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. Each formula is slow-cooked — 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.

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's label for more details.

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

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

Dr. Gary's Best Breed Holistic dog foods are of average quality, with meat meals as the primary animal protein. Meat meals are 300% higher in protein than standard meat but are highly processed and unsuitable for human consumption. 

Brown rice is the primary grain in each recipe and it's one of the best grains found in pet foods. It's high in fiber and other nutrients like vitamin B2 (riboflavin). Other grains commonly included in these recipes include oatmeal and pearled barley.

Dr Gary’s Best Breed Holistic recipes have average protein and fat percentages. Countryside Recipe Chicken, Duck, Whole Grains & Veg contains 28.8% protein as dry matter and 16.6% fat as dry matter. 

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

Like Best Breed Holistic grain-inclusive recipes, these varieties are made with only meat meals as the primary animal protein. All recipes include taurine to help support heart health, probiotics to benefit the immune system, and natural sources of glucosamine.

Grain Free Red Meat Recipe includes water buffalo meat that’s protein-rich, and a selection of antioxidant-rich fruit and vegetables, including carrots, tomatoes, blueberries, cranberries and spinach. Grain Free Farmer’s Recipe includes chicken and duck, with the same fruit and vegetables. Grain Free Ocean Recipe from Best Breed also has the fruit and vegetable blend, with Atlantic salmon and whitefish. 

Dr Gary’s Best Breed Holistic Grain Free recipes are higher in protein and slightly higher in fat compared to their grain-inclusive counterparts — likely due to the use of plant-based proteins. Farmer's Recipe Chicken & Duck Meals w/ Fruits & Veg contains 35.5% protein as dry matter and 18.8% fat as dry matter. 

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 German Shepherds; the Schnauzer Dog Diet for terrier types; and the Cocker Spaniel Dog Diet, which can be beneficial for all spaniel types.

Dr Gary's dog food for breed types includes the Working Dog Recipe High Calorie and Field Dog Diet. The Working Dog Recipe is aimed at active dogs, and pregnant and nursing 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.

Best Breed’s dog food formulas are created with what it says are only the highest grade of ingredients — including healthy and nutritious grains sourced from the USA and Canada, and USA-sourced chicken. All ingredients used in its formulas are EU-approved, too.

Best Breed packages its meals in high oxygen barrier poly bags — which have reasonable closures — to help keep your dog’s food as fresh as possible. The packaging can also prevent unwanted oxygen out, which can destroy nutrients.

The Best Breed story started because of the insight and passion of Dr Gary Cotton, a veterinarian, who saw the value of creating holistic pet nutrition solutions to improve overall pet health. Recipes have been based on those principles and remain true today.

Across the range of Dr Gary's dog food recipes, you won’t find any artificial flavors, colors or preservatives — or any corn, soy, wheat, cheap filler ingredients or gluten in its meals.

There’s lots of choice in the Best Breed range, with recipes formulated for puppies and senior dogs. But, if you’re looking for a breed-specific diet, Dr Gary's Best Breed dog food has recipes for Poodles, German Shepherds, Cocker Spaniels and Schnauzers, as well as toy breeds, field dogs and working dogs.

If price is a key consideration for you when choosing a dog food to buy, you might find lower-cost options than Dr Gary’s Best Breed recipes. There’s always a balance to be found between quality and cost, of course. Prices vary depending on the recipe you choose but mainly the size of the bag — as an example, a 28lb pack of Dr Gary’s Best Breed Holistic All Breed food costs around $70.

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.’

There have never been any recalls of Dr Gary’s Best Breed products at the time of writing.