First Impressions: Raised Right Pets Dog Food Subscription

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Fresh food for my dogs that I don't have to make myself? This is something I've been on the hunt for lately, so I decided to give Raised Right Pets' food delivery for dogs a try! The subscription brand makes fresh dog food that's low on carbs, and was formulated with the help of a veterinarian and pet food formulation expert. They then freeze it so it stays fresh on the trip to your doorstep... and eventually your pup's dinner bowl!

This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

First off, how does it work?

Raised Right Pets offers a few different options to customers, and each comes with its own cost structure. Pet owners who simply want to buy fresh dog food can do that as a one-time purchase or as a subscription with deliveries set up as frequently as every week or at a cadence that's as long as every 28 weeks.

Full Box:

• Includes 16 1-pound packages
• Costs $159.84 for adult cat foods and original recipe dog foods
• Costs $143.84 for dog pâtés (available for adult dogs only)
• Shipping is free

Sample Box:

• Includes 4 1-pounds packages
• Costs $49.95 for adult cat foods and original recipe dog foods
• Costs $45.95 for dog pâtés (available for adult dogs only)
• Shipping is an additional $9.99

You can also customize your pet's meal plan with food for cats 1 and older or food for dogs — both puppies and adults — that will be built based on a series of questions Raised Right asks about their age, activity level, and your goals for their weight. Prices depend on how your goals for your pet and how much of their diet you intend to be made up of Raised Right food. The brand makes suggestions based on whether you plan to feed your dog solely Raised Right or mix it with another food (such as dry kibble).

ACTIVE DEAL: PETS20 For 20% OFF Your First Full Box (8 bags) of Raised Right's "Home Cooked Style"
CODE: PETS20

The Food

I decided to give the Raised Right Pets' sample box a try so we could find out what each of their "flavors" for dog foods are like. Raised Right splits its dog food options up so if you've got a puppy you can access four original recipes, and if you've got older dogs you can choose from the four original recipes plus four adult dog food pâtés. Here's what you can get:

Dog Food Original Recipe Flavors

• Turkey
• Chicken
• Beef
• Pork

Adult Dog Food Pâté Flavors

• Turkey and pumpkin
• Chicken and pumpkin
• Beef and pumpkin
• Pork and pumpkin

Raised Right Pets Dog Food Review

With both a puppy and two older dogs in the house, I went with the four original recipes in the sample box to see if there was a flavor my dogs liked best before deciding if I should commit to a full subscription.

The Raised Right Pets food arrives in your basic brown cardboard box, and inside is dry ice to keep your pet's food frosty! There's a warning not to touch the dry ice, but something had shifted in shipment, so as I was pulling out my packages, I did hit my bare hand against it. Fortunately it was just a second, and after running my hand under cold water, I was fine. And hey, this was my fault for not being careful.

One cool thing about the packaging for Raised Right? Not only is the cardboard box recyclable, but the packaging that the dry ice comes in can be thrown right in the compost bin. Another thing I loved? The dog food didn't smell like dog food — it just smelled like food.

Raised Right Pets Dog Food Flavors

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Beef

This was the first recipe we meted out to the dogs, and after defrosting the plastic packaging in the refrigerator, we cut it open to reveal food that had almost a chalky consistency. It wasn't bad, per se, but definitely... odd? My dogs didn't seem to mind, however, as all three — from the puppy to my senior dog — munched it right down.

One tip: I'm not sure if it's my fridge or just how well frozen the food came, but the first package was still a little frozen after 2 days in the refrigerator.

Chicken

Because I'd noticed the issue of the beef food being a little bit frozen even after two days, I popped the chicken in the fridge a day earlier to make sure it was thoroughly defrosted before I started to dole it out for each dog. This food had a similar consistency to the beef, but this time the thawing process had completed. And once again, the three dogs ate it all up with no complaints.

Turkey

This recipe was pretty much the same as the chicken — slightly chalky consistency, but not terribly different for me, the human whose job it is to fill her dog's bowls morning and night.

Pork

You know what I'm going to say here, right? There wasn't a stand-out flavor from my pups' side. Then again... they are dogs... right?

What I Loved About Raised Right Dog Food

Can I get real for a second here? Most wet dog foods smell T-E-R-R-I-B-L-E. TERRIBLE! Granted, I'm a vegetarian, so I do not exactly love the smell of meat in general, but my "could eat a pound of bacon in one sitting if we said yes" kid also gags at the smell, as does my meat-loving husband.

This was the very first thing I noticed about Raised Right's dog food. The gag-inducing wet dog food smell just isn't there. It smells like... well... regular food!

It's also incredibly convenient that this fresh food is made for you, so you don't have to make it. I spent years doing all the prep work for my dogs' food, and it was no simple task — from buying the ingredients to chopping up carrots and sweet potatoes to tearing chicken off of the bones, it was all a lot of work. Getting a delivery on the doorstep that I just had to pop in the fridge, open up and dole out? That was easy!

Finally, I love the simplicity of a subscription that can work for all three of my dogs instead of having to create three separate customized subscriptions to keep up with all three of my pups!

What I Didn't Love About Raised Right Dog Food

Each Raised Right Pets package tells you how much to feed your dog based on their weight. That's pretty helpful, but the portions are complicated to dole out — for my 20 pound corgi, for example, I was supposed to feed 1 5/8 cups each day. Not only is 5/8 not a standard measurement for any measuring cup set-up, but this is a daily suggestion.

Since I feed my dogs twice a day — like most dog owners — I had to do additional math to break down 1 5/8 cups, which did not net out an even amount. Doing some (not very quick) math, I had to feed my corgi .81 cups at each meal. Huh?

Who is Raised Right Pet Foods good for?

If you want to give fresh pet food a try but aren't sure you're ready for a subscription, the Raised Right Pets sample box is a perfect way to see how if it's right for your dogs — and to find out what flavors they like the best! Their subscriptions might be best for folks who want to drop dry food but down want to deal with having to buy cans of food every week or the hassle of making it themselves.

Does Raised Right sell other products besides dog food?

Yes! They also sell food for adult cats. Turkey and chicken recipes are available with special formulations for your feline friends.

Verdict

I love that Raised Right Pets gives you a try before you buy sample box and allows you to buy just one box of dog food that works for every pup in your house. I'm not sure that any one flavor stuck out enough for me to say "yup, that's the one," but the fact that my dogs ate them all down and I didn't have to hold my nose while I was doling out the food was a big, big win!

Have you tried Raised Right Pets? What did you think? 

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Let us know if you would like to see additional Raised Right Pet reviews on their cat food or their customized subscription!