Dr. Gary’s Best Breed Dog Food Review 2024

Dr Gary’s Best Breed is a range of dry dog food that was created by a veterinarian who understood the important role high-quality nutrition plays in good health. Formulas are created through a process of slow-cooking — which has benefits for your dog’s digestive system — and all ingredients are high-grade, so recipes are healthy and all-natural.

Meats used in ingredients include antibiotic-free chicken sourced in the USA, salmon and whitefish caught wild in the USA and Canada, and free-range lamb from New Zealand and Australia. There’s no soy, wheat or gluten in any of the Best Breed meal formulas.

Here, we take a look at the various different products available from Dr Gary's Best Breed dog food — and see what other pet parents think of this holistic pet nutrition range.

Dr Gary's Best Breed has an extensive selection of dry dog food, divided into three different product ranges — holistic grain free dog formulas; holistic dog formulas and holistic speciality dog formulas. Within each product range, there’s a choice of recipes and flavors, with dog food to suit life stages — including Dr Gary's puppy food — and some specific breeds.

Let’s take a closer look at the product range and flavors offered by Best Breed dog food.

Holistic Grain Free dog formulas

Dr Gary's Best Breed holistic grain free formulas feature grain alternative ingredients that have been sourced from the USA and Canada. The formulas in this product range include Grain Free Red Meat Recipe, Grain Free Farmer’s Recipe and Grain Free Ocean Recipe. 

taurine to help support heart health, probiotics to benefit the immune system, and natural sources of glucosamine.

The holistic grain free formula range is available in a choice of sizes — 4lb, 13lb and 26lb.

Holistic dog formulas

The holistic dog formula product line from Dr Gary's Best Breed provides recipes specifically created for large breeds, small/toy breeds, senior dogs and puppies, in addition to several other flavors. The full range includes:

• Countryside Recipe, with chicken, duck, whole grains and vegetables
• Field and Stream Recipe, with lamb, whitefish, whole grains and vegetables
• All Breed Dog Recipe, with chicken, eggs and menhaden fish
• Coldwater Recipe, with salmon, whitefish, whole grains and vegetables
• Large Breed Dog Recipe, with kibble, chicken, fish and eggs
• Puppy Recipe, formulated with protein, carbohydrates, and other sources of nutrition to promote growth
• Senior Dog Recipe, with meats, grains and fats to provide reduced calories and help manage weight in older dogs
• Freshwater Recipe, with US-sourced catfish, brown rice, fruit and vegetables
• Toy-Small Breed Recipe, with chicken, fish and whole grains in small kibble size 

Depending on the recipe, the holistic formula range of Dr Gary's dog food is available in 4lb, 13lb, 26lb or 28lb packs.

Specialty dog formulas

The Specialty Dog Formulas product range from Best Breed dog food is focused on either specific breeds or breed types. So, you’ll find Dr Gary's Best Breed German Shepherd recipe, for example, alongside specialist dog food for other breeds.

The full range includes the Poodle Dog Diet — suitable for other toy breeds, too — with chicken, fish and eggs; the German Dog Recipe, for Rottweilers, Dobermans and other large breeds as well as the German Shepherd; the Schnauzer Dog Diet for terrier types; and the Cocker Spaniel Dog Diet, which can be beneficial for all spaniel types.

females, who need a high calorific diet. The Field Dog Diet is a food recipe that’s been formulated for setters, labradors and retrievers — breeds that need more protein in their meals.

Depending on what recipe you need, products in this range from Dr Gary's Best Breed are available in different-sized packs — 4lb, 15lb, 28lb, 30lb

All recipes in the Dr Gary's Best Breed range have been formulated to meet the nutritional levels that have been established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) Dog Food Nutrient Profiles. Check each recipe for more details.

Wag! rates Dry Gary’s Best Breed as a high-quality brand of dog food — and here are a few of the reasons why:

High grade ingredients

Food freshness is guaranteed

Veterinary expertise

No artificial flavors

Specific breed-focused food

Can be expensive

Too many carbs

There have been concerns that some recipes from Dr Gary’s dog food have too much carbohydrate content; as much as 50% in some meals. It’s always worth carefully studying the ingredients and nutritional content in any dog food recipe, especially if you’re switching your pup to a new diet.

“Our 9 year old English Cream Golden Retriever appears to be (a) much younger dog and this dog food deserves credit. She had put on some weight due to humans indulging her. However, this senior reduced calorie food really helped her drop the needed weight. She’s beautiful and had the energy and beauty of a much younger dog. Thanks Dr Gary!!”

“We love this brand and they have so many options so you can find the perfect fit for your dog. I have 2 picky eaters and they both love this food.”

“Dr Gary’s dog food is very good quality for a reasonable price. Not the most expensive not the cheapest. Delivery was very speedy! Love the free shipping!”

Read more Dr Gary's Best Breed reviews on Chewy.

The origins of the Best Breed brand started in 1994 by Dr Gary Cotton — the face and person behind the Dr Gary name. A veterinarian based in Northwest Ohio, USA, Dr Gary identified health conditions in dogs — and other pets — that could be improved by nutrition. Changing a dog’s diet could improve issues such as mobility — conditions such as arthritis — skin problems and, of course, digestive complaints.

With that in mind, Dr Gary started suggesting dietary changes to owners bringing their dogs to him for appointments. Adding ingredients such as fish oil, or vegetables, and modifying what dogs were being fed brought benefits to their overall health and wellbeing. The next logical step was to start creating pet food formulas that could help to improve health issues; the concept for Dr Gary’s Best Breed brand was born.

The first Best Breed product was developed to help manage and improve health conditions in the Cocker Spaniel — and the Cocker Spaniel Dog Diet is still available today.

Dr Gary has said the formulas for his range of dog food are based on a simple philosophy — it’s called Common Sense Nutrition. The mission is to develop only the healthiest food for dogs and cats. As the Best Breed website states: ‘Each ingredient in our formulas MUST be of the highest quality and MUST be accretive to the overall value of the diet.’

At the time of writing, there have never been any recalls on Dr Gary’s Best Breed products.