The 10 Best Dog Food Choices

What are the 10 Best Dog Food choices?

Well, there's really no simple answer to that question, and compiling a list of the 10 best dog food brands is a lot more difficult than you might think!

If you were to simply 'google' the words 'dog food' you'd get over 34 million results to choose from! But I'm pretty sure that you don't have the time to wade through that amount of information, to figure out what are the 10 best dog food choices, so I did the hard work for you.

Read on to find out more.....

Choosing A Dog Food

The foods I've listed are the most popular premium dog food brands, and all of them are made with superior ingredients and formulated to provide optimum nutrition.

Every puppy or dog owner wants the very best for their puppy, and trying to decide what food to use can definitely be a challenge.

What makes the task even more difficult is that there really isn't any 'one size fits all' answer to the question of which dog food is best. That's because all dogs are different, their size, rate of development, activity level, health issues can vary tremendously and that means their nutritional requirements are equally diverse.

An 8 week old Great Dane puppy, for example, requires a totally different food from an adult chihuahua, and an active hunting dog has different nutritional needs from those of a sofa-loving bulldog. This makes choosing the best dog food for your pup quite a minefield, and it can seem a bit overwhelming.

How many calories your dog needs every day depends on things like the age, weight, activity level and so on. This handy tool helps you to figure out exactly how many cups of food your puppy/dog needs to stay healthy and well fed. Just check the food bag to find out how many kcal/cup it contains and then fill in your puppy/dogs weight to get a result .......

There is one thing that applies to all dog owners, regardless of the breed, size or activity level of your puppy - avoid store-brand or generic dog foods. These are generally of a very low quality, and contain way more chemicals, additives and 'fillers' than they do nutritious ingredients.

Obviously, this sort of food won't satisfy your pup, and it won't provide him with what he needs to grow up healthy and strong, but that's not all. Eating poorly formulated food can cause problems such as allergies, skin/bone/joint issues, chronic digestive problems and more. In addition, your pup will need to eat a lot more of the lower quality 'cheaper' food to satisfy his appetite... so the actual savings in $$$$'s doesn't look as good as it might seem!

In fact, the money you may end up spending at the veterinarian's office to treat the various health issues that could result from poor nutrition, could well mean that choosing a premium dog food in the first place would work out a lot less expensive.

The key word here is PREMIUM. That's the only sort of food that you should use for your puppy/dog. If you're not sure what a premium food is, it's not the kind that you would normally find in your local 'Dollar' store or supermarket.

These sorts of foods are sold in some of the bigger Pet Superstores, Feed Stores and online (which is probably the easiest way to buy). Made from superior ingredients and formulated very carefully, many contain only all natural or organic ingredients and often (but not always) labeled 'natural, organic or holistic'...... and they're what you would expect to see on this '10 best dog food choices' page!

10 Best Dog Food

There are a lot more than 10 best dog food choices, and many of the best dog food brands have several different foods/ranges of food that are popular with different groups of dog owners. This is where the individual characteristics such as breed, size and activity level come in.

It took extensive research and my own personal experience of feeding and raising different breeds over the years to compile this list. The 10 best dog food brands that I have listed are the most popular premium foods, all made with superior ingredients and formulated to provide optimum nutrition.

Although I can't (and don't want to!) tell you what to feed your pet, I hope this information will make it a bit easier for you to choose what's best for your dog, lifestyle and situation.

• Innova Evo
  When it comes to 10 best dog food brands, this one came out on top! This all-natural range uses high-quality meat as the main ingredient, and is totally grain-free. It has the highest protein content of any meat-based dry pet food on the market. Containing 95% meat, Innova Evo is designed to designed to mimic what your dog would eat if he was living in the wild. Also referred to as the 'Ancestral Diet' this food gives your dog the benefits of a raw diet, but with the convenience of a commercially prepared food.

  Buy Innova Evo Here



• Orijen
  This range is high-protein, low-carbohydrate and grain-free and provides what they call a 'biologically-appropriate' diet for your dog. Made up from 70% meat and 30% fruit and vegetables, this food closely matches a dogs' natural carnivorous diet.

  Buy Orijen Here



• Canidae
  There are several different ranges of all-natural and holistic Canidae dog food, and they're all formulated with human-grade ingredients. Their 'All Life Stages' range contains over 50% high quality hormone-free and antibiotic-free meat protein, and offers both grain free formulas as well as those with the optimal addition of appropriate grains.

  Buy Canidae Here



• Solid Gold
  A leader in holistic pet nutrition, Solid Gold has 8 different ranges of dog food, all made with premium ingredients. All dry foods are packed in the company's special 'foil barrier' bags which eliminates the need for chemical preservatives or flavor enhancers. Choose from Wolfking/Wolfpuppy, Hund-N-Flocken/Hundchen and others including the new high-protein/low carb adult dog food 'Barking at the Moon'.

  Buy Solid Gold Here



• Blue Buffalo
  This holistic range of dog foods are formulated in a unique way. The kibble itself is made from superior, all-natural and holistic ingredients and is then combined with Lifesource Bits which are a precise blend of nutrients and antioxidants selected by holistic veterinarians and animal nutritionists. Blue Buffalo foods are also gluten free. You can choose from the Life Protection Formula range which offers both size and age-specific formulas, as well as the Blue Wilderness range (high protein and low carbohydrate content, and a convenient alternative to a raw diet) and the Blue Organics range.

  Buy Blue Buffalo Here



• Natural Balance
  Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance range of dog foods is made from all-natural ingredients. There are too many varieties and categories of Natural Balance foods to go into in detail here, but they include the Ultra Premium, organic, hypoallergenic, reduced calorie, vegetarian and more. There's something for everyone here.

  Buy Natural Balance Here



• Nature's Variety
  This is also a holistic range of dog foods, and all varieties are 100% free of corn, wheat, soy, chemicals, and artificial colors & preservatives. The Prarie range contains meat, poultry, or fish protein, whole grains, plus fruits and vegetables. The Instinct range is grain free, and there's also a frozen raw food option.

  Buy Nature's Variety Here



• Timberwolf Organics
  Timberwolf foods offer a range of superior, carnivore specific formulas made with high levels of animal based protein, multiple grains, fruits, vegetables, seeds and herbs. It is also concentrated and nutrient dense, so your dog will get maximum nutrition from a smaller quantity of food.. and pass fewer, more compact stools.

  Buy Timberwolf Here



• Wellness
  A holistic range of pet foods, made primarily with human-grade ingredients. Wellness uses whole foods, with no meat by-products, preservatives, fillers, or artificial colors and flavors. The Super5mix range contains age and breed specific holistic dog foods that meet the unique requirements of puppies/dogs of all ages. The CORE range is grain free and protein-focused, and the Simple Food Solutions range has been designed specifically for dogs with food allergies or sensitivities.

  Buy Wellness Here



• California Natural
  This range is made from high-quality, all-natural ingredients, creating foods that are nutrient-dense and free from all chemical additives or preservatives. The use of only whole, natural ingredients reduces the risk of allergy problems. There are several age and size specific formulas to choose from.

  Buy California Natural Here

Of course, the 10 best dog food brands listed above, aren't the only excellent foods available (you can find a list of the Top 25 best dog foods calculated using Sarah Irick's method here).

The lists do vary somewhat, reflecting the changes in the dog food industry since Sarah's list was compiled. The reassuring news however, is that both lists contain many of the same brands, which shows that premium dog food brands are maintaining a high level of quality in their products.

I can sum it up this way - if you steer clear of the generic, low quality dog foods and choose to feed one of the ones above (or a food of a similar quality), you'll be taking a big step towards keeping your dog happy and healthy.

That's good to know isn't it?

In addition to this list of 10 best dog food choices, I have already written several pages/articles on the topic of feeding your puppy. I recommend you also check them out as they will help you to make an informed decision about what dog food to choose. They include -

• Feeding Your Puppy - this is an overall view of how to feed your pup, including a look at AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) requirements, the best balance of nutritional ingredients, customized diets and more.


• Dog Food Comparisons - takes a close look at the food grading system developed by Great Dane owner, Sarah Irick. This system shows you how to rate any dog food according to the quality of it's ingredients.


• Best Hypoallergenic Dog Food - this article gives you lots of information and advice on feeding dogs who have dog food allergies or sensitivities. Also contains a list of the best allergy-free dog foods on the market.


• Organic Dog Food - this page discusses the benefits of using organic ingredients, and what this means in terms of health for your puppy/dog.


• Homemade Dog Food - learn more about how you can prepare delicious and well-balanced home made meals for your dog


• Raw Food Diet For Dogs - feeding raw dog food (ie the BARF diet) is gaining popularity with dog owners and breeders. Learn more about the benefits and drawbacks of this method here.

If you're specifically looking for the best puppy food, take a look at this page - The Best Puppy Food

It tells you what to look for, and has a list of the best puppy foods on the market. It's been specifically designed for large breed pups, but there is also information and some suggestions for medium and small breeds. Definitely worth checking out!

Feeding Your Puppy

Dog Food Comparisons

Hypoallergenic Dog Food

Organic Dog Food

Homemade Dog Food

Raw Food Diet For Dogs

Feeding Large Breed Puppies - an Interview with the Great Dane Lady

Best Puppy Food

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