what is the best dog food to buy?

Answer 1

Here's the 2006 list from the Whole Dog Journal. These are highest quality foods. Most of these are not carried at large chain stores but you can usually find them at small pet stores, feed and grain stores, etc.

Artemis: www.artemispetfood.com
Azmira: www.azmira.com
Back to Basics: www.beowulfs.com
Bench & Field Holistic Natural Canine: www.benchandfield.com
Blue Buffalo: www.bluebuff.com
Burns: www.bpn4u.com
by Nature BrightLife: www.bynaturepetfoods.com
California Natural: www.naturapet.com
Canidae: www.canidae.com
Canine Caviar: www.caninecaviar.com
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul: www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com
Cloud Star Kibble: www.cloudstar.com
Drs. Foster & Smith: www.drsfostersmith.com
Eagle Pack Holistic Select: www.eaglepack.com
Evolve: www.evolvepet.com
Firstmate Dog Food: www.firstmate.com
Flint River Ranch: www.flintriver-pet-food.com
Foundations: www.petcurean.com
Fromm Four Star Nutritionals: www.frommfamilyfoods.com
Go! Natural: www.petcurean.com
Hund-N-Flocken: www.solidgoldhealth.com
Innova: www.naturapet.com
Innova Evo: www.naturapet.com
Karma Organic: www.karmaorganic.com
Lick Your Chops: www.healthypetfoodsinc.com
Lifespan: www.petguard.com
Limited Diets: www.royalcanin.us
Merrick Pet Foods: www.merrickpetcare.com
Mmillennia: www.solidgoldhealth.com
Natural Balance Ultra Premium: www.naturalbalanceinc.com
Natural Choice Ultra: www.nutroproducts.com
Newman's Own Organics: www.newmansownorganics.com
NutriSource: www.nutrisourcedogfood.com
Organix: www.castorpolluxpet.com
Performatrin Ultra: www.performatrinultra.com
PHD Viand: www.phdproducts.com
Pinnacle: www.breeders-choice.com
Prairie: www.naturesvariety.com
Premium Edge: www.premiumedgepetfood.com
Prime Life: www.ompetproducts.com
Royal Canin Natural Blend: www.royalcanin.us
Timberwolf Organics: timberwolforganics.com
VeRUS: www.veruspetfoods.com
Wellness: www.oldmotherhubbard.com
Wellness Simple Food Solutions: www.oldmotherhubbard.com
Wenawe: www.wenawe.com.uy
Wysong: www.wysong.net
Zinpro: www.lincolnbiotech.com

Answer 2

*Please note that the following is for entertainment purposes only and has not been researched by DAN and may not be a "true" grading of food. If you have any questions regarding the food you are feeding your dog consult your veternarian.
This is a very interesting way to check out the quality of the dog food that you are feeding. It's interesting, because sometimes paying more, does not get you more and vice versa.
The scores are rather interesting.
How to grade your dog's food: (Some brand reviews already calculated here)
Start with a grade of 100:
1.For every listing of "by-product", subtract 10 points
2.For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or "poultry", meat, meal
or fat) reference, subtract 10 points
3.If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points
4.For every grain "mill run" or non-specific grain source, subtract 5
points
5.If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five
ingredients (i.e. "ground brown rice", "brewer rice", "rice flour" are all
the same grain), subtract 5 points
6.If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2
meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points
7.If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points
8.If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points
9.If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points
10.If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2
points
11.If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic
to other protein sources), subtract 2 points
12.If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points
13.If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to
wheat), subtract 2 points
14.If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to
beef), subtract 1 point
15.If it contains salt, subtract 1 point
Extra Credit:
1.If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points
2.If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or
nutritionist, add 5 points
3.If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points
4.If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points
5.If the food contains fruit, add 3 points
6.If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3
points
7.If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2
points
8.If the food contains barley, add 2 points
9.If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points
10.If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point
11.If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point
12.For every different specific animal protein source (other than
the first one; count "chicken" and "chicken meal" as only one protein
source, but "chicken" and "" as 2 different sources), add 1 point
13.If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point
14.If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are
pesticide-free, add 1 point
94-100+ = A 86-93 = B 78-85 = C 70-77 = D 69 = F
Here are some foods that have already been scored. If you don't see your dog's food here, ask and someone will score it for you.
Brand Dog Food scores:
•Authority Harvest Baked: 116 A+
•Bil-Jac Select: 68 F
•Canidae: 112 A+
•Chicken Soup Senior: 115 A+
•Diamond Maintenance: 64 F
•Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice: 92 B
•Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula: 99 A
•Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium: 122 A+
•Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato: 106 A+
•Foundations: 106 A+
•Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold: 93 D
•Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium: 73 D
•Innova Dog: 114 A+
•Innova Evo: 114 A+
•Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables: 110 A+
•Nutrisource Lamb and Rice: 87 B
•Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy: 87 B
•Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice: 23 F
•ProPlan Natural Turkey & Barley: 103 A+
•Purina Beneful: 17 F
•Purina Dog: 62 F
•Purina Come-n-Get It: 16 F
•Royal Canin Bulldog: 100 A+
•Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult: 106 A+
•Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice: 97 A
•Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+: 63 F
•Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies: 69 F
•Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken: 110 A+
•Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold: 97 A

Answer 3

A food that contains a named meat source as at least the first 2 ingredients, hasn't any corn, wheat, soy, beet pulp or by products in it and also doesn't have chemical preservatives or dyes in it.

Some of the good quality foods:
Wellness, Solid Gold, Innova, Canidae, Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul, Percise, Blue Buffalo, Premium Edge, California Natural.

Foods to steer clear of (they contain way too many cheap fillers & by products):
Science Diet, IAMS/Eukanuba, Purina Dog Chow, Pedigree, Alpo, Ole'Roy (this food is equivilant to feeding your dog gravy drenched ground sawdust)

Answer 4

Any dog food with meat (not meat by-product, actual meat) in the first three ingredients. The higher up it is, the better the food.
You don't necessarily have to go with a name brand food, but a lot of the food you get at a grocery store will have more fillers that make your dog poop more...that's why they are cheaper.
Good luck!

Answer 5

There are many quality foods out there, most of them aren't the ones you find in most pet stores though. Some really good ones are:
Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul
Merrick
Royal Canine
Wellness
Natural Balance

Answer 6

it would have helped to know what country you are in....
Austria?? Argentina?? Australia??

grocery stores and Wal Marts only sell crappy food with filler
some foods in pet stores are also crap (eg Eukanuba, Royal Canin, Science Diet)

AVOID : corn, wheat, soy, by-products (beaks feet feathers), pork, beef, meatmeal (mystery meat), BHT, BHA, Ethoxyquin

LOOK FOR - HUMAN GRADE MEAT.. HUMAN GRADE INGREDIENTS... the # 1 ingredient should be a meat source.. either Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, or Lamb Meal....

the better foods are more $ but your dog wont eat as much filler so you will feed less and have less poops too! in the long run you save $

In Canada - NUTRAM
in USA - Innova, Canidae, Wellness

Answer 7

Depends on what you want to spend. I am very picky what I will give my dogs and spent months researching foods. I was appalled by what is actually in dog foods so I prefer to stay with Holistic foods. If you go to Life's Abundance's website or www.dogfoodzone.com it will give you a comparison of foods and ingredients. Life's Abundance can only be ordered on line but is one of the most all natural foods on the market. It has no by- products (which most commerical dog foods have and can be road kill or any part of a carcass) it also has no chemical preservatives. Most of the Holistic foods are expensive but alot better for your dogs. If you want to stay commerical Royal Canin by far is the best. My dogs love that food and will only eat their holistic food if Royal Canin is mixed in. I am keeping my one dog on that food because it is the first of all dog foods that has given him no problems. He had severe stomach and allergy problems on all other foods except Royal Canin and both dogs did exceptional on it. Their coats are great and they feel good. But for their health I am trying to change them over to pure all natural foods like Life's Abundance, Eagle Pak, or Canadae. Royal Canin's website www.royalcanin.com is also very informational and helpful.

Answer 8

Natural Choice by Nutro - It is the best for dogs, you have to go to a pet shop, or pet store to buy it, not the grocery store. Grocery stores add fillers to their products as well as Iams and Science Diet. Natural Choice is best because it keeps your dog very healthy, they shed less, they eat less and poop less due to having more healthy ingredients than biproducts and fillers found in the less expensive products. I have always sworn by it as well as many top breeders.

Answer 9

After trying many expensive and moderately priced brands, We chose Solid Gold brand. Can usually find it at Petsmart and smaller pet shops. Dog seems to love it and we have less waste (poop) than we did with other brands.

Answer 10

Pedigree dog food.