From Food Cart to Dog Bowl: The Story Behind Rocky Mountain Dog Chef

Hey there, and welcome! I’m so glad you’re here.

I’m the person behind Rocky Mountain Dog Chef, and before I was slow-cooking fresh food for dogs, I was cooking plant-based meals from a little food cart called The Sprout House — my first business venture, launched back in 2009 right here in Denver. I’ve always had a love for cooking, learning about nutrition, and sharing good food with others. What started as a passion for feeding people eventually found its way to a new kind of customer: dogs.

My journey into canine nutrition really began in the early 2010s, when I helped my mom research raw food diets for her English Bulldog, Bentley, and our family’s Black Lab mix, Butter. I dove headfirst into learning everything I could — Google searches, Reddit threads, home-cooked experiments — and I quickly realized how little transparency existed in the pet food world, especially from the big brands dominating the shelves.

That curiosity turned into something deeper when I read The Forever Dog by Dr. Karen Becker Shaw and Rodney Habib. Their research-backed, common-sense approach to canine wellness lit a fire in me. While their focus leans toward raw feeding and mine lands more in the gently cooked space, their philosophy of critical thinking, transparency, and advocating for long-term health deeply resonated with me. Between their books and the Planet Paws Facebook community, I found a tribe of people asking better questions and demanding better food for their animals.

Fast forward a few years — my own family was finally ready to adopt a dog. Enter George. From the start, I knew I wanted to give him the kind of nutrition that would support long-term health, energy, and (most importantly) joy at mealtime. After watching him pick at dry kibble and walk away unimpressed, I found myself saying, “Well, I wouldn’t want to eat that either.”

So I started adding fresh, home-cooked toppers — mostly meats and vegetables — to boost both the nutritional value and the flavor. And just like that, George transformed. His appetite came back, his coat got shinier, his energy improved — and I was hooked.

These days, George eats better than the rest of us, and honestly? That’s been inspiring. Seeing how much his diet impacted his overall health made us take a closer look at our own habits — how we eat, how we move, how we live. The phrase “Wellness travels up the leash” from The Forever Dog has become a core truth in our home. I’ve experienced firsthand how caring deeply for your pet’s health can ripple outward into your own life.

As I continued to explore canine nutrition, I started creating balanced recipes that were rooted in research, tested in my own kitchen, and — most importantly — loved by George. Those recipes formed the foundation of what would become Rocky Mountain Dog Chef. I still use the work of Becker and Habib as a compass, and now I also lean on tools like Chef Paws GPT, ChatGPT, and Claude AI to tune recipes, calculate nutritional balance, and approximate guaranteed analysis based on AAFCO standards. As the business grows and I have the funds to do so, I will regularly submit meals for lab testing for the most accurate data possible.

One of the principles I hold closest is transparency. You’ll never have to wonder what’s in your dog’s food — because I put the entire recipe right on the label. That means every ingredient is listed, along with its exact percentage as it contributes to the final weight of the product. No vague “proprietary blend” nonsense, no guesswork — just real food, clearly communicated. I believe that if I wouldn’t feel good feeding it to George, I won’t feed it to your pup either.

One of my short-term goals is to establish a relationship with a local holistic vet or pet nutritionist. I want to develop recipes with expert guidance, have a trusted referral for customers with specific concerns, and even offer prepared meal options for their patients whose families don’t have the time or energy to cook 100% of the time. I’ve started talks with a few folks, but I’m still looking — so if you or someone you know would be a good fit, I’d love to connect.

At Rocky Mountain Dog Chef, I’m committed to doing things differently — with real ingredients, honest practices, and a whole lot of love. I’m honored every time someone trusts me to feed their furry family member — it’s a responsibility I don’t take lightly.

Thanks for being part of this journey. Let’s make mealtime something your dog looks forward to — and maybe even something that inspires a little more wellness in your own life, too.

With gratitude and a wagging tail,
T Smith
Founder, Rocky Mountain Dog Chef