How to Choose the Best Food for Your Dog

Being a pet parent is a serious business. Dogs rely heavily on us to provide the basics they need to live a happy and healthy life — shelter, love and perhaps most importantly (certainly from a canine point of view), food. A dog with a full tummy will be a content canine, that’s for sure.

You might think that dogs will eat anything. That’s partially true (though not a good thing), but in fact, of all the decisions you make about caring for your pup, understanding how to choose the best dog food is perhaps the most important.

Proper nutrition plays a crucial role throughout your dog’s life, helping them grow and develop as puppies and stay happy and healthy as they age.

But with so many products to choose from, how do you find the best food for your dog? To help make your decision easier, we’ve put together this simple guide to help you to choose the best dog food.

We’ll look at how to feed by breed, age and size; introduce the different types of dog food, and explain the dog food ingredients your pup needs in their diet. Dog health issues might be another consideration, too — requiring a more specialist type of food.

When it comes to choosing the best dog food for your pup, where to start? It’s a good idea to ask your vet for recommendations and, if buying your dog as a puppy from a reputable breeder, asking them what food they’ve been using so far. The breeder should know the best type of dog food for the specific breed, which can form a helpful basis of your research.

There are a few important considerations when choosing food for your dog, including:

• Age of dog
• Breed type
• Breed size
• Any health issues
  
  

The very first thing you need to consider is that a dog’s nutritional requirements change as they age. A puppy will have different needs than a full-grown adult dog, for example – it’s important to choose a food that’s been formulated for your dog’s life stage.

You’ll notice that some foods have been specifically designed for dogs of a specific age — puppies, adult dogs, and seniors — while others are labeled as suitable for ‘all life stages’. It might seem obvious, but it’s worth highlighting that you shouldn’t feed a puppy dog food that’s been formulated for adult dogs.

Dog food for puppies

Dog food for adult dogs

Dog food for senior dogs

Next, think about your dog’s breed and size. It stands to reason that small dog breeds, like the Chihuahua, will have very different dietary requirements compared to a large breed such as a Great Dane. Different breeds also have different nutritional requirements — for example, giant breeds need a formula with the nutrients to support their bones, joints, and muscles for rapid growth.

Something else to think about: if you’re feeding dry dog food to a small breed of dog, they might struggle to eat large kibble. In the worst case, it could also be a choking hazard.

Your dog’s energy requirements will also vary based on how active they are. That’s why you’ll see special formulas for highly active dogs, such as working breeds, or so-called canine athletes, while dogs that are aging and slowing down, and taking less exercise on a daily basis, won’t need such a high-energy type of food.

If your dog is in good physical shape and has no ongoing health concerns, this won’t be a consideration for you — though this could always change in the future, of course. But a dog with health issues may need to consider a special food.

Fortunately, there’s a range of foods that have been formulated to help manage certain dog health issues, whether temporary (like diarrhea) or permanent. 

These include:

• Dog food for dogs with arthritis
• Dog food for dogs with pancreatitis
• Dog food for kidney disease

We know that certain dogs — just like certain people — have a tendency to put on weight, so a vet might recommend using a dog food specially formulated for overweight dogs. On the flipside, there are also dog foods formulated to help with weight gain, if a pup is underweight and needs to reach a healthier weight range for its breed type, size and age.

Dr. Georgia Jeremiah, pet nutrition expert and one of Wag!’s veterinary consultants, notes that this typically requires food with ‘higher protein and fat content’.

A dog might also need a diet that promotes dental health, or a food that promotes healthy joints.

Just make sure you check with your veterinarian before switching to one of these foods so you can be certain they're right for your pet.

Some dogs have food allergies. You might be aware of this before you start feeding your dog, or only discover it after seeing an adverse reaction to a type of dog food, with common symptoms including vomiting, wheezing and hives.

As a pet parent, you’ll obviously want to avoid any type of food that triggers an allergic reaction in your pup. This involves understanding what food your dog is allergic to, and avoiding those ingredients. For example, some dogs have a poultry allergy so chicken is a no-go. While chicken is a common and popular flavor of dog food, there are lots of other options.

We’d thoroughly recommend that you take the time to learn how to read a dog food label to fully understand dog food ingredients in any particular recipe. 

The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) sets out the rules that govern pet food labeling. Under these regulations, there are a few important factors to consider when reading dog food labels:

• Look for the nutritional adequacy statement. This statement reflects the dog food nutrition facts that a food offers complete and balanced nutrition for a particular life stage — for example, growth or adult maintenance. 
• Understand labeling rules. The naming of dog food is also governed by AAFCO requirements. For example, for a product to be called “Beef For Dogs” or “Beef Dog Food”, it must be at least 95% beef. If the named ingredients on a label make up less than 95% of a product but more than 25% (not including water used for processing), a qualifying term such as “dinner” or “entree” must be used in the product name. Other rules also apply, so it’s worth familiarizing yourself with pet food labeling requirements before you buy.
• Check the guaranteed analysis. This analysis shows the minimum amount of crude protein and crude fat in the food, and the maximum amount of crude fiber and moisture. Other nutritional information may also be listed on the label, or otherwise will be made available on the manufacturer’s website.
• Check the first five ingredients. Ingredients on pet food labels are listed in order of weight. Take a close look at the first 5 ingredients listed to get a better idea of what makes up the bulk of your pet’s food. 

Now we’ve covered the key considerations behind how to choose the best dog food for your pup, let’s take a look at the various different types of food.

Dry dog food

Wet dog food

Fresh dog food

We’ve got the lowdown on some of the best fresh dog food brands here.

Raw dog food

Raw dog food has become increasingly popular recently, as pet parents try to replicate the kind of diet it’s believed dogs thrived on way back when — in other words, raw meat, and lots of it. It can divide opinion; some still think a more balanced diet, including vegetables and other nutrients, is preferable. We share more detail about raw diets in our ‘what you need to know’ piece here, while reviewing some of the best raw dog food recipes here.

Do all the research into how to choose dog food you like, get all the recommendations you need, find a dog food that suits your budget — but ultimately, it all comes down to whether your dog actually likes and eats the food you choose. Your pup may not, and whether it does or not doesn’t often come down to price tag; a dog can turn its nose up at the most expensive of foods and heartily tuck in to one of the cheapest.

Or, your dog may enjoy the food you serve him or her but react badly to it. It’s not unusual for some dogs to experience loose stools after eating its food. If this is the case, speak to your vet but know that it’s probably not wise to continue with this food. You’ll need to try a different option, which brings us to…

If your dog doesn’t like the dog food you serve, don’t worry. You can change to a different recipe from the same brand, or a different brand altogether. However, you can’t switch completely straight away — you need to transition gradually to avoid causing your pup any upset.

The best approach is to feed a combination of old and new food, allowing your dog’s digestion system to adjust. Start with 75% old food and 25% new food, then 50% of each, then 25% old food and 75% new food, and finally 100% new food. Phase this in over 7-10 days.

When it comes to how to choose the best dog food, we’d all love to be able to feed our dogs nothing but the absolute best, finest, gourmet ingredients. Unfortunately, that’s simply not feasible for many people, so price will play a part in many buying decisions — like most things in life.

Generally speaking, higher-priced foods tend to offer high-quality nutrition for your pet and are often supported by scientific research. But that’s not always the case, so price shouldn’t be the only factor you consider. 

Instead, make sure you consider the ingredients used and whether a food is suitable for your dog’s size and life stage before you buy.

If budget is stopping you from choosing a food you feel good about, take a look at our Best Budget-friendly Dog Foods 2023!

Want to know whether you can trust a particular brand of dog food? You might want to do a little digging to find out how it stacks up against the competition.

There’s a lot of useful information you can find online:

• How long has the company been in business?
• Is their food made in the USA or in another country?
• In what facilities?
• Has the brand ever issued any product recalls?
• What do other pet parents have to say about the brand in customer reviews?

A little bit of research will help you work out whether a brand has a reputation for quality.

We understand that there’s a whole lot of confusing information out there about dog food and how to find a formula that’s right for your pet. But if you’re still struggling to decide what is the best food for your dog, don’t despair. 

Remember, the best thing you can do is to ask your veterinarian for their recommendation. They can provide advice based on their training, experience, and your dog’s overall health — and chances are they’re a lot more reliable than a stranger on the internet or at your local dog park.

Your vet can answer any questions you may have about feeding your dog and help you find the best diet for your precious pup.