Last Updated on August 23, 2024 by Kieran Beckles
Are you ready to try a new dry dog food brand, but you can’t decide between UnKibble and Orijen?
If you’re familiar with our story, you’ll know that Copper and Skye are Alaskan Klee Kai who can be picky eaters when it comes to their food so we’ve usually fed fresh dog food in the shape of frozen meals to our mini huskies.
However, we moved back to California from London in 2023, and Butternut Box, which was our favorite dog food company in the UK, doesn’t operate in the USA.
So we started to test and review different dog food brands in America to find the best dog food companies.
In this dog food comparison article, we’re going to take a look at UnKibble and Orijen to see what these two dry dog food brands have to offer dog owners who are ready to introduce some new dog food recipes.
Cut To The Chase: We recommend UnKibble, and you can save 50% when you use code “LIFEK50” at the checkout and click this link.
UnKibble Or Orijen: Best dry dog food?
Let’s get right down the business and answer the question posed at the start of the comparison dog food review: do we recommend UnKibble or Orijen?
I’d pick UnKibble over Orijen because Copper and Skye loved their dry dog food, and I loved the customized element.
If you’re looking for a dry dog food companies that use human-grade ingredients, you want to have confidence that they’re using high-quality meat and produce to create their dry food.
I liked that UnKibble looked different to what I’d describe as traditional kibble, and as I said above, I could see specific vegetables in the bite-size pieces of dry food.
UnKibble uses easy-to-read labels so you can check out all the human-grade ingredients in their limited-ingredient recipes. This approach earned my trust.
The questionnaire was really thorough and I appreciated the fact that they followed through on the customization element by providing a scooper unique to Copper and Skye’s needs.
Skye and Copper showed lots of interest in UnKibble and finished their dry dog food at mealtime. However, I’d suggest going for chicken and brown rice or beef and barley because these fresh recipes were the biggest hits of all four UnKibble recipes.
While UnKibble does cost more than Orijen and some dry dog foods, it’s still a lot cheaper than fresh frozen meals or raw dog food.
We managed to secure a 50% discount for our Life With Klee Kai community, but you’ll need to use “LIFEK50” at the checkout and click this link.
What Is UnKibble?
UnKibble is a dry dog food range created by Spot & Tango. They launched their dry dog food called UnKibble in 2020 as Spot and Tango sought to offer pet owners healthy dog food recipes in a convenient and hassle-free dry dog food format.
UnKibble has limited-ingredient recipes using human-grade ingredients that you and I will know, recognize, and, in all likelihood, eat as part of a daily diet.
Spot & Tango gently cooks their UnKibble to lock in maximum flavor, freshness and nutrients before they ship their dry dog food direct to your door.
UnKibble comes in four different recipes – chicken and brown rice, beef and barley, cod and salmon and turkey and sweet potato.
To get started with UnKibble, you’ll need to fill out their sign-up questionnaire to provide key details about your dog to allow Spot & Tango to tailor your dog’s pet food accordingly. You’ll also get a custom scooper to ensure you can practice portion control.
Spot & Tango say UnKibble is 40% cheaper than frozen dog food meals – and for the most part, this claim is true.
My first impressions of UnKibble were good. I liked that UnKibble are really thorough in their questionnaire, so I could share lots of information about Copper and Skye.
When I got my hands on my first UnKibble order, I liked the information provided about UnKibble and the customised scooper which indicated Spot & Tango were really following through on the tailored element of their dry dog food service.
By providing a custom scooper, it took the brainwork and guesswork out of feeding my Klee Kai.
When I took a look inside the bag, UnKibble looked different to boring, brown pellets I’m accustomed to seeing when I’ve bought traditional kibble. There were specks of green and orange in the kibble.
Copper and Skye enjoyed their UnKibble meals – especially the chicken and brown rice recipe and the beef and barley recipe. They were less interested in cod and salmon or turkey and sweet potato.
I pay $34.64 per week or $138.56 per month to feed UnKibble to my Alaskan Klee Kai, which is substantially cheaper than most fresh dog food brands that I’ve tested and reviewed.
Who Is Orijen?
If you’re a regular at your local pet store, you’ll likely have heard of Orijen because they’re a well-known dry dog food brand.
When you head to the dry dog food aisle at Pet Food Express or PetCo, you’ll find Orijen and its range of dog food. I’ll be taking a look at their Amazing Grains Dry Dog Food range.
Orijen explains that the first five ingredients are always fresh or raw animal sources. This means that they use what they describe as nutrient-rich meat, fish, poultry, whole fish, and organs.
Their Amazing Grains range uses whole prey ingredients (meat, organs, cartilage, and bone) and a super grain blend that contains quinoa, millet, oats and chia to help with digestion.
There isn’t a customized or tailored element to Orijen’s Amazing Grains, so pet owners will need to assess how much dry dog food to give their pet based upon the feeding guidelines.
To get started with Orijen, you can find their dry dog food on Amazon, or you can head to the dry dog food aisle at your local pet food store.
When I was researching the best dry dog food in the USA, I came across Orijen as a potential option.
In fact, I know a lot of Alaskan Klee Kai breeders recommend Orijen as a good option for Klee Kai puppies when you bring home your pet.
However, I was unsure how Copper and Skye would react to Orijen because they can be picky and Copper sometimes struggles with food allergies.
I picked up Orijen Amazing Grains Dry Dog Food at my Pet Food Express store. When I got home and opened the bag, Orijen looks a lot like regular pet foods that you may be used to buying.
Copper and Skye were pretty nonplussed about this dry dog food brand, which didn’t surprise me.
Like a lot of Alaskan Klee Kai, Copper and Skye can be fussy eaters at times, especially Skye. So Orijen wasn’t a hit in my house but you may have a different experience.
Where To Buy UnKibble?
UnKibble is only available to buy through Spot and Tango’s website. To get started with their questionnaire, click this link or hit the button below.
You can get a 50% discount for our Life With Klee Kai community, but you’ll need to use “LIFEK50” at the checkout and click this link.
Where To Buy Orijen?
Like we’ve already mentioned in this article, you can find Orijen at your local pet store. Alternatively, pet parents can buy Orijen on Amazon via this link.
Wrapping Up
We’ve reached the end of our comparison dry dog food review, taking a look at UnKibble and Orijen.
Of all the pet food brands that I’ve tested and reviewed on our website for our Life With Klee Kai community, I’d rank UnKibble as one of my Klee Kai’s favorite dry dog food brands.
Copper and Skye were big fans of UnKibble’s chicken and beef recipes, showing mealtime excitement and finishing their dry dog food, much to my delight.
From a dog owner’s perspective, UnKibble ticks a lot of boxes with the questionnaire, customized scooper, pre-portioned meals, convenient storage and competitive pricing.
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.