Real food first
We prefer our own dogs raw fed. We believe a fresh, species-appropriate diet supports a longer, healthier life.
WELLBEING AT SCHNOODLES
Health, Nutrition & Wellbeing
Wellbeing isn’t a sideline at Schnoodles. It’s in our name.
We believe a healthy dog starts with what’s in the bowl. Food affects everything we see in the field: energy, behaviour, coat, digestion and how well a dog settles into the group. So we think about it a lot, and we’re always happy to talk about it.
WHERE WE COME FROM
Built on real nutrition experience
Before Schnoodles, Dave worked as a personal trainer specialising in human nutrition, and that interest followed him into the dog world.
He went on to found Ethically Raised, a raw dog food brand that used only meat certified by A Greener World and Pasture for Life, two of the strictest farming and animal welfare standards in the UK. Ethically Raised has since stopped trading, but the experience and knowledge behind it are very much part of how we run Schnoodles today.
WHAT WE STAND FOR
Four things we believe
Ask a nutritionist
Nutrition is a specialist subject in its own right. Your vet is the right person for your dog’s health, and for diet questions we’d also suggest speaking to a qualified dog nutritionist, who can look at your dog’s food in detail.
Test, don’t guess
We’d rather check whether a dog is already protected than give treatments it doesn’t need. That’s why we accept titre testing and recommend it.
Natural where possible
We favour a natural approach to everyday care, with proper treatment whenever it’s needed. We never let that put a dog, or the group, at risk.
WHO WE LEARN FROM
Following the research
We keep up with the research and the people moving it forward, including:
- The DogRisk research group at the University of Helsinki, led by Dr Anna Hielm-Björkman. Their large studies look at how diet, especially early in life, affects dogs’ health later on.
- Dr Karen Becker and Rodney Habib, authors of The Forever Dog.
- Dr Conor Brady of Dogs First, author of Feeding Dogs: Dry or Raw? The Science Behind the Debate.
AT DAYCARE
How this works day to day
- No full meals during the day. Please feed your dog at home, before and after daycare. Running on a full stomach raises the risk of bloat.
- Natural treats only, unless you tell us otherwise. Let us know about any allergies and we’ll use treats you send in.
- Fresh water all day, with bowls cleaned daily and water changed at least twice a day.
- Core vaccinations or a titre test. We ask every family for one or the other, covering distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus.
- A natural approach to fleas, ticks and worms, backed by regular testing.
Feeding kibble? All About Dog Food is a great place to check what’s really in it. We recommend a food that scores 90 or above.
READ MORE
Latest articles
Muddy season at Schnoodles: keeping dogs warm, dry and happy, plus a pumpkin treat recipe
Coming soon, articles that go deeper into the subjects we care about most:
- Why what your puppy eats matters later in life
- Raw feeding and gut health
- How a dog’s metabolism handles fat and carbohydrates
- Titre testing, and why we asked every family to test during a parvo outbreak
- Our natural approach to fleas, ticks and worms
- What we learn from dog poo (yes, really)
GOOD FOOD · GOOD EXERCISE · GOOD FRIENDS
Healthy, happy and happily tired
Good food at home, six secure acres of Chiltern countryside, a familiar group of friends and a calm rest in the barns.