Wendy Volhard Dog Nutrition: What Her Teaching Taught Me About Feeding Dogs Better

Wellness

Sep 9

Fresh Food • Natural Dog Nutrition • Wendy Volhard

Wendy Volhard helped change the way I looked at dog food. Her teaching pushed me to look beyond the bag, pay closer attention to the dog eating from the bowl and recognize that better nutrition can influence far more than body weight.

Years ago, I had the opportunity to meet Wendy and hear her teach about canine nutrition. I was already a dog trainer, but her whole-dog approach helped connect dots I kept seeing in health, behavior, digestion, energy and longevity. That experience became part of the road that eventually led me to become a Holistic Canine Health Practitioner and canine nutritionist.

A clear note about the current Volhard brand: Wendy retired from the day-to-day business, and ownership changed in 2018. I have enormous respect for Wendy and the influence of her teaching, but I do not currently recommend the Volhard food line. This article is not an endorsement or an affiliate promotion for the food sold today.

What did Wendy Volhard teach about dog nutrition? Her work encouraged dog parents to think beyond processed convenience food and consider fresh ingredients, balance, variety, digestion and the individual dog. The lesson I carried forward was not loyalty to one product. It was learning to look at the bowl as part of the whole dog.

Who Is Wendy Volhard?

Wendy Volhard is a respected dog trainer, author and pioneer in natural dog nutrition. She began developing her natural diet in the 1970s after one of her own dogs became ill. She later co-wrote The Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog with veterinarian Kerry Brown and spent decades teaching dog parents and professionals to look at food differently.

I did not learn from Wendy because I was looking for another dog-food company to promote. I was a trainer trying to understand why food kept showing up in conversations about performance, focus, skin, ears, digestion, energy, anxiety and overall health.

Some of my thinking has naturally evolved as I have studied canine nutrition, raw and gently cooked feeding, aromatherapy, herbs, homeopathy and whole-dog wellness. I would not repeat every old seminar note as settled fact today. That is what education is supposed to do: give us a foundation, then make us keep asking better questions.

“It all starts with nutrition.”

Wendy Volhard's enduring lesson — and a philosophy I still carry forward

After years of dogs, clients, certifications, health cases and a whole lot of bowls, I would add one word: start.

Food is where I start. It is not always where the story ends.

What Is the Wendy Volhard Natural Diet for Dogs?

The original Wendy Volhard diet was a home-prepared natural feeding system built around fresh animal protein and a complementary nutrient mixture. Over time, dehydrated base-mix products were developed to make the approach more convenient.

I am not reproducing her recipe here, and I am not recommending the current commercial version. The more useful conversation is what made the underlying philosophy different at the time:

Fresh animal protein was treated as a meaningful part of the diet.
Balance involved more than putting meat in a bowl.
Fats, minerals, vitamins and whole-food variety had jobs to do.
Digestion and the dog's response were part of the evaluation.
Age, activity, health and individual needs could change the plan.
Food was connected to the whole dog rather than treated as calories alone.

That philosophy influenced me far more than any particular commercial formulation. It also explains why my current canine nutrition approach is food-first but never one-size-fits-all.

Is Fresh Food Better Than Kibble for Dogs?

I prefer fresh, minimally processed food whenever it is realistic and appropriate for the dog and family. Fresh feeding gives us more control over ingredient quality, protein sources, moisture, fat, preparation and variety. It also lets us make purposeful changes instead of hunting for a bag whose marketing happens to say all the right things.

But “fresh” does not automatically mean balanced, and “homemade” does not automatically mean healthy. Boneless meat, rice and a handful of vegetables may look wholesome while still missing calcium, iodine, essential fatty acids, trace minerals or other nutrients. A beautiful bowl can still have holes in it. Instagram will survive the news.

The better question is not simply, Is fresh food better? It is:

What way of feeding provides this dog with appropriate, balanced nutrition while fitting the dog's health, tolerance, life stage and the pet parent's real life?

Raw, gently cooked and commercial fresh food are not interchangeable

A dog may thrive on a balanced raw diet, a thoughtfully prepared cooked diet, an appropriate commercial fresh food or a hybrid approach. Another dog may need different protein, fat, fiber, mineral or preparation choices because of pancreatitis, kidney disease, liver concerns, allergies, digestive problems, cancer, seizures or medications.

That is why I teach principles instead of crowning one food as the winner for every dog. If you are thinking about making meals, read what you should know about homemade dog food before borrowing a random recipe from social media.

How Can I Improve My Dog's Diet?

Better nutrition does not have to begin with throwing away everything in your pantry tonight. Sometimes I start with the existing food and look at what we can improve. Sometimes the dog needs a genuinely different diet. Sometimes the bowl looks pretty good and something else is driving the symptoms.

Choose a better base

Look past the front of the package. Protein source, processing, fat, carbohydrate load, ingredient quality, digestibility and your dog's response all deserve attention.

Improve the bowl

Moisture and carefully chosen whole foods can improve a processed-food bowl. Start with a reason—not a dozen trendy powders competing for elbow room.

Use a hybrid approach

Some families combine an appropriate commercial food with fresh additions or balanced fresh meals. This can be a practical bridge, not a nutritional failure.

Build a complete fresh diet

When the fresh portion becomes the real diet, it is time to account for calcium, organs, fats, minerals, vitamins, calories and the individual dog's needs.

If you are staying with kibble for now, begin with simple ways to improve your dog's kibble. If you are tempted to add everything in the refrigerator, use my guide to choosing dog food toppers so every addition has a job.

If you want to learn how fresh feeding is built, the Homemade Food Class teaches the foundation. If your dog has a diagnosis, complicated history or specific nutrition goal, a customized dog-food plan is the more appropriate path.

Better Food Does Not Mean Food Is the Only Answer

I look at food early because it is information and input the body receives every day. Nutrition can influence stool, skin, coat, ears, weight, muscle, energy, recovery, inflammatory load and even behavior. But changing the food does not erase every medical, environmental, emotional or structural problem.

A dog with itching may also need a closer look at the gut, immune system, environment, flea exposure and medication history. A dog with anxiety may have pain, digestive discomfort, poor sleep, nervous-system dysregulation or learned behavior layered into the picture. A senior losing muscle may need better protein, but we also need to ask why the loss is happening.

If behavior is the concern that brought you here, read Can Dog Food Affect Behavior? Anxiety, Aggression & Reactivity. That article owns that question; this one does not need to pretend to be every nutrition article on the website.

How Do I Know if My Dog's Food Is Working?

The ingredient panel is only part of the answer. The dog eating it gives us information too.

I pay attention to patterns such as:

Stool quality, frequency and volume
Gas, reflux, nausea or repeated grass-eating
Appetite, food refusal or frantic hunger
Healthy weight and the ability to maintain muscle
Skin, coat, itching, paws and recurring ear trouble
Energy, stamina, sleep and recovery
Changes in anxiety, reactivity, focus or restlessness
Lab trends and changes that develop over time

None of those signs proves the food is the sole cause. They tell us what deserves a closer look.

The Individual Dog Changes the Answer

As a holistic pet health coach and canine nutritionist, I often look at much more than the food name. Age, breed, size, activity, body condition, symptoms, medications, supplements, past diets, food sensitivities, stool history, lab trends and other diagnoses can all change what “better food” means.

I also want to know about the things that rarely make it onto the official food list: treats, chews, table scraps, flavored medications, oils, toppers and the helpful little extras that have quietly become half the bowl.

TCVM may help us recognize patterns such as heat, dampness, stagnation, deficiency, digestive weakness, stress or inflammation. In sensitive or complicated dogs, muscle testing may help guide tolerance and direction. Experience helps me recognize patterns, ask better questions and reduce the expensive game of random product guessing.

Not Sure What “Better Food” Means for Your Dog?

Tell me what your dog eats, what you are noticing and what you have already tried. We can talk about whether the next step is a better commercial food, a few purposeful upgrades, fresh feeding, a recipe review or a more personalized whole-dog plan.

Request a Discovery Callback →

Frequently Asked Questions About Wendy Volhard and Natural Dog Nutrition

Who is Wendy Volhard?

Wendy Volhard is a dog trainer, author and early advocate for natural dog nutrition. She began developing a home-prepared diet in the 1970s and later co-wrote The Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog with veterinarian Kerry Brown.

What is the Wendy Volhard diet for dogs?

The original Volhard Natural Diet was a home-prepared feeding system using fresh animal protein with a complementary mixture intended to complete the diet. Commercial dehydrated versions were developed later. This article discusses Wendy's influence and philosophy; it does not reproduce the recipe or endorse the current product line.

Is the Volhard diet a raw dog food diet?

The original approach included raw animal protein. Raw feeding is only one form of fresh feeding, and it still needs appropriate balance, sourcing, handling and individualization. Some dogs and families may be better suited to gently cooked or commercially prepared fresh food.

Do you recommend Volhard Dog Nutrition today?

No. I respect Wendy Volhard and value what I learned from her, but Wendy retired from day-to-day operations and the company changed ownership. I do not currently recommend the Volhard food line.

Is fresh food better than kibble for dogs?

I prefer balanced, minimally processed fresh food when it suits the dog and family. Fresh food is not automatically complete, however. Ingredient quality, nutritional balance, preparation, health needs and the dog's response still determine whether a diet is actually a good fit.

What is a natural diet for dogs?

“Natural” has become a broad marketing word. I use it to describe an approach centered on recognizable, minimally processed foods with appropriate animal protein, fats, plant foods and the nutrients required to make the diet complete for the individual dog.

How can I improve my dog's diet without making homemade dog food?

You may be able to choose a better base food, add moisture, rotate appropriate proteins or use small amounts of purposeful fresh-food additions. The right changes depend on what the base food already supplies and your dog's calories, tolerance and health history.

Can I add fresh food to my dog's kibble?

Yes, many dogs can benefit from carefully chosen fresh additions. Once those extras regularly replace a meaningful part of a complete food, evaluate the overall diet so meat, toppers and treats do not create nutritional gaps.

How do I know if my dog's food is working?

Look beyond whether your dog willingly eats it. Stool, gas, appetite, weight, muscle, skin, ears, coat, energy, recovery, behavior and lab trends can all provide clues. Persistent changes deserve a broader health evaluation rather than another random food switch.

Related Nutrition Resources

Transparency: This article preserves what I value about learning from Wendy Volhard while reflecting my current professional opinion. Wendy retired from day-to-day business operations, ownership of the company changed in 2018 and I no longer recommend or earn affiliate income from the current Volhard food line. Educational information is not veterinary diagnosis or treatment.

Dana Brigman