Last Updated on February 18, 2025 by Kieran Beckles
Have you been weighing up whether to place an order with A Pup Above, but you’d like to know a little more about the brand before placing an order?
There’s so much choice when it comes to pet food, and it can be overwhelming trying to decide which dog food is best for your canine companion.
I’ve got a fussy eater (Skye) and a food-motivated pup (Copper), so I’ve experienced some of the headaches associated with trying to satisfy a picky dog.
I first encountered A Pup Above nearly six years ago, and a lot has changed since I first tried their pet food on my Klee Kai, including a rebrand!
In this pros and cons article, we’re going to take a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of ordering from this dog food delivery brand.
A Pup Above Pros
Human-grade ingredients
The first thing I look for when checking out a dog food delivery brand is the quality of the ingredients. I was encouraged to learn A Pup Above use human-grade ingredients in their recipes. A Pup Above standout from some of their competitors because they use a sous-vide cooking method. Sous vide is a cooking technique that involves vacuum-sealing food in a bag and then cooking it in a water bath at a precise, controlled temperature. This is all done at A Pup Above’s USDA human food facility.
High protein content
A Pup Above’s recipes have a high meat content, which appealed to me and certainly appealed to my food-motivated dog Copper. A Pup Above’s website claims that their food has 50% more protein than other brands. When I examined A Pup Above’s fresh frozen meals, the first four ingredients were all meat and organ meats. That was encouraging to see.
Four recipes
If you’ve got a fussy pup like me, you’ll probably like to see some recipe variety. A Pup Above offers four proteins: beef, chicken, pork and turkey. I’d consider that a decent variety, although my favorite two brands in the UK provided over 10 recipes! Copper and Skye liked beef and chicken the best, so I’d recommend starting with those two if you’ve got a fussy pup.
Dry food format
A Pup Above caters to dog owners who prefer the idea of dry dog food rather than the hassle of having to make space in their freezer for fresh meals. They’ve got a Whole Food Cubies range. It’s effectively their fresh dog food but baked and cut into cubes. This is a clever idea. If your dog likes different textures, you could mix dry and fresh. In comparison, some fresh dog food brands offer dry food, such as Spot & Tango and Ollie, while others, like The Farmer’s Dog and Nom Nom, don’t.
Bone broth plus superfoods
A Pup Above’s recipes include bone broth and superfoods. I’ve seen other brands promote the inclusion of superfoods in their recipes, but I haven’t seen many include bone broth. That intrigued me because of the potential benefits. It can be a hassle to buy bone broth separately, whether it’s from the same brand or a different one. I was interested to learn A Pup Above creates their bone broth using the bones from their fresh food range. A nice way to be sustainable!
Taste test
The all-important taste test! My Alaskan Klee Kai dogs did enjoy A Pup Above’s beef and chicken recipes. Even Skye appeared content to eat their food. I did notice some pickiness at times, but for the most part, she finished her meals. They did enjoy the Wholefood Cubies, and I liked that the dry food was less hassle to feed and store.
A Pup Above Cons
Expensive
A Pup Above is pricey. You’re paying for the high-quality ingredients, superfood, bone broth and subscription service. A Pup Above came in at the more expensive end of the fresh dog food range. For Copper and Skye’s fresh meals, I ended up paying $331.96 (or I could save 15% if I subscribed, which reduced the price to $282.17). In comparison, The Farmer’s Dog cost me under $200 for a month’s supply.
Lack customization
There’s a lack of customization with A Pup Above’s service. Unlike other dog food brands such as Ollie, Nom Nom and The Farmer’s Dog, there’s no sign-up questionnaire. So you don’t get a “custom meal plan”. They do provide a feeding guideline based on your dog’s weight. So that’s something!
Ordering
It was a little awkward to order with two dogs. I had to do some mathematics to figure out how much food I required for two 15lb dogs. A Pup Above sells their dog food in two-bag bundles. You can’t buy a single bag. To me, that’s a little awkward.
More recipe variety
Like I mentioned above, four recipes aren’t bad, especially when you consider they’ve got a dry food range, but I’d love to see some recipes to cater to fussy eaters like Skye. I’ve found that the more recipes I can alternate between, the more likely my Klee Kai is to be excited at mealtime.
Wrapping Up
So there we have it! We’ve reached the end of our article highlighting the pros and cons of A Pup Above based on our experience.
While A Pup Above wouldn’t be my top recommendation whether you’re looking for fresh frozen meals or dry dog food, they’re still a good option.
I believe A Pup Above is better than traditional kibble and wet food, so if you’re looking for something fresher and healthier, you won’t go wrong.
However, my fussy Alaskan Klee Kai dog preferred some other fresh dog food brands and dried pet food companies.
Kieran runs Life With Klee Kai on social media and other online platforms alongside his wife Yasmin. With over 10 years of experience as a journalist and a passionate dog owner, Kieran loves to combine his passion for pets and writing to share useful insights and product reviews to help other dog owners.