Blackwood Dog Food Review 2024

Ask any talented cook and they’ll tell you that making good food takes time. Blackwood takes the same approach when it comes to making pet food — the family company slow-cooks small batches of dog food in order to retain more nutritional goodness.

But is the end-product worth the wait? In this Blackwood dog food review, Wag! has come to the conclusion that there’s a lot to be said in this brand’s favor.

First of all, the wide range of recipes for different life stages and dietary requirements will be massively helpful for parents. The ingredient list for each of these make for pleasant reading, with plenty of vegetables or grains for energy and additional supplementation of Probiotics, Glucosamine and Chondroitin.

So why doesn’t Blackwood dog food get full marks? Well, the dry dog food all use meat or fish meal as the main source of protein. Although proponents will argue that this is a more concentrated form of protein, Wag! prefers to see real meat or fish — this is naturally full of vital nutrients and minerals, like Omega fatty acids and Taurine.

As a final note, we should also point out that Blackwood makes seven different types of dog treats — however, this review only focuses on the company’s dry and wet dog food.

Blackwood dry dog food

There are a grand total of 13 Blackwood dry dog food products and these cover a wide range of dietary requirements.

For example, you’ll find recipes geared around the specific nutritional needs of puppies, seniors, large breeds and more athletic canines. As well as that, there are grain-free formulations for dogs that find it difficult to stomach that particular food group, plus three products designed for pets with sensitive stomachs or skin often set off by other dog food.

Most of the recipes use chicken meal as the first-listed ingredient, but there are a few other flavors in case poultry isn’t to your dog’s liking — we should point out that only one recipe (the Sensitive Skin and Stomach Catfish Meal and Pearled Barley Recipe) is completely chicken-free, however.

Blackwood dry dog food flavors

• Grain-Free Salmon Meal and Field Pea Recipe
• Grain-Free Buffalo Meal and Field Pea Recipe
• Grain-Free Chicken Meal and Field Pea Recipe
• Sensitive Skin and Stomach Lamb Meal and Brown Rice Recipe
• Sensitive Skin and Stomach Salmon Meal and Brown Rice Recipe
• Sensitive Skin and Stomach Catfish Meal and Pearled Barley Recipe
• 3000 Everyday Diet Lamb Meal and Brown Rice Recipe
• 2000 Active Dog Food Chicken Meal with Brown Rice Recipe
• 1000 Everyday Diet Chicken Meal with Oats Recipe
• Puppy Food Chicken Meal and Brown Rice Recipe
• Large Breed Adult Whitefish Meal and Oatmeal Recipe
• Senior Chicken Meal and Brown Rice Recipe
• Adult Chicken Meal and Brown Rice Recipe

Blackwood wet dog food

In comparison to the dry dog food range, the wet dog food is much smaller with only four different flavors. These all have real meat as the first-listed ingredient and additional protein comes from broth and organs, rather than meat meals.

All four recipes also feature green mussels for their anti-inflammatory and immunity-boosting properties, plus no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives whatsoever.

Blackwood wet dog food flavors

• Lamb and Lamb Liver with Pumpkin Recipe
• Turkey and Turkey Liver with Pumpkin Recipe
• Chicken and Salmon with Pumpkin Recipe
• Chicken and Chicken Liver with Pumpkin Recipe

The wide range of dog food helps parents feed their dogs well

Across the collection of 13 Blackwood dry dog food products, there are recipes catered towards the individual needs of many different types of dogs, be that puppies, seniors, large breeds or athletic canines. This gives parents the reassurance that their pet’s specific requirements are being met.

The dog food is supplemented with vital nutrients and minerals

Blackwood dry dog food recipes all contain added Pre- and Probiotics, which are known to contribute to digestive health. You’ll also see extra Glucosamine and Chondroitin in the ingredient list as these are good for creaking joints. In the wet dog food, dried green mussels are added into the mix for this purpose, too.

The benefits of slow-cooking are backed up by scientific research

One of the main things that sets Blackwood dog food apart from other brands is the way it slow-cooks kibble in small batches. The company was part of an independent study with researchers from Kansas State University which showed that this method has better health benefits for dogs.

The family-run company has had no product recalls in 40 years

Blackwood currently runs three plants across the USA to produce its dry dog food and treats. In the company’s four-decade-long history, there has never been a Blackwood dog food recall — not bad, right?

The main source of protein in the dry dog food comes from meat meals

While the wet dog food recipes all have real meat as the first-listed ingredient, this isn’t the case with the dry dog food products — instead, meat or fish meals come up first in the ingredient list. Wag! rates these to be an inferior source of protein than real meat or fish, which some experts claim are more digestible than meals.

We should mention that named meat or fish meals of the sort Blackwood uses are at least better than meals that use vaguely named meat, derivatives or byproducts.

The wet dog food is made in Ecuador

Although the dry dog food products and treats are produced in three US factories, the four canned dog food products are produced in Ecuador.

The dry dog food range only includes two poultry-free recipes

Poultry is one of the most common allergens in the canine world, so parents of affected dogs will need to find recipes without any chicken in the ingredient list. 

With Blackwood, there are only two recipes that fit this criteria: the Sensitive Skin and Stomach Catfish Meal and Pearled Barley Recipe, and the Salmon Meal and Brown Rice Recipe from the same category. All of the other recipes either feature chicken meal, fat or cartilage, which might spark off poultry allergies.

“The day my pup turned 1[,] he became allergic to a lot of foods. I've tried so many expensive foods and luckily came across a site that allows you to list all allergies and then gives you a list of approved foods. Well I was given 2 choices[:] this and something that costs twice as much for only 20 lbs of food. I know this is only his first time having this food but he loves it! I'm happy to say no more rash and no more itching. I'm one happy mama now.”

“We think feeding our dog high quality dog food is very important and we like the Blackwood brand. However, the hike in price may prohibit us from purchasing this brand sometime in the future. We may look at other brands in the future.”

“We've tried several brands and qualities over the last year and a half. [It’s] been a nightmare...from causing increasing gas and bloating to not liking the food, or having it too rich in nutrients that were just flushed out of their system…this has been the best food so far. Our two dogs have been on this for 3 months now and their [gas] has significantly reduced! [They] eat it all every time and look great! They are the perfect weight, their nails and fur are growing and [shining] beautifully!”

Read more reviews at Chewy.

Blackwood Pet Food was set up more than four decades ago by Jim Golladay and his family. Initially, this was a small operation with just one feed mill based in the town of Rogers, Ohio. However, once the team outgrew this facility, they upgraded to a bigger one in Lisbon, Ohio.

Over time, Golladay fine-tuned the signature Blackwood slow-cooking method and today, Jim’s three children take care of the business, which now makes food for both dogs and cats out of three plants in Ohio, New York and Wisconsin.

There has never been a Blackwood dog food recall during the company’s history.

Product images sourced from Chewy. Copyright Blackwood Pet Foods, LLC.