator can help you estimate your dog's daily feeding amount based on their weight and life stage.

So… Is It Time to Be a Little Less Loyal to Your Raw Dog Food Brand?

We think so.

If you’ve found a raw food your dog thrives on, we’re certainly not telling you to stop buying it.

Just don’t assume you have to buy only that.

Play the field a little.

Try another protein. Pick up something from another manufacturer. Maybe even push the boat out and bring two new brands home at once.

Use a budget-friendly raw for some meals and put some of the savings towards a more premium raw for others.

Build a freezer containing foods that suit your dog, your budget and what’s actually available, rather than being completely devoted to the name printed on the packet.

That’s exactly why Woofingtons stocks such a wide variety of raw dog food, from affordable everyday options through to premium complete raw foods and traditional 80/10/10 recipes.

We’re not interested in convincing you to be loyal to one brand.

In fact...

We positively encourage you to play the field.

And if your regular brand does ask why you’ve been seen with another packet in your shopping basket?

“It’s not you, it’s me.” 😉

Shop Raw Dog Food Online at Woofingtons

From budget-friendly raw dog food through to premium raw ranges, explore different manufacturers, proteins, recipes and price points and create a weekly raw food shop that works for you and your dog.

Shop All Raw Dog Food at Woofingtons

Not sure where to start? Read our Raw Dog Food Guide UK or use the Woofingtons Raw Dog Food Calculator to work out an estimated daily feeding amount.