Layla's Story

Layla’s Bowl started with Layla.

Shortly after signing up, we got a call from the Las Vegas Retriever Rescue asking if we could take on an emergency foster case.

The dog had arrived from South Korea the day before. Many of the rescue’s dogs come from meat farms in South Korea, and this dog had already been struggling in her first foster home.

She was spending long hours in a crate while her foster worked, and she was not doing well.

We agreed to take her the next day.

When Layla First Arrived

At the time, her name was Ryland.

What we were not prepared for was her condition.

She was so thin that every bone in her body was visible. She would not make eye contact, paced around the house constantly, and seemed unsure of everything around her.

She barely ate, ignored treats, and spent most of her time quietly moving from room to room.

For days, she would not look at us.

But little by little, things started to change.



I would lay on the floor with her, and eventually she would rest her head on my chest. Over time, she became more comfortable in the house, started making eye contact, accepted more affection, and slowly began to trust us.

From Foster Dog to Family Dog

Weeks went by and nobody asked to meet her.

During that time, Layla continued gaining weight and settling in. She was eating the kibble requested by the rescue, along with extra meals to help her put on weight.

The more time we spent with her, the more attached we became.

Eventually, we realized we were ready to open our hearts again after losing our dogs.

We officially adopted her and gave her a new name:

Layla.

Why We Started Homemade Dog Food Again

The day we decided to adopt Layla was also the day we started transitioning her to homemade food.

Homemade dog food was not new to us.

Our previous labs, had been on homemade food for years. We originally made the switch after two different brands of their food were recalled.

At first, homemade feeding felt overwhelming. But over time, it became easier, more routine, and something we truly believed made a difference.

We believe homemade food played a role in helping our labs live to ages 13 and 14.

With Layla, there was never much question about whether we would feed homemade again.



Because she was itchy, we started by doing an allergy test to better understand which foods might be causing issues for her. From there, we started building meals around foods she tolerated well and continued learning what worked best for her.

What Layla’s Bowl Is Really About

Layla’s Bowl is not about pretending we have all the answers.

We have more than seven years of experience feeding homemade dog food with Reed and Roxy, and we have now spent more than a year learning what works best for Layla.

But every dog is different.

What works for Layla may not work for every dog.

This site is about sharing our real experience, the mistakes we have made, the foods Layla loves, the supplements we use, and the things we continue to learn along the way.



If you are trying to figure out homemade dog food for your own dog, we hope Layla’s story helps you feel less overwhelmed and more confident.