There are a lot of different dog food brands on the market, and of course you want to choose the best dog food for your best friend. Here, we’ll give you our top 11 best dog food brands, describe them a little further and tell you what we think makes them good.
Our tips in alphabetical order are:
- Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula
- Canidae Grain-Free Pure Dry Dog Food
- Diamond Naturals Dry Food
- Hill’s Science Diet Dry Dog Food
- Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Dry Dog Food
- Nutro Ultra Dry Dog Food
- Orijen Dry Dog Food
- Purina Pro Plan Dry Dog Food
- Taste Of The Wild Dry Food
- Wellness Complete Health Dry Dog Food
- Wellness Core Dry Dog Food
What makes a good brand according to us
In our opinion, a good dog food brand has lots of alternatives to choose from and has different recipes for all different life stages, activity levels and any problems such as food allergies or a sensitive stomach. It also should follow the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officers) guidelines, which should be marked on the label.
Another important thing to look for when choosing a brand is that they use real ingredients and have meat, fish, or poultry as the first ingredient on the list and not a by-product meal. Also make sure that they always include the six basic nutritional requirements for dogs. These are:
- Water.
- Protein.
- Fats.
- Carbohydrates.
- Minerals.
- Vitamins.
If you want to know more about what to look for when choosing a dry dog food, click on the link.
As a last factor, consider the price of the food. When the manufacturer uses real and high-quality ingredients it naturally goes up in price, but it doesn’t have to cost an unreasonable amount of money.
Our tips in closer detail
1. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula
Example: Adult Lamb & Brown Rice Recipe.
First 6 ingredients: Deboned Lamb, Menhaden Fish Meal, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Barley & Pea Starch.
Why it is good: Blue Buffalo life protection formula has exclusive LifeSource Bits which is a perfect blend between antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
Other recipes: Puppy, senior, small breed, large breed, beef and brown rice, chicken and brown rice, wet foods and so on.
2. Canidae Grain-Free Pure Dry Dog Food
Example: Limited Ingredient Real Lamb & Pea.
First 6 ingredients: Lamb, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Peas & Garbanzo Beans.
Why it is good: Canidae Pure has clean recipes with high-quality proteins and healthy fats and has 10 or less key-ingredients which makes it great for dogs with a sensitive stomach or food allergies.
Other recipes: Puppy, senior, healthy weight, duck and sweet potato, bison and barley, wet foods and so on.
3. Diamond Naturals Dry Food
Example: Chicken & Rice.
First 6 ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Grain Brown Rice, Cracked Pearled Barley, White Rice & Dried Yeast.
Why it is good: Contains proteins, fats and is enhanced with superfoods, vitamins, and minerals.
Other recipes: Puppy, senior, small breed, large breed, extreme athlete, skin & coat formula, lamb meal and rice and so on.
4. Hill’s Science Diet Dry Dog Food
Example: Chicken and Brown Rice.
First 6 ingredients: Chicken, Brown Rice, Brewers Rice, Cracked Pearled Barley, Chicken Meal & Whole Grain Oats.
Why it is good: The recipes from Hill’s Science Diet have balanced nutrition, natural fibers, and omega fatty acids. According to us, this is one of the best brands of dog food for small dogs since there is much to choose from for small breeds.
Other recipes: Puppy, senior, small breed, large breed, light, healthy mobility, chicken, and barley and so on.
5. Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Dry Dog Food
Example: Real Chicken and Green Peas Recipe with Ancient Grains.
First 6 ingredients: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Barley, Turkey Meal & Oatmeal.
Why it is good: Merrick Classic contains leading levels of protein, fresh fruits and vegetables and healthy grains. The recipes focus on natural and nutritious ingredients.
Other recipes: Puppy, senior, small breed, large breed, real lamb and brown rice, real beef, and green peas and so on.
6. Nutro Ultra Dry Dog Food
Example: Superfood Plate Trio of Proteins Chicken, Lamb & Salmon.
First 6 ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Grain Sorghum, Whole Grain Barley, Whole Grain Oats & Whole Grain Brown Rice.
Why it is good: Nutro Ultra contains a trio of proteins from chicken, salmon, and lamb. It also has a blend of 15 superfoods such as coconut, blueberries, and kale.
Other recipes: Puppy, senior, toy breed, small breed, large breed, weight management and so on.
7. Orijen Dry Dog Food
Example: Tundra Biologically Appropriate Goat Boar Venison Duck Mutton & Char.
First 6 ingredients: Deboned Goat, Deboned Wild Boar, Deboned Arctic Char, Deboned Venison, Steelhead Trout & Deboned Duck.
Why it is good: All the recipes from Orijen are biologically appropriate and are formulated to mirror your dog’s evolutionary diet.
Other recipes: Puppy, puppy large, senior, fit & thin, six fish, freeze-dried dog food and so on.
8. Purina Pro Plan Dry Dog Food
Example: Complete Essentials – High Protein, Probiotics, Salmon and Rice.
First 6 ingredients: Salmon, Rice, Whole Grain Wheat, Poultry By-Product Meal, Soybean Meal & Beef Fat.
Why it is good: Purina Pro Plan has a lot of different types of food such as focus and shredded blend. It has good recipes with protein, fats, and nutrients your dog needs. This is one of the absolute best dog food brands for large dogs with many different options.
Other recipes: Puppy, senior, toy breed, small breed, large breed, giant breed, calm and balanced, wet foods and so on.
9. Taste Of The Wild Dry Food
Example: High Prairie Grain-Free Roasted Bison & Venison.
First 6 ingredients: Water Buffalo, Lamb Meal, Chicken Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Peas & Potatoes.
Why it is good: Taste Of The Wild provides quality dog foods with ingredients based on a dog’s natural diet. The first ingredient is always real meat, fish, or poultry and also a unique protein such as boar or bison.
Other recipes: Small breed, southwest canyon with wild boar, pacific stream, Sierra mountain, wet foods and so on.
10. Wellness Complete Health Dry Dog Food
Example: Chicken & Oatmeal.
First 6 ingredients: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Oatmeal, Ground Barley, Peas & Ground Brown Rice.
Why it is good: Every recipe contains natural, high-quality protein and antioxidants for a balanced diet for your dog so it can live a happy and healthy life.
Other recipes: Puppy, senior, toy breed, small breed, large breed, wet foods, healthy weight, whitefish, and sweet potato and so on.
11. Wellness Core Dry Dog Food
Example: Natural, Grain Free, Wild Game Formula.
First 6 ingredients: Duck, Lamb Meal, Chicken Meal, Chickpeas, Peas & Lentils.
Why it is good: Wellness Core is high in protein, has much flavor and contains natural and balanced ingredients of high quality.
Other recipes: Puppy, senior, small breed, large breed, reduced fat, lamb, wet foods and so on.
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