I LOVE a Good Challenge - #chewyinfluencer

I was napping on Mommy's lap when the email came in. 

I love a good CHALLENGE so when Chewy.com contacted me about a new challenge, I jumped at it. I mean, I literally JUMPED at the opportunity to try a new food. I did not even investigate it other than the name. That is how excited I was to TAKE ON THIS NEW CHALLENGE.

The challenge for me is NOT finding a food I like. Nope, I like pretty much LIKE and eat everything. And I am pretty sure if you go through all of the reviews I have done you will see that I have liked all of the foods I have tried.

The challenge for me is finding out

1. Is the food FILLING
2. Is the food weight friendly
3. Is the food economical (not necessarily inexpensive)

Within a week I received this BIG BAG of food from Ms. Natalie at Chewy.com. That's a lot of food and I was happy dancing all over the house because it was ALL FOR ME. Okay, okay, I give Molly a few pieces of kibble because even though she is almost toothless she likes a crunch now and then.

Chewy.com you spoil me!

I like the look of the bag, don't you? It is all outdoorsy and STUFF and it really gave me a sense of healthiness. I completely fell into your trap MARKETING PERSON. But although the packaging certainly attracted me, there is more to product review than a pretty package. I needed to SMELL the product. . .  SEE the product. . . FEEL the product . . . and yes. . . TASTE the product.

The food in question is the latest in Rachel Ray's NUTRISH family of dog foods - PEAK. This kibble is different from her other formulas in that it is NUTRIENT rich with 30% more protein. Why, you may ask, is this important? It is more satisfying for one. Dogs thrive on a high protein diet (not as high as cats, though, who require almost 100% protein). Protein gives a PUG more energy and makes her more ALERT. It is also more filling without being fattening. I am proud I am down to a reasonable 15-16 pounds and I plan to keep my weight right there. So it is important to me that I am not eating empty calories. Rachel Ray Nutrish PEAK also contains no grain, no gluten and no fillers which translate into BAD FOR YOU. Dogs and Pugs do not need grains, at least not much. And gluten + fillers is just asking for trouble. Give me good farm raised or naturally sourced food please.

I opted for the NORTHERN WOODLANDS FORMULA which is Turkey, Duck, and Quail. The other available PEAK is OPEN RANGE FORMULA which is Beef, Venison and Lamb. Both sound yummy to me, to be honest. But I am more of a poultry gal so that is the way we went.

Here are the ingredients - note the first, I dunno, TEN are all real food. The rest which are LESS pronounceable are naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and so on. ALL GOOD STUFF - Turkey, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Dried Peas, Pea flour, Whole Dried Potatoes, Pea Protein, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Whole Flaxseed, Cranberries, Duck, Quail, Menhaden Fish Meal, Natural Flavor, Sweet Potatoes, Salt, Zinc Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Proteinate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Choline Chloride, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid.

Mommy decided to TORTURE me and make me POSE with the food before she would let me eat it. Very cruel. This is the kibble in comparison to me. It is a good size, don't you think? Not too small so big dogs have a good mouth feel and not too big so that little dogs wouldn't have trouble biting into it. Just the right size for PUGS who run the middle ground between the two.

Mommy. . . . Mommy . . . MOMMY!!! See this here? I want to eat this here food right now. How will I know if I like it if you don't let me taste it?

Mommy does this. She likes to make me sit and be a good girl before I get to gobble. I play her game because I know at the end of the day I WIN.

This is me SAMPLING the kibble on the floor. It is just as yummy as I imagined it would be. The TURKEY taste is so rich and inviting. . . and the DUCK is out of this world gamey and dense. . . and the QUAIL is so subtle but definitely there. Oh this is really good stuff. Time will tell though if this this is GOOD STUFF, if you know what I mean.

Mommy wanted me to point to that piece of kibble on the edge. I am NOT a show dog, Mommy. You can't make me do a bunch of tricks for your entertainment. She finally had to HAND FEED me that bite. Hahahahaha! She does not like to do that. She knows it's a POWER PLAY by me.

So that is the tale of our challenge. We look forward to sharing with you our progress and thoughts while eating this new food. If taste alone was KEY, well I can tell you Rachel Ray Nutrish PEAK would be a winner. BUT it is not all about taste. So be patient THERE IS MORE TO COME.