FAQs

Why not commercial kibble?
Most pet foods are highly processed and the end result is a food that lacks nutrients and flavor which is why vitamins, minerals and artificial flavors must be added back to the end product to make it taste good and meet minimum nutrition standards. Premium brands start off with higher quality ingredients, but the processing of those ingredients still takes out so much of the good nutrition. Feeding your pet fresh food that has been lightly cooked is the best way to give your pet the nutrients he/she needs to thrive.

Why is grass fed beef healthier and why does that matter?
Cows are ruminants and they were meant to graze on a variety of grasses to keep them healthy and fit. Just think about it: they are able to convert grass into enough energy to grow to weigh 600+ pounds. The meat that comes from cattle that have been grass fed, versus commercial fed, is leaner and has more good fats than bad and a higher level of Omega 3 fatty acids in the form of alpha-linoleic acids. It's also higher in key nutrients, including antioxidants, vitamins and a beneficial fat called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) that's been tied to improved immunity and anti-inflammation benefits.

Why should we feed our dogs pasture raised chicken and pork?
Like grass fed cattle, pigs and chickens that are pasture raised can live, eat and thrive just the way mother nature intended. This means that they are happier and their bodies are functioning optimally. When pigs are raised on pasture, with access to natural forage and plenty of sunshine, their meat and fat is richer in micronutrients, particularly fat-soluble vitamins E and D, as well as minerals like selenium. Pasture-raised chicken meat tends to be higher in iron, higher in Omega 3, have a lower Omega 6:3 ratio and be higher in antioxidants (Vitamin E, for example). Pasture-raised eggs have higher Omega 3s, a lower Omega 6:3 ratio, increased vitamin D and more antioxidants. This all means our pets will be healthier too.

Why organ meat?
Organ meat continues to be eaten around the world by humans, however here in the U.S. it is often discarded because of our more discerning tastes. However, dogs love it and that’s a good thing because it is packed with nutrition. Beef heart is rich in folate, iron, zinc and selenium. It is also a great source of vitamins B2, B6 and B12, as well as a great source of coenzyme Q10. Liver is high in vitamin A, folic acid, iron, B12 and zinc. Daphne’s Beef Stew has beef heart, Wake Up With the Chickens has chicken hearts and chicken liver and Dutch Harvest Pork includes pork liver. If your dog eats all three blends, he/she will benefit from the both the heart and liver that is in the food.

Is ‘organic’ really better for us and our pets?
Commercial farms must grow as much food as possible on the same plots of land every single year. This means that the soil being used is typically depleted of natural minerals and nutrients that plants need to grow and thrive. In order to compensate for that, farmers must add artificial nutrients back to the soil and they must also treat plants with pesticides (to keep the bugs from eating them), artificial fertilizers (to keep them growing) and herbicides (to keep the weeds from taking over). All of this leads to chemical laden produce. Organic producers are not allowed to use any of these chemicals when growing food and instead rely on tools that mother nature gives us to control weeds, bugs and to promote good growth. Clean, organic food is easier on our systems (liver, kidneys etc.) because there are no chemicals to get absorbed and stored in our bodies.

Why fresh food?
It’s a matter of thriving instead of just surviving. Food is food and mother nature provided its living creatures with enough vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, grains and meat to survive and thrive. Dogs were not meant to eat highly processed kibble from a bag. They were meant to eat real food. For the Love of Dutch is real food that has been lightly cooked in order to make it more easily digestible for our dogs. Each recipe contains different meat, vegetables, fruit and sometimes grains to give your dog enough variety in taste and ample nutrients to keep them happy and healthy.

Is variety OK for my dog?
We have been indoctrinated for years to believe that dogs should eat the same food, every day for their entire life and that this is somehow good for them. Would a doctor ever tell us humans to do the same? Absolutely not. Dogs benefit from eating fresh food, and a variety of foods. That variety can be in the form of different meat (beef, chicken, pork, turkey etc.), all different kinds of vegetables and fruits as well as a variety of grains. Once your dog is accustomed to eating fresh food, adding variety should not cause any digestive issues, unless of course they have an allergy to a new ingredient. Just like with humans, eating different colored veggies means you are getting all sorts of different nutrients that we all need. For example, orange vegetables tend to have lots of vitamin C, red fruits and vegetables are higher in Lycopene, purple would give you an antioxidant called anthocyanin. As you can see, a varied diet just means a more nutritious diet.

How much should I feed my dog?
Since each dog is so unique (breed, age, sex, activity level, general health, etc.) we highly recommend that you discuss portion sizes with your veterinarian. To get you started, we suggest 2/3 cup of food for every 10 lbs. of body weight per day as a starting point. Our food has on average around 260 calories for every 8 ounces (1 cup) of food.

How should I store For the Love of Dutch?
Since our food is made fresh, it does need to be kept refrigerated. It can also be frozen for future use. We do provide a ‘Use or Freeze By’ date on our packages for your reference. Our food comes in convenient resealable stand up pouches for storage in your fridge. We also offer a custom 30 oz glass storage container in which you can store your food once the pouch has been opened. Some may find that the food is easier to access this way.

My dog doesn’t like the food, what can I do?
While we have not yet met a dog who doesn’t like For the Love of Dutch, there is probably one out there who is very finicky and who just doesn’t like it. Please let us know right away and we can either offer you a different blend, or we can refund your money.

How do you make the food?
We make For the Love of Dutch in small batches so that we can make sure that each one is made just right. We cook the meat separately so that it is not over cooked as we want it to maintain as much nutrition as is possible. Same with the produce. The starchy vegetables are cooked a little longer to make them as easily digestible as possible. All other vegetables and fruits are lightly steamed to soften them but they still maintain their nutrients. The grains are fully cooked separately and added to the small batches at the end just before everything is blended together and then packaged.

Where can I buy food?
For the Love of Dutch dog food can be bought in our online Shop as well as at select retailers. Check out our Where to Find page. 

When do I order and how do I get my food?
Because the food is prepared each week and delivered fresh, we ask that orders be placed by no later than 12:00 noon on Mondays. The food is then delivered to your door on Thursday afternoon, or it can be dropped off at a pre-selected location on Thursday mornings for you to pick up at your convenience. If you have selected home delivery and will not be home during the afternoon, we ask that you leave a cooler by your front door where we can place your order and where it will stay cold until you get home.

Where do you deliver?
We deliver locally to the Charlotte area as well as Mooresville, Gastonia, Fort Mill, Rock Hill, Waxhaw and Matthews.

Our local delivery area includes the following zip codes:
28202, 28203, 28204, 28205, 28206, 28207, 28208, 28209, 28210, 28211, 28212, 28213, 28214, 28216, 28217, 28226, 28227, 28244, 28262, 28269, 28270, 28273, 28277, 28278, 28280, 28282, 28105, 28134, 28025, 28027, 28031, 28078, 28075, 29715, 29716, 29730, 29731, 29732, 29733, 29734, 28115, 28117, 28123

If you are outside of our current delivery area, please contact us with your address and we’ll find a way to get you For the Love of Dutch.  

Do you take custom orders?
While we do not take custom orders, we are always looking for input and feedback and since we will eventually be adding to our menu, we may create a new variety using the information provided to us by our customers. In addition, if enough clients have dogs with a particular dietary need, we might be able to create a new variety specially for them.