Bear, a 120-pound Great Pyrenees with the discerning taste of a well-traveled food critic, found himself unsatisfied with the pedestrian flavors of everyday dry dog food. Margaret Pless, Bear’s devoted owner and personal chef, embarked on a quest to find a culinary concoction that would appease the pup’s refined palate.

When Bear, unimpressed by his owner’s offering of Costco canned food, scoffed at Pless’s attempts, she upped the ante by introducing refrigerated gourmet dog food to the table. Alas, Bear’s taste buds remained unenthused. Driven to desperation, Ms. Pless then attempted to handcraft meals for Bear at home. While the snobbish canine finally seemed somewhat content, Pless found herself consumed by the arduous process, questioning whether her creation provided Bear with the essential nutrients he needed for his luxurious lifestyle.

In a frantic attempt to appease the finicky furry gourmand, Ms. Pless subscribed to The Farmer’s Dog, a high-end dog food delivery service that boasted of using only the finest “human-grade” ingredients. The recipes evoked images of rich, savory stews, teeming with delectable proteins and a lavish array of vegetables like carrots and brussels sprouts. Though the perfectly portioned meals were shipped right to her doorstep in Dover, Massachusetts, Ms. Pless discovered her wallet to be considerably lighter. The cost of Bear’s gourmet meals skyrocketed to around $13 per day, a significant increase from the humble $3 she spent on dry food.

Much to Ms. Pless’s dismay, however, Bear remained unmoved by The Farmer’s Dog’s culinary creations. At first, the finicky foodie showed a glimmer of excitement, but soon his enthusiasm turned to indifference as he realized, with profound disappointment, that his seemingly endless quest for the perfect meal was far from over.