10 Best Dog Food Brands
January 18, 2009
Filed under Dog Food Tips, featured
After reviewing thousands of dog foods, we’ve come to realize that dog owners should add to the age old question of “What is the best dog food brand?” to ultimately ask “What is the best dog food brand for my dog?”
Dogs are starting to live longer and longer. Why? It’s due to the fact that pet owners are becoming more educated on what they feed their pets. In this post we are going to look at what we believe are the ten best dog food brands you can buy. We would like to mention that these are our recommendations and views and by no means the standard for all dogs, we would encourage you to browse our site and read through our various dog food reviews before making a decision.
Depending on your dog’s needs, age, lifestyle, allergies and other factors, the best food for your dog may be very different that the best brand for other dogs. At Dog Food Chat we strive to provide you with our recommendation, ratings and advice on finding right food to meet your dog’s needs. For please visit these pages to see a complete list of all our dog food reviews and dog food ratings .
The lists below are the brands that we feel consistently produce dog foods that contain the highest quality ingredients, in appropriate proportions. These dog food brands are also the ones that avoid preservatives and contain lower amounts of “filler ingredients”. The following list of the top 10 dog food brands and the “next best bunch of brands” are the dog foods that we have the most confidence in recommending and the foods that we most strongly consider when feeding our own dogs.
While doing research on the best brands of dog food, it is also important to remember to research and test what specific formula fits your dog the best. Each brand produces a wide variety of formulas based on age (puppy, adult and senior), dietary restrictions (grain free, low protein, weight loss, check out our hypoallergenic dog foods article) and preferences (type of meat, dry dog food or wet dog food). If your dog has special needs, it is even more important to factor in their restrictions and requirements when choosing the “best dog food for your dog”.
Lastly, we’d like to proactively address the comment we’ve received from many of our fans – “My dog has been on brand X for x number of years now and has been healthy and loves it, brand X isn’t on your list but I think it’s the best dog food out there!” We want to make clear that we are not trying to persuade anyone to switch out of a brand that works great for their dog if it’s not listed here. Every dog is different and will respond differently to each brand, there really is no one, two or 10 best universal brands and formulas. If you already have a brand that works wonders, that’s great news!
Without further ado, please see below for Dog Food Chat’s editor’s list of top ten best dog food brands. We encourage your comments, questions and feedback and hope that this site and our reviews are helpful to you and your dogs!
10 Best Dog Food Brands
- Orijen Dog Food
- Horizon Legacy Dog Food
- Acana Dog Food
- Artemis Dog Food
- Merrick Dog Food
- Taste of the Wild Dog Food
- Wellness Core Dog Food
- Instinct Dog Food
- GO Dog Food
- Fromm Dog Food
The Next Bunch of Best Dog Food Brands
- Timberwolf Dog Food
- Evangers Dog Food
- NOW Dog Food
- Precise Holistic Dog Food
- Nature’s Logic Dog Food
- ORGANIX Dog Food – Castor and Pollux Dog Food
- Solid Gold Dog Food
- Blue Buffalo Wilderness Dog Food
- Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Dog Food
- Kirkland Dog Food (honorable mention due to good value)
My wife and I have raised two collies, two golden retrievers and a german sheperd, all have lived to their age limits. We feed them whatever dog food happens to be on sale along with dog bisquits and kitchen leftovers. Never been to a veterinarian besides getting the standard shots required. These designer foods are for idiot pet owners!
Kim, don’t buy foods based on what your vet recommends!! They are not taught much about nutrition in school,and what is taught is sponsored by the brands that you mentioned!!What you really need to look for when reading pet food labels are Named meat sources IE Chicken-Lamb-Turkey,and so on.Also meat in meal form is better because the water has been removed.I like to have at least 3 meat sources in the first 5 ingredients.Don’t forget dogs are carnivores!!Also you don’t want to see any low grade grains in there like CORN,WHEAT,SOY.I don’t trust companies that don’t manufacture their own products,because they are not there to oversee what exactly is being put in the products.Blue Buffalo had a recall on their canned foods and health bar treats due to tampering by their manufacturer,they added rice bran protein(the stuff that was involved with the last big recall)If they manufactured their own products they could avoid this problem!! And I might actually use their products!! Anyway I just have more faith in companies that manufacture their own products!! Here is a list of companies that manufacture their own products: Champion Foods-Orijen,Ancana.Merrick Pet Care-Before Grain,Whole Earth Farms.Fromm Family-Fromm.Natura-Evo-Innova-Karma-California Natural. All of these companies make exceptional products that I would trust for my dog.Also their probably not that much more expensive than what you are used to paying. I use Before Grain by Merrick,my local pet store carries it and I can get the 25 pound bag for 37 dollars and some change.Their website offers it for like 63 dollars,but I never buy it there.Also they do not distribute to the chain stores-petsmart-petco,if you want to try it you will have to go to an independently owned pet store. I hope this info helps!!
I agree but just for fun I made my own top 10 and believe me it wasn’t easy.
1. Orijen and Red is the KING
2. Evo
3. Horizon Legacy
OK, now it gets harder
4. Acana
5. Instinct,not all their products,could be listed to high.
6. Innova
7. Timberwolf
8. Wellness Core and Core only
9. California Natural
9. Fromm
10.Wildernes and Wilderness only from BB
10.Artemis
10.Merrick but overpriced in my area
And for the price you can’t beat Costco’s Kirkland.
That was really hard because both 9′s are great foods and 10′s were really good and I left off some very good foods, you can’t beat Orijen and Nutra pet (Healthwise & Karma). LOL, I’ll most likely change my mind next week.
Eddie, there is no way that any dog food is worth 9 dollars a pound and thats the cheapest I have found it. That is more than a very good steak besides Orijen Red is better. My GSD dog eats 5-6 cups a food a day he is very active. SO WHAT A 2.2 POUND BAG WOULD LAST HUMMM maybe a week at best.
And TK, Eric is OH SO CORRECT you should “always” add vittys and suppliments.
I was checking out the ingredient list for the Wellness Core reduced fat, it looks good except for the pea protein and the tomato pomace .What I was wondering is it says it is made and manufactured by Old Mother Hubbard.But Blue Buffalo says it’s manufactured by the B B company and it is not !! It is manufactured by ANI American Nutrition Incorporated,they also manufacture low grade foods and got busted for tampering with B B formula.Anyway does anyone know who really manufactures Wellness Core??
All Wellness Core is made by American Nutrition in Ogden, Utah.
and honestly….if someone is considering Core, you can buy Acana for the same price, if not a little cheaper (considering Acana is a 29.7# bag compared to Cores 26# bag) with absolutely no controversial ingredients.
If people really buy into the “safe” protein feeding that Wellness tries to promote with Core, than Acana certainly fits the bill.
Eric where did you find this “All Wellness Core is made by American Nutrition in Ogden, Utah.” Pretty crappy company if it’s the same one that makes Atta Boy!!!
It is in fact the same company that makes Atta Boy.
I used to feed Wellness and was interested in feeding Core. I called the company and asked where it was made and the answer I received on the phone and through email was American Nutrition and was told they make it exclusively.
Don’t take my word for it though. Give ‘em a ring or drop them an email.
Diamond makes most of their other food in South Carolina and California, and they now own Eagle Pack which is made in Indiana.
Eric is actually correct, you can find this information in the 2010 copy of the Whole Dog Journal as Well.
Eric, Thanks for the info!! You are very helpful!! I do not use any food that’s not manufactured by it’s own company.
Dear Greg and Michelle – I agree with you both but heres the thing – I was a vet tech years back for 5 years – thats my point – I have tried mostly all of these and some – no matter how good or exspensive – because I have no problem with spending whatever it takes for my babies-brought on problems-stomach issues-loose stools-vomiting- or they just plain hated it! – I HAVE been thru most you have mentioned – like I said – I know it won’t bode well with most – but the Iams HAS really done well for my very large 142lbs(yes really and he is NOT fat – all muscle and in great health at 2 years) fawn dobie and my smaller Westie – however I do really want to address skin issues with the dobie and ofcourse he is the love of my life – I looked last night in Pet smart – they do carry Innova and others you mentioned – does any one know one for good coat/skin? Part of me agrees – again – probably not a popular opinion – with Greg who stated that the old fashioned way – chicken,turkey etc – combined with a dog food that works for you – can be just fine – but I do want to get something better because the Iams is not good with his skin – dry and flakey – we do rub him down with vitamin E liquid.Problem is – after all the exspensive foods -and I am lucky enough to have a vet that does keep up and knows EVERY food no to man content – we keep coming back to the Iams Large Breed. My concern is rescuing this 5-6 week old this coming week – ofcourse she will go immediately to the vets – but I am always open minded for some help – THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR THE OPINION AND HELP!!!!!! KIM NICKS
Girl I can’t believe your post, liams is one of the 10 worst foods made today.
1.Corn Meal..This is really bad for your dog
2.Chicken By-Product Meal…Terrible
3.Chicken….Great
4.Ground Whole Grain Sorghum….Another just awful ingredient.
5.Ground Whole Grain Barley..Low quality grain
Now look at what I feed, Orijen Red
1.Deboned Wild Boar… Great
2.Deboned Lamb…. Great
3.Lamb Meal…. Great
4.Russet Potato….Good
5.Deboned Pork…..gREAT
Kim N-
I have a Doberman Pinscher as well, and you are right about most of the holistic niche` marketed foods doesn’t agree well on their stomach. Common problems are dry skin & diarrhea/loose stool. Many naturalist and holistics feeders might not agree, but a blend I’ve found that works pretty well with my dog and my other Dobie owners use this as well is the Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach formula. It might work for your dog it might not, but it’s one of the feeds I occasionally rotate into my Dobie’s diet and it works well for him. You have to send me pics of that dog of yours I’ve never saw a 142lb Dobie, mine is only 80lbs or so and very lean muscle built.
Kim N, You said your Doberman has skin issues,this can be caused by CORN which I think is the first ingredient in Iams.It is a known allergen.You really want to avoid corn,wheat,soy at all costs!!Your dog might be allergic to something else in their too,it’s really hard to say.You said that you tried some of the higher quality foods,did you transition slowly?? Your dog may have a damaged digestive tract and require an extra slow transition.Also you should feed twice a day -it is easier on their tummies and also aids in digestion!! You should also supplement with a good quality vitamin-mineral supplement.I think one made from whole foods is best,because theirs no synthetic vitamins in there. Also you could try fish oil capsules-for the itchy skin,I have had success with these.You can use the ones for people.It’s good for their skin-coat,and heart!!Also I would recommend a Holistic Vet they know a million times more than a regular vet!! I hope this info helps!! Michelle