Consider duck dogs, from birds raised on a small family farm in western Pennsylvania where they were never subjected to antibiotics or hormones.

Or buffalo franks, from bison that roamed free of restraint, feeding by foraging, just as nature intended.

There are pork dogs, made from heritage pigs raised by 17 farmers in a truly free-range environment with rotational grazing. These little piggies were permitted to follow their instincts and forage on natural vegetation in Osage County, Mo., chomping on thick, grassy alfalfa patches and acorns fallen from robust oak trees.

And of course, there are 100-percent-beef hot dogs, from cattle raised on small American ranches where they are pasture-fed, except for "a short period of grain supplementation out in the fields," the company reports.

These are some pampered pups.

The dogs are skinless and uncured, and all four varieties are from animals fed a strictly vegetarian diet. (If we're so concerned about animals' being vegetarians, you might ask, why are we still eating meat?)

In a newsroom taste test, expectations were high, but we found the duck dogs dry and lacking in flavor. One colleague said it was a waste of good duck meat.

The buffalo were more robust in taste, but a bit gamey. The pork, we thought, were more like regular hot dogs but still too closely resembled bologna. And the beef were the best of the brood - moist, but still not spicy enough.

All the varieties, we concluded, would be juicier if they had casings to hold in their moisture. Guess that's what you get when hot dogs go au naturale.

Where to buy them

The dogs retail for $6.99 to $7.99 for a pack of four. They are twice the size of less-expensive hot dogs and are available online through D'Artagnan.com and at these select markets:

Di Bruno Brothers

1730 Chestnut St.

Philadelphia 19103

215-665-9220

McCaffrey's Market

635 Heacock Rd.

Yardley, Pa. 19067

215-493-9616

Pearl Street Market

229 Pearl St.

Beach Haven, N.J. 08008

609-492-3910