Subscription boxes have gain a lot of traction over the last few years , and pet industry is no different . There are tons of dissimilar subscription hotdog food overhaul to choose from , but some of them take issue significantly from others . But the doubt most favorite owners are asking is whether subscription dog food service is something they really necessitate ?
For this podcast episode , I had the pleasure to sit down withMarco Giannini , the CEO ofThe Naked Dog Box . The caller rivet on delivering gamy timbre dog food for thought to favorite owners ' doorway . Naturally , their original name and the specific food for thought they use drew me in , and I had many questions about the physical process and what are the welfare of using a subscription dog solid food overhaul as opposed to just buying dog food in a unconstipated way .
Also , Marco partake a promo code for all lector and attender at Top Dog Tips . If you want to try the service at The Naked Dog Box , recruit the promo codeTopDogTips10and you ’ll get your first frankfurter food box forjust $ 10 .
hear to the episode in the telecasting above and bump the full podcast transcript below . For more , visit this episode ’s post on the prescribed Theory of Pets website .
Are Subscription Dog Food Services Worth It?(raw podcast transcript)
- Scroll down below to register the interview with Marco Giannini .
Samantha:[00:00:19 ] This week , I really catch thinking aboutsubscription boxesfor wienerwurst products . We hear about it all the time you see things like thebark boxare really usual or you may get dog treats , dog toys . There are somesubscription services for dog foodnow . So , I desire to plunge into this a little piece , see if it ’s good for us as pet owners to be spending a minuscule bit extra for that appliance of have product transport to our door . I also obviously like the idea of being able to have high - character products shipped to your door . If you be in a rural area like I do .
There ’s probably only one or two unlike pet stores that you have admission to topically and they do n’t always stock the highest lineament products , they stock the stuff that sell . So , often it ’s cheaper merchandise or lower end products that are more democratic . So , I want to look into a calibre product and timber products that you could get ship to your house . So , I trip across the raw dog box . And of trend , the name ’s rum ; the defenseless dog drew me in . But the reasonableness that it ’s called raw dog-iron is because it ’s premium hound food with the dependable ingredients without all the stilted preservatives , fillers , things like that . So , it ’s the defenseless blackguard , it ’s just true fair in high spirits - timber dog food for thought without all that extra stuff .
Interview with Marco Giannini
Samantha:[00:02:40 ] So , you stimulate the defenseless bounder box . I got one as ; like a review article , just to review with my dog . So , I received that last calendar week I checked out the food and we got our package Zouk ’s delicacy . Which we ’ve stress in the past and evidently my dogs love them . So , it ’s of import to me to feed natural and you acknowledge to find high timbre products . I cerebrate a hatful of pet owners do n’t realize what ’s out there . And as far as what the good choices are ? And I do n’t think a mint of hoi polloi realize what they ’re feeding their andiron . You live they have a lot of people I think go by price or passport from what other people are feed and popular brand and I do n’t conceive they realize what ’s in them and the hurt that those kinds of products can do to their cad . So , if you need to just severalise me a piffling moment about yourself and how you got go in the pet industry ?
Marco:[00:03:29 ] Great , my name is Marco Giannini . I got started in the pet industry in 2004 . I accidentally walked into the pet industry , got very favorable getting into it . I was wanting to do a drinkable company and all - natural beverage company in 2004 . I think peradventure I could prove my paw at that . I really terminate up meet someone who was a manufacturer of wiener treat and I intend what if I could really do a dog instinctive dog kickshaw that had added health benefits to it .
And so , I bug out this delicacy in 2004 called felicitous hips . I was a caller that I base literally , living on my dad ’s sofa , out of the garage type of ship’s company and it was a commodity for you treat . That was exactly what it said , it was happy hip joint . It would have glucosamine chondroitin it . And it was a very beneficial dainty for hit and joints for frank . So , I was really forthright it was really kind of raw in the whole advent of humanisation of pet treats of putting a brand in the product name giving a product name like . This what we were trying to do . So , it was back when Vitamin Water was very pop back in 2004 and a lot of coverages and human part were very popular had a lot of animation to them .
In lodge to do that , we need to create our own retail and we need to create our own products . That we could save on monetary value , save on price and give a better product to the consumer at a better damage and faster . And so , we started the naked frankfurter and the raw dog has been a howling ride . I started 2013 , we opened up retail store locations in 2014 in Southern California but in 2016 as we stay to develop . We realise that all individual recording label brand which is a very , very health conscious , metric grain gratis , potato free , brand called au naturel . Which is dry dog food , dry cat food for thought , which is very healthy ? We wanted to get it to the masses to the cosmos .
You ’re getting a grain free gluten barren product that you would get for other between 18 and 30 dollar mark every two weeks and you get a surprisal treat every time . Then it ’s a specific amount of product for you and your dog . So , it really help you with obesity is a immense , vast part of our world and we really want to take aside obesity in pets . We require to make it easy for the pet parent to feed that dog . So , we give you an accurate two weeks ’ Charles Frederick Worth of food that ’s imply for your sized click and are appropriate for your andiron .
Samantha:[00:06:57 ] So , two of the things that really stuck out to me ; one- I love that you spill about how you know the trends in favourite and humans in dieting we ’re now seeing kind of lead over into the pet industry . That ’s something that I ’ve find as well and I suppose a lot of pet owners are pick up on that but I think a lot of breeding still needs to be done about the dissimilar diets and how to flow dogs , we know how to feed ourselves but dogs are so dissimilar . So , I call back that ’s really important and to the obesity epidemic . The hearer that hear to my podcast regularly , I talk about it almost every hebdomad .
It just keep coming back around . No , count what you ’re talking about exercise , feeding , handle thing like that . So , two things that I call back are super important for people to see too . And it ’s one of the thing I noticed as I mentioned I meet my first naked detent box last week . And I ’m so speak of those five question I answered . I have three dogs but I suffice the interrogative sentence for one of my firedog she ’s a chocolate laboratory . Labs are known I intend to be one of the most commonly fleshy breeds and it ’s an effect that we ’ve had with our umber research lab , Sadie .
I get the box and I love that they come with a scoop , that ’s you know designed for your dog . How much you should be run your dog ? And that the food for thought is geared toward your pet for a healthy lifestyle not just getting all the nutrients that they need . But you know staying at an optimal weight and get the good things for your dog , their sizing , their breed , affair like that .
Marco:[00:08:30 ] It ’s very interesting , I mean at the end of the Clarence Shepard Day Jr. if we can all understand the right sustenance and have the time and capacity to feed home fake meals for our wiener every day , with the proper nutrients , the proper supplements , the proper nutrition . Life would be pure but it ’s not , right . So , what we need to do is we postulate to figure out solutions for our pets . And as pet parent , you know what we require to do with the au naturel dog . We need to take the guess out of it and we ’ve in reality had call . We just launched the bare dog boxful in January . So , it ’s brand raw . So , we have consumer who are on their fourth and fifth box seat . It get every two weeks with the exact portion you should be feeding your dogs . And I ’ve perplex feedback from consumers that within two calendar week , they noticed a modification in their dark physique .
And really , if they get a little bit startled because all of a sudden , they can feel the outline of the top two ribs in the costa cage and then it becomes very solid from there . And that ’s really what you ’re supposed to see in the hot dog . You ’re supposed to see just a partial the top of the rib cage and then there ’s supposed to be kind of filled up from there towards as you go towards the down the torso on the body of the dog . And so , when a dog loses you know there are 45 - pound dog and they lose 3 to 4 hammer . There are 70 - 80 - pound frump . They miss a few pounds .
What ’s our goal ? Our finish is to have a long lifespan with our adult dog . You fuck off a fiddling puppy who ’s wonderful and been a little hectic sometimes and rupture up article of furniture . You ’ve got a wondrous adult dog in your life for about five to seven year of really goodish being . And then you ’ve set out your fourth-year years for your frankfurter . Which can get very challenging ? Then at the naked frump corner and I ’m indisputable with all your hearer we want to expand that grownup time with our dog , right . We require to go from 5 to 7 year to 7 to 10 year or sometimes even 10 to 12 years . If we can do that with a 30 to 50 - pound dog or 50 to 80 - pound frank . At the defenseless dog , because we ’re give the appropriate amount of food , that really helps . It ’s really interesting about corpulency in firedog . It ’s not ; it ’s very clear what to do to serve dogs .
Samantha:[00:13:05 ] Absolutely , and I actually I was in touch sensation on the subscription inspection and repair by and by but I retrieve it meet in really well here . And you peach about it a little bit and it take that dead reckoning out , not with every subscription service . I suppose we ’re seeing subscription service become a little more pop but with the naked dog box subscription it does take that guesswork out . As I advert to get the pocket that ’s dead portion and you get the food you prey twice a day and it ’s the amount that you ’re going to need for that two - week period . And then boom another boxful shows up on your threshold , you ’ve get fresh food and you ’re ready to go . So , it for certain makes it easier in that aspect but there are some other vantage to subscription services as long can you talk about that a little turn .
Marco:[00:13:48 ] Absolutely , well it really depends proper . So , we have all kinds of subscription serve out there . Most of them are dainty to have , not many of them are need to have , right . When you look at some human food subscription help . You do n’t get the food every undivided solar day when you get a , you know when you get a nice pair of shoes or some nice shirts you get them once a calendar month . You do n’t get those that ’s not your only shirt that you wear down , right . Well for the naked dog this is your only food for your dog . So , it really makes it very bare like you said remove the guesswork out of it when you get to defenseless dog box every two weeks . But some other advantage to having the subscription service .
We make our intellectual nourishment every undivided month , fresh beautiful dog solid food . We have an amazing plant life that we in reality have in California . Okay , manufacture excuse me ; a manufacturing quickness in California that we have that makes our food . It die from the flora to our logistics , to your home . So , it go from the cooking facility to your base in a issue of weeks and nobody , very few people advert that box . And when you ’re going through traditional statistical distribution you have ; the producer , you have the dispersion facility , you have the retailer facility , you have the retail depot . Then you have the place . When you have a subscription boxful and the naked heel corner . So literally die from our manufacture or cooking facility to our logistics warehouse . Which ships the boxes out to your home base ? So , we edit out out two step at least .
It really cuts out a flock of those middlemen . And so , it really is it give a whole new meaning to ; it ’s not obviously ; it ’s not Farm to Table like human food . But it ’s let ’s call it , you hump cooking deftness to table . It goes very rapidly to your home . And the other courteous thing about it is when you do a subscription service . A subscription box like the naked dog box when you call the 1 800 telephone number or you institutionalize an tocopherol - mail . commonly , if it ’s between the minute of 8 to 5 , you ’re going to call the federal agency . It ’s before 8:00 a.m. Pacific fourth dimension or two after 5:00 p.m. you ’re actually foretell my mobile phone telephone set . You ’re calling Marco the CEO .
Samantha:[00:16:34 ] Oh wow !
Marco:[00:16:35 ] Yeah so , if you have a problem after 5:00 p.m. Pacific Coast time ; so , if you ’re at 9 o’clock at night and you have an consequence or a question and you ’re sitting in New York City and you call the naked dog box phone number . You ’re really calling through to my mobile phone earpiece . So , you have this one on one with our companionship . When you talk to the raw dog box . When you have an issue ? when you have a problem with your boxes ? When there ’s a , you love people call and their problem ? They do n’t call when they ’re usually happy , right and that ’s all right .
We clear problems for people and that ’s our task . And so , we answer your questions properly out and I suppose that ’s really skillful because you ’re not get this index to a retail computer storage where you need to ask the retailer or the distributer you ’re choke straight to the manufacturer and I think that ’s a really courteous touch . So , I think price , convenience , stop number and impudence of product is real . They ’re all really big factor that contribute to making a subscription box a really neat thing and that can happen with a lot of different matter . Right , but we just take place to be in the in the pet intellectual nourishment business and serve pet parent make the correct selection for their dog .
So , I had talked about you know that that time frame and how Dog ’s food expires and I mean a draw of pet parents do n’t ever call up to await at the expiration date because they just get into that it ’s going to last a long time and it ’s do direct from whichever ship’s company you know draw the Canis familiaris food for thought . And they do n’t realise that it ’s been model around for month and months . And to me , that was certainly one of the biggest perks was that we ’re talking cutting down calendar month of time of that food sitting to now week . So that ’s immense .
Marco:[00:18:47 ] Absolutely , it ’s a huge difference . The freshness of the intersection is a really vainglorious deal and it ’s significant . I think , again I would love to be able to have everyone cook their own fantastical meal for their dogs and give them the veracious nutrients and the right accessory . It ’s just not possible for the reality , correct or it ’s not possible for everybody . But if we can give can give everyone a little if we want a little more , better peace of mind by getting them out of faster food , faster . That ’s more fresh into their menage . I think we ’ve got something particular .
Samantha:[00:19:19 ] dead , I opine .
Marco:[00:19:20 ] And it ’s something we really need . Yeah , and the other stuff that we ’re doing too and we ’ve been in touch with a couple lieu . Where we ’re kind of start turn over to the autism serving dogs of America ASPA . We ’ve got on our land site that we ’re hop to support . And then also the West ; there ’s another berth in Los Angeles prognosticate The West German Shepherd Rescue where you have in Los Angeles or company in Russia and help oneself them with supporting them to buy a construction for the rescue organization . They ’ve write over 15000 domestic dog in their life of the delivery establishment and we ’re hoping to reach out to other places throughout the United States and other delivery organizations and pockets of the U.S. but we can serve them as well . So , because we are direct from the producer direct to the consumer . We can really progress to a lot of people , we can touch a lot of masses ; a lot of pet parents and I suppose and I ’m hoping we can touch a lot of causes as well .
Samantha:[00:20:12 ] Yeah , that ’s splendid , that ’s really tremendous . Kudos to you for that .
Marco:[00:20:16 ] We ’re work on .
Samantha:[00:20:16 ] It an on-going process , consecrate back is something that can grow over metre .
Marco:[00:20:21 ] Absolutely , Absolutely , obviously the more client we can bring in the more we can bring back the more you get back .
Samantha:[00:20:26 ] Certainly , so countenance ’s babble a little spot about because we babble out about the subscription service . countenance ’s talk about the solid food that you provide because we are in the word natural around and you are verbalize about gluten free and things like that . And as I mention to you and I personally love to educate my listener and reader of our top frump tips say about the grandness of a really high - quality diet for dogs . I know a lot of favourite parents just go base off price . They want something that ’s cheap .
Some mass once they figure out that some of the cheaper brand you know have fillers and matter and then they decide that perchance they ’re going to mistreat it up a footling bit . And so , they see a suitcase that says you know that it ’s healthy or that it ’s nutritious or that it ’s great for all living phase and they just think oh yeah sure this is go to be great . It ’s you know it ’s pretty cheap and I ’m going to grab this one . But really I think a raft of pet owners need to realize ; how important it is to look into the factor that go into the food that you ’re prey your frank and where those ingredient are sourced from . So that ’s one of the things they retrieve that the naked hotdog really is passionate about . And they you bang you guys are attempt to give the best constituent . So , can you spill the beans a small bit on the nutrient itself ?
Marco:[00:21:42 ] perfectly , you know I was just you know reading an clause on dogs ; Topdogtips.com , this morning talking about the right levels of protein for your blackguard , right . So , everything from you know the naked dog boxwood , we talked about protein levels . We blab about roughage level . We talked about the protein sources that we have , where proteins come from and also but especially what we do n’t have in the product that I think is where we start . That ’s a cornerstone of what we do . You know when we ’re trying to cypher out . And I ’ve been in diligence about 14 - 15 year ; 14 years I venture something around that fourth dimension frame for 12 - 13 old age . It ’s really important too when you ’re figure out what product you desire to produce . I think you may bulge with what you do n’t want in there .
So , you do n’t want there ’s no corn , no weed , no soy sauce , utterly you do n’t desire that in your product right . You ca n’t have a natural food blubber in there . What you do n’t require is , I do n’t require cereal . Why do we need products with grain any longer in good order ? Dogs are more carnivore diets , right . permit ’s go potato free as well . Potatoes are caryopsis free diet have exploded . They ’re actually maturate the fastest out of any diet in the preferred food and the wienerwurst food for thought world , maturate some estimate have it about 20 to 25 % year in caryopsis free diet that are arise . But what happens is when you put grain free diets in there some people might actually just take those grain out and replace with other items that are all right , but not bang-up for your dog . And potato is a very interesting one because potato is in reality very is ; it not bad but a lot of potatoes are nifty for your andiron . And at the naked dog boxes .
Marco:[00:23:29 ] We do n’t have any spud in our solid food because white potato are in high spirits in the Glycemic index , really . Which as I ’m sure you ’re aware of Samantha and your lector are mindful that the glycemic of your Cartesian product are high glycemic index . That means they ’re hiding in glycemic that essentially twist into boodle inside your body . And so that can be very alarming for weight addition . That can be alarming for heart issues obviously diabetes in frump . A tidy sum of problems . You want to keep this sugar low and so because we ’re potato detached . We were very crushed on the glycemic index , our product or our food . All of them are grain gratuitous boeuf or metric grain free Salmon River and grain free turkey .
Also , another recognize common protein allergen is chicken . We do n’t have any wimp in our production as well properly . So , what we do is we verify that our proteins are the first in green which I recall is very common with a lot of companies too , for important . We make trusted we have all the no ; no wheat berry , no corn or no soy , no fillers , no by - products , no by - mathematical product meal ; none of that is there , right . And then we also need to make trusted that we do n’t replace anything with material that might not be great . So , we make certain we have no potatoes as well to keep a low glycemic index . We ’ve also done is we need to verify that we have a protein in there . A protein amount that ’s adept for the dog on a regular basis for a sustainable basis for a long period of fourth dimension so , they can enjoy that maturity , right .
So , when dogs need to transition to our food because it ’s a brand - fresh intellectual nourishment they are catch it really is not a unmanageable modulation for them because it has a solid level of protein , proteins the first ingredient . There ’s really no bad poppycock in the food and the fiber levels are skillful and in unspoiled at around 6 percent for the dog . So , the conversion for bounder from another nutrient to the bare wienerwurst box is very , very wonderful and there ’s really been very minimal issues . If no issues at all with all the dog-iron who transition on our food . It ’s been really wondrous . So , I think it ’s really important when you ’re looking at a nutrient for anyone who is feeding their frump . Any pet parent you desire to look at a telephone number of factors , that you really also want to say what ’s not in this intellectual nourishment .
Samantha:[00:27:15 ] Yeah unquestionably , so you talked a little bit about we ’ve spill about the subscription if somebody is take heed and they adjudicate you have sex when this bare dog boxful sounds like a groovy idea . I know the subscription service obviously the food you cognize quality . So , they are run low to alternate on your World Wide Web site and you mentioned the prices you know for minuscule dogs and the expectant dog it ranges from 18 to 30 look on your downsize . What if somebody has multiple dogs they sign on up for a subscription for each frank .
Samantha:[00:27:41 ] So we ’ve really flummox for your first dog . You actually we have a great offer . you may do first box is $ 10 . So , we have a great promo computer code really for you guy cable right . TopDogTips10is the promo code , which is wonderful to use your first loge is $ 10 . Now if you have multiple dogs you could actually sign up multiple dogs for the raw domestic dog box for the service . Now , I will give you a small tip though .
Samantha:[00:28:51 ] And all the long time I ’ve been doing heel hooey I have never even hear of that breed .
Marco:[00:28:56 ] Anuto Beckter ; I ’m so screwing this up , we just adopted it . Someone just could not keep it in their plate and of course , they called us because we ’re in the pet industriousness . And of course , we ’ll take the heel right . So , and then we ’ve got a tiny picayune hotdog , right . So , we ’ve got them ranging from 1 to 10 pounds all the way to an 80 - pound cad . But if you were to have a , you know a 1 to 10 . lease ’s say a 10 - Lebanese pound detent and a 20 - lb dog or 20 to 30 - Cypriot pound frankfurter combined those free weight together and you ’ve got about 35 pounds worth of favourite you could in reality just get one loge and it ’s a Brobdingnagian saving because now you ’re get one box in the 30 to 50 - pound range and it ’s $ 27 every two weeks . And that speech communication , both of your dogs . So that ’s not advertised normally on the site , on the naked frump corner but you may do that . We have customers who actually do that because I translate you make love the more dog you have you require to be capable to save money .
Samantha:[00:29:52 ] Right , utterly .
Marco:[00:29:52 ] You are n’t going to get one you ’re going to get one treat travelling bag . You ’re not going to get two goody bag , you get one innocent bag partake both blackguard . But you are going to get groovy solid food every two calendar week . What we do are people blend their dogs , for sure their dog ’s free weight but also like I saidTopDogTips10is a promo code that you’re able to expend and you’re able to get your first corner for 10 bucks . And the great thing is you could invalidate anytime . You delete after the first box , 2d box , third box . It does not count , it comes every two week you may call off anytime on the site by yourself . You do not even have to call anyone you want to scrub . So , we want to check that there was no pressure . We want to check that that it can nakeddogbox.com anyone could come up . The price is right for everyone to enjoy the nutrient , pet parents and their wienerwurst to savour the food . And we wanted to be able to give the hoi polloi the ability , if they wanted to cancel anytime they could . And that ’s possible as well .
Samantha:[00:30:46 ] Wonderful , that is great and I prize that tip too about combining the weeds . I know for a muckle of hotdog . Are a lot of multi - pet proprietor , you screw you may have a vainglorious dog and a small frankfurter or two smaller or two medium and that would work a sight beneficial to carry through people some money and that ’s an awesome insider crown I guess I would call it .
Marco:[00:31:03 ] Yeah , I mean if you ’ve got two 30 pound dog you could get the 50 to 80 - pound alternative . Right , and you could and it ’s fantastic , it gives you accurate directions on how to feed your dogs . And you ’re front at $ 30 every two hebdomad for a super - premium food grain liberal , Irish potato barren dog nutrient with the surprisal treatment every time .
Samantha:[00:31:19 ] And you ca n’t beat that pricing , anybody that ’s shopped around for a high - quality dog food . I roll in the hay we with our three dogs we pass well over $ 100 a month to feed our three dogs . A top quality food so $ 30 every two week to feed a duo of intermediate sized dog-iron is very trashy .
Marco:[00:31:38 ] Awesome .
Samantha:[00:01:39 ] Wonderful , great , thank you . Is there anything that we have n’t ? let the cat out of the bag about or touch on that you wanted to say .
Marco:[00:31:46 ] At the nude cad box , we really like about providing top quality nutrient that ’s available to everybody . And it ’s really gruelling to do . I think it ’s really sly . You know you , I hear about citizenry who feed their cad . Iron , Orijen or Purina or these other brands that have a lot of filler that are n’t heavy for dog . And so , you know I understand that the movement towards an all - natural tiptop premium preferred nutrient is very , it ’s huge , it ’s growing but not everyone can give it . And I consider it ’s really a , it ’s foxy .
And so , you have intercourse we really are striving to provide top lineament food for thought at better price for consumers and I suppose by us doing a subscription box that ’s allow us to bring the prices down a petty bit more and go to directly to that consumer with nutrient and cutting out a draw of those toll points with middlemen , with retail merchant and distributor . Right and so , we can continue to do that . you could get a better terms food will do it . I mean we will bear on to force the price down to ensure that we have a top - calibre food . That everyone can really feed and I believe that ’s what ’s most important because for us to naked dog . Our destination is to make that sustained happiness right .
Samantha:[00:03:16 ] No ! we do we entirely translate we do the same matter .
Marco:[00:03:20 ] Yeah , it ’s the best thing in the Earth you desire to walk .
Samantha:[00:03:21 ] It is , it really is .
Marco:[00:03:23 ] If everyone could go on a pass with their healthy wienerwurst and have great food for them . Gosh , it ’s an amazing world . There is very few people more unhappy on walk .
Samantha:[00:33:36 ] Absolutely .
Marco:[00:33:38 ] I seldom see anyone angry on a manner of walking with the dog . It ’s very , very rare . They commonly expect very glad . And so , if we can get everyone to go out there and take the air their dogs , you know even if they ’re only for once a workweek , they can go doubly a week . If they ’re never doing it . If they could try it once a hebdomad to take the air their domestic dog . Even without the dog walker , I ’m talking to you and your detent and your significant other and your friend that you could do that . I think it makes the earth a happier place . And if we can aid contribute to that at the naked domestic dog , we are aroused .
Samantha:[00:34:07 ] Awesome , that is wonderful . Thank you so much for all this great information . You have sex when the naked dog is manifestly a new ware . So , I hope that help to get your name out there a little flake and that for sure gave our listeners a lot of great entropy about blackguard food and what they should be look for when they ’re shopping for favored food for thought .
PREVIOUS PODCAST : TOP # 21 – Veterinary Telemedicine for Dogs
