Bella & Duke Working Dog: raw food for active dogs

What is Bella & Duke Working Dog?

Bella & Duke Working Dog is a raw, frozen complete food range aimed, as the name says, at working and very active dogs. It sits in the brand’s line-up alongside its other dog ranges: Adult Premium Complete, Puppy, Senior, Working Dog, Working Puppy, Superfood and Pure Meat + Bone. There is also a separate Working Puppy range, which we cover below.

Bella & Duke describes its complete meals as at least 80% meat and 20% fruit, veg and healthy fats. That is its own description. We haven’t copied the Working Dog recipes’ nutritional breakdowns onto this page because they can change: if you want to compare protein, fat or calories with the adult range, read the current figures on Bella & Duke’s product pages, and ask your vet if you are unsure what your dog needs.

Who the Working Dog range is for

The Working Dog range is for dogs that burn a lot of energy most days: working gundogs and sheepdogs, dogs doing agility, canicross or other regular sport, and the sort of high-drive dog who is on the go from breakfast to bedtime. If your dog has a couple of walks a day and a snooze in between, an adult complete food in the right amount is usually enough.

“Active” covers a wide spread. A dog on a farm working all day and a lively pet border collie are both active, but they won’t need the same thing. When you build a plan, Bella & Duke asks about your dog’s age, weight and activity and suggests a portion. If you are torn between the adult and working ranges, its customer team can talk you through the difference, and your vet can tell you whether your dog’s weight and condition suggest they need more.

Some signs a dog may need more food, whatever the range:

• They lose weight steadily on what the plan suggests, even though they finish every meal.
• You can see their ribs and hip bones more than your vet would like.
• They are doing noticeably more exercise than before: a new season of work, a new sport, longer walks.

Any of those is worth a conversation with your vet first. A dog losing weight can have reasons that have nothing to do with exercise.

Independent ratings

All About Dog Food, an independent UK rating site, rates Bella & Duke’s Puppy Complete | Working Dog at 94%. It rates Adult Complete | Premium at 95% and gives the brand an average of 95%. Those figures were last updated on 5 November 2026.

These scores look at ingredients and labelling. They don’t tell you whether a food suits your dog’s stomach, energy or weight: only feeding it, watching and weighing will. Our page on the Bella & Duke All About Dog Food rating explains what the percentages measure and what they don’t.

Bracken, our border collie

Bracken is the reason we pay attention to how much an active dog eats. He is a 3-year-old border collie and, in our words, young and very active.

Here is everything we noticed in our two dogs after the switch:

For more on feeding a dog like Bracken, including meals around exercise and treats on long days out, see our guide to raw feeding border collies and active dogs.

How much does an active dog eat?

More than a quieter dog of the same weight. The Kennel Club’s guide is 2–3% of body weight in raw food a day, and it says plainly that active dogs need to eat more. A very active dog usually sits at the top of that range, and some very hard-working dogs need more again: your vet can advise. For an illustrative 20 kg dog, the range works out at 400 g to 600 g a day.

Our raw feeding calculator takes your dog’s weight, age and activity: choose “Very active” and it starts at the top of the range, then splits the amount into meals and a weekly total. Treat the number as a starting point. Weigh your dog every couple of weeks, and if they are losing weight you didn’t want them to lose, feed a little more. Treats count too.

Active dogs’ needs also change through the year. A working dog in a busy season may need more than in a quiet month. Our guide to how much raw food to feed covers adjusting portions in more detail.

Working Puppy

Working Puppy is, as the name suggests, Bella & Duke’s puppy range for working-type dogs. Check its product page for exactly which puppies Bella & Duke has in mind. Puppies are still growing, so they need a complete food made for growth, not an adult food in a smaller bowl. Their portions change month by month, which is why our feeding calculator deliberately gives no number for puppies.

If you have a working-breed puppy, involve your vet early and follow the feeding guide on whichever puppy food you choose. Our guide to raw feeding puppies covers what to think about before you start, including hygiene in a home with a puppy and children.

The downsides

Feeding a big, busy dog raw is not cheap, and it takes room. These are the things to weigh up before you sign up:

On cost: Bella & Duke advertises prices from £1.18 a day, but that is based on a 5–10 kg, 4-year-old dog on Adult Premium Complete with an 8 kg delivery. A larger, very active dog eats more, so expect a higher quote. Our Bella & Duke price guide explains why.

On handling: the Food Standards Agency tested 380 samples (277 dog, 103 cat) of raw pet food on sale in the UK and found harmful bacteria in 35% of them. The survey didn’t name brands, but it is a good reason to wash hands, bowls and surfaces carefully. Our guide to whether raw dog food is safe has the full picture.

The friend discount

If you are new to Bella & Duke, our friend code gives 40% off your first two boxes, then 20% off the third, each up to a cap. It covers frozen food on your first three orders only, and the Working Dog and Working Puppy ranges are frozen food, so it should apply to them in the same way. Treats and extras are charged at the normal price. Check the discount shows on your first order before you pay. The code, the caps and who qualifies are on our Bella & Duke discount code page.

New UK customers only: your household must never have had a Bella & Duke account or delivery. Frozen food on your first three orders only, and it can't be combined with another offer.