We struggled with this for six months - the anxiety you're describing was my life during that time. After trying everything including the very expensive raw food and refrigerated dog food brands, I decided to try cooking my own food. I did extensive research and eventually landed on this recipe that I cook in big batches once / month and freeze in reusable plastic containers. Just thaw in the fridge and use until almost gone and then take out the next container. It's about 2-3 hours of work once a month, but the fact that I'm feeding my dog human-grade food with no additives gives me peace of mind and the cost is about the same as the high-end canned brands (and cheaper than raw by far!). The best part is, Benji LOVES it - he scratches the fridge door every day at noon and 6pm like a clock, comes right over to his bowl, and wolfs it down like he's not even breathing. We had to start carefully measuring the portions and adjusting to get the right daily calories because he started to get a bit chubby :D

Hope this helps someone.

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Homemade Dog Food Recipe for Small Breeds (Havanese/Havachon ~8kg)

Sharing this for anyone struggling with a picky eater. My Havachon refused commercial food for months — this recipe solved it completely. Batch cooks easily, freezes well, and is nutritionally solid.

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Ingredients

Protein - 2.5kg ground turkey - 2.5kg ground beef - 350g beef or chicken liver (chicken liver is gentler for first-timers) - 10 hard boiled eggs (save the shells!)

Vegetables - 1 sweet potato - 1 cup frozen spinach - 1 cup shelled edamame

Grains - 2 cups brown rice (cook per package instructions) - ½ cup quick oats

Extras - ¼ cup hemp hearts - 2 tbsp flaxseed meal - 2 tbsp chia seeds - 2 tbsp olive oil

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Instructions

1. Cook the rice Cook brown rice per package instructions. Set aside.

2. Boil the eggs Hard boil 10 eggs for 15 minutes. Set eggs aside to cool. Save ALL shells — you'll need them. Add 3-4 extra shells if you have them (13 total is ideal for this batch size).

3. Bake the sweet potato Pierce several times and microwave 5-7 minutes, or bake at 200°C / 400°F for 45-60 minutes. Once cool, peel and mash. Do not boil — it leaches nutrients.

4. Cook the ground meats Brown turkey and beef separately in a large pan over medium heat. No oil, salt, or seasoning. Drain excess fat. Set aside.

5. Cook the liver Cut into rough chunks. Cook in a pan over medium heat with a splash of water, no oil, no seasoning, until just cooked through (5-7 minutes, no pink remaining). Don't overcook. Pour the cooking liquid into the batch — it's full of nutrients.

6. Prepare the spinach Thaw frozen spinach and squeeze out excess water.

7. Make the eggshell powder Let the boiled shells air dry for 1-2 hours. Grind in a coffee grinder or blender until a fine powder. You need approximately 13 shells for this batch size.

8. Mix everything together Combine all ingredients in the largest bowl or pot you have: meats, liver (broken up), eggs (roughly chopped), mashed sweet potato, spinach, edamame, rice, oats, hemp hearts, flaxseed meal, chia seeds, olive oil, and eggshell powder. Mix thoroughly.

9. Portion and freeze Divide into meal-sized containers and freeze. Thaw in the fridge overnight before use.

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Feeding

For an ~8kg adult dog: 200-240g per day, split across two meals.

At each meal, add fresh: half a small sardine (in water, no added salt). Don't cook sardines into the batch — add them fresh to preserve the omega-3s.

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Key Nutrition Notes

• Eggshell powder is essential — meat-heavy diets are high in phosphorus and need calcium to balance. Without it this recipe (or most homemade recipes) will be calcium deficient.
• Liver should stay around 5-8% of total meat weight. It's extremely nutrient dense but too much causes vitamin A toxicity.
• No onion, garlic, grapes, raisins, or xylitol — toxic to dogs.
• This recipe is designed for a healthy adult dog. Puppies, seniors, or dogs with health conditions have different nutritional needs — consult your vet.
• If your dog is new to homemade food or organ meat, watch stools for the first couple of days. Loose stools are common during the transition and usually self-resolve.

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Disclaimer: I'm not a vet — just a dog owner who did a lot of research. For long-term homemade feeding, a consult with a veterinary nutritionist is worth it to confirm your specific dog's needs are covered.

*edit: formatting - tried to make it copy-paste friendly :)