Finding the best dog food is not simply good for your dog’s diet, it is also good for your dog’s health, temperament and behavior. In fact, 70% of your dog’s immune system is developed in a dog’s stomach, through their diet.
Obesity can strip your dog of a few years of his or her natural lifespan and can cause pain in joints in later years. Dogs are also natural meat eaters; a simple glance at their teeth will show you they are designed to eat meat.
So domesticated or not, they need certain things that meat provides them like protein for healthy bones and teeth and essential fats that provide vitamins and minerals (and helps them maintain healthy skin and coats). But too much fat, not enough exercise, and the lack of the right healthy dog food in their diet and your dog is facing the dreaded issue of obesity.
This study has combed the Internet, looking through websites, blogs and reviews to help find the top 10 best dog foods that have the nutritional value that most dogs require.
Not every dog is the same and some dogs have allergies or health issues that require special diets. As always, consult with your own veterinarian when it comes to the diet and health of your dog. But this study has compared hundreds of brands of healthy dog food to identify the 10 most popular and recommended brands that have what dogs need, and what trainers, vets and pet lovers like the most.
Article Contents- Top 10 Best Dog Food Brands – A Comparison of the Top Dog Foods
- Breakdown of Criteria
Top 10 Best Dog Food Brands – A Comparison of the Top Dog Foods
#1 Best Dog Food: Taste of the Wild, Canine Formula (Premium)
The best dog food found on the market based on the factors utilized in this study begins with Taste of the Wild, Canine Formula. This is a very popular premium brand of dry dog food with a unique flavor that dogs love. It’s made with roasted bison, roasted venison, beef, sweet potatoes, peas and other vegetables, as well as other egg and meat flavors like chicken (meal) and lamb (meal). This is a grain free recipe that helps with easier digestion, especially for dogs that have problems digesting grains. Aside from being an excellent supply of many vitamins and minerals that dogs need, this healthy dog food also is a great source of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids derived from natural sources, which is great for a dog’s skin and coat. This dry dog food has a high amount of protein, 32%, and a healthy amount of fat at 18%. Taste of the Wild, Canine Formula costs $48.99 for a 30 lb. Bag, or $1.63 per pound.
#2 Best Dog Food: Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Dry Dog Food (Budget)
The best budget dog food found on the market based on the factors utilized in this study begins with Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Dry Dog Food. This healthy dog food rings in at $38.99 for a 40 lb. Bag, costing an extremely affordable $.98 a pound. This flavorful dry dog food is made of farm raised all American beef with no artificial flavors, preservatives or fillers. Other ingredients include peas, carrots and brown rice. While the beef and vegetables give dogs a great taste they love, Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Dry Dog Food is a very healthy dog food for your dog as well. Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Dry Dog Food boasts natural prebiotics to help with easy digestion, plus plenty of vitamins and minerals including: Vitamin E supplements, Vitamin C, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A supplements, Vitamin D3 supplements, Vitamin B12 supplements, Calcium and Zinc. Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Dry Dog Food also boasts a healthy 26% protein with only 14% fat.
#3 Best dog food: Purina Beneful Originals With Real Beef (Budget)
Again another healthy dog food that understands that dogs love and need meat. Purina Beneful Originals With Real Beef is made with farm raised beef, peas, carrots and spinach. It also features whole oats to help with healthy digestion. Nutritionally, this excellent dry dog food is filled with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that help boost the immune system, helps to build strong bones and teeth, and helps with healthy coats and skin. Vitamins and minerals include: Vitamin A, Vitamin B-1, B-2, B-6, and B-12 supplement, Vitamin D-3 supplement, Vitamin E and Vitamin K. Purina Beneful Originals With Real Beef has a healthy content of 23% protein and 12% fat as well. A 31.1 pound bag costs $32.99, just a hair over a dollar a pound at about $1.06 per pound.
#4 Best Dog Food:Diamond Naturals Dry Food for Adult Dog, Beef and Rice Formula, 40 Pound Bag (Budget)
This is one of the best dog foods on the market, and is very popular for its excellent nutritional content, including focused ingredients that include superfoods and probiotics for easier digestion. The superfoods in this dry dog food include kale, pumpkin and blueberries. Superfoods provide dogs with essential dietary needs like antioxidants and many vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids that help keep dogs healthy. Diamond Naturals Dry Food for Adult Dog, Beef and Rice Formula is a beef flavored food made with ground white rice. It boasts glucosamine and chondroitin (which helps with joints) and Omega Acids (for a healthy skin and coat) as well as a 25% protein content with only 15% fat. A 40 Lb. Bag costs $31.99, so it has an extremely affordable $.80 per pound price.
#5 Best Dog Food: BLUE Wilderness High Protein Grain Free Adult Dry Dog Food (Premium)
The next of the top 10 best dog foods as ranked in this study, BLUE Wilderness High Protein Grain Free Adult Dry Dog Food brand offers dogs a meal made of deboned chicken as well as meat and fish flavors. Ingredients also include dried egg, blueberries, cranberries, and barley grass, but no corn or soy. Aside from being a great source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, this healthy dog food is designed to give dogs a more natural diet like they may find in the wild. This means that BLUE Wilderness High Protein Grain Free Adult Dry Dog Food is an excellent source of Omega3 and Omega 6 Fatty Acids, which helps provide a natural, healthy looking coat. BLUE Wilderness High Protein Grain Free Adult Dry Dog Food also boasts a strong, high protein content at 34%, with a healthy fat content of 15%. At $48.99 for a 24 lb. bag of food, this premium dry dog food runs $2.04 per pound.
#6 Best Dog Food: IAMS PROACTIVE HEALTH Adult MiniChunks Dry Dog Food (Budget)
This popular budget brand of dry dog food is made with real chicken, carrots, peas, apples and blueberries. The fresh ingredients in IAMS PROACTIVE HEALTH Adult MiniChunks Dry Dog Food offer an excellent supply of protein that is not too high in fats at 28% protein content with a 16% fat content.
On top of that, this healthy dog food is an excellent supply of L-carnitine (burns fat naturally, helps with metabolism) and Omega 6 Fatty Acids for a healthy skin and coat. Last but not least, at $35.48 for a 38.5 lb. bag, this budget brand dry dog food costs just under a dollar a pound at $.92 per pound.
#7 Best Dog Food: Best Dog Food: Merrick Grain Free Dry Dog Food (Premium)
Made largely with real deboned beef, and vegetables and fruits such as sweet potatoes, peas, potatoes, blueberries and apples, Merrick Grain Free Dry Dog Food is one of the best premium brands of dry dog food on the market. Merrick Grain Free Dry Dog Food is chock full of healthy amino acids, Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids, and vitamins and minerals. This recipe is grain free, great for digestion, especially for dogs that have trouble digesting grain, and is high in protein (38%) with a healthy fat content (15%). Merrick sells 25 lb. bags for$56.83, which gives this healthy dog food a health price per pound ($2.27).
#8 Best Dog Food: WHOLESOME ESSENTIALS Senior Dry Dog Food (Premium)
Ringing in at $44.99 for a 30 pound bag, NUTRO WHOLESOME ESSENTIALS Senior Dry Dog Food just makes the Premium category by fractions of a penny, as rounding the cost per pound takes it to $1.50 per pound. This chicken flavored dry dog food contains real chicken and split peas and is filled with vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, including Glucosamine and Chondroitin for healthy joints and a healthy supply of antioxidants, which helps boost a dog’s immune system. The protein to fat ratio is almost 2 to 1, with a 22% protein content and a very lean 12% fat content.
#9 Best Dog Food: CANIDAE Grain Free PURE Dry Dog Food (Premium)
CANIDAE Grain Free PURE Dry Dog Food is one of the best dog foods you will find for its naturalness and its simplicity. It features a limited list of healthy ingredients including fresh salmon, sweet potatoes, peas, suncured alfalfa, and potatoes. Limited or not, the healthy ingredients in this dry dog food offer an excellent source of vitamins and minerals aided by supplements, including: vitamin A supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, Riboflavin, Zinc, Potassium, vitamin D3 supplement, and natural sources and supplements of vitamin E. With a healthy supply of Omega 3 and Omega 6 Fatty Acids and a grain free recipe, CANIDAE Grain Free PURE Dry Dog Food has all the nutrients a dog needs to look and feel great. A healthy fat (18%) and high protein (32%) content round out this balanced and nutritious meal. CANIDAE sells 24 lb. bags of this brand for $~60, or just about $2.49 per pound.
Best Dog Food: “I and love and you” Naked Essentials Lamb & Bison Grain Free Dry Dog Food (Premium)
The last on our top 10 best dog food list, “I and love and you” Naked Essentials Lamb & Bison Grain Free Dry Dog Food, substitutes lentils, garbanzo beans and sweet potatoes in place of commonly used grains in their grain free recipe. This recipe is designed to eliminate common allergens while providing an easy to digest meal filled with vitamins and minerals. Also made with lamb and bison, this high protein (30%) low fat dry dog food is filled with Omega 3 and Omega 6 Fatty Acids for skin and coat, as well as probiotics and prebiotics to aid digestion and help reduce gas and other stomach related issues. You get a 23 pound bag of “I and love and you” Naked Essentials Lamb & Bison Grain Free Dry Dog Food for $46.99, which runs about $2.04 per pound.
Breakdown of Criteria
This study combed hundreds of Internet sites, blogs and articles, including those written and endorsed by vets, animal proponent groups, public organizations such as the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), and dog trainers. This research was conducted to use certain parameters (such as cost, popularity, positive feedback, nutritional value and ingredient content) to identify the best dog foods and most popular of healthy dog foods available on the market.
Not every food is right for every dog, no matter how popular of healthy it is. This study collected data and identifies the most commonly recommended and positively reviewed dog foods.
- Cost Per Pound – The dog foods were broken into 2 categories based on cost per pound. The budget dog foods cost less than $1.50 per pound while premium dog foods cost $1.50 per pound and up.
- Nutritional Value – There is more to dry dog food than simply flavor. This study isolated recipes that utilized healthy ingredients, that were considered healthy and balanced by the AAFCO and that had a protein content higher than 20% with a fat content below 20%. If you find these brands a little too expensive for your taste, then why not check out our top budget dog food picks?
