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Deciding between feeding the best dry dog food or canned food often comes down to personal preference and your pet's individual needs. Kibble is generally less expensive than canned food, convenient to store, and simple to serve, making it a popular choice among dog owners. Cat Biscuits
If you decide to feed your dog dry food, you might wonder how to choose the best brand and recipe. In this guide, we've offered a few suggestions for every type of dog and need. One of our top picks for adult dogs is Wellness Complete Health Lamb and Barley Recipe with healthy extras to support brain and joint health. We also have recommendations for puppies, including Purina Pro Plan Puppy Large Breed Formula, which contains extra nutrition tailored to growing large breed dogs.
We based our recommendations on nutritional standards set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA), ingredients, and calorie content. We also spoke with two veterinarians, including a nutritionist, to gain their insight on dog nutrition. It's important to check with your veterinarian before changing your dog's diet. For dogs with certain health issues, wet food may actually be more appropriate than kibble. For example, dogs with severe dental disease or very few teeth may struggle with dry food, says Dr. Rhiannon Koehler, a veterinarian for the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City. She adds that dry food may not be a good choice for dogs with medical conditions like chronic kidney disease since they need a high-moisture diet and dry food has very little moisture.
The AAFCO sets nutritional standards for protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals percentages in dog food according to two life stages. The first life stage, growth and reproduction, includes puppies and pregnant or nursing dogs. The second life stage, maintenance, applies to adult dogs.
For this category, we considered the best dog foods for maintenance and all life stages. Food for all life stages meets the nutritional requirements for dogs of any age and must have a minimum of 22% protein and 8% fat. Maintenance foods must have at least 18% protein and 5% fat. Our best dry dog food picks may have higher price tags, but well-regarded brands with in-house nutrition experts make them.
Lamb and lamb meal are the main protein sources, and carbohydrates include oatmeal, ground barley, and ground brown rice. Healthy extras like menhaden fish meal provide omega fatty acids, while glucosamine and chondroitin support joint health. This food is appropriate for moderately active, normal-weight dogs with 24% protein, 12% fat, and 4% fiber. Each cup contains 417 kcal.
Beef and pork meal lead the ingredients list, and there are a variety of carbohydrates, including brown rice, barley, oatmeal, quinoa, carrots, and apples. Health extras include omega fatty acids (salmon), glucosamine, and chondroitin. With 26% protein, 15% fat, and 3.5% fiber, this is a good option for moderately active, normal-weight dogs. Each cup contains 386 kcal.
At the top of the list are chicken meal, chicken fat, millet, and eggs. Carbohydrates include pumpkin seeds, kelp, almonds, carrots, apples, blueberries, and cranberries. There are healthy extras like probiotics and digestive enzymes. We recommend this food for active, normal-weight dogs with a breakdown of 36% protein, 15% fat, and 5% fiber. This food has undergone feeding trials and each cup contains 418 kcal.
Dry dog foods come in a wide range of prices. These prices depend, in part, on ingredient quality. For example, some pricier dry dog foods may contain whole meat and other premium ingredients, while budget kibble may contain inexpensive meat meals.
That doesn't mean you have to cross budget foods off your list, though. "Dogs can still get optimal nutrition from budget foods, as long as the food brand is reputable and has researched its foods," says Dr. Lindsey Bullen, a veterinary nutritionist at Friendship Hospital for Animals. Reputable brands tend to be well-established in the pet food industry, and they rigorously test their food to check its safety and quality and ensure it meets the AAFCO nutritional standards.
Our budget picks for the best dry dog food meet the nutritional needs of adult dogs or all life stages.
Beef and chicken meal are the first two protein sources in this dry dog food. Other standout ingredients include brown rice, pea protein, and brewers rice. Menhaden fish oil provides omega fatty acids. With 26% protein, 14% fat, and 4% fiber, we recommend this food for moderately active, normal-weight dogs. One cup contains 352 kcal.
The main protein sources in this recipe are deboned chicken and chicken meal. Standout carbohydrates include brown rice, barley, oatmeal, peas, sweet potatoes, carrots, and cranberries. Healthy extras include omega fatty acids and glucosamine. We recommend it for moderately active, normal-weight dogs, with 24% protein, 14% fat, and 5% fiber. One cup is 378 kcal.
Chicken and chicken meal lead the list of ingredients. Other ingredients include pearled barley, peas, oat groats, brown rice, and carrots. It also contains fish oil for omega fatty acids. Its nutrition breakdown of 23% protein, 13% fat, and 5% fiber is ideal for normal, active-weight dogs. One cup contains 370 kcal.
Small dogs aren't just miniature versions of their larger counterparts, so they need food specially formulated for their unique bodies. "Small breed dogs generally require more calories per pound than larger dogs, and they may benefit from smaller kibble that is easier to chew," says Koehler.
Although small dogs need calorie-dense food, it's important not to overfeed your small dog to reduce the risk of obesity. Your vet can offer more guidance on how much to feed your dog each day. Our top picks for the best dog food for small dogs meet the AAFCO standards for complete and balanced nutrition, are made especially for small dogs, and contain healthy extras like probiotics and omega fatty acids.
Lamb leads the ingredients for this food, along with healthy carbohydrates consisting of whole spelt and whole oats. Extras include herring and herring oil for omega fatty acids and glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health. With 28% protein, 18% fat, and 2.9% fiber, this food is ideal for high-energy small breed dogs. Each cup contains 462 kcal.
Deboned chicken and chicken and salmon meal are the main protein sources. Carbohydrates include oatmeal, ground brown rice, and barley. Healthy extras like flaxseed and salmon oil provide omega fatty acids and glucosamine and chondroitin support joint health. With 28% protein, 16% fat, 4% fiber, and 408 kcal per cup, we recommend this food for moderately active small breed dogs.
Deboned turkey and turkey and salmon meal are the top ingredients in this food, plus standout carbohydrates, including chickpeas, sweet potato, and yellow peas. Healthy extras include omega fatty acids and probiotics. With 27% protein, 16% fat, and 4.5% fiber, this food is ideal for small active dogs with high energy. Each cup contains 432 kcal.
Large dogs need food made just for them, too. "Special nutritional requirements for large and giant breed dogs, such as lower energy density and an appropriate calcium-to-phosphorus ratio level, are most important in the puppy stage," says Koehler. For large breed puppies who experience rapid growth, these nutritional requirements help protect against developmental orthopedic diseases like hip dysplasia.
Generally, large breed formulas contain glucosamine and chondroitin for joint support since larger breeds are more likely to develop diseases like osteoarthritis due to their size. The food also comes in a larger kibble size. Large kibble encourages chewing and slows down eating, which can help keep dogs from swallowing too much air and developing bloat. This life-threatening condition primarily affects large breeds and can happen when dogs gulp down their food too quickly. Our picks for the best dry dog food are specially formulated for large breed adult dogs.
Deboned chicken and chicken meal are the main protein sources in this large breed dog food. Standout carbohydrates include ground brown rice, barley, peas, and oats. Glucosamine, chondroitin, omega fatty acids, and probiotics are healthy extras. With 26% protein, 12% fat, 5% fiber, and 340 kcal per cup, this food is ideal for moderately active large breed dogs.
This food features deboned chicken and chicken meal as its main protein sources, along with carbohydrates like brown rice, oatmeal, barley, and quinoa. Healthy extras include salmon oil and glucosamine and chondroitin. With 25% protein, 14% fat, and 3.5% fiber, this food is ideal for active large breed dogs. Each cup contains 377 kcal.
Deboned lamb and chicken meal are the main protein sources in this food. Carbohydrates include whole grain brown rice, split peas, and whole grain sorghum. Healthy extras include glucosamine, chondroitin, and omega fatty acids. With 20% protein, 12% fat, and 3.5% fiber, this food is ideal for moderately active large breed dogs. Each cup contains 318 kcal.
Both puppy food and all life stages food meet the AAFCO standards for growth and reproduction, but puppy food is the best choice for dogs who haven't reached their full growth. "Puppies are growing and need to develop their muscles, bones, and brains," says Bullen. "They need higher levels of many nutrients, including protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and several minerals, such as calcium." Puppy food is formulated to contain higher levels of these nutrients.
Puppies can eat either dry or wet food or a combination. Wet food may help ease the transition from nursing to solid food, but many puppies also do well eating smaller-sized puppy kibble. Our recommendations for the best puppy foods are formulated for growing dogs, so they contain healthy extras, such as omega fatty acids, glucosamine, and chondroitin to support growth and development.
Cat Biscuits We like that this puppy food has excellent protein sources and healthy extras like probiotics and fatty acids. You can pick it up for just $17.99 at Chewy right now, which is a low price we haven't seen in months.