Whole Dog Journal’s Approved Dry Dog Foods for 2021

How we choose dry dog foods: our selection criteria explained. Also, read our list of approved dry dog foods for 2021.

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Below, we’ve listed more than 50 companies that collectively make more than 1,000 different dry dog foods that meet our selection criteria. To think that these foods make up a fraction of the dog food sold in North America is a testament to the massive size of the industry – estimated to have sold $31 billion worth of pet food in 2020.

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27 COMMENTS

  1. I just skimmed the previous list of dog foods. Acana and Addiction are the only names I am familiar with. I thought it was interesting that you list Addiction as being made in NZ (as I believe it is) but what gave me pause was that Kangaroo was listed as an ingredient….we don’t have kangaroos in NZ …Do they import that ingredient from Australia?

  2. I just ordered the Raw Food Diet – Part 2. When I try to download the publication an Error msg appears. File damaged cannot download. PLEASE send me a non-corrupted file or credit my credit card. Thank you for your assistance.

  3. Hard to find the good brands in my local stores or even online. I purchased Canidae MultiProtein from PetCo to try to use the same food for my 3 year old lab service dog and my 13 year old golden. I was disappointed to find that it contains no meat, only meat meal. My service dog trainer recommended Eukanuba so that is what I have been using but everywhere I look now the meat first products are sold out.

  4. I just subscribed to see your recommended list of dog foods. And I am disappointed! I picked just 1 for an example that is Zignature. That Have ingredients at the top of their list that we should not be feeding our dogs!. PEAS, PEA FLOUR ,PEA PROTEIN, CHICKPEAS, SUNFLOWER OIL, NATURAL FLAVORS, DRIED BEET PULP, IRON, COPPER. AND THE LIST GOESS ON… THIS FOOD IS GARBAGE!!! JUST 1 OF MANY ON YOUR LIST!
    Lamb, Lamb Meal, Peas, Pea Flour, Pea Protein, Flaxseed, Chickpeas, Natural Flavors, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Sunflower Oil (preserved with Citric Acid), Dried Beet Pulp, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Chloride, Salt, Chorine Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Poteinate, Cobalt Proteinate), Vitamins (Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Blueberries, Carrots, Cranberries, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols.

    • I agree. According to a CNN article, Zignature has the second highest number of cases of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) reported to the FDA. I suspect that it is a matter of which of their dog foods you select, but I subscribed to get better information than is available for free on the web, and this article does not meet that goal. This is an important topic, and I think a subscription service such as this should put more effort into providing easily understandable, thorough information.

  5. This web site sends me in circles. I signed in. I wanted the article on Dry Dog Food 2021. On that page it says I need to sign in. I click to do so. And around in circles I go!
    then I tried Dashboard, downloads and clicked to download this article. Again: On the page it says I need to sign in. I click to do so. And around I go again!!!!!!!
    What do I need to do to actually access the article!?!?!

  6. I just subscribed yesterday and I can’t even log in! It won’t let me! Am I doing something wrong? I try to view dry food list and it says must be a subscriber, which I am, and I put in my info hit log in and it repeats all over again……very frustrating.

    Sherry Mustic

  7. I am surprised to see that you left Nature’s Logic off your list because of its inclusion of plasma but included a number of lower quality foods that contain synthetic vitamins and legumes and potatoes, including “ingredient splitting” peas and pea flours. Most recent studies about cardiac issues are pointing toward legumes (which are often used as substitutes for quality animal proteins) as an ingredient that may block the absorption of taurine. I like to rotate foods. My guy does really well on Nature’s Logic which adds no synthetics and I sometimes add Farmina to his rotation. Stella and Chewy’s Essentials line is out now after repeated loose stools and diarrhea. He also enjoys Primal and sometimes Ziwi Peak as toppers. Thanks for your research.

  8. Hi. I am waiting for my free issue but definitely will subscribe after that. Am in the process of changing my dogs food and need to know sooner that later which dog food to change to.
    How can I get the sooner?
    Thanks, Kristi Gates