Here’s a GA panel from a typical, decent-quality dry dog food formulated for dogs of all life stages. The AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles call for a minimum of 20.25% protein as fed (as it appears on the label) for growth/dogs of all life stages; at 23%, this food contains only a little more than that. The minimum amount of fat for growth/all life stages is 7.65% as fed; this food has a good bit more than the minimum, but would not be considered a high-fat food. Note: Including extra nutrients on the GA is not required, but a good way for a pet food maker to substantiate the potential for benefit from inclusion at a guaranteed amount.
The guaranteed analysis (GA) is a highly regulated part of a pet food label, and the facts printed there are subject to surveillance and enforcement. State feed control officials may sample and test the product at any point in its production and sale; they often do visit stores and pull product from the shelf to test.
By federal law, the GA section of a pet food label must include four things: the minimum amounts of crude protein and crude fat and the maximum amounts of crude fiber and moisture in the food.
By the way, don’t be alarmed by the use of the word “crude” in the terms you will see in the GA (“crude protein,” “crude fat,” and “crude fiber”). In this case “crude” refers to the testing methods used to determine the amounts, not the nutrients themselves. The tests return a close approximation of the actual amount. It’s a subtle difference, and not terribly significant, so we use the terms without the crude prefix, as it were.
The four macronutrients that you will always find in the GA are there because they are considered important indicators of the food’s total value, with actual economic implications. Protein and fat are the most important (and most expensive) macronutrients for dogs, so both are expressed in minimum amounts; what’s being guaranteed is that the foods contain at least those amounts.
Be aware that the food may (and probably does) contain at least a little more protein and/or fat than the minimums listed in the GA. If you need to strictly limit your dog’s fat or protein, ask the manufacturer for a typical nutrient analysis – the result of a recent test of the varieties of food you are considering.Any pet food company who can’t or won’t produce this data probably shouldn’t be in the pet food business.
Carbs are not listed in the GA because they are not important to canine nutrition. Were you aware that dogs have zero nutritional requirements for carbohydrates? It’s true. Dogs can live and thrive on a diet that contains only protein and fat, with zero carbs. That said, dry foods do contain carbs; it’s impossible to make a kibble without carb sources. But you won’t find the actual percentage of the food that is carbohydrate on the GA.
Fiber and moisture are the other items in the GA. These are expressed in terms of their maximum presence in the food; you don’t want too much of either one!Most dry dog foods contain a maximum of 10% to 12% moisture. Any more moisture than that, and the kibble may experience bacterial growth. Less moisture and it won’t be very palatable.
The fiber content of dry dog foods tends to be more variable, which is interesting, because the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles contain neither a minimum nor a maximum level; they don’t address fiber at all.
Most dry dog foods contain between 2.5% and 4.5%, although some “weight loss” or “lite” formulas might contain as much as 10% fiber. High fiber levels can interfere with the absorption of other nutrients in the food; diets with particularly low levels of fiber may contribute to the development of diarrhea, constipation, and/or problems with the dog’s anal glands. If your dog experiences any of these issues involving elimination, start paying attention to the amount of fiber in his diet. Consider a food with a higher amount of fiber than what you currently feed; if matters improve but he’s still not producing a nice firm (but not too hard) stool, look for a diet with an even higher fiber content, and, of course, discuss the issue with your veterinarian.
Manufacturers may (but are not required to) include other nutrients in the GA. The inclusion of a nutrient in the GA is a legal guarantee that the nutrient is present in those amounts in the food, and this is subject to testing and enforcement by state feed control officials. It’s a good way for pet food makers to validate claims of significantly increased amounts of certain nutrients, such as DHA (increased levels have neural benefits for puppies) or glycosaminoglycans (e.g., chondroitin, which has been shown to reduce arthritis symptoms).
If you don’t have a private office with a door or baby gate you can use to contain your dog, you should have a crate, exercise pen, or tether ready for those times when your dog must be contained – especially when you are away from your desk. Make the spot super cozy, with a plush bed and some quiet toys (no squeakers!) or chews (but not the kind that smell bad!).
As the saying goes, “Life is better when I’m with my dog.” I can cite a long list of ways that he makes my days brighter – even my work days! From petting his soft fur or listening to his quiet snoring, to how he makes me laugh as he playfully brandishes his toys in hopes of a game of tug and getting me away from and computer every few hours for a walk around the block. See, I’m lucky. My dog Saber accompanies me to the office several days each week at the guide dog school where I oversee the puppy-raising program.
The Human Animal Bond Research Institute reports pets in the workplace can make employers more attractive to prospective employees, increase employee engagement and retention, improve relationships between employees and supervisors, and lower absenteeism. There’s also potential health benefits: stress management, a calming effect, and often an improvement in work-life balance.
It’s definitely nice to reach down and scratch my dog’s ears when I’m feeling overwhelmed with project deadlines. Stepping outside into the designated employee pet play yard helps ensure I don’t sit at my desk and work through lunch every day. Sometimes we spend my break walking around the block. Mostly, as an apartment dweller, I appreciate knowing he’s not stuck inside at home when I’m working long days. It’s a very nice job perk.
Despite the reported advantages, the Society for Human Resource Management reports less than 10 percent of U.S. employers welcome personal pets in the workplace on a regular basis.
While the benefits are notable, pets (for the purposes of this article, we’ll limit our thoughts to dogs, specifically) in the workplace can be tricky. Some office cultures might support an anything-goes mentality where people don’t bat an eye at a rambunctious indoor dog park unfolding in the lobby. However, the attitude of “love me, love my dog” does not generally bode well for harmonious happenings during the daily grind. Bringing personal pets to the workplace, especially an office environment, is a privilege that might be more widely considered by employers if they felt it was less likely to be disruptive.
If you’re hoping to lobby for Fido to join you at work, or your company is considering implementing a pets-at-work policy, consider the following:
1. ESTABLISH BASIC HEALTH AND BEHAVIOR GUIDELINES. It should go without saying workplace dogs should be disease- and parasite-free, clean and well-groomed, and appropriately vaccinated.
[post-sticky note-id=’442905′]
In the office, the priority should be healthy workplace productivity. Ill-behaved dogs can be a nuisance almost anywhere, but the stakes are much higher when we’re at work. To keep everyone safe, at a minimum, potential canine colleagues should be of sound temperament, well-socialized to people, and should not have a history of aggressive behavior or biting. Excessive barking, jumping up on people, getting into the trash, marking or repeated housetraining accidents, and inappropriate chewing are all behaviors that should not be tolerated in the workplace.
While the definition of “well-trained” will always be subjective, requiring office-candidate dogs to successfully pass the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test is one way to set a minimum behavior standard. Even better, ask employees to attain the mid-level Community Canine title, a similar, 10-part evaluation, but with elements performed in real-life settings such as busy sidewalks or local parks rather than a training facility.
Attaining these titles requires owners to invest time in training their dogs, and trained dogs are much more likely to be comfortable and behave appropriately in different settings. Plus, owners who participate in dog training programs are more likely to understand dog behavior and dog body language, and are therefore likely better equipped to prevent or address challenges that might arise when bringing their dogs to work.
2.MANAGEMENT MATTERS. It’s always important to set dogs up for success. This is especially true when asking them to cohabitate with colleagues who might not be used to sharing their space with dogs. In our opinion, letting office dogs “free range” throughout the office is a recipe for trouble, as it’s impossible to interrupt or redirect your dog’s unwanted behavior when you have no idea where he is or what he’s doing.
Dogs who are lucky enough to “work” at dog-related businesses may enjoy greater freedom in the office. At Three Dog Bakery’s corporate headquarters, a special dog-containment “airlock” was installed so office dogs couldn’t accidentally leave the building with an inattentive visitor.
Employees with a private office can use a baby gate in the doorway to keep their dogs from cruising the halls without them. If the workplace set-up and dog’s level of training allows, a crate, x-pen or chew-proof tether can be used when owners are unable to supervise the dog, or when the dog needs a little imposed down-time. Make sure the dog has a cozy bed, and use favorite chew items or food puzzles to encourage the dog to spend time on his bed. An office dog doesn’t need to be on-the-go all the time. Dogs home alone spend much of their day quietly lounging; dogs at work can, too.
3. TAKE PROACTIVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR DOG. “Love me, love my dog” might fly when seeking a life-partner, but it’s a selfish mentality when sharing workspace with others. If you’re lucky enough to be granted permission to bring your dog to work, go the extra mile to make sure your dog is never a nuisance to others.
Respect colleagues’ wishes to decline interaction. Some people are afraid of dogs. Some cultures view dogs as “dirty” animals that should strictly live outside. Some people live with varying degrees of dog-related allergies. And some people are just “cat people” or otherwise choose to be pet-free. Be sensitive and respectful to these differences. Personally, I like to aim for the standard of a well-trained service dog in a restaurant, that is, for most people to not even realize the dog is there, because it’s quietly tucked at its handler’s feet.
That’s not to say office dogs should never been seen or heard, but in an age where fake service dogs are rampant and many dog owners feel entitled to regularly bring questionably or clearly untrained dogs into otherwise non-pet-friendly establishments, it’s more important than ever for responsible dog owners to go the extra mile to show how welcoming dogs need not become problematic for others.
Keep your dog well-groomed to reduce shedding. Have lint rollers and hand sanitizer handy for any colleagues or visitors who might welcome interaction but are surprised by the “magical fibers of love” now clinging to their pants or who might want to clean their hands. Immediately address barking or rambunctious play, especially when colleagues are within earshot and on the phone, in a meeting, or on a deadline. If your dog is overly solicitous of attention from others, direct him to “go lie down,” so colleagues can work in peace (see “Useful Matters,” WDJ January 2020, for tips on teaching your dog to be happy on his mat.) In general, be considerate of others.
It goes without saying that dogs in offices with more than one canine colleague must be exquisitely comfortable
Give your dog ample opportunities to relieve in approved areas and clean up after him. Keep cleaning products on hand for unexpected accidents or moments of illness. Leave the toy with the 16 squeakers and the animal-product chew stick – the one that smells like warm death when soggy after a good chewing – at home.
And whatever you do, if your dog ever happens to counter-surf someone’s unattended lunch from their desk, immediately offer to replace it, no excuses! (Years ago, my first dog, a Whippet with a weakness for all things “carbs” might’ve given me an opportunity or two to practice this last tip.)
[post-sticky note-id=’442907′]
4. REMEMBER, IT’S AN OFFICE, NOT A DOG PARK. Many people enjoy sharing their lives with multiple dogs, but when it comes to dogs in the workplace, there can easily be too much of a good thing. If you have more than one dog, consider rotating which dog accompanies you to the office each day. Even where I work, at a dog-related organization, where everyone’s workspace has been designed to safely manage dogs, and half of the dog-owning employees are trainers, staff are limited to bringing only two personal dogs to work each day.
5. ADVOCATE FOR YOUR DOG. Not all dogs are good candidates for the workplace, even if they aren’t outwardly aggressive. Shy or fearful dogs might prefer the stability of staying home versus the sometimes unpredictable nature of the workplace and its accompanying sense of “stranger danger.” If your dog gets car sick, he might not appreciate starting and ending each day in the car. If your dog is generally indifferent to other dogs, he might not enjoy sharing relatively close quarters with your cubicle-mate’s social butterfly of a Labrador.
It’s important to carefully consider your dog’s temperament and overall personality. Maybe he’s not right for the workplace at all. Or maybe it’s best to limit office visits to a couple of days each week.
Even if your dog is perfectly suited for life in the office, it’s still important to set some boundaries. If colleagues have the opportunity to interact with your dog, don’t be afraid to request that they follow certain rules. They might not care if your dog jumps on them, but if you care, insist they ask your dog to sit before petting. They might want to shower your dog with Scooby Snacks all throughout the day. If that doesn’t work for you, don’t be afraid to set some guidelines. Be nice about it, but it’s perfectly okay to ask that your ground rules be followed.
BE PROACTIVE
Welcoming dogs into the workplace can be a great way to boost employee morale, but it’s not without its challenges, and it’s not right for every organization. Careful planning and clear expectations can go a long way in setting up people – and their pets – for success when implementing a canine colleague policy.
Your dog is counting on you to make good choices! Take your time making comparisons.
Alright! You’re in the pet supply store, armed with information about what you have been feeding your dog. You know which nutritional adequacy (AAFCO) statement to look for, you know how much protein and fat should be in the guaranteed analysis of the foods you are going to consider, and, presumably, you know how much you are willing to spend. Put on your reading glasses or get out your cell phone (so you can use the camera’s zoom): It’s time to read ingredient labels.
NOT SHOPPING FOR YOU
Let’s be clear: You are not looking for something that sounds yummy to eat. Products that contain 20 different food items that you might find in your kitchen (or Martha Stewart’s kitchen, say) cannot possibly contain enough of any of those ingredients to do your dog any good. This sort of ingredient list is meant to appeal to your appetite.
[post-sticky note-id=’442903′]
Ingredients are listed according to their weight before the food was processed. By the time you get past the sixth or seventh ingredient on a label, the amount of that ingredient in the food is pretty small, so we’re neither going to get too excited nor too upset about the appearance of one or two particularly healthful or egregious ingredients in eighth place or below.
Note that food-type ingredients (fruits, vegetables, fats, grains, etc.) that appear after or between any added salt or vitamins or minerals are present in the product in inconsequential amounts. No foods are particularly beneficial in these minuscule amounts.
In contrast, potent herbs or supplements, such as turmeric or DHA, may be beneficial in tiny amounts. But the more of these things that appear on the ingredients list, the smaller their amounts are by necessity – and we’re right back to the suspicion that the ingredients list has been built to appeal to you rather than benefit your dog.
HALLMARKS OF QUALITY
Here are the things that you want to see on an ingredients list:
Lots of named animal protein at the top of the ingredients list. “Named” means the species is identified: chicken, beef, lamb, etc. Unnamed animal sources include “meat” and “poultry.”
When a named meat is first on the ingredient list, there should be a named animal-meal (i.e., chicken meal, lamb meal) immediately or closely following the meat. Meat meals are made by rendering – essentially boiling down, dehydrating, and grinding the animal tissues into a granular, powdery high-protein meal.
Fresh meat contains a lot of moisture (which is heavy), so if meat is first on the list, it acts like a diluted protein source; while it adds an appealing flavor and aroma to the food, it doesn’t actually contribute adequate protein to the diet. That’s why another named source of animal protein should appear in the top two or three ingredients.
When vegetables, fruits, grains, potatoes, or legumes are used, they should be whole.(as opposed to highly processed fractions that are likely a waste product from the human food industry, such as tomato pomace, brewer’s rice, and soybean mill run).
Bonus points for products that are made with ingredients that are certified as organic, humanely raised, or sustainably farmed. We understand that it’s good marketing, but we also like to buy from companies who support shelters or rescues, manufacture in “green” plants, and participate in recycling and waste reduction programs.
DISQUALIFIERS
Here are some things to avoid – undesirable attributes that indicate a lower-quality food:
Unnamed animal protein sources. “Meat,” “meat and bone meal,” and “poultry” are examples of protein sources to avoid.
Meat by-products, poultry by-products, meat by-product meal, and poultry by-product meal. These ingredients are often handled with far less care than more expensive animal protein sources (i.e., without refrigeration and with less sanitation).
“Generic” fat sources. “Animal fat” can be any mixed fat of animal origin. “Poultry” fat is not as suspect as “animal fat,” but “chicken fat” or “duck fat” is better (and traceable).
Novel ingredients. Having access to foods with uncommon ingredients (such as alligator, kangaroo, quail, rabbit, etc., as well as carbohydrate sources like quinoa and amaranth) can be a lifesaver when your dog has multiple proven allergies to common foods and you need to find a diet that contains ingredients he’s never had before.
If you feed these foods to a dog who does not have allergies and he develops allergies later, you will have a diminished pool of candidate novel diets to feed him. Also, less is known about ingredients with short histories of use in pet food. Save these foods until you really need them.
“Ingredient splitting,” whereby two or more very similar food “fractions” appear on the ingredients list. Because the ingredients are listed in descending order of their weight, a manufacturer can make it appear that a high-quality ingredient is represented in the food in a greater amount than it really is.
This is accomplished by using several fractions or versions of an ingredient as separate ingredients (i.e., rice, brewer’s rice, rice bran, rice protein meal). If all the iterations of that ingredient were combined or reconstituted, they would outweigh the higher-quality ingredient, pushing the better-quality ingredient down on the ingredients list.
We don’t recommend foods that use animal plasma or blood meal as a protein source. The traceability of the product concerns us.
Added sweeteners. Sweeteners are used to increase the palatability of foods; they should not be needed to attract a dog to a diet that contains quality animal protein and fat sources and that has been properly cooked and preserved.
Artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives (such as BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin). Chemical coloring agents are unnecessary; the color of the food doesn’t matter to your dog. Synthetic flavors should not be necessary in a quality food; healthy meats and fats will be enticing enough. Natural preservatives, such as mixed tocopherols, should be used instead of synthetic preservatives.
NOW GO SHOP
We’ve listed dozens of manufacturers who make good dog foods, including foods with grain and without; diets made with fresh meats only, meat meals only, or both; and moderately priced to expensive foods (super cheap foods don’t meet our selection criteria). These are just some of the brands that meet our approval; you may find more.
Keeping your dog’s individual needs in mind, try some new products, switch frequently – and always watch your dog! Note the date that you start feeding any new food on a calendar and record your dog’s physical responses to the switch, good and bad. If you pay attention, he’ll let you know what works for him (and what doesn’t) with his appetite, energy, skin and coat, stool, and weight. Just be ready to adjust his diet as needed.
Just over a week ago, I was in one of those car accidents
that remind you to slow down and not take life and health for granted. Not that
I was speeding; a crash happened about 10 or more car lengths in front of me,
and I managed to stop the car without hitting the mess in front – and so did
the guy behind me – but the car behind both of us didn’t. We were hit from
behind fairly hard. My car was banged up, and my passenger and I definitely
felt some aftereffects of whiplash, but afterward, all I could think of was
that I was so glad I didn’t have any dogs in the car. (Virtually all of my friends: “You didn’t have a dog with you??!”)
Not only do canine seat belts prevent dogs from being thrown
through the car like a dangerous projectile in a car crash, they keep dogs from
being flung out of the car onto the roadway – or escaping in a panic through
broken windows immediately afterward. The accident was somehow confined to the
middle lane of five lanes– and this being a big city on a Saturday afternoon,
traffic continued to pour past the damaged and disabled cars on both sides, at
least until the Highway Patrol came and stopped the traffic on the right two
lanes so an ambulance, a fire truck, and several tow trucks could attend to the
hurt drivers and disabled vehicles. If a dog had been thrown out of any of the
crashed cars, or had escaped from one, the dog’s death under a passing car
would have been the next horror to happen. Again, I didn’t even have a dog with
me, but I can see that happening as clearly as I can see what actually did happen.
There are many online groups that have Facebook pages where
members can share information about lost dogs, and at least a couple times a year, I see a post from someone who lost
dogs in the chaos of a car crash and is hoping beyond hope that the dog will be
found unhurt. But there’s nothing like your own crash, or one that happens to a
friend, to remind you that protecting your dog is just as important as
protecting your children and other loved ones in a car.
Let me be that friend. Buckle up those pups!
(And, yes, I’m gathering products for an updated review of
canine seat belts and other car restraints.)
This empty bag holds 22 pounds of dry food; it’s a big bag! Its nutritional adequacy statement is printed on the side. We’ve circled it in red and taped a dime next to it. (It’s very small!)
It’s bizarre, but one of the most important things on a pet food label is often in the tiniest print: the nutritional adequacy statement, aka the “AAFCO statement.”
AAFCO stands for the Association of American Feed Control Officials. This is the organization that developed the standards the industry uses to determine what constitutes “complete and balanced” nutrition for dogs (and other animals). Every pet food label has a statement on it that references AAFCO. The statement tells you whether the food is meant for “intermittent and supplemental feeding only” – meaning it’s not complete and balanced – or whether it provides complete and balanced nutrition.
The statement will also indicate whether the food has been formulated for “adult maintenance” only, or whether it can be fed to dogs in “all life stages,” which includes puppies, pregnant or lactating mothers, and all adults.
If the AAFCO statement says the food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels for “growth,” it has met the same standards as foods for “all life stages.” Foods that are formulated for puppies (growth or all life stages) contain higher levels of protein, fat, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, chloride, iron, copper, manganese, and zinc than foods that have been formulated for “adult maintenance” only.
Attention, owners of large-breed puppies
The maximum level of calcium for large- and giant-breed puppies is lower than maximum amount allowed for small-breed puppies and adult dogs. Too much calcium can cause bone and joint abnormalities in large-breed puppies (defined by AAFCO as those who are likely to mature at more than 70 pounds).
In 2016, in acknowledgment of the need for reduced calcium for large-breed puppies, AAFCO began requiring food makers to specify whether their foods (formulated for growth or all life stages) meet these new requirements for large-breed puppies.
If the AAFCO statement says the food is for growth/all life stages “including growth of large-size dogs (70 pounds or more as an adult),” it is safe to feed to large breed pups.
If the statement says the food is for growth/all life stages “except for growth of large-size dogs (70 pounds or more as an adult),” it should not be fed to large-breed puppies.
To be safe, if you have a large-breed puppy, or a mixed-breed pup who looks like he may grow to more than 50 or 60 pounds, you should choose foods with the “including growth of large-size dogs” statement. Smaller-breed puppies can be safely fed foods with either statement.
You may have not noticed, but we’ve been using the words “foods” and “products” in the text above. We strongly encourage owners to rotate among at least three different products from different pet food companies throughout the year. And more may be better! Here’s why:
Most pet food companies use the same vitamin/mineral premix for all their dry dog foods – but the nutrient levels in the premix used by one company will undoubtedly be different than those in the premix used by other companies. If you feed only one food, or even several products from just one company, you are entrenching those nutrient levels in your dog’s body.
Many people (and even many veterinarians) believe that all foods that are labeled as “complete and balanced” contain approximately the same amounts and levels of nutrients. This presumes that pet food makers are all working to meet some sort of “recommended daily allowance (RDA)” of nutrients required by dogs – not so!
The RDA nutrient levels for humans were developed by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council/National Academy of Sciences. Vitamin, mineral, and macronutrient (fat, protein, carbohydrate) levels are expressed on our food packages as providing some percentage of the total amount of various nutrients that we need daily. But this isn’t how nutrient levels in pet foods are expressed.
AAFCO establishes the nutrient levels that legally constitute “complete and balanced” diets for our pets, and publishes the requirements for canine diets in a table – the “AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles.” AAFCO makes adjustments to the nutrient levels in the tables as continuing studies in animal nutrition are conducted.
But, unlike the human RDAs with target levels of nutrients, the Dog Food Nutrient Profiles consist only of minimum values for all the nutrients required by dogs and maximum values for just a few nutrients. As long as a food meets the minimum nutrient values expressed in the profiles, and doesn’t exceed the maximum values, it can be labeled as “complete and balanced.” Let’s say it another way: The foods on your pet store shelves may actually contain wildly varying levels of vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients, and yet all can call themselves “complete and balanced.”
This is why we have always advised owners not to settle on just one product and feed it to their dogs for months or (heaven forbid) years. It may develop that the particular product you have chosen – the one that seems to suit your dog so well – turns out to have copper levels that are way too high for your dog or selenium levels that are so low as to leave your dog dangerously deficient after years of eating nothing but that one diet. Your goal should be finding at least a few good dog foods from different brands to rotate among.
Before you go shopping for some new dog foods, make sure you are familiar with the products you already feed your dog. Start by looking for the ingredients, guaranteed analysis,and nutritional adequacy statement.
The beginning of your dog food buying journey actually starts with what you feed your dog right now. You are feeding your dog something already, correct? Good! In order to make choices that will maintain or, better yet, improve your dog’s health, you need to know what’s in the food you already feed him. Otherwise, how can you make sound comparisons to new products? The first steps are:
1. Go look at the bag of food you are feeding your dog – and bring a pen and paper, or your cell phone, with you. Write down (or take a picture of) the ingredients list and the “guaranteed analysis” – the place on the label that lists how much protein and fat the food contains (among other things).
2. Make sure you know what the major ingredients are in your dog’s food; don’t just go by the name of the food. A food that says it’s the company’s “Chicken and Rice Variety” may also contain fish meal, for example. That’s fine, unless fish makes your dog itchy!
Also, don’t take for granted that the formula of a food that suits your dog particularly well is the same as it’s always been; manufacturers often change their formulas from year to year, based on ingredient availability and cost. Many of us with dogs who are allergic to or intolerant of certain ingredients have been unpleasantly surprised by our dogs breaking out in hives or itching, only to discover (too late) that the ingredients of a formerly “safe” food have been changed and now contain an ingredient that is problematic for our dog.
3. Now ask yourself a question: Are you happy with your dog’s condition? Is his weight perfect? Or is he too fat or too thin? (By the way, we wouldn’t take your vet’s silence on this matter as a sign that your dog is perfect; in our experience, few vets choose to get into this matter with their clients unless/until a dog is morbidly obese or super thin and bony. And we’ve seen vets show far more concern over thin, fit dogs than fat, unfit dogs. Go figure.)
If you are pretty sure your dog is over his healthy weight, you should start your search for new foods with products that contain less fat – or, at most, the same amount of fat – that’s in the food you give him now. To put it differently: If you think he is overweight or on his way there, don’t buy a food that contains even more fat than what you feed him now.
In contrast, if you think your dog is too thin and has a hard time gaining weight, you probably should consider some foods that contain more fat than what you feed him currently.
If your dog is at an ideal weight, you should look for foods that contain around the same amount of fat and protein as you feed him now.
4. One more question: Does your dog have any health problems? Recurrent diarrhea or loose stools? Constant flatulence? Chronic itching? Excessive shedding? Ear infections? If so, consider looking for foods that contain different protein and carbohydrate sources than those found in the foods you currently feed. In order to do so, before you go shopping, you need to know what’s in the products you regularly feed your dog.
If, let’s say, your dog has terrible diarrhea or chronic ear infections and you ordinarily feed him foods that contain chicken and rice, look for foods that contain no chicken or rice – perhaps ones that contain beef and barley, for instance.
You should also be aware of whether your dog has a predisposition to a health problem that can be precipitated or aggravated by diets with certain characteristics, so you can avoid foods with those attributes.
For example, Bedlington Terriers, Doberman Pinschers, West Highland White Terriers, Skye Terriers, and Labrador Retrievers are susceptible to copper storage hepatopathy; they should be fed diets with low levels of copper – as close as possible to the minimum required by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles.
READY TO SHOP
At this point, you should be much more knowledgeable about your dog’s current food than you were previously; you should also know what details to look for on the labels of some new foods to try. Now you’re ready to shop! Just don’t forget to bring the notes or pictures you took of your dog’s current food ingredients, GA, and AAFCO statement for comparison.
It helps to bring a record of what you already feed your dog when you're ready to shop for some new foods. Make sure you have time to read labels and compare the nutritional adequacy statement and nutrient levels.
We know that many of you subscribe to Whole Dog Journal in order to learn about dog food. We’re also aware that, more specifically, many of you are hoping that we will tell you which foods are best; you want to know what you should be buying to feed your dog.
Well, we have some good news and some bad news for you!
First, the good news. We are going to tell you a lot about dry dog food: what to look for (traits of good foods), what to look out for (traits of low-quality foods), what information that appears in giant letters or starbursts on the label is completely useless, what tiny-print information on the label is critically important, and more.
Now for the bad news. We can’t tell you which products will be “best” for your dog, any more than we could tell you what foods would be “best” for you or your children.
Dogs are individuals, just like us. Some of us can eat junk food for years on end without suffering any signs of ill health – no indigestion, diabetes, heart disease, or cancer. For others, a single trip through a fast-food lane will cause almost immediate gastrointestinal upset.
Well, dogs are the same. We probably all know someone with a 15-year-old Labrador who has been fed Ol’ Roy (one of the cheapest of the low-quality foods) his whole life; we don’t hear as much about the dogs who were fed the same diet and died at age 8 looking like they were 15. And some dogs are fed diets of the very highest quality and have all sorts of health problems anyway.
The bottom line: One-size-fits-all recommendations don’t work when it comes to diet. You have to feed the individual what works for him. It’s wonderful when you have more than one dog and they can both digest and thrive on the same variety of food, but we wouldn’t take it for granted that any two dogs can.
Is the high price right?
Here’s a question we are asked a lot: “Is the most expensive food the best? Should I just buy that?”
The answer goes right back to what we were just saying: The most expensive foods on the market may well be very high in quality, but that doesn’t mean they will suit your dog. Plus, not everyone can afford high-priced foods – and that doesn’t make them bad dog owners.
That said, we will warn you away from the very lowest-cost foods. Most of them are more suitable for feeding chickens than dogs.
Our goals are to teach you how to identify the better-quality foods at any but the lowest price points and how to know if the products suit your dog.
To continue reading this article or issue you must be a paid subscriber. Sign in
If you are logged in but cannot access this content, a) your subscription may have expired; b) you may have duplicate accounts (emails) in our system. Please check your account status hereorcontact customer service.
Immediate access to this article and 20+ years of archives.
Recommendations for the best dog food for your dog.
Dry food, homemade diets and recipes, dehydrated and raw options, canned food and more.
Brands, formulations and ingredients all searchable in an easy-to-use, searchable database.
Plus, you’ll receive training and care guidance to keep your dog healthy and happy. You’ll feed with less stress…train with greater success…and know you are giving your dog the care he deserves.
Subscribenow and save 72%! Its like getting 8 issues free!
Products appear alphabetically by best-known name. In some cases this is the name of the company that makes the food; in others, it’s the name of the food line. We have split some lines made by the same manufacturer into separate rows to better distinguish prices, # of varieties, etc.
Trying to print this page? Here are some hints: When printing this page, if the chart is cut off on the right side, try printing in landscape mode. Computers, printers, operating systems and web browsers can have different settings and print pages differently. Printing from a PDF can be more reliable. You can access these charts in the February 2020 issue on pages 10-13.
The food you give your dog plays a critical role in his well-being, both on a daily basis and long-term. He needs a diet with the right nutrients to keep him active, happy, and healthy. And make no mistake: Not all dog foods are created equal. Since 1998, Whole Dog Journal has been proving that much in an annual review and ratings of dry dog foods.
Year by Year: Subscribers to Whole Dog Journal can access our annual dry dog food reviews online. Here are links to our lists approved dog foods over the years:
Whole Dog Journal rates dry dog food and creates an annual “Approved” list (for publication every February) based on the following criteria.
Must-Have Ingredients in Dry Dog Food
Make sure your dog’s dry food has the following elements, the hallmarks of a quality product:
✓ Superior sources of protein: Look for dry dog foods that contain a lot of animal proteins—either whole, fresh meats or single-source meat meal. For example, you want to see “chicken meal” or “beef meal” on the label, not “poultry meal” or “meat meal.” A dog food label listing simply “meat” is an example of a low-quality protein source of dubious origin.
✓ Whole-meat source as one of the first two ingredients: Better yet: two meat sources among the top three ingredients (say, chicken and chicken meal). Meat, the most natural source of protein for dogs, contains the amino acids most important to canine health. A good mix of meat proteins helps round out a dog food’s amino acid profile.
✓ Whole, unprocessed grains, vegetables, and other foods. An unprocessed food for your dog has the best chance of surviving the food-making process with its nutrients—vitamins, enzymes, and antioxidants—intact.
Avoid Dry Dog Food with These Ingredients
When scanning dry dog food labels, keep your eyes peeled for the following undesirables. High-quality dry dog foods have these ingredients in minimal percentages:
✗ Meat by-products. Research has revealed that higher-value ingredients in dry dog foods tend to be processed and stored more carefully (kept clean and cold) than lower-cost ingredients—including “by-products.” And it’s just about impossible to ascertain the quality of by-products. We prefer to see these second-rate ingredients in a supporting role to whole meats or meat meals—say, below the top five ingredients.
✗ “Generic” fat source. “Animal fat”—an ingredient you may notice in some dry dog foods—can be just about anything, from an unwholesome mystery mix of various fats to recycled grease from restaurants. A preferable ingredient would be “beef fat” or “chicken fat.” The more generic the term, the more suspect the ingredient is. (We shudder to think of what’s in “animal digest”—another item we’ve seen on ingredient lists.)
✗ Artificial preservatives, including BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin. Natural preservatives such as tocopherols (compounds often with vitamin E), vitamin C, and rosemary extract can be used instead. Note that natural preservatives do not preserve dog foods as long as artificial preservatives do, so owners should always check the “best by…” date on the label.
✗ Artificial colors. Trust us: Your dog doesn’t care about the color of his food. And he certainly doesn’t need daily exposure to unnecessary chemicals that provide color. Also avoid dog food with propylene glycol, a chemical added to some “chewy” foods to keep them moist.
✗ Artificial flavors. Your dog’s food should be flavored well enough with healthy meats and fats to be enticing to him.
✗ Sweeteners. Dogs, like us, have a taste for sweets. Corn syrup, sucrose, ammoniated glycyrrhizin, and other sweeteners are sometimes added to lower-quality foods to increase their appeal. But dietary sugar can cause or worsen health problems—including diabetes—in dogs.
Average Dog Food Price Per Pound
The 2021 Dry Dog Food Review lists a number of companies that make good- to great-quality dry dog foods in order of the average price of their products. We collected prices for kibble from online retailers and from the companies themselves, asking for their suggested retail prices for the largest-sized bags of their foods (the larger the bag, the lower the price per pound). We calculated the price per pound of each variety of food (by dividing the price by the number of pounds of food in the bag). Then we calculated the average price per pound of food for each company, using the figures from each food in each line.
Does a high-end dog food really make a difference to your dog’s lifelong health? As any long-time reader knows, the pet food industry seeks to maximize its profits, not the health of the animals who depend on it. Most humans can’t access grass-fed organic meat for themselves, let alone their dogs, so find brands of kibble with decent ingredient lists which you are comfortable paying for.
But do know that in the case of dog food, you do get what you pay for.
YOUR DOG’S UNIQUE DIET AND NUTRITION NEEDS
Whole Dog Journal‘s Approved list is based on assessments of dry dog food ingredients along with the “Guaranteed Analysis” anyone can find on food labels. Dog owners are encouraged to develop an understanding of which ingredients are beneficial and which aren’t—and to routinely look at labels before buying.
A scan of a dry dog food’s ingredients can tell you a lot about the maker’s intentions and philosophy. If a dog food company admits to using artificial preservatives, say, or lots of grain “fragments” or animal “by-products,” you’re probably not dealing with a top-of-the-line product.
Conversely, if a list of dog food ingredients leads off with a quality protein source followed by whole, healthy foods, you know you’ve found a worthy product.
Keep in mind that there’s no “right” food that works for every one of the 77.8 million dogs in America. They’re all individuals with unique physiological and metabolic make-ups. Consider:
A dog who is prone to urinary tract infections would be better off with a food lower in pH (and thus less acidic).
If your dog is lean and active, you might look for a higher-fat, higher-protein brand.
If your dog is older and less active, you might want food with a higher percentage of lean protein.
Another thing you have to consider is the caloric content of the food you choose. If the food you select for your dog is energy-dense, and your dog is a couch potato, you may have to cut her daily ration considerably to prevent her from getting fat. Some dogs respond to forced dieting with begging, counter-surfing, and garbage-raiding. If your dog is one of these, you may have to seek out a high-fiber, low-calorie food – one that may not necessarily contain the highest-quality protein or fat sources on the market – to keep your dog feeling contentedly full without getting fat.
Dogs exhibit a wide range of energy requirements. You may have to seek out a higher- or lower-calorie food based on the following attributes that can affect your dog’s energy needs:
• Activity level. The more a dog exercises the more energy he needs to consume to maintain his condition; it’s that simple.
• Growth. Growing puppies have higher energy requirements than adult dogs. A food with a higher protein level, but a moderate (not high) fat level is ideal. Obese puppies are far more prone to degenerative joint disease – especially in large and giant breeds – than puppies with a normal or slim physique.
• Age. The age at which a dog becomes a senior citizen varies from breed to breed, with larger dogs considered geriatric at earlier ages. Older dogs typically require fewer calories to maintain their body weight and condition, partly because they tend to be less active than younger dogs.
• Environmental conditions. Dogs who live or spend much of their time outside in severe cold temperatures need from 10 percent to as much as 90 percent more energy than dogs who enjoy a temperate climate. The thickness and quality of the dog’s coat, the amount of body fat he has, and the quality of his shelter have direct effects on the dog’s energy needs.
• Illness. Sick dogs have increased energy needs; it takes energy to mount an immune response or repair tissues. However, dogs who do not feel well also tend to be inactive, which lowers their energy needs.
• Reproduction. A pregnant female’s energy requirement does not increase significantly until the final third of her pregnancy, when it may increase by a factor of three.
• Lactation. A nursing female may require as much as eight times as much energy as a female of the same age and condition who is not nursing.
• Neutering. It is generally accepted that neutered (and spayed) dogs have reduced energy needs. However, there are actually no studies that conclusively prove that neutered dogs require fewer calories simply as a result of lower hormone levels. It has been suggested that these dogs gain weight due to increased appetites and/or decreased activity levels.
• Other individual factors. Other factors that can affect a dog’s energy requirement include its temperament (nervous or placid?) and skin, fat, and coat quality (how well he is insulated against weather conditions).
Dog Food for Managing Canine Illnesses & Health Problems
If your dog has any sort of disease or an inherited propensity for disease, ask your veterinarian about the benefits of nutritional therapy to help treat or prevent the disease. Don’t settle for the suggestion of a commercial “prescription” diet; most of them are formulated with lower-quality ingredients. Instead, ask what specifically in the diet has been manipulated so as to be beneficial for your dog. Then, see if you can find a product that offers the same benefits and better-quality ingredients. The best example is a “kidney” diet for dogs with kidney failure. The goal is to feed these patients a diet with a moderate level of very high-quality protein and low amounts of phosphorus (see “When to Say No to Low-Protein“). An intelligently formulated home-prepared dog food diet can do a far better job of accomplishing these goals than the commercial dog food diets on the market.
You should also do some research on your own to determine what dietary changes might help your dog. A good starting place is Donald R. Strombeck’s Home-Prepared Dog & Cat Diets: The Healthful Alternative (available by order in bookstores). Dr. Strombeck details strategies for changing the dog’s diet to treat and/or prevent gastrointestinal, skin, skeletal and joint, renal, urinary, endocrine, heart, pancreatic, and hepatic disease.
Other diseases that can be improved with dietary management include:
• Allergy or intolerance. There are a number of breeds that are particularly susceptible to food allergies, including Cocker Spaniels, Dalmatians, English Springer Spaniels, Labrador Retrievers, Lhasa Apsos, Miniature Schnauzers, and more. Again, it’s important to keep a record of what foods you feed your dog, what they contain, and how your dog looks and feels. If your records indicate that one or more ingredients trigger bad reactions in your dog, seek out foods that do not contain those ingredients in any amount. (See “Walking the Allergy Maze,” “Diet Makes the Difference“.)
• Cancer. High-fat, low-carbohydrate (or carb-free) diets are ideal for cancer patients. Cancer cells use carbs for energy, and don’t easily utilize fat, so you can effectively “starve” the cancer cells while providing extra energy to your dog with a diet rich in a high-quality fat sources. (See “Feed the Dog, Starve the Cancer.“)
• Inherited metabolism disorders. Some breeds are prone to diseases with a strong dietary influence. For example, the West Highland White Terrier and the Cocker Spaniel have an inherited tendency to suffer from copper buildup in the liver; these dogs should eat a diet that is formulated with low levels of copper. Malamutes and Siberian Huskies can inherit a zinc metabolism disorder, and require a high-zinc diet (or zinc supplements).
Ask your veterinarian (and reliable breeders) about your dog’s breed-related nutritional requirements. And contact the manufacturer of your dog’s food for the expanded version of the food’s nutrient levels. Pet food makers are not required to print the levels of every nutrient on their labels, but should make this information available to you upon request.
So take your dog’s age, condition, and health history into account. Consider product availability, too; a large percentage of the brands on WDJ‘s Approved list are available at independent stores, and some cases are regionally sold products.
And, of course, price can come into play. The right dog food isn’t necessarily cheap, but that old axiom, “You get what you pay for,” applies here, too.
BEST PRACTICES FOR CHOOSING DRY DOG FOOD
Nutrition experts don’t agree on everything, but one thing they generally concede to be true is that all animals enjoy the best health when given a balanced and varying diet of fresh, species-appropriate foods.
They also generally agree that highly processed foods are not as healthy as lightly processed foods; some of nature’s value is always lost to oxidation, heat, pressure, and chemical interactions. Foods made with highly processed (and sometimes, as a result, aged) ingredients are at a big disadvantage compared to those that are made with fresh, whole ingredients.
The healthiest dog foods contain high-quality proteins and whole, unprocessed grains and vegetables. Always ensure that the dry dog food you buy include high-quality proteins, such as either whole, fresh meats or single-source meat meal (“chicken meal” or “beef meal.”) Avoid dog foods that use vague wording on the ingredients list, such as “poultry meal” or “meat meal.” Any label that simply says “meat” should be disqualified as a low-quality source of protein.
Finally, remember that it’s a good idea to switch dog foods regularly. Choose several brands that contain the right ingredients and give your dog some variety over time. It’ll help correct the excesses, insufficiencies, or imbalances that result from the same dog food day in and day out.
Year by Year: Subscribers to Whole Dog Journal can access our annual dry dog food reviews online. Here are links to the past five lists of approved dog foods:
In the February issue, which will be in mailboxes and online
soon, we have an article about a new model for communities looking to improve
the practices and policies adopted by their local animal shelters and rescue
groups. The new model has been called “Socially Conscious Sheltering” (SCS) and
we are fans of its basic concepts. The article was written by WDJ’s Training
Editor Pat Miller, who has more than 40 years of experience working in and
closely with animal shelters.
The article not only explains what SCS is, but also offers a
brief history of animal sheltering in this country, from the height of the “bad
old days” – around 1970, when tens of millions of unwanted animals were killed
in shelters annually – to the advent of the “no-kill shelter” and its rise in
popularity, and past that to where we are now.
Is a “no kill” policy better?
There is no doubt that no-kill policies have inspired
innovative programs and increased community support, resulting in many animals’
lives saved. But many people feel that the no-kill model needs updating – that
it has inadvertently created problems that need to be addressed.
For example, you may or may not be aware that “no kill” policies are blamed by many animal training and behavior experts for a relative increase (relative to the actual animal population) in the rate of injuries and even fatalities caused by dangerous dogs. Critics say that far too many dogs with the propensity for violence are being “rescued” and adopted to unprepared and unsuspecting people, who unwittingly put the dogs in situations where they are almost bound to hurt someone. Note that it’s not just no-kill shelters and rescues that are under pressure to increase their “live release” rates; the bar has been raised for all shelters and rescues – which is a good thing, but can also lead to irresponsible adoptions.
No-kill policies have led to an astounding number of “rescue
hoarding” cases, wherein a person or group of people, usually starting out with
good intentions, loses control of their situation and ends up housing far more
animals than they can care for. We are seeing reports of these cases nearly daily in the news – and in almost every
case, the animals who end up needing “rescue” again are in far worse situations
than they were in when initially “rescued” by the overwhelmed person or group
of people: starved, sick, warehoused in crowded conditions, living in filth.
Without city, county, or state oversight, and often without the oversight of a
proper nonprofit Board of Directors, some of these operate until there is a
literal stench that alerts a neighbor and drives an investigation. (Go ahead,
run the words “dog rescue hoarder” through your favorite search engine. It’s
insane how many cases there are.)
We all want to save lives. But what about dogs with behavioral issues that make them unsafe for placement in most homes, who have spent YEARS in shelter or rescue kennels, waiting for that very rare “experienced owner, adults only, no cats, no other dogs or any other animals, fully fenced” home? What to do with these dogs is an ethical and financial challenge.
There are also persistent accusations that some animal rescue
or shelter groups engage in all sorts of unethical practices in order to protect
and promote their “no kill” status. According to the official Asilomar Accords
definition of “no kill,” only shelters or rescue groups that kill less then 10%
of the animals they take in – excluding
the animals who are brought to the shelter by owners who request that the
animal is euthanized – may call themselves a “no-kill.”
As just one example of how organizations may engage in
morally questionable activities in pursuit or maintenance of their “no-kill”
status, one animal-welfare blog has accused the Animal Care Centers of New York
of
pressuring people who have come to the shelter to relinquish their pets to
“request” euthanasia so that those animals may be euthanized without adding
to the total of animals that might be euthanized for space or health or
behavior problems.
There have also been persistent allegations that when
shelters limit the number of animals that they will take in, often in service
of preventing the “need” to euthanize “for space,” that the “dumping” of
animals in those communities increases.
What’s the difference between “no kill” and “socially conscious” sheltering?
Socially Conscious Sheltering principles were developed by a
group of animal shelter CEOs in Colorado, and refined through sharing and
discussion among a select group of animal shelter and animal welfare experts.
The founders hope that the principles are widely adopted for a post- “no-kill”
society, where all healthy (and
treatable) and adoptable animals who do not pose a danger to others are
maintained in suitable environments until adopted, and where dangerous dogs are
not foisted into unsuspecting
communities.
It’s sad, but the reality is that there are dogs who cannot live safely with other animals or people. It’s hard for me to understand, but there are also plenty of people who will fight for the lives of dogs who have mauled, or even killed, innocent humans or other animals. In this story, a rescue group placed a Saint Bernard in a family, and about five weeks later, the dog mauled a five-year-old boy in the family. There was a 12-year-old and a 7-year-old boy home at the time of the incident, but no adult. The dog was seized by local animal control authorities, who indicated that the dog would likely be euthanized, as per their SCS principles that state, “Because public safety is a top priority, we work diligently to ensure dangerous animals are kept from harming other animals and people.” But the rescue group that “saved” and later placed the dog has filed a lawsuit and is seeking donations in support of regaining custody of the dog. The group’s Facebook page has hundreds of comments in support of this effort.
The family in this case was pretty clearly ignorant of
proper supervision and handling of this dog. It also looks like a pretty
negligent adoption, frankly! But the fact remains that the dog mauled a child.
Should the dog be returned to the rescue group who placed him the first time?
Or should he be euthanized? It’s a case that divides dog lovers as ferociously
as any red state/blue state debate.
The SCS model says, let’s put our resources where they will benefit the most healthy and treatable (behaviorally and biologically) animals. Also, let’s make public all of every shelter’s statistics regarding intake and outcomes, so that anyone can judge how well or poorly the shelter is faring in its mission, without an arbitrary target number that qualifies it as worthy of support or shame.
For much more detailed information about Socially Conscious Sheltering, see the February issue of WDJ.
