Natural foods for your dog may not be the first thing you think about when it comes to your pup’s diet. You probably already eat more organic and unprocessed food yourself – and you know how crucial good, natural food is for your overall health. People who switch to organic food often notice a boost in their energy levels. Their skin improves, their immune system strengthens, they catch fewer colds, and they recover more quickly from illnesses. The health benefits of natural and organic eating seem to have long-term positive effects.
Now that the positive effects of eating organic, natural food have been proven for humans, the question naturally arises: does this work the same way for dogs? Can natural foods help your dog live a healthier and happier life? As puppy parents, that’s exactly what we want. But is the higher price you pay for natural foods for your dog really worth it? Does it improve your dog’s health – will they get sick less often, will their immunity increase, will their skin and coat condition improve, will they have more energy? With the benefits of natural foods for your dog listed below, it’s definitely worth considering a switch to an organic, natural diet for your four-legged friend
Table of Contents
Why natural foods for your dog
Benefits of natural foods for your dog
- Fewer skin conditions and allergies
- Fewer digestive issues
- Better overall health and stronger immunity
- Quality of life and lifespan
Natural Dog Food
- Dogchef – fresh, tailor-made meals
- Edgard & Cooper – the fresh revolution
- Yarrah – organic food for your dog
- Aston’s Cookies – home-made treats baked with love
- Soopa – for healthy, happy dogs
- Cook It Yourself – Feed Me Cookbook
Why natural foods for your dog
What is natural dog food?
It’s completely normal to want the very best for your pup, and that’s why you might consider switching to natural foods for your dog. Doing your research is important to really understand the benefits of natural food for dogs. Besides containing the right ingredients, it’s just as important to know how these ingredients are sourced. If dog food contains ingredients that are obtained in a responsible way, this will always be indicated on the packaging, either in the ingredients list or with a certification label
By feeding your rascal natural dog food, you support your dog’s overall health. Because organic food contains high-quality nutrients, it contributes to better health, more energy, improved coat and skin condition, bright eyes, better stools, and a happier dog. When you feed your dog high-quality food, they will feel healthy and happy. This also strengthens your bond – you’ll be able to spend more quality time together, head out for beautiful walks, and enjoy new adventures. It will significantly increase both of your happiness and help reduce the number of visits to the vet.
All natural foods matter, including snacks
Your pup’s food isn’t just what you put in their bowl – it’s everything you give them throughout the day, including treats! Every time you spoil your loyal companion with a treat (or two!), keep them healthy by choosing organic treats that are just as tasty as they are good for them. By switching your rascal to natural food in every part of their diet, you’ll see the biggest impact. You’ll definitely notice an overall change in your pup’s health – helping them become the very best version of themselves.
It’s essential to give your dog the right food (snacks included) that’s made in the right way. With organic and natural dog food, you know exactly what’s in it. If you want the best for your dog, always check the ingredients and their quality. Natural dog food will be a bit more expensive to buy. But because your pup needs less of it due to the higher nutrient density, you’ll actually make it last longer. On top of that, it improves your dog’s overall health, which can reduce the number of vet visits – and that makes a big difference in cost.
By feeding your rascal natural, high-quality food, you can feel confident that you’re giving your four-legged friend the very best – we call that a true win-win.
Benefits of natural foods for your dog
1. Fewer skin conditions and allergies
If your dog struggles with allergies or an annoying skin condition, you’ve probably tried “everything” to give your pup some relief. You might wonder: if the medication or creams prescribed by your vet don’t seem to help, how could natural food make a difference? Natural food can give your dog the best chance to combat skin infections and allergies over the long term. It’s free from artificial colours and flavour enhancers, chemical additives, and toxic pesticides that can be the source of your dog’s allergies. Organic dog food contains high-quality proteins and grain sources with exceptional nutritional value. This supports your pup’s immune system and helps build resistance against skin infections.
2. Fewer digestive issues
High-quality nutrients from grains and proteins, combined with the absence of chemicals and artificial substances, make natural dog foods easier to digest. If your dog occasionally vomits after meals or often suffers from bloating or diarrhoea, contact your vet to check for any underlying conditions. Once that’s ruled out, switching to organic, natural food can make your pup feel much better – and you’ll definitely notice the difference. It’s the high nutritional value of organic dog food that really matters. Because it’s naturally more nutritious, your pup needs smaller portions to feel satisfied. Natural dog foods don’t contain “fillers” that cheaper, commercial brands often rely on. Those cheaper foods usually contain fewer valuable nutrients and more bulk, so your dog eats more but gets less.
More flavour
Your rascal will definitely prefer the taste of natural food. Without fillers and with only pure, healthy ingredients, natural food simply tastes much better. Your dog will feel satisfied more quickly even with smaller portions. An organic diet can help your dog lose weight and become more active. Lightly digestible oats, barley, and other whole grains, along with high-quality turkey, lamb, or chicken, make a big difference to your dog’s digestive system. Instead of consuming corn or other cheap “belly fillers” and chemical additives, your pup will only take in what they truly need for a healthy metabolism. Your four-legged friend will eat and excrete less on a natural diet, which also means more predictable bowel movements and firmer, less smelly stools.
Check out our handmade ceramic food bowls
3. Better overall health and stronger immunity
Even if your dog doesn’t suffer from skin conditions, obesity, or digestive problems, a natural dog food diet can still be highly beneficial. While almost every dog food brand claims to be “nutritionally complete,” most vets still recommend “premium” brands over large commercial ones. That’s because premium brands offering organic options generally provide better nutritional value. Natural dog food delivers higher-quality nutrients than even non-organic premium brands. It’s simply easier for your dog to digest. Because it’s more digestible, your pup absorbs the nutrients they need instead of eliminating them, which helps maintain a healthy immune system. A stronger immune system supports your dog in fighting off infections and illnesses that would otherwise require vet care.
4. Quality of life and lifespan
Just as the quality of your own food affects the quality of your life, it also directly influences how your dog looks, feels, and behaves. By feeding your rascal natural food, you’re contributing to a long, happy, and healthy life. Natural, high-quality food is one of the key pillars of an overall healthy lifestyle for your dog. A shiny, luxurious coat, plenty of energy to run and play, a healthy weight, and a strong immune system can all help maximise your dog’s life expectancy and quality of life well into old age.
To help you navigate the many different brands of dog food available, we’ve put together a selection for you. There are so many options on the market that it can be hard to see the forest for the trees. We’ve personally tested the brands below and are genuinely impressed with them. They offer a great starting point if you want to adjust your pup’s diet and give them a responsible, healthy lifestyle. (All of the information below is not sponsored, but based on our own experiences with brands we truly care about!)
1. Dogchef – fresh, tailor-made meals
Dogchef prepares all its menus with fresh, natural ingredients – even suitable for human consumption. Only the very best ingredients are used, nothing else. No meat waste, by-products, additives, or preservatives. No fillers – just high-quality meat, vegetables, rice, quinoa… They calculate the exact daily recommended portion for your rascal based on their age, weight, and body composition. The menus are created by vets who specialise in nutrition to make sure your dog gets everything they need. Meals are delivered ready-made in a chilled box, and you can choose how often you’d like your box to arrive. That way, you can spoil your pup with Dogchef’s natural, fresh dog food at every meal or alternate it with their organic kibble.
100% fresh ingredients
The food contains high-quality proteins, nutrient-rich vegetables, and all the vitamins and minerals your pup needs. Everything is cooked in a specialised kitchen and not outsourced to an external partner – so Dogchef maintains 100% control and can deliver outstanding quality.
2. Edgard & Cooper – the fresh revolution
At Edgard & Cooper, they were done with over-processed dog food, so they decided to create something better themselves. They don’t use “fillers” or waste in their recipes. Instead, they pack them with high-quality ingredients and an incredible amount of love. The meat they use is fresh and nutritious – treated with respect from farm to bowl. For an extra boost of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fibre, they add real fruit and real vegetables. Finally, they add potatoes – complex carbohydrates that are easy-to-digest little energy bombs.
Prepared with great care
The simple, healthy recipes are specially developed by university-trained experts. This way, Edgard & Cooper gets the maximum nutritional value out of every natural ingredient. They bake the kibble and slowly cook the wet food at a low temperature so all the natural goodness and delicious flavours are preserved.
Alongside kibble and wet food, Edgard & Cooper also offers a full range of snacks. Think training treats, jerky, and bars – all made with the same healthy ingredients as their food (success guaranteed!).
3. Yarrah – organic food for your dog
Yarrah is the first pet food producer in the Netherlands to offer a complete range of organic products. Since 1992, they’ve worked exclusively with chickens, cows, and turkeys that have had a better life. No factory-farmed meat or “fast-grown” chickens here.
Natural dog food is 100% pure and therefore healthy. Yarrah sources its ingredients directly from farmers and livestock producers who, just like Yarrah, want to make the world a better place. These producers are personally visited by Yarrah to make sure everything is done properly.
100% natural
It almost goes without saying, but Yarrah’s products are free from chemical antioxidants, artificial fragrances, colours and flavours, refined sugars, and genetically modified ingredients. Even the animals that eventually end up in the food are fed organic feed that isn’t sprayed with harsh pesticides.
Alongside their meat-based kibble and wet food, Yarrah also offers a range of vegetarian and vegan products. These recipes are just as balanced as their meat-based options but even better for the planet and for other animals. Yarrah also has a snack range – from training treats to biscuits – all 100% natural and healthy ways to spoil your rascal.
4. Aston’s Cookies – home-made treats baked with love
100% natural, no preservatives, and no ingredients you don’t recognise – just treats baked with love. Aston’s Cookies are small dog biscuits made from simple ingredients that are carefully selected and approved as human-grade. These healthy dog treats are sure to win over even the most refined pups.
The cookies are made with pure ingredients. For example, the carrot cookies contain real carrot, not carrot flavouring. They’re vegetarian and made with ingredients from organic farming. Your rascal will definitely fall in love with these delicious, lovingly baked cookies.
5. Soopa – for healthy, happy dogs
Soopa offers a range of super healthy dog snacks. They’re convinced that small changes to your dog’s diet can make a big difference to their overall health. Soopa products are 100% natural, made with superfood ingredients, and produced to “human-grade” standards. The snacks are simple, nutritious, and above all, delicious.
The snacks come in different sizes. The range includes training treats as well as super healthy dental sticks. Every flavour within the range has its own specific health benefits for your rascal.
6. Cook it yourself – Feed Me cookbook
Do you want to be absolutely sure your rascal gets nothing but the very best? And do you like knowing exactly which ingredients go into their natural meals? Then cook for your dog yourself! That way, you’re guaranteed everything is fresh and you only use ingredients your pup loves and that are good for them. You might be thinking: sounds great, but where do I start? Thankfully, there are plenty of good, healthy cookbooks to guide you. One of our favourites is “Feed Me”. This cookbook contains 50 easy recipes to cook the healthiest and most sustainable meals for your pup. Everything is explained step by step. You can even cook in bulk and freeze portions. That way, you’ll have fresh, natural meals ready for your rascal for a longer period of time.
If you’d like to enrich your dog’s natural food with an extra superfood, Houndztooth’s 100% cold-pressed hemp seed oil is perfect. It’s like green magic in a bottle and offers many positive benefits for your pup’s overall health. It’s truly a must-have for every responsible puppy parent!
Sources: “6 Natural Foods for Your Dog” by Laura Lynn Klein of Organic Authori
– Yarrah
– DogChef
– Edgar & Cooper
– Soopa
– Lindsay Schencker of Pet Central
I’m Denise, the founder of Pawness. The company was born out of my love for my dog, Bo, and my search for fair, beautiful products for dogs. I believe that every choice matters: for your dog, for the planet, and for the people behind the products. Through these blogs, I help puppy parents make more conscious choices—without making it complicated.
