ABOUT US
It all started with an idea, the planting of a seed that grew into something much greater than we ever expected.
My name is Rahmi Massarweh and my wife is Alejandra. I was a professional chef trained in classical French cuisine in San Francisco nearly two decades ago. I spent my youth eagerly mastering my craft alongside true culinary artisans. Professionals whom I describe as artists, masters of the culinary world, and masters of the seasons.
The seasons of the professional kitchen mirror those in life. Nature, just like the kitchen, can thrive during certain times of the year. While other times, it merely survives. Similarly, ingredients can be delicious for a short period of time and are almost just as instantly, not. Understanding these seasons and their transitions are a hard learned lesson for many cooks, but one aspect of growing into a chef means intimately knowing these seasons. When to expect them, when to experience them, enjoy them, and finally, when to retire them until the next season blooms.
At the beginning of our relationship, Alejandra and I knew we wanted a dog. We both grew up around animals and this naturally led to us wanting one (which led to two, then three, then obviously a fourth) to raise as our own. He was a 30 pound, 10 week Old English Mastiff. We named him Grizzly.
We knew we wanted him to be the happiest dog, with the healthiest food, and the best life we could give him. We starting by feeding him what was recommended by his breeder, then what was recommended by the pet stores. After one week it was obvious he didn’t like his food and it dawned on us: we wouldn’t enjoy eating the same dry, crunchy, bagged or canned food every single day either.
Almost instantly, it was like a light switch had turned on. Using my knowledge as a chef, I started to explore the idea of seasonal, fresh, whole foods that I could make for Grizzly at home.
Essentially it’s a simple philosophy: feed fresh, whole food that is in season and as close to its natural source as possible. Each species in nature has a biologically appropriate set of foods that they are meant to eat. For example, deers and rabbits are herbivores, while bears and mice are omnivores. Dogs are carnivores that are opportunistic as well. So to honor the species, we need to feed food fit for an opportunistic carnivore. Foods based on the seasons, the quality, and what dogs would naturally hunt for in the wild.
I took this a step further and learned from professionals on how to handcraft nutrient dense foods to create complete and balanced meals for our pets. This included pasture-raised, grass-fed meat, seasonal and organic vegetables, and, the ultimate prize, wild animals thriving the way nature intended.
In 2010 Grizzly came into our lives and changed everything. We have been hand crafting small batch, artisanal food ever since he was 11 weeks old. We officially began this offering for clients in 2015. Grizzly is the seed that grew into the tree of our lives and changed us forever. Dogue translates to Mastiff in French, a homage to my roots in classical French cuisine and our first Mastiff Grizzly. Dogue is our mission to change the lives of as many dogs as we can. Feeding fresh, seasonal, quality whole food one meal at a time.