How to Home Cook for Your Dog, Without Getting It Wrong

There is something deeply human about wanting to cook for those we love.

When dog owners tell me they have started preparing meals at home, I understand the instinct immediately. It comes from trust, and from the desire to know exactly what goes into the bowl.

And in many ways, it is a beautiful impulse. But love alone does not make a meal complete.

Over the past six years building LOONAWELL, formulating recipes, working alongside veterinary nutritionists, and studying ingredient functionality, I have learned that home cooking for dogs is both empowering and delicate. It can support health profoundly. It can also create silent deficiencies if done incorrectly.

If you choose to home cook, do it properly. Let me show you how, so you don’t have to worry that something essential has been left out.

The Foundation: Structure Before Creativity

A well-constructed meal is not random. It follows proportions, and behind those proportions is purpose.

While exact needs vary depending on age, weight, and activity level, a balanced framework for an adult dog generally includes:

• 35–45% high-quality protein

• 15–25% carbohydrates

• 10–20% fat (naturally present within the ingredients)

• 15–25% vegetables and functional fiber

• Essential micronutrients (non-negotiable)
  
  

Puppies in growth phase and dogs undergoing weight management may benefit from protein levels toward the upper end of the range, and in some cases moderately above it, provided total caloric intake and mineral balance are carefully controlled. In these situations, dietary fat is often reduced to adjust overall energy density while preserving lean muscle mass.

Such adjustments should always be made thoughtfully, particularly during growth.

These ranges are not rigid formulas. They provide structure and structure prevents deficiency.

Let us examine each layer: 

1. Protein: The Structural Core

Protein forms the backbone of a home-cooked meal.

Most dog owners use standard cuts such as, lamb fillet, pork chops, turkey breast, beef tenderloin. These are sometimes referred to as muscle meats (to differentiate them from organ meat), and they provide the amino acids required for tissue repair, immune resilience, and metabolic function. Fish, such as salmon, cod, dorade or egli fillets are also a great source of healthy protein for your dog. 

Some feeding approaches recommend including small amounts of organ meat, such as liver or kidney, because they are rich in vitamin A, copper, and B vitamins.

This is nutritionally valid. However, organ meat is not mandatory if the overall diet is properly supplemented.

If you choose to include liver, it should remain modest in proportion. It is highly concentrated nutritionally. More is not better.

If you prefer to prepare a meal with refined muscle cuts alone, which many owners do, then structured micronutrient support becomes essential to compensate for what muscle meat does not naturally provide in sufficient amounts.

You can prepare a delicious, healthy meal with fillets and chops. But balance must be intentional.

The proteins I use most for my own dogs include pork chops, lamb fillet, minced beef, salmon fillet, cod fillet, and tuna. I personally avoid chicken, as it is one of the most common allergens in dogs, and mine react poorly to it.

2. Carbohydrates: Functional Energy

Carbohydrates are often misunderstood in canine nutrition.

When chosen carefully and cooked thoroughly, they provide digestible energy, fiber, and additional micronutrients.

Suitable examples include:

• Sweet potato (a favorite in our kitchen)

• Pumpkin

• Brown rice

• Millet

• Lentils (well cooked)

• Potatoes, roasted gently with rosemary and a touch of olive oil, which can complement a salmon fillet beautifully

Carbohydrates should support the protein base, not dominate it.

When selected thoughtfully and cooked properly, they serve a clear physiological purpose: they provide digestible energy, contribute soluble and insoluble fiber for gut regulation, and deliver additional micronutrients and phytonutrients that support metabolic stability.

They are not fillers when used purposefully. They are functional components of a balanced meal.

3. Fat: Energy, Density and Absorption

Fat deserves its own discussion.

When you use natural cuts such as pork chops, lamb, beef, or salmon fillets, you are already incorporating dietary fat. This is not inherently problematic,  in fact, it is physiologically appropriate. Fat is an essential macronutrient for dogs. It provides:

• Concentrated energy

• Support for skin and coat integrity

• Hormonal balance

• Absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K)

Dogs metabolize fat efficiently and rely on it as a significant energy source.

The goal is not to eliminate fat. The goal is proportion.

Excessively lean meals may lack caloric density and satiety, while excessively fatty meals, particularly in sedentary or sensitive dogs, may cause digestive disturbance.

When additional oils are introduced, such as omega-3 fish oil, they should be considered part of the total fat intake. Balance, not restriction, is the objective.

4. Vegetables and Fiber: Quiet but Important

Vegetables contribute more than color. They provide fiber for digestive regulation, antioxidant compounds, and phytonutrients that support cellular balance.

Examples include:

• Broccoli florets (lightly cooked)

• Zucchini (peeled if digestion is sensitive)

• Carrots

• Kohlrabi

• Spinach in moderation

Vegetables should be steamed or gently cooked to improve digestibility. Raw vegetables often pass through undigested and may irritate sensitive dogs.

This is particularly relevant for dogs prone to digestive fluctuations.

5. The Critical Layer: Micronutrient Balance

This is where most home-cooked diets fall short.

Muscle meat is naturally high in phosphorus but low in calcium. Without correction, this imbalance can compromise skeletal integrity over time. Calcium must be balanced carefully.

Dogs do not synthesize sufficient vitamin D from sunlight. Essential fatty acids, particularly omega-3, are not reliably present in standard meat cuts. Trace minerals such as iodine, zinc, and selenium require deliberate inclusion.

These are not optional details. They are physiological requirements.

Dogs can synthesize certain non-essential amino acids internally.

They cannot synthesize:

• Essential fatty acids in adequate amounts

• Vitamin D sufficiently

• Calcium

• Several trace minerals

These must be provided through diet, mostly through the form of supplementation, consistently and proportionally.

Precision matters more than abundance and this is precisely why we developed our three supplements, MegaLoona, Berry Bee, and FlexiLoona. When home cooking is paired with structured supplementation, it becomes complete.

The Most Common Mistakes in Home Cooking

After years of conversations with dog owners, the same patterns appear repeatedly:

• Too much muscle meat

• Excess liver

• No calcium correction

• No structured omega-3 source

• Overreliance on raw vegetables

• Ignoring portion adjustments based on weight and activity

• Removing all visible fat out of fear

Home cooking without framework becomes improvisation. And improvisation, over time, becomes imbalance, diarrhea, dull coat, itchiness, loss of vitality.

Why I Wrote The LOONAWELL Cookbook

That is why I wrote The LOONAWELL Cookbook.

It is not a collection of occasional recipes. It is a complete framework for structured home cooking.

Inside, we outline:

• The six building blocks of canine nutrition

• A reference guide of more than 250 ingredients — what can be shared safely, and what should not

• More than 40 balanced recipes designed for everyday practicality

• Clear portion guidance according to weight and activity level

• Specific recommendations on how to integrate supplementation appropriately

Because feeding with balance is intentional, and necessary for long-term health.

Il libro di cucina LOONAWELL 1a edizione

CHF. 112.00

Questo non è solo un libro di cucina, ma una vera e propria dichiarazione d'amore scientifica per i cani. Creato dal team di LOONAWELL, questo libro di cucina, il primo nel suo genere, ti invita a nutrire il tuo cane con la stessa cura, qualità e gioia che dedichi a te stesso... Leggi di più

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Supplementation in Long-Term Home Cooking

When meals are prepared consistently at home, certain nutrients require ongoing attention.

Omega-3 fatty acids are not consistently present in sufficient quantities in muscle-based meals. Calcium must be balanced against phosphorus. Antioxidant intake varies depending on ingredient rotation.

For this reason, we developed targeted support such as:

• MegaLoona, providing concentrated omega-3 fatty acids

• Berry Bee, supporting antioxidant balance

• FlexiLoona, contributing structural nutrients including calcium when required

When combined with well-structured home-cooked meals, these supplements provide the nutrients needed for a complete and balanced diet.

In other words:

Home cooking + LOONAWELL supplementation = complete nutrition.

Not as a replacement for thoughtful cooking, but as a way to ensure that nothing essential is missing.

Feeding Is Not a Trend

Feeding your dog is not about extremes. It is not about ideology.

It is, in my view, about understanding physiology and respecting biological needs.

When I created LOONAWELL, it was never about choosing between home cooking and complete food. It was about elevating the standard of both.