Discover My Favorite Dog Gear & Raw Dog Food Brands

Discover My Favorite Dog Gear & Raw Dog Food Brands

This post covers my 3 favorite dog gear and raw dog food brands. I made the switch from kibble to in 2015, and believe in combining fresh, raw dog food with daily exercise for a healthy pup.

Just like with us humans, dogs are what they eat, and my guys need the raw fuel to thrive and get the most out of our walks and hikes.

That said, youโ€™ll be able to watch an unboxing video from each of the 3 raw dog food brands. You’re also getting a ton of social media footage and pictures of the different foods.

Additionally, Iโ€™m sharing video & picture footage of my 3 go-to dog gear brands.

K9sOverCoffee.com | Discover my favorite dog gear & raw dog food brands

Disclaimer: This blog post contains affiliate links. I may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you.

Are you ready? OK, let’s go!

Raw Dog Food Brands

Let’s start with the raw dog food brands.

My favorite raw dog food brands here in the US are Darwin’s Natural Pet, Raw Paws Pet Food, and Raw Feeding Miami.

Darwin’s Natural Pet

It all started with Darwinโ€™s Natural Pet. Raw dog food blogger Kimberly from KeepTheTailWagging had recommended the brand as a spring board into my raw feeding journey.

That was after Missyโ€™s first cancer diagnosis in late 2014, and it was a wonderful recommendation.

Their pre-made meals make raw feeding a breeze and offer the peace of mind of knowing that youโ€™re feeding your pooch nutritiously complete food. 

By now, Iโ€™ve fed all 3 of their lines:

Natural Selections

Made with 75% meat & 25% organic vegetables. It comes in cage-free/free-roaming poultry: chicken, duck and turkey.

It’s also available as grass-fed beef and lamb. All areย free of steroids, antibiotics and artificial growth hormones.

BioLogics

Also made with 75% meat & 25% vegetables. It comes in chicken, turkey and beef.

Itโ€™s less expensive than theย Natural Selectionsย because itโ€™s made with conventionally grown meats & vegetables.ย 

Intelligent Design

These are veterinary meals that are available with a prescription only.

They consist ofย hormone-free, antibiotic-free, and pesticide-free meats and organic vegetables, with no grains, added fillers or chemical preservatives.

I fed Missy the Intelligent Designโ„ข CS Cancer Support Formula for Canines when she was re-diagnosed with cancer in early 2018.

K9sOverCoffee | Darwin's Natural Selections Raw Turkey for Dogs & Raw Duck For Dogs with Organic Vegetables
Raw turkey and duck from Darwin’s
What's the cost of raw dog food? Darwin's raw lamb
Raw lamb from Darwin’s
K9sOverCoffee | Darwin's Cancer Support Formula Meals For Dogs
Intelligent Design Cancer Support Formula from Darwin’s
K9sOverCoffee | Missy & Buzz with their order of Darwin's Raw Food
Missy & Buzz with their raw dog food delivery from Darwin’s

Founder Gary Tashjian Addresses Recent Recall

Darwinโ€™sย recently conducted a voluntary recall of some of their products (this was in April 2018).

The company wants pet owners to know that the pathogens which caused the recall are largely harmless to cats and dogs. They’re also outweighed by the benefits of a raw-food diet.ย 

As long as pet owners follow the same food-hygiene procedures when handling their products, they are perfectly safe to feed.

For example, wash your hands after you handled raw dog food, just like you would when you prepare meat for yourself.

Raw Feeding Miami

As I started learning more and more about raw feeding, I came acrossย Raw Feeding Miami in 2016. They’re a raw dog food retailer with headquarters in Miami, FL.

The company has a huge selection of all the different cuts of meat that make up balanced raw meals and ships them nationwide.

Whenever I browse their online shop I feel like a little kid in a candy store!

They carry such a large variety of protein choices, it’s awesome!!

Their products range from poultry (including goose) to beef, lamb, goat, emu, pork, rabbit, wild game, fish, quail, and then some. 

I typically buy whole cuts of meat like heads, hearts, lungs, gizzards, etc. Then I cut them up myself on meal prep day.

However, I also take advantage of some of their ground options, particularly their organ grind Monster Mash.ย 

That mix of organs costs $4/lb and is super convenient when you donโ€™t feel like putting the right ratio of secreting organ meats together yourself.

Good to know: Balanced raw dog food consists of 5% liver and 5% other secreting organ, as well as 70-80% muscle meat.

Last but not least, it also features 10% raw meaty bone, along with some optional veggies & fruit, depending on which model of raw feeding youโ€™re following.

There’s PMR without veggies or BARF with veggies.

K9sOverCoffee.com | Organ mix Monstermash for raw meal prep
Secreting organ mix Monstermash from Raw Feeding Miami
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My last order for Buzz from Raw Feeding Miami consisted of a total of 27 lbs for $99.85. The different cuts of meat were $72.91, and shipping was $26.94.

Thatโ€™s a really good deal! If youโ€™re lucky enough to live in the greater Miami area, you can pick up your order at theย Raw Feeding Miamiย warehouse in person.

Tip: You can save 10% off your Raw Feeding Miami order with my referral discount link.

K9sOverCoffee.com | Shopping for cooling proteins for raw dog food
A raw dog food order from Raw Feeding Miami

Raw Paws Pet Food

Raw Paws Pet Food is another raw dog food retailer that I discovered in my first year of raw feeding, back in 2015. Theyโ€™re headquartered in Indiana and have a decent selection of individual cuts of raw meat:

They also carry a ton of complete meals that are already balanced and put together for you. 

Their balanced meals consist of ground muscle meat, bone, and organs, and some also come with veggies. They also ship nationwide and offer free shipping on frozen goods with orders totaling $199 and more.

Raw Paws Pet Food also offers free ship packs (8 lb, 10 lb, 19 lb, 20 lb), including a one time introductory offer for raw feeding beginners. That’s their variety pack (9 lb).

Tip: You can save 15% off your Raw Paws Pet Food order with my affiliate discount code K9Savings at checkout:

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K9sOverCoffee.com | Raw turkey necks for dogs from Raw Paws Pet Food
Raw turkey necks from Raw Paws Pet Food
K9sOverCoffee.com | Portioning out Wally's raw ground venison from Raw Paws Pet Food copy
Raw, wild venison trim from Raw Paws Pet Food
K9sOverCoffee.com | Eight different raw protein sources for raw dog meals and raw goat milk
The Raw Paws Pet Food Variety Pack for raw feeding beginners consists of balanced dog meals that are ready to be fed once thawed. They include chicken, beef, green tripe, turkey, goat, lamb, atlantic salmon, and goat milk.

Now that you know what I fuel my pups’ bodies with, let’s talk dog gear!

My Favorite Dog Gear Brands

Those doggie gear brands are Ruffwear, Mighty Paw, and CoLLaR.

Ruffwear โ€“ Performance Dog Gear

The brand Iโ€™ve used the longest in this category is Ruffwear. They create performance dog gear and carry everything an active dog owner could possibly want to get their paws on. 

Collars, leashes, harnesses, backpacks, collapsible bowls, jackets, boots, life jackets, sleeping bags, cooling supplies, toysโ€ฆyou name it, they have it!

Our Ruffwear gear currently consists of:

  • The pupsโ€™ Top Rope collars featuring an all-metal side release buckle and reflective stitching.ย 
  • Front Range & Load Up harnesses.ย 
  • Approach Pack backpacks.ย 
  • Update 2020: Commuter backpack for my new pup Wally.
  • Cloud Chaser jackets.
K9sOverCoffee.com | Exercising With The Ruffwear Commuter Pack
Wally and his Ruffwear Commuter pack
K9sOverCoffee | Ruffwear's Front Range Harness vs Load Up Harness - Which one is better? | Front Range Harness For Everyday Activities
Ruffwear’s Front Range Harness

I wrote about our two Ruffwear harnesses in my blog post Ruffwearโ€™s Front Range Vs Load Up Harness โ€“ Which One Is Better? 

K9sOverCoffee | Ruffwear's Front Range vs Load Up Harness - Which One Is Better?
We actively use Ruffwear’s front range harness & their load up harness – let’s find out if one of them outranks the other!

Ruffwearโ€™s Approach Pack is featured in my post Dog Fitness & More With The Ruffwear Approach Pack.

K9sOverCoffee | Dog Fitness and More With The Ruffwear Approach Pack
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And my post Ruffwearโ€™s All-Weather Sleeved Jacket โ€œCloud Chaserโ€ is all about the versatile doggie jacket.

K9sOverCoffee | Ruffwear Cloud Chaser - Versatile All-Weather Jacket With Reflective Trim

Mighty Paw

I didnโ€™t find out about this companyย until 2017.

Fun fact 2023: I worked for the brand from 2020 – 2022.

They carry leashes, collars, harnesses, dog treat pouches, potty bells, and poop bag holders. All orders ship free within the US.

My all-time favorite gear from them is their dog treat pouch.

Itโ€™s like the Ferrari of dog treat pouches, HA!

You can immediately tell the difference in quality and functionality between Mighty Pawโ€™s Treat Pouch and my previous, generic one just by looking at them side by side:

K9sOverCoffee | Mighty Paw's Dog Treat Pouch vs Generic Dog Treat Pouch
Mighty Paw’s dog treat pouch vs my old generic one

It was a no-brainer to write about it since Iโ€™ve come to love it so much โ€“ feel free to check it out here: Mighty Pawโ€™s Dog Treat Pouch โ€“ Perfect For Dog Walking & Training.

Another one of their cool products is their short traffic leash. Itโ€™s great for environments where you want your dog close by, like the vet, pet retail stores or events that let you bring your leashed dog such as dog expos or pet specific conferences.

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CoLLaR

CoLLaRย is a Ukrainian wholesale company who make amazingly soft leather leashes and collars for dogs. They also make several dog toys.

For example, the Puller dog toy and the Liker ball.

If youโ€™re the owner of a pet retail store or know someone who is โ€“ do yourselves a favor and contact a CoLLaR rep. Or share this info with your store owner friend so you/they can start carrying their amazing products rather sooner than later!

I had the immense pleasure of meeting reps of the company at the Global Pet Expo in Orlando, FL, in 2016.

I would have loved to take home a leash & collar combo of every single color that was displayed at their booth. Theyโ€™re just SO beautiful!! 

K9sOverCoffee | CoLLaR's booth at the Global Pet Expo in Orlando, FL in 2016
CoLLaR booth at the Global Pet Expo in 2016

I did end up going home with a beautiful yellow, soft adjustable leather leash & collar combo for Missy.

I use it all the time, and wrote about the hands-free hiking experience the leash offers in my blog postย Hands-Free Hiking With Collarโ€™s Adjustable Leather Leash.ย 

K9sOverCoffee | Missy Hiking With COLLAR's Adjustable Glamour Leather Leash, Worn Around Torso
Walking Missy on CoLLaR’s adjustable yellow leather leash

Also brought back a patriotic collar & leash set for Buzz. Iโ€™ve only used the collar on special occasions such as July 4 because itโ€™s a little big on him, but I use the leash all the time.

Thereโ€™s just something about soft leather leashes!!

K9sOverCoffee | Genuine Leather & Crystal Line at CoLLaR's booth at the Global Pet Expo in Orlando, FL in 2016
CoLLaR’s soft leather leash and collar collection
K9sOverCoffee | Genuine Leather Brilliance US Collar & Leash Set from CoLLaR
Buzz’s patriotic leather leash and collar set from CoLLaR

I blogged about their soft leather collection in general in my post CoLLaR SOFT Genuine Leather Collection For Your Best Friend.

As you can tell from the following pictures, CoLLaRโ€™s yellow & patriotic leather leashes have become the pupsโ€™ daily go-to leashes!

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My Favorite Dog Gear & Raw Dog Food Brands: Bottom Line

I love spoiling Missy & Buzz with top notch nutrition and shopping around for deals between different raw dog food companies. 

Darwinโ€™s Natural PetRaw Feeding Miami, and Raw Paws Pet Food have earned my trust over the years, and Iโ€™m happy to provide any further information you might be interested in. Just leave a comment below and Iโ€™ll get back to you.

Iโ€™m equally enthusiastic about RuffwearMighty Paw, and CoLLaR. Not only are their products easy on the eye, theyโ€™re also highly functional and durable, and I love that combination. 

Are you familiar with any of the 6 brands I mentioned? Whatโ€™s one of your favorite brands? As always, Iโ€™d love to hear from you in the comment section below this blog post!

Raw Dog Food Game Changers

BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK RAW DOG FOOD

Save 15% on anything at Raw Paws Pet Food with code K9Savings. They’re located in Indiana and ship nationwide within the US.

BEST VARIETY FOR INDIVIDUAL CUTS OF RAW MEAT

Save 10% on your first order of anything at Raw Feeding Miami with this referral link.

BEST SLOW FEEDER FOR RAW FED DOGS

Mighty Paw’s Slow Feed Insert combined with Yeti’s Boomer 4 Dog Bowl. Both are top rack dishwasher safe.

BEST FOUNDATION FOR BALANCED DIY RAW MEALS

Dr. Harvey’s Paradigm Base Mix. It’s low-carb which is particularly great for dogs on a keto diet and those with health issues like diabetes and cancer.

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Barbara launched her blog K9sOverCoffee in 2014 and has been feeding her dogs raw dog food since 2015. As a former professional dog walker, she’s passionate about balancing species-appropriate exercise with healthy dog nutrition. Barbara is raw dog food nutrition certified from “Dogs Naturally Magazine” and the author of several e-books about minimally processed, balanced raw dog food.


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