From the outside, New Tricks Dog Food looks like a polished fresh dog food brand with carefully labeled meals and a loyal local following.
At its core, though, the company is still exactly what it started as: two Santa Barbara brothers cooking real food for dogs they love and refusing to compromise on quality as they grow.
Owners Joe and Pete LaCorte didn’t set out to build a pet food company. The idea took shape organically, beginning more than a decade ago when Pete started cooking for his dog, Beia, as a healthier alternative to processed kibble.
A few years later, Joe rescued his dog, Maizy, and began refining those early recipes to better support her individual needs.
What started as a personal solution soon became something friends, neighbors and clients were asking for again and again.
“At the time, I was working as an on-site computer tech and meeting dogs at clients’ houses every day,” Joe said. “When I started sharing the food, the response was immediate. Their dogs loved it. Our dogs loved it.
“That’s when we realized we had something worth sharing.”
While the LaCortes admired companies that were already challenging the traditional pet food model, they felt there was room to go deeper.
“We loved that brands were moving toward fresh food,” Pete explained. “But we still felt something was missing. We wanted more transparency, fresher ingredients, and nutrition that truly supports long-term wellness.”
That realization led them into an intensive study of canine nutrition. Early on, they discovered that their homemade meals were not nutritionally complete, which pushed them to rework everything from the ground up.
Today, New Tricks meals are complete and balanced, meeting AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) standards and aligning with WSAVA (World Small Animal Veterinary Association) nutritional principles while still being made with the same care they give their own dogs.
One of the defining differences of New Tricks is how the food is made. Rather than relying on mass production methods, the LaCortes approach cooking like chefs.
“Taste matters. Dogs should be excited to eat, not just tolerate their meals.”
pete Lacorte
“We gently braise whole cuts of meat and fresh vegetables in layers,” Joe explained. “It allows the flavors to develop while preserving nutrients.
“Once the food reaches a safe internal temperature, we rapidly chill it and freeze it to lock in freshness.”
There is no extrusion, no fillers and no chemical preservatives. The ingredients are non-GMO, antibiotic free and minimally processed.
“We want the food to look and smell like something you recognize,” Pete said. “Taste matters. Dogs should be excited to eat, not just tolerate their meals.”
Their fresh food menu includes Beef and Barley Stew, Pork & Beans Medley and Chicken & Quinoa Casserole. Each recipe is carefully formulated using a custom nutrient analysis system Pete built, drawing on his engineering background.
“We analyze everything per 1,000 calories,” Pete said. “Amino acids, fatty acids, fiber, micronutrients, and calcium to phosphorus ratios. Flavor is important, but balance is essential.”
I was able to bring home samples for my senior dog, Beau, and the results were immediate.
Beau can be selective and slower to warm up to new foods, but he loved it. His bowl was clean, and he looked genuinely excited at mealtime.
For anyone feeding an older dog, that kind of enthusiasm says a lot.
Since June, New Tricks has grown steadily while remaining intentional about scale. The brand launched a new e-commerce platform that supports subscriptions and improved reliability, and it now ships frozen meals and fresh treats across the contiguous United States.
At the same time, the brothers continue free personal doorstep delivery throughout the Central Coast, expanding into the Santa Ynez Valley and Ventura County largely through word of mouth and repeat customers.
Community connection remains central to their mission. A permanent presence at the Channel Islands Harbor farmers market has given the LaCortes a consistent way to connect face-to-face with customers, and they continue to show up at local events.
They have also deepened partnerships with dog rescues, including Farmer & The Flea and Rescue805Dogs, supporting adoption events and rescue-focused initiatives.
Sustainability is another key focus. The Red Bag Exchange program allows customers to leave used branded freezer bags and ice packs from previous deliveries to be sanitized and reused.
Nearly all fresh food customers participate, and hundreds of bags were recovered and reused throughout 2025.
Quality and safety are treated with the same seriousness as nutrition. All food is prepared in a certified commercial kitchen under strict safety protocols.
“We treat this like human food,” Joe said. “I completed ServSafe Manager training, and we do periodic lab testing, including pathogen panels, to validate our safety processes and nutritional accuracy.”
Customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, especially from owners of picky eaters and senior dogs.
“We hear all the time about better digestion, shinier coats and more energy,” Pete said. “Seeing dogs get excited for meals never gets old.”
Looking ahead, the LaCortes are preparing for wholesale partnerships with local pet shops and exploring future collaborations with veterinarians and veterinary nutritionists.
Still, they are clear about their priorities.
“We’re focused on growing sustainably,” Joe said. “We want to keep our small batch quality and community first approach intact.”
At the center of everything are the dogs who inspired it all. Beia and Maizy were the original taste testers, and Maizy’s silhouette is featured in the New Tricks logo.
“We treat dogs like family,” Pete said. “Real food made with care doesn’t just support health. It creates joy.”
