By Kandice Brending

Growing up, our family dogs were always fed kibble. Twice a day, my dad would dump a heaping cup of those crunchy brown pellets into a bowl, and our black Lab would happily scarf it down at an alarming pace.

He seemed to love it, and I honestly never considered that dogs could eat anything other than kibble and the occasional table scrap.

That changed five years ago when I brought home Cookie, my Anatolian Shepherd mix.

Cookie is nothing like the black Labs I grew up with. He is sassy, independent, and definitely NOT eager to please. Seemingly in alignment with his general demeanor, his stomach is also incredibly sensitive.

For three years, I struggled to find a diet that worked for Cookie. I spent countless hours researching the best dog food for sensitive stomachs, obsessively checking ingredient panels, and cleaning up carpet stains. A few of those carpets did not survive.

Finally, I had enough.

I knew I needed to start looking beyond kibble.

Cookie’s stomach problems were very apparent in his stool quality. Almost every day, no matter what protein source or kibble brand I fed him, followed the same cycle.

His first poop would be a little soft. His second would be softer. And his third? Let’s just say it wasn't exactly easy to pick up with a poop bag.

Also, why was he pooping so much?!

The first fresh food I began incorporating into Cookie’s diet was Green Juju’s signature vegetable topper, Just Greens.

The changes were noticeable within just a few days. Cookie’s poop became firmer and easier to pick up. I would celebrate every time I could cleanly pick it up, leaving no trace of Cookie’s tummy troubles behind.

I had discovered the secret to happiness: solid poop.

It was also my first realization that adding even a small amount of fresh, whole food to kibble could make a noticeable difference for my dog.

At this point, I was hooked on fresh feeding. It was time to bring in the raw recipes.

Financially, feeding my 110-pound Shepherd 100% raw food simply wasn’t in the cards. Instead, I replaced about one-third of his calories with Green Juju’s limited-ingredient Goat Recipe.

Goat was also a protein Cookie hadn't been regularly exposed to, which made it an appealing option as I carefully expanded his diet.

After a few days of this new raw-and-kibble mix, I noticed what was perhaps the most exciting change of all:

His poops got smaller.

Picking up dog poop is not a particularly fun task to begin with, but when you have a dog who weighs as much as a teenager, there are a lot of anxious questions happening in your head:

Will I be able to pick this up in one go, or is it a two-bagger? Is anyone watching me struggle to fit my whole hand around this giant pile right now? WHY IS HE POOPING SO MUCH?

Thankfully, poop pickup became a much calmer event after swapping some of his kibble for raw food.

For Cookie, even replacing about one-third of his kibble with raw food made a noticeable difference in the amount of waste I was picking up.

And most importantly, I didn't have to feed 100% raw to feel like fresh food was making a difference.

The last big change I noticed after incorporating fresh food wasn't actually a change in Cookie.

It was a change in me.

I never could have predicted how much this journey would bring me closer to him.

I think it’s easy to take our pets for granted. We go about our days dealing with human problems while they patiently wait for us to look their way, even for just a few minutes. Mealtimes can become an afterthought: a quick scoop of food into a bowl before moving on to the next thing.

That changed for me when I started thinking more intentionally about how I could help Cookie thrive.

I now put more thought into everything in his life, from the food he eats to the places he sees and the experiences he has. I’m more present with him on walks, and I take more time to truly enjoy the moments I get to spend with him.