FAQ
Straight answers.
Feeding, switching, safety, packs, shipping, and AutoPak, all in one place. Anything we missed, ask us. Contact us.
The food
- Yes. It is formulated to be complete and balanced for all life stages, so it can be your dog's whole diet. You can also feed it as a topper over other food.
- Yes. The bag has its own topper chart, from one tablespoon a day for a small dog up to three-quarters of a cup for a big one. Spoon it over the food your dog already eats. Many dog parents start this way and never fully switch. See the topper chart.
- For every cup of freeze-dried dog food, add up to an equal amount of fresh warm water and stir. Our unique product can be served immediately, but for best results, wait 30-60 seconds. You can also feed it dry, with fresh water always available.
- It depends on your dog's weight. Enter it above for the daily amount and the pack that fits, or use Find your recipe for the full plan, then adjust with your vet. Find your recipe.
- Go gradually over 7 to 10 days. Start with a small amount of AlphaPak mixed into your dog's current food, then add a little more each day while lowering the old food. Step-by-step transition guide.
- We run a kill-step process and test the finished food, and the equipment it is made on, for Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli. Freeze-drying does not cook the food, so treat it like raw at home: wash hands and bowls, seal the bag, and toss rehydrated leftovers after two hours. The full rundown on raw safety.
- Try it rehydrated with warm water first, which brings out the aroma. Most dogs come around within a few days. If yours does not, our 30-day money-back guarantee covers the bag. Help for picky eaters.
- We make Chicken and Beef recipes, and many dogs enjoy rotating between them. See both recipes.
Orders, shipping, and AutoPak
- Free shipping over $50 · gear always ships free. Once food is in the cart, the whole order counts toward the threshold, gear included. Shipping policy.
- If AlphaPak is not right for your dog, tell us within 30 days of delivery and we will make it right. The full terms, including how returns on gear work, are on the returns page. Returns and refunds.
- AutoPak is our subscription. You save $10/bag on every bag and it is delivered every month. Skip, pause, or cancel anytime. No fees, no phone call. Delivery on your schedule. Change the date or recipe whenever. Subscription policy.
- Yes. Independent pet retailers, vets, groomers, and daycares carry AlphaPak. Tell us about your store and we will follow up with pricing and terms. Wholesale.
- In the USA. AlphaPak LLC is based in West Jordan, Utah. About us.
Packs and gear
- Measure around the widest part of your dog's ribcage, and the base of the neck. Small fits a 17–22" chest and a 10–14" neck; Medium 22–27" and 14–20"; Large 27–32" and 16–23"; X-Large 32–42" and 22–30". If your dog lands between two sizes, take the smaller one — the EZ Fit™ straps take up the extra, and an oversized pack can't be cinched down far enough to sit still.
- Ask your vet for a number specific to your dog. It depends on age, build, conditioning and the terrain, and a healthy young dog in shape is a different animal from a senior. Start well under whatever number you land on, keep the two sides even, and add weight over several hikes rather than all at once.
- The saddlebags. On the 2-Piece they slide off with the EZ Latch™ system, so the harness stays on your dog and you can drop the bags at camp or use it as a plain harness on a short walk. On the 1-Piece the bags are sewn on. Everything else — the EZ Fit™ harness, the sizes, the included water bladder — is the same.
- The EZ Fit™ buckles latch down and the leftover strap tucks into rubber loops, which is what keeps them from working loose. If a front strap does slip, it's almost always because the pack is a size too big — recheck the girth measurement against the size you bought. Loading both saddlebags to the same weight also matters more than people expect.
- Water-resistant, not waterproof. It sheds rain and shrugs off a creek crossing; it isn't rated to be submerged. The sleeping mat and sleeping bag are the ones with a genuinely waterproof bottom.
- Yes — the packs carry a lifetime warranty. If a pack fails on you, contact us and we'll make it right. On top of that, everything we sell has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Yes — a Kobuk water bladder is included with every pack. It rolls up flat when it's empty and fits the saddlebags. The double-locking top is there so it pours without leaking in the bag.