Canidae is “pet food made by pet people.” Its mission is to create a world of goodness for companion animals and the planet, from offering healthy products to investing in sustainable operations. 

Despite being a smaller, independent company, Canidae pioneered natural pet food in the ’90s and is now working to set new standards for sustainability in the pet food industry. The brand has maintained a positive reputation over the years and comes highly recommended by pet parents and veterinarians alike.

But is Canidae right for your furry friend? Read on for Wag!'s comprehensive Canidae dog food review.

Canidae has several food lines to cater to the different lifestyles and needs of its canine customers. 

Dr. Georgia Jeremiah, pet nutrition expert and one of Wag!’s veterinary consultants, personally recommends Canidae to her clients. She says, “Canidae dog food is made with high-quality animal protein sources, providing essential amino acids, and is free from artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives, which can trigger allergies.”   

All Life Stages is Canidae’s “one bag fits all” range. It's ideal for multi-dog households and includes vet-formulated wet and dry recipes for all ages, breeds, and sizes. 

Each grain-inclusive wet recipe is high quality, with two cuts of real meat, broth, and brown rice among the top ingredients. Brown rice is one of the best grains in dog foods — its high in fiber and B vitamins. Canidae adds salmon oil to its All Life Stages wet recipes, which is rich in fatty acids.

Canidae All Life Stages dry foods are good - but not outstanding - quality with a real cut of meat or meat meal at the top of the ingredients list. Other common ingredients across the range include brown rice, peas, barley, lentils, flaxseed, salmon oil, and probiotics. 

The macronutrient levels in Canidae All Life Stages wet and dry foods are also better than your average canned food or kibble. 

Chicken & Ancient Grains dry food contains above-average protein (26.6% as dry matter) and average fat (11.1% as dry matter). Chicken & Rice wet food consists of above-average protein (40.9% as dry matter) and above-average fat (29.5% as dry matter). 

Goodness is Canidae’s signature dog food line, comprising dry foods for puppies, adults, and large breeds, as well as toppers for all life stages. 

Canidae Goodness dry foods are generally better quality than its All Life Stages range — all recipes list real, antibiotic-free meat or fish as the first ingredient. Common secondary ingredients include barley, brown rice, turkey meal, and flaxseed. 

Canidae Goodness dry foods are also slightly higher in protein and fat than its All Life Stages equivalents. The Real Chicken & Barley recipe contains 27.7% protein as dry matter and 16.6% fat as dry matter.

Canidae Goodness toppers, which can be served as snacks or added to kibble, are all single animal protein recipes. It’s worth noting Canidae Goodness meal toppers are not complete and balanced meals. 

Active Goodness provides all-day energy for high-activity and working adult dogs and puppies. These recipes list meat meals as the top ingredient, which are highly processed but have 300% more protein than real meats. Other ingredients include chicken fat, whole grain sorghum, and peas.

These recipes are higher in fat and protein than the main Goodness range to support healthy muscle growth and high energy levels. Active Goodness: Multi-Protein contains 33.3% protein as dry matter and 22.2% fat as dry matter. 

Boasting clean recipes and premium proteins, PURE is Canidae’s limited ingredient line for dogs with and without sensitivities. It is also the most extensive, consisting of dry and wet foods, treats, toppers, and freeze-dried raw foods. Regardless of type, each product contains only 10 key ingredients or less, with the first one being real meat. 

There are 15 grain-free and grain-inclusive PURE dry food variations, including a puppy recipe and flavors such as Grain Free Real Salmon & Sweet Potato. Other flavors include lamb, duck, bison, boar, venison, and goat. 

Canidae PURE dry dog foods are excellent quality with good protein-to-fat ratios. The Grain Free Salmon and Sweet Potato variety contains above-average protein (33.3% as dry matter) and above-average fat (15.5% as dry matter). 

This line has a whopping 17 wet food recipes, which are available in trays, cans, cartons, and multi-packs. Flavors include Salmon & Sweet Potato and Grain Free Duck & Turkey. Each recipe contains a handful of primary ingredients—ideal for dogs with food allergies. 

Canidae PURE Salmon & Sweet Potato wet food contains above-average protein (40.9% as dry matter) and above-average fat (27.2% as dry matter) compared to standard canned dog food. 

Just like the PURE line, PURE Petite features limited ingredient recipes with 10 key ingredients or less. The line consists of wet and dry foods and toppers especially formulated for small breeds with sensitivities and picky eating tendencies. 

The dry food variants come not only in a small kibble size but also with a freeze-dried raw coating for added taste. Overall, the ingredient quality and fat-to-protein ratios are similar in these recipes to the main PURE line. 

Canidae Under the Sun consists of three budget-friendly, grain-free recipes for adult dogs with sensitivities. Each recipe features meat meal as the top ingredient followed by yellow peas, garbanzo beans, and green peas. Minor ingredients include farm-grown fruits and veggies such as pumpkin, butternut squash, and carrots.

Canidae Under the Sun recipes are good quality budget-friendly grain-free dog foods. They also contain better protein and fat percentages than most kibbles. For example, the Grain Free Real Chicken recipe consists of 28.8% protein as dry matter and 12.2% fat as dry matter. 

Canidae's treats, which are part of the PURE line, come in biscuit and freeze-dried raw formats. The grain-free biscuits are made with animal protein like salmon, duck, or lamb liver, plus veggies and spices such as sweet potatoes, butternut squash, chickpeas, ginger, and turmeric. 

Here are a few of the many reasons why we highly rate Canidae dog food.

Canidae products are made with premium ingredients and most feature real, antibiotic-free meat as the first one. Wholesome grains and farm-grown fruits and veggies can also be found in many of the recipes. Additionally, none of them contain fillers, resulting in more protein and nutrients per cup.

Wet food or dry food, multi-protein or single animal protein, grain-inclusive or grain-free—Canidae has something for every diet. There are also options for puppies, seniors, active dogs, less active dogs, small breeds, large breeds, and environmentally conscious pet parents. 

Canidae is pushing to make pet food more planet-friendly by investing in regenerative agriculture, responsibly sourced ingredients, and sustainable packaging. Moreover, the company was the first to launch a bulk-buy pet food machine where pet parents can purchase kibble with reusable food bags.

As part of its transparency promise, Canidae announced changes to some of its products due to the current economic environment. These changes included price increases and recipe updates, with all the details posted on the Canidae website.

Here are a few things to consider before buying before buying Canidae dog food.

As Canidae is a premium brand, it's more expensive than other dog foods. At the time of writing, a 12-lb bag of PURE Grain Free Real Salmon & Sweet Potato retails for $47.99 on Chewy, which work out to $4 per lb. 

Some pet parents have reported that their dogs didn’t want to eat certain variants. If you have a picky eater, you may have to try a few different flavors before you find something your pup likes. 

Uniquely, Canidae provides Kibble Refill Stations to help eliminate packaging waste, which are exclusive to Petco stores. There are around 100 refill stations nationwide. Currently, these stations only offer two recipes: PURE Salmon and Sweet Potato and Sustain Cage-Free Chicken. 

“My boy [loves] this food. He has had allergies challenges since he was a pup. We tried everything… even making his food at home [and] it was all in vain until Canidae salmon [and] sweet potato. His [bowel movements] are less constipated looking, his weight is easily managed, it’s reasonably affordable considering his needs AND he likes it. Actually bubbles [and] drools for it. The canned option is great for travel, when he isn’t feeling well or for a fun switch up surprise. Thank you Canidae!”

“We have a special needs (blind) rescue that is the pickiest eater we ever had. He prefers dry food but will only eat 2 or 3 meals from each bag and then [want] something new. We heard that Canidae was a [canned] food that came dry and sticky. Indeed it does. Just the way he likes it. For those reviewers who were dismayed over the consistency of this food… add some water and you have what most other foods look like. Only more of it. Good stuff. Highly recommended.”

“We bought three small bags of dog food to see what our GSD prefers as we transition her to a [senior] diet. She clearly prefers this dog food. She is not a finicky eater but certainly shows preferences. Not only does she like it but it agrees with her and she is doing very well with it.”

Read more reviews on Chewy.

Canidae was founded in 1996 by Scott Whipple and John Gordon, who met while working at local pet store San Dimas Grain Company. Back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, almost all pet foods contained nasty ingredients such as chemicals, dyes, fillers, and preservatives. Since companies weren’t really paying attention to what pet parents wanted, Whipple and Gordon decided to do it themselves. 

“When we first came up with the idea to make our own pet food, we knew we wanted to do things differently,” Whipple says. They met with veterinarians and nutritionists to develop a product that was healthy and that consumers actually wanted. They started out selling Canidae to retailers door-to-door, gradually building a loyal customer base.

In 2012, Canidae acquired a 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Brownwood, Texas. Called Ethos, it’s one of the smallest pet food plants in the US and where Canidae produces its dry food products, allowing the company to control every step of manufacturing. It’s also a research and development center equipped with a lab that tests all incoming ingredients and outgoing products. 

“Animals aren’t just pets, they’re part of our family. People entrust us and we don’t take that lightly,” says Whipple. “It’s their hard-earned money that they’re spending on pet food, and we want to make sure that we deliver the best pet food we possibly can.”

Canidae dog food has been recalled once in its history as of March 2025. 

On May 5th, 2012, Canidae announced a voluntary recall on four of its dry dog foods due to the presence of Salmonella at Diamond Pet Foods’ plant in South Carolina, although none of the products tested positive for the bacteria.

All product images sourced from the Chewy website. Copyright Canidae.