I) Food: Why feed differently? Are kibble and other industrial foods not suitable?
Kibble is undeniably practical for the owner. It promises a good balance of macro and micro nutrients, thus avoiding deficiencies. However, in our opinion, it remains an ultra-processed food devoid of living enzymes and lacking the biological energy present in fresh food. According to cellular biology, these living elements promote better assimilation and support natural immune functions. One could say that kibble allows survival but deprives the animal of optimal vitality potential.
At the individual level, consuming fresh, suitable and balanced food results in a more hardy dog, less prone to digestive and skin disorders, a balanced intestinal microbiota, guaranteeing good immunity, better kidney and liver function, thanks to increased hydration and a less processed diet, chewing as a source of pleasure, calm, and natural cleaning of the teeth, better longevity, with less premature aging. Remember that the dog has survived for 30,000 years by consuming human leftovers, not kibble.
As an individual, it is entirely possible to feed exclusively kibble, provided you choose them well, they should ideally contain at least 50% of meat.
But as a breeder, there is an additional challenge: that of preserving the vitality of the line, by developing strains capable of digesting more than just highly formulated kibble. By varying the diet from a young age, we promote better intestinal and immune development, broader enzyme diversity, and positive epigenetic transmission to future generations.
Finally, A well-thought-out natural diet can also be economical, especially when we optimize purchases (local producers, carcasses, unsold items, leftovers, etc.) and adapt the rations to the dog's real needs.
How much fresh to give?
Every dog is different. Here are some guidelines to adjust based on age, activity, breed, temperament, etc., provided as a guide.
Puppies (homemade ration):
2 months: 10% of weight/day 3 months: 8%, 4 months: 7%, 5 months: 6.5% 6 months: 6%, 9 months: 5%, 12 months: 4.5%, 18 months: 4%
Divide into 2 to 4 meals/day until adulthood.
Adults (homemade ration):
2 to 4% of weight/day, in 1 or 2 meals.
One day of fasting per month or per season can be beneficial (except for puppies, seniors, sick people).
Visual cue: you should feel the ribs but not see them.
II) Food 3 balanced formulas
Meaty bones = chicken thighs, carcasses, ribs, etc. Raw bones are not dangerous for dogs but they should never be given cooked (risk of digestive perforation).
I. Formula 1 – The Ideal (100% house)
Per week: Raw meaty bones: 60 to 70% (including 15-20% of pure bone, to be adjusted according to stools) Meat: included in the bones, or added, Offal: 10 to 20% (Liver 5%, heart 5%), Mixed fruits/vegetables, well-cooked cereals, leftovers: 15 to 25%
Weekly supplements (per 10 kg of weight): 1 egg with shell, 100 g of oily fish (sardines, salmon, etc.), 2 tbsp. of salmon or krill oil, 2 tbsp. of rapeseed oil, 1 tbsp. of powdered seaweed (kelp, etc.)
Other possible additions: yogurt, cider vinegar, wheat germ oil, butter, wheat bran, etc.
Tip: Separate bone/offal meals to avoid interference with absorption (calcium can interfere with iron absorption).
This is what we call the BARF
II. Formula 2 – The good compromise 1 (semi-house)
Raw meaty bones: 40 to 70 1/3 tbsp, Fruits/vegetables/grains, leftovers, dry bread, rehydrated kibble: 15 to 55 1/3 tbsp Offal: 5 to 10 1/3 tbsp (1 or more times/week) Vegetable oils: 1 tbsp/day
Example: chicken thigh in the morning, dry bread + vegetables + oil + croquettes in the evening
III. Formula 3 – The good compromise 2 (kibble/raw mix)
Raw meaty bones: 40 to 70% Kibble (rehydrated): 30 to 60% Example: raw meat in the morning, rehydrated kibble in the evening
How to choose your kibble? It doesn't really matter what brand it is, whether it contains grains or not, whether it's a marketing argument for a puppy or something else. The key criterion: the first ingredients must be animal proteins (chicken, lamb, duck, etc.) and represent more than 50% of the total mass.
CAUTION: If you are still afraid of giving bones, but would like to give a home-cooked ration, it is possible but you must supplement with calcium/phosphorus, in powder form (bone meal).
For example, for bone meal with 35% Ca / 25% P, the following should be added to the household ration:
Puppy: 9 g / kg of ration Adult: 5 g / kg of ration Conclusion
Feeding your dog naturally isn't complicated or restrictive, as long as you're a little organized. It strengthens their health, supports their bloodlines, and promotes more balanced behavior.
A few additional ideas for those who fear imbalance...
We often hear that every meal must be perfectly balanced down to the gram, with a rigid distribution of nutrients. This idea, widely promoted by the kibble industry, is based on a very reductionist view of nutrition.
But health is a dynamic, not an equation.
For dogs, as for humans, it's not every meal that matters, but the overall balance over several days. No species on Earth eats exactly the same proportions every day. Variety, cycles, seasonal or physiological adjustments are normal and even beneficial.
If instantaneous nutritional microbalance were enough to guarantee health, then humans themselves would be fed sterilized kibble… and hospitals would be empty.
6 Week Old Puppy Des Crocs Véritables in Action
To go even further:
Several studies have shown that moderate dietary variety stimulates the microbiota and limits food intolerances (Schmidt et al., 2018, Cell Metabolism). The link between ultra-processed nutrition and chronic inflammation is well established, in humans as well as in animals (Monteiro et al., 2019, Public Health Nutrition). Dogs fed a mixed diet (raw + kibble) or home-cooked diet often have fewer digestive and skin disorders (Morel et al., 2010, British Journal of Nutrition).
Nature is flexible, not mathematical. The important thing is to think over the course of the week, observe your dog, and remain consistent overall. In our opinion, a dog fed with attention, pleasure, and variety will be much more resilient than a dog fed sterilely, but "to the nearest gram."
