From Sourcing To Serving, A Closer Look Inside Our Bowl.
From Sourcing To Serving, A Closer Look Inside Our Bowl.
Vet-formulated
Each recipe is crafted by board-certified veterinary nutritionists to ensure complete, balanced nutrition that meets AAFCO standards. Most dog food brands stop there. We don't.
WHAT ARE FEEDING TRIALS AND DIGESTIBILITY STUDIES?
Feeding trials and digestibility studies confirm a dog food is complete and balanced in real life, not just on paper. Any brand can formulate a recipe that looks good in a spreadsheet. Fewer are willing to prove it actually works inside a dog.
A Pup Above conducts 6-month, in-home feeding trials to verify that nutrients are properly absorbed, body condition remains stable, and no signs of nutritional imbalance occur. These trials are expensive and time-consuming. We do them anyway because your dog deserves food that's been proven, not assumed.
Digestibility studies measure how efficiently dogs absorb key nutrients. A Pup Above is 93% digestible, validated by independent feeding trials. That means more nutrition absorbed from every bowl, less waste in your yard, and a dog whose body is actually getting what the label promises.
100% Human-Grade
Our food is made in USDA-inspected, human-grade kitchens that go above and beyond industry standards. Every step—from ingredient sourcing to store delivery—meets the strict requirements for 100% human-grade quality.
Non-GMO Produce
The fruits and vegetables in every A Pup Above recipe are fresh, whole, and non-GMO. No concentrate. No by-product meal. No produce you couldn't identify by name.
We also source a portion of our produce through upcycling partnerships, using fresh fruits and vegetables that are cosmetically imperfect but nutritionally identical to what you'd find in a grocery store. This reduces food waste, lowers greenhouse gas emissions, and keeps usable food out of landfills without compromising a single ingredient standard.
Your dog gets whole-food nutrition from ingredients you can actually read on the label. The planet gets a little less waste. That tradeoff costs us more to execute. We think it's worth it.
Sous-Vide Cooked
We cook sous vide — a method widely used in fine-dining kitchens to enhance flavor, preserve whole-food nutrients, and cook meat to perfection.
Transparency isn’t just a promise — it’s built into every bag.
Click a recipe below to find out the origin and benefit of each ingredient.
Recommended
by Experts
“I trust A Pup Above dog food for its sourcing standards, human grade ingredients, and the science behind the formulations. They’re making pet food so dogs can be healthier and live longer. Cheers to that!”
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5 out of 5 stars rating
Kelsey D.
Misha went nuts for the food!
"I gave her a little at a time to see how she did with it, and she wanted more and more! She is a huge fan."
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5 out of 5 stars rating
Winnie G.
Two Paws Up From Grizzly!
“Mealtime is so much more fun with A Pup Above! Grizzly can sometimes be a picky eater, but watching him chow down his food when I add this to his meal is just so satisfying. Thanks for making mealtime so easy and delicious for us!””
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5 out of 5 stars rating
Kelsey T.
Love Love Love!!
“The Cubies make it so easy to feed on the go. We’ve used them for training or when we’re out and about during mealtime, and love that we’re still getting everything we love from the fresh recipe. Kirby gets so excited when the Cubies box comes out! He knows he’s in for something special.”
TRACE EVERY INGREDIENT
TO THE SOURCE
We think you should know where your pup’s food comes from, farm to bowl. That’s why we make sure you can trace each batch back to the source.
When it comes to feeding your pup, we get it and we get you. From our fresh patties to our new scoop-and-serve dry Cubies, we’re here to make healthy pup food easy peasy for busy dog parents like you.
Every purchase of A Pup Above makes an impact with 1% of our revenues going to support our friends at White Buffalo Land Trust to restore the health of our soil, water and climate.
Because it's not kibble. A Pup Above is sous-vide cooked using whole, human-grade ingredients — cage-free chicken, grass-fed beef, real bone broth — not rendered by-products or mystery meat meal. That process preserves more nutrients, which means your dog absorbs more from every meal. Kibble averages ~65% digestibility. Ours is 93%. You're paying for food that actually works.
They will. But if they don't, we'll make it right — 100% money-back guarantee, no questions asked. The bigger issue we hear is the opposite: once dogs try it, they refuse to go back. We call that the Fresh Food Problem.
Structurally, yes. Kibble is made by extruding ingredients at high heat — that process destroys a significant portion of naturally occurring nutrients, which is why manufacturers add synthetic vitamins back in after cooking. Sous-vide cooking preserves the food's nutritional integrity without that destruction. The result: higher digestibility, better protein bioavailability, and visible differences in coat, digestion, and energy. Research suggests dogs fed fresh food live up to 2.5 more healthy years than kibble-fed dogs.*
No. You can skip, pause, or cancel anytime — no fees, no calls. Log into your account and it's done in under 60 seconds. We offer subscription pricing because most dogs do best on a consistent feeding schedule, and it's a better value for you. But you're not locked in.
Yes, it's complete. Every recipe is formulated by board-certified veterinary nutritionists (ACVN) to meet AAFCO standards for all life stages. Nothing to add. No supplements required. It's a full meal, not a topper — unless you want to use it that way.
Your order ships in an insulated box with dry ice or gel packs, designed to keep food at safe temperature through transit. We ship from temperature-controlled fulfillment centers and won't send an order if it can't arrive safely based on your location and the forecast shipping window. Every order arrives frozen or properly chilled. If yours ever doesn't, contact us and we fix it.
You choose your recipes, your box size, and how often you want to receive it (every 2, 4, 6, or 8 weeks). We ship on your schedule. You can change recipes, adjust frequency, skip a delivery, or cancel at any time from your account dashboard. No phone calls. No hoops.
If your dog doesn't love it, we'll refund you. Full stop. Reach out to our team within 30 days and we'll make it right — no need to return the food.
No. Raw food is uncooked. A Pup Above is gently cooked sous-vide — sealed and cooked at precise low temperatures, the same method fine-dining restaurants use. That means you get the nutritional density of fresh food without the bacterial risk that comes with raw feeding. It's the better-of-both approach.
Gradually. Start by mixing A Pup Above with your dog's current food — about 25% new food, 75% old — and increase the ratio over 7–10 days. This gives their digestive system time to adjust. Most dogs show zero issues. Sensitive dogs may need the full transition window.
It depends on your dog's weight, age, and activity level. Our feeding calculator on the product page gives you a personalized daily amount. The short version: most dogs eat 1–2 pouches per day, though large breeds feeding exclusively fresh will need more.
Yes, and it's a great starting point. Research suggests adding even 20% fresh food to a dog's diet can produce measurable health benefits. A single pouch a day as a kibble topper is a low-cost, low-commitment way to start. Most customers who start as topper users end up transitioning fully within 60–90 days.
In a USDA-certified facility in the United States. Every batch is made to human-food standards — the same oversight applied to food made for people. No overseas manufacturing. No co-packer roulette.
Yes. A Pup Above is available in nearly 2,900 retail locations nationwide, including Sprouts, Pet Supplies Plus, Hollywood Feed, and Pet Food Express. Use our store locator to find the closest one. Buying online gives you subscription pricing, flexible delivery, and access to our full recipe lineup.