Pure Dog Food: Review of Recipes & Treats 2024

Overview

Pure is a dog food delivery service focusing on high-quality fresh meals. It offers a range of recipes with different proteins, along with a selection of treats. Its meals appeal to discerning pet owners and include a variety of ingredients beyond just animal proteins. The company sources ingredients from the same suppliers as top Los Angeles restaurants, ensuring premium quality.

Pure delivers dog food nationwide, offering hassle-free meals that need no preparation. You can tailor your dog's meals to fit their specific dietary needs and preferences. Choose between a subscription for regular deliveries or a one-time purchase as a guest.

Like any other pet food delivery service, Pure isn't perfect. To find out if its strengths outweigh its weaknesses and to make an informed decision, continue reading my review. 

Pure’s Meals: Healthy Foods That Are Good for Dogs of All Ages

Pure has 5 dog meals and 3 treats on offer. The company highlights that its recipes contain everything your pets need and nothing they don't. It also stresses that experts back its food.

What's more, you can take an on-site meal personalization questionnaire for your dog to tailor their mealtime. Now, let's dive in. 

Plans & Recipes: 5 Meals & 3 Treats, Including Grain-Free Options

Pure's pet food subscription service offers fresh meals with 4 protein choices: chicken, turkey, beef, and salmon. Its menu includes 2 chicken-based recipes and 1 recipe each for turkey, beef, and salmon, catering to different preferences and dietary needs.

Pure Dog Food’s meals are Clean Chicken & Quinoa, Lean Chicken & Spinach, Mega Omega Salmon, Proactive Beef & Pumpkin, and Turkey Tried & True. 

If you're after grain-inclusive recipes, go for Clean Chicken & Quinoa (containing millet), Lean Chicken & Spinach (brown rice and rolled oats), and Turkey Tried & True (brown rice and rolled oats). If you feed your pup cereal-free food, Mega Omega Salmon and Proactive Beef & Pumpkin are your best bet. Just note that the salmon meal contains whole wheat pasta, among other ingredients. 

Pure Dog Food provides 3 limited-ingredient treats, each featuring a different protein – beef, chicken, and turkey. The service assures that both dogs and cats can enjoy its treats. But if you're looking for full meals for cats, I recommend exploring our list of the best cat food delivery services.

The provider's treats are all grain-free and dehydrated. Unlike its fresh meals that include a variety of ingredients (I’ll cover this in a bit), the treats contain only protein and parsley. 

Pure has 2 quick meal customization quizzes. One of them only asks for your pet's name and weight. This is the simplest form I've encountered in pet food personalization. Check The Farmer's Dog for a detailed quiz that considers a range of factors, including your dog's health and pickiness.

You can take the other survey after completing this one. To do this, hover your cursor over the right side box that appears under the feeding suggestion. Then, click on the Need Help? Ask Dr. Mahaney link.

In this quick survey, you'll answer questions about your pup's age, activity level, current diet, body type, and potential allergies. If you’re unsure about any of the offered options, just make your best guess. 

If you state that your dog has food allergies, Pure Dog Food provides 17 options to choose from. Some available choices are Beef, Fish, Turkey, Oatmeal, Spinach, Apples, and Sweet Potatoes. After completing the questionnaire, you'll receive meal recommendations for your dog.

The service's products are suitable for all life stages. Vet nutritionists developed the recipes that not only meet but exceed the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) standards. But the meals don't include allergen info, so if your pup has an allergy, you should check out our top-rated hypoallergenic dog food services, many of which offer fresh recipes.

Ingredients: Fresh Produce Sourced From Local Suppliers, With No Nasties Added

Pure gets proteins, fruits, veggies, and grains from local suppliers in the Los Angeles area. Some of these are carrots, green beans, sweet potatoes, broccoli, brown rice, and pumpkin. Safflower and salmon oils are also among the ingredients. The provider’s meals feature a limited ingredient list, aiming to simplify diets and reduce the risk of allergic reactions.

I'll be referring to the Clean Chicken & Quinoa meal to evaluate its ingredients and nutritional value. It has 8 ingredients, while the other recipes have 6 or 7. You can quickly review any meal's contents by hovering your cursor over the dish name and clicking on Quick Overview. You can also do this from the product page.

Chicken is among the healthiest foods for your dog. It's also a belly-friendly ingredient for pups that have sensitive stomachs. Millet is a great source of phosphorus, a key ingredient for healthy bones. Apples provide vitamins A and C and dietary fiber, but they also freshen your dog's breath and keep their teeth clean.  

Fiber-rich carrots provide beta-carotene, generating vitamin A. Pumpkin improves your pet's digestion, while green beans add vitamins and minerals. Low-calorie quinoa suits overweight pets and those with upset tummies. Finally, salmon oil, with its fatty acids, benefits your hound's skin and coat, heart, and immunity.  

The company’s products are free of preservatives and nutritionally empty fillers. 

Nutrition: Balanced Meals Low-Cooked to Preserve Nutrients

I consulted the Clean Chicken & Quinoa guaranteed analysis to determine its nutritional value and found the following data:

• Protein – 12.7%

• Fat – 1.7%

• Fiber – 1.3%

Here, I have to point out that pet food services typically specify minimum values for protein and fat, and maximum values for fiber. 

Pure Dog Food's team makes its pet food by hand, gently cooking it in small batches at low temperatures for long periods. This method helps preserve nutrients and flavor. Many reputable dog and cat food providers use this approach, which is why many pet owners and experts agree that fresh meals are best for pets.

Unboxing: Food Arrives Frozen, but Recyclability of Packaging Is Unclear

Pure customizes its packaging process based on the shipping destination. Sadly, that’s the most I managed to get from the  website research and interaction with customer support in this regard. In line with this, it remains unclear whether Pure Dog Food’s packaging is eco-friendly or recyclable.

You'll get products in their original packaging, so you shouldn't mistake one meal for another. The company freezes food before shipping to maintain freshness. You should keep meals frozen until use, defrosting them before serving. Store any unused portions in the refrigerator until the next meal.

The shelf life of frozen dishes is up to a year. Once you thaw them, they should last 5 to 7 days if kept in the fridge. Pure treats are good for 6 months, and you can keep them at room temperature.  

Prices: Delivery Fees Are Unusually High

The cost of Pure's products depends on whether you're a subscriber or not. Recurring deliveries provide a small discount. See the following table for the details. 

The shipping fee you'll pay to get your order depends on your location. Based on my analysis, this company tends to charge higher delivery fees than many other pet food delivery services. I compared shipping costs in 4 cities, including Los Angeles, where Pure is based. I found them ranging from high to exorbitant, inflating the total cost pretty much.  

I cross-referenced shipping fees to Los Angeles (California), Seattle (Washington), Houston (Texas), and New York. Delivery costs were $33.31 for LA, $64.06 for Seattle, $68.48 for Houston, and $75.99 for New York. Note, however, that customers within a 20-mile radius of the company’s Culver City facility in LA are eligible for free delivery if their order exceeds $75.

You can return Pure Dog Food’s meals within 7 days of receiving them. To be eligible for a refund, you must send back meals in their original packaging and have more than 50% used.

Shipping & Delivery: Choose Wednesday or Friday for Delivery & Pick Your Frequency

Pure delivers dog food across the continental US, using FedEx for door-to-door delivery. If you have any special requests or instructions for the driver, include them during the ordering process. 

You can buy the provider's products once or opt for recurring deliveries. Select delivery frequencies ranging from every week to every 4 weeks, in one-week increments, during signup. Deliveries occur on Wednesdays and Fridays, and you can typically choose your preferred day to get the products.

How Pure Works (Step by Step Guide)

You can buy Pure's products as a guest or a member. Subscribers enjoy tailored meal selections for their dogs and a small discount. 

How to Sign Up (5 Easy Steps)

The signup process involves completing a meal customization quiz and shopping for items. Here’s what to do:

1. Take the quiz to start the subscription process. You can take a longer survey after completing the short version if you wish.

2. Review your dog's recommendations and choose meals. If you wish, you can let the service choose them for you.

3. Choose a treat (optional) and select delivery frequency. Confirm your choices by continuing to checkout.

4. Enter your name and email address. Create a strong password by including punctuation marks, symbols, and lowercase and uppercase letters. You can log in to your account from here once you register.

5. State your shipping address, delivery date, and payment method. You may get 2 delivery dates to choose from.

After completing these steps, you’re set.

Managing Your Subscription

You can manage your subscription account by clicking on the Hi, (your name) icon next to the Get Started button in the top-right corner of the screen.

You can review your subscriptions and order history from your account. Also, you can change your email address and password. You can add another pet via My Account, too.

Customer Service: A Minimal Website & Only 1 Contact Option

I have mixed feelings about my experience with Pure's customer support. And I can say that the user experience with the website is also mediocre at best.

To give some context, the site is quite basic, offering minimal content and information. This necessitated extensive contact with customer support for basic details about meals and delivery policies. Additionally, the website lacks educational resources or a blog. The FAQ section is reasonable, but the answers given are very brief.

I reached out to Pure using its on-site contact form, the sole customer support channel. My queries were about delivery, the eco-friendliness of materials, and the shelf life of the products. Since I messaged outside operating hours, I received a response promptly at the start of the next business day.

I provided the requested info and accompanied it with a few more questions. Those touched on accepted payment methods and tracking info. But I didn't get any reply on the following day or by the time I finished writing this review. 

If you wish to terminate your account, you can do so after the second subscription order. Contact customer support if you need help with unsubscribing. 

Pure Recalls: No Recalls to Date

Pure Dog Food delivery service had no recalls at the time I reviewed the company. Refer to our in-depth guide to learn what the best dog food delivery services with no recalls are.

How Pure Dog Food Compares to Other Meal Delivery Services

Pure Dog Food vs. The Farmer’s Dog: Pure ships frozen dishes, while its competitor delivers fresh food. Protein choices mostly match, with Pure providing salmon whereas The Farmer's Dog prepares pork meals. But The Farmer’s Dog has board-certified vet nutritionists on board, some of the highest authorities in canine diet, and the best meal personalization quiz I've taken so far. 

Pure Dog Food vs. Ollie: Pure and Ollie both have fresh chicken, beef, and turkey recipes, with the former adding salmon and the latter pork and lamb. But Ollie adds dry beef and chicken, a pet health screening test, and dog supplements. Moreover, it has 3 meal plans, helping you match your pup's dietary needs and budget effectively.

Pure Dog Food vs. Nom Nom: Unlike Pure, Nom Nom has 2 board-certified veterinary nutritionists on the team. It offers 4 gently cooked recipes containing pork, turkey, chicken, and beef as the main ingredients. Nom Nom's recipes contain fewer ingredients, which may suit pets with allergies better than Pure's dishes. Also, you can find a couple of probiotic supplements on Nom Nom's website.

The Bottom Line: Is Pure Dog Food Worth It?

Pure is worth considering if your canine eats fresh food and you have ample space in your freezer for storing. According to the company, its meals contain nothing but wholesome ingredients, providing various health benefits to pups. It has veterinary professionals create its recipes, which exceed the AAFCO standards. 

But I recommend checking out our best fresh dog food delivery services if you're looking for fresh meals, a positive user experience with the website, and efficient communication with customer support. 

Among the listed providers, you'll find suppliers of reasonably priced, high-quality dishes, treats, supplements, and great meal personalization tools. Moreover, they have lots of useful information and plenty of reading materials that can help you and your dog a lot. 

FAQ

Is Pure Dog Food good for dogs?

Pure Dog Food meals  are good for dogs for various reasons. The vet-formulated recipes include locally sourced, high-quality ingredients. But high prices, inflated by exorbitant shipping expenses, are deal breakers for many pet owners thinking about subscribing to this dog food delivery service.  

What is the number one healthiest dog food?

The Farmer's Dog is the leading meal delivery service for dogs, according to many dog owners and experts. Many pet parents have reported a positive impact on their dogs’ health after switching to this provider's meals. Moreover, the company has the best meal personalization quiz, taking into account every little detail. And you'll always get fresh food at a reasonable price.  

Is Pure dog food high in protein?

Based on the recipe I analyzed,  Pure dog food isn't particularly high in protein  (12.7%).  According to some sources, the minimum protein requirement for adult dogs is 18%, while puppies and pregnant or lactating females need at least 22%. But more important than the protein content is whether the meal is balanced and meets the AAFCO standards for a complete and balanced diet. As I pointed out in the review, this company’s meals certainly make this cut.