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It’s hard in rescue right now. Dogs from the “covid puppy” craze are being surrendered left and right. Fosters and volunteers seem hard to come by, and adoptions are moving slow. It’s a weird, heavy world in rescue at the moment.
When I took in my current foster dog, Indie the Dutchie, as a direct owner surrender from a dog training client, I knew I had my work cut out for me. Indie had shown some aggressive behaviors and needed a kind of hands-on intervention that her owners at the time just didn’t feel confident handling through our one-on-one lessons.
Rather than resign to euthanasia right off the bat, together we decided to first give Indie a fighting chance.
But before she could be listed for adoption, the rescue with which I typically partner wanted to be sure she was reliable and safe to go to a new home. So I took Indie, along with all the care and costs associated with her, while she was in limbo.
At first, Indie ate some “backup kibble” that I keep around for my personal dogs; something I keep on hand just in case I’m unable to prepare their homemade from-scratch dog food, lose track of time, or (I’ll admit it) just don’t feel like prepping food on a given day.
Eventually, though, I had to figure out what Indie was going to eat while she was with me training, for I-wasn’t-sure-how-long.
I knew I wasn’t going to make Indie the from-scratch food like I do for my personal dogs, lest I inadvertently emotionally invest in her even further, and be even more gutted when she did get adopted. Ask anyone who’s done it: fostering is hard, and you have to draw lines.
But I also wanted to make sure she was eating well and had access to a healthy diet while she was with me, rather than provide her with whatever was cheapest. I also wanted to be able to continue my reserve of designated kibble for backup and emergencies overall.
In short, Indie needed her own darn food.
Jinx to the Rescue
During this time, the dog food brand Jinx reached out to me to ask if I wanted to try out their kibble and share my thoughts on it. When I say this couldn’t have come at a better time, I mean it.
I was already aware of Jinx, as I’d been looking around for a good kibble for Indie to eat for a week or two before they reached out. Jinx is a premium kibble brand that offers dog food and treats with an ingredients list that could make any dog-lover sing their praises.
As you might know from Khayl’s article, Exposing Label Secrets and Lies On Pet Food, we are all about reading ingredients lists at Lugaru K9 Training.
Among those on Jinx’s list are ingredients are organic chicken, brown rice, oatmeal, sweet potato, fish oil, and a whole host of other actually-real-food ingredients. If you look at the list yourself, you’ll find that basically the entire roll is made up of things that the average joe can pronounce, identify easily, and eat themselves; just real food, probiotics, and vitamins.
I told Jinx about Indie and asked about their Chicken, Brown Rice, and Sweet Potato kibble recipe. Without hesitation, Jinx sent a bag of food for her for me to review, and it was at my doorstep just a few days later.
I also noticed that Jinx offers a “Give Bark” initiative on their website: 5% of every order donated to feeding shelter dogs at the shelter of your choice. I guess Jinx really doubled down on helping rescue dogs this time, in sending a bag to help out with Indie!
Jinx Kibble: First Impressions
The Jinx kibble came in a medium-sized branded box. I kind of appreciated the size that was sent to me; I’ve ordered kibble online before and had to lug in giant, oddly-shaped boxes of 50 lbs or more. I was able to manage hauling the Jinx box up a couple flights of stairs with no issue.
When Indie had gotten through her last bag of what I’d already had on hand, I dumped the last two or three cups of her old kibble onto the top of the Jinx bag to start her transition. She didn’t need any convincing, and always ate happily at mealtimes.
Indie got through the initial transition to her Jinx chicken, brown rice, and sweet potato without any issues, distress, or weird poops. She also ate just as eagerly, if not moreso.
The kibbles themselves are chickpea-ish sized and seem to have more moisture than I expect from other kibbles, which I was pleased to notice. I talk about how I’ve struggled with the dryness of other kibbles causing upset stomachs in my house in my article, Why Does My Dog Throw Up in the Morning?
I also really appreciated the size and texture of the individual kibbles from the standpoint of being a dog trainer; the Jinx kibble was a great size to throw into a bait pouch and use for training rewards. Indie was always eager to work for her food while on the Jinx food.
The Jinx kibbles are aromatic but not “stinky.” I could tell that Indie was happy to work for them as soon as the smell hit her, but they were not offensive in odor to myself like many other premium kibbles can be.
In short, Jinx is an awesome kibble for anyone hand-feeding or using food for training purposes, too.
Indie on Jinx Dog Food
Including the transition period, Indie was on Jinx’s chicken, brown rice, and sweet potato recipe for about three weeks. During that time, I did notice a few physical changes after switching from a more generic, lower-quality brand.
Firstly, Indie seemed to slim up a little bit. She was not by any stretch obese, but I was hoping to help her get a little more of an abdominal tuck. If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, I go over dog weight/shape in my article, How Can I Tell if My Dog is Overweight?
Because Indie is a Dutch shepherd, and is Dutch shepherd-shaped (having a compact, short body), her weight loss was not dramatic or incredibly noticeable by any means, but I do think she ended up leaning out a little on the Jinx kibble.
I also noticed that Indie’s coat was a bit shinier and fluffier in some spots such as her neck/mane. I cover in my article, The Best Supplements for a Dog’s Coat and Skin that oils and proteins are very important for the health of a dog’s coat, and I think that was demonstrated here with Indie.
Her coat just seems richer, fuller, and healthier after trying Jinx’s higher-protein and higher-moisture food.
Would We Indie Recommend Jinx?
Indie always enjoyed her Jinx kibble. She was happy to work for it in most situations, and it came with us on many outings and “field trips.” Indie was always ready to go at mealtimes, and never left a single kibble at the bottom of her bowl.
To be perfectly fair, Indie is one of those very food-motivated dogs that loves to work and loves to eat. (Did I mention she is a Dutchie? Let’s work, already!)
For the sake of transparency in my review, Indie has very rarely turned down food (a fact echoed by her previous owners!), and has eaten just about anything I put in front of her with no issue. Basically, she’s not really a picky eater.
That said, I do think there were key things about this dog food that I can imagine were more enticing than other kibbles, namely the moisture and natural ingredients list. I always noticed other dogs perking up a little at the smell of it!
But for some dogs like Indie, all food is good food.
Either way, it was lovely to get a chance to provide Indie with a high-quality food to help her stay healthy during her training with me.
Today, as I write this, Indie is getting set up for a home visit with her prospective adopter. As the final leg of this part of Indie’s journey unfolds, I can really appreciate how wonderful it was to have a some help along the way, and to be able to provide a foster with a high-quality dog food without the fillers and preservatives you find in most kibbles.
All in all, my experience with Jinx dog food has been wonderful, and I think Indie would share the sentiment if she could!
