Canines Unlimited - Healthy Alternatives

Taste Tests - How to


Place 3-5 different foods to test on the floor, labeled, and then let your dog in. Video if you can.	Post-its are quick and easy to use, and stick to the floor.	Dog eye view	Try different configurations, leave space between choices.	A 3 x 5 card, taped to the floor, can work well.	Remember, cats can taste test, too.	You only need a few kibble for taste tests.

Taste Tests are sort of like a sports contest. You start out competing with other individuals, and over time and multiple "tests" you come up and a highest rated individual (or product) in that group. The "winners" from multiple groups, then compete, for the highest rated individual (or product) of that comparison. And on until you get best individual or product at that time.

Here's how to do it:

1. Decide where you are going to do your taste tests, then put the dog in a different room, while you prepare the tests.
2. Pick 2-5 different foods, and put a small amount on a labeled card, on the floor. Kibble can be placed on a 3x5 card or a sticky note, soft or moist foods would need to be in a dish that is set on the floor next to the label (see below for The Honest Kitchen taste tests). Include the food you are currently feeding, too, to get a comparison and opinion from your dog.
3. Be sure to leave some space between each sample.
4. Video it if you can, placing yourself so you can see the dog and label of the food. (Digital cameras take good video clips these days.) Or take photos, if possible, to help you remember what your dog did.
5. Take notes, as objectively as you can, as to your dog's behavior. There are no right or wrong answers.
6. Remove your dog when he is done with the presented food, repeat the test with the same samples, but mix up the order. Then let your dog in again, and see what happens.
7. Repeat the process another two or three times, mixing up the order or placement each time, to get a good reading on your dog's opinion of those foods. Keep taking notes and videos or photos.
8. If you have more samples, you can keep going with more and more tests. After you have several "group" winners (preferred foods), put the winners together as a group, and test them together, to get the preferred food of that group.
9. Save your sample bags for valuable information about ingredients.

Keep in mind that your taste test is about your dog's opinion of the food(s) at that moment in time. Due to the changing nature of individual needs, you may get different outcomes from doing the tests at another time. If you are getting information from your dog that his dietary needs are changing (does not seem to want his food so enthusiastically, won't eat it, etc.), you might consider doing another series of taste tests, to find out how he has changed in his preferences.

Have fun with the tests, learn lots, repeat when you want more information. Happy testing! :-)

The Honest Kitchen taste test videos-quality and convenience. Dehydrated, whole food...just add water, hydrate and serve! Our thanks to Rick Wery and his crew for the video clips, used with his permission.

Click inside the images below to view our series of Honest Kitchen Dog taste test videos.

Odie before and after natural foods

Great nutrition is essential for all parts of your pet's life. For dogs like Odie (pictured above, before and after) with certain health conditions a special homemade diet with supplements is best.

Dog and Cat foods
Free samples are available of many of these foods and treats. Just ask.

Brand	Name	Varieties	Description	Also carry
	Spring Naturals Dog Food	Chicken Beef Turkey Salmon Lamb Senior Puppy Kibble and canned	With Real Meat and Fish, NO Meat MEAL of any kind. Human grade ingredients. With and without grains. No Soy, corn or wheat.	Spring Naturals Treats
	Real Meat Dog and Cat food Grain Free	Dog: Lamb, Chicken, Beef Cat: Lamb, Chicken, Beef	90% Real Meat, Air Dried. Meat in our products is sourced from only the finest farms, free ranging and humanely raised without growth hormones or antibiotics and our fish are from the deep clear oceans of the South Pacific. Free range grass-fed animals are higher in omega-3 fatty acids, beta carotene and maintain a better ph balance than animals from feed lots. Each ounce of Real Meat Food is equivalent to 3 ounces of fresh meat! Can be served as is, or hydrated.	Real Meat Treats
	Lotus Dog and Cat Food, Kibble and Canned Oven Baked (not extruded)	Chicken, and Lamb (with grains) Kibble No Corn or Wheat Duck-Grain Free, Kibble Canned: Chicken & Asparagus, other flavors available Human grade ingredients	Because we bake our dog and cat foods, we are able to use up to twice as much fresh meat as extruded pet foods. Then there’s better palatability.
	Canidae Dog and Cat kibble and canned	Grain free, and with grain varieties available. Human grade ingredients.
	Grandma Lucy's Artisan Freeze Dried Dog Food	Flavors: Chicken, Lamb, Port, Bison, Venison	•USA Originated Ingredients •Grain-Free Recipes •USDA Meat •Human-Grade Ingredients •Hormone and Antibiotic Free Meats •No By-Products •Tough Standards •All Products Made in Our California Facility
	Nutrisca Dog Kibble	Grain Free and Potato Free. Flavors: Chicken and Chickpea and Lamb and Chickpea By Dogswell
	Weruva Dog and cat canned food	Amazon Liver Dog Bed & Breakfast Dog Cirque de la Mar Dog Jammin Salmon Dog Marbella Paella Dog Paw Lickin Chic Dog Grandma Chic Soup Dog Peking Ducken Dog Wok the Dog Kurobuta Pagoda Dog Kobe Yume Dog Outback Grill Cat BFF GF Valentine Cat CITK Chick Magnet Cat ....and more	Human grade ingredients, meeting the highest standards of quality, some organic ingredients, and BPA free cans! This is perhaps the most amazing food we have carried so far. Even the pickiest of dogs are clamouring for it.
Testimonial: Melissa Murphy hopes we're always around, to continue providing outstanding dog food and products. Giving us an "excellent" rating, she says: "My standard poodle and cat eat Honest Kitchen and they both love it. My poodle is a terribly picky eater but she has never turned her nose up to this food. My cat has always been skinny but with this food [Prowl] he has gained an appropriate amount of weight and has shiny fur. Lots of energy and he loves to eat it! I am an Honest Kitchen customer for life!" Thanks, Melissa!	The Honest Kitchen For Dogs and Cats	Embark Force Thrive Verve Keen Zeal Love Preference Prowl Grace	Dehydrated whole raw food. Just add warm water, wait 10 minutes, and serve. Comes in 10#, 4# and 4 oz. travel packets. Samples available. Now with Free-Range, sustainably raised Chicken in Force, Thrive and Prowl	Treats and supplements
	Taste of the Wild	Dog: High Prairie (Bison/Venison) Wetlands Formula (Duck, Turkey, Quail, Chicken) Pacific Stream (Smoked Salmon) Sierra Mountain (Roasted Lamb) Cat: Rocky Mtn Feline Kibble and Canned	All are Grain Free and All Life Stages
Sun Dancer-newest flavor, Chicken with Quinoa (gluten free) Testimonial: Hi Martha, Kobuk started eating the King Wolf dog food about 3 weeks ago and boy what a difference! His coat is softer, he eats less and is satisfied faster, and best of all his stools are solid! We will be by today to pick up another bag. Thank you so much!! Jeanne Pedersen	Solid Gold	Hundenflocken Wolf King Wolf Cub Holistique Blendz MMillenium Barking at the Moon Sun Dancer Katznflocken Indigo Wee Bits Hunchenflocken Seameal SG Canned (Lamb, Chicken, Turkey)	Solid Gold Hund-n-Flocken Dog Food Flakes are completely natural, highly digestible and low in fat. Protein sources include Amaranth, the "grain of the future", Menhaden fish meal and lamb meal. Barley, chosen for its non-allergenic properties, contains soluble fiber which reduces the absorption of fats and contains fat-soluble oxidants related to Vitamin E. Yucca has a 2,000 year history of use for bone and joint problems and has natural color control for both the body and manure. Beta Carotene, Blueberries, Garlic, Millet, and unsaturated vegetable fats are also found in this preservative free nearly perfect pet food! Samples available.	Also SG treats and supplements
	Chicken Soup for the Dog (or Cat) Lover's Soul	In Puppy, Adult, Light, and Senior, Large Breed Puppy, Large Breed Adult Dog and Cat. Also canned food varieties available.	(Human grade ingredients, excellent recipes.) Samples available.	Treats
	Old Mother Hubbard Wellness Dog and Cat (kibble and canned)	(Lamb, chicken, whitefish, senior, puppy, weight mgmt.) and cat food, kibble and canned (Chicken, Lamb, Duck, Senior, Turkey, Vennison, Fish and Sweet Potato) Also CORE (no grains) in Regular, Reduced Cal. and Ocean.	Wellness represents a new generation of uniquely formulated, all-natural pet food which rivals human food in quality, nutrition and the cooking process. The primary protein source in the Wellness line is human grade deboned chicken, human grade Atlantic whitefish or hormone-free lamb, depending on the formula. In addition, these top-of-the-line dog and cat foods contain fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy grains, and vitamins and minerals. Another major differentiator is that unlike most commercial dog food manufacturers that rapidly extrude their food, Old Mother Hubbard slowly oven bakes its Wellness Super5Mix dog foods and treats to preserve and enrich the nutrients, and to enhance the aroma. As rates of feline and canine allergies, cancers and diseases continue to rise, the link between pet nutrition and health is being examined more closely than ever. Healthy thoughtful ingredients in Wellness, like fresh fruits and vegetables, provide essential antioxidants that protect and strengthen your pet's immune system for a healthy, long life. Samples available. Wellness does not contain any rendered animal fats, meat by-products, wheat, corn or white rice and also does not contain any artificial colors, flavors or preservatives of any kind.	Wellness Treats Wellness Supplements (vitamins, joint, skin & coat, and more)
	Old Mother Hubbard Wellness 95%	Salmon, Beef, Turkey, Venison, Chicken, Lamb for dogs	Packed with all-natural, super premium deboned salmon, our new Wellness 95% Can formulas are a delicious compliment to dry kibble. As a mixer or a topper, they’re simply delicious. There are NO meat by-products, wheat, corn, soy, or artificial preservatives, colors or flavors. Try all five formulas today!
	Old Mother Hubbard Wellness Simple Solutions	Natural Relief of Food Allergies and Intolerances Simple Salmon Formula Simple Duck Formula	Only 5 main ingredients (one main protein) and one carbohydrate, to help reduce allergic reactions. A complete and balanced food.
	Old Mother Hubbard Wellness Core Dog and Cat food	Turkey, chicken base, GRAIN FREE, regular and reduced calorie and ocean formulas Also CORE canned food, Original & Ocean formula	A new product from Old Mother Hubbard Wellness, this is high in protein and fat, due to not having grains. Great recipe. Consider trying this if you think your dog has a grain allergy. Samples available.
	Organix	Dog and Cat, kibble and canned	Organic kibble and canned food. Samples available.
	Merrick	Dog and cat, kibble and can	All human grade ingredients, in delicious recipies
	Instinct (grain free)	Dog, canned and kibble Duck, Rabbit, Venison, Chicken available	Instinct, complete nutrition. No Grains. Especially helpful for food sensitive dogs.
	Merrick Regular canned, BG (Before Grains), and kibble.	Merrick, canned, 13 flavors Merrick, Before Grains canned Merrick, Before Grains, (grain free) Pork. Kibble. Other flavors available upon request. Human Grade Ingredients	One of our most popular canned dog foods.
	Addiction (from Australia)	Kangaroo/Apple-Kibble Unaga/seaweed-canned