Choosing the right dog food for your dog can be an overwhelming process. There are so many choices these days, from grain free, to de-hydrated, to raw – how the heck are you supposed to pick one?

While my mom claims to be no pet food nutrition expert, she thought it would be helpful if we gave you some handy tips as to how she chooses pet foods for me.

For starters I’ve been on a rotational diet since I was just a wee pup. What this means is that each time I get to the end of a bag of dog food, mom switches me to a different brand of food. Who wants to eat the same food every day of their life? Not me! Plus mom believes that different foods have different nutritional benefits, so rotating foods makes sure I get the best of all of them (at least thats the theory). This rotational diet may not work for all dogs, especially ones that may have sensitivities to certain things, or are on special dietary restrictions due to health reasons. So it’s best to know what might work for your own dog and your own situation.

Now while many people might defer to their veterinarian for feeding recommendations, I’ve found that while vets are schooled in medical issues, most of them are not trained in pet nutrition. Many of them just recommend what’s suggested within their industry, and while that’s not to say it’s always a bad suggestion, my mom feels that doing her own research will provide me with the best choice in food.

So before I dive into what my mom looks for in a pet food, lets talk about the different types of dog foods:

Dry: The “kibble” most people are familiar with. It travels and stores well, but is considered a more processed food because the ingredients aren’t fresh.

Wet: What many people might call “canned food”, this food is kept moist and easy for most dogs to ingest. It is much more perishable because of this.

De-Hydrated: This is essentially raw foods that have been dehydrated to lock in the nutrients. It’s less processed than dry food, but can take time to prepare as it typically needs water to “plump up”.

Raw: Fresh whole foods in their purest form. Typically you have to buy meats frequently to maintain freshness, and ingredients have to be handled properly to prevent illnesses to your dog.

Homemade: Fresh ingredients that are selected by the owner, and made to their own specifications. You have to have a thorough knowledge of what your dog can eat and may need, and it does take a good bit of dedication to make.

I have never eaten Raw or Homemade dog food, mostly because mom doesn’t know a ton about feeding these types, and more importantly because of my lifestyle. I sometimes eat dinner at home, other times on the farm, and frequently at work – so these types would not travel well or keep as fresh in these situations.

I’ve tried Wet food before (when I was a puppy), but I wasn’t a super big fan of it, not to mention it also doesn’t travel well either. My pal Trooper eats a scoop of it everyday in all his meals and loves it, so it may depend on your own dog.

What I do eat is Dry (which is what I have eaten since I was a puppy), and more recently I am testing out De-Hydrated food as well. In the coming weeks I will be reviewing some of my picks for both types of food, so stay tuned for that!

So since I’m most familiar with Dry & De-Hydrated Pet Foods, lets talk about what my mom looks for when choosing a brand for me to eat.

What to look for when choosing a pet food:

• Small Breed Size: When possible I try to eat a small breed formula because as a small dog I need more calories to fuel my fast metabolism. Most small breed foods are formulated for this, and they also come in a smaller size which makes it easier for small dogs to chew.
• Adult Food: Since I’m only 6, I like to pick a food that is formulated for adult dogs (if I were a puppy or senior dog I would look for something formulated for this). Different life stages require different formulas, and these types take that into consideration. When I turn double digits I may start looking into a senior formula.
• Meat: As far as ingredients are concerned I always look to make sure the first ingredient in a pet food is always meat. Specifically avoiding any foods that list “meat-meal” or just “meat” (not specifying the type) and “by-product”. Whole meats are always my top choice in a food, but many dry foods that I have seen still contain products such as “chicken meal” or “fish meal”. Dry Foods are still processed so I think it would likely be pretty hard to avoid any type of meat meal if you’re feeding this.
• Origin: I would never feed anything made in China due to all the issues we have been hearing about in the news lately associated with dog deaths and health issues. I prefer my food to be made in the USA and Canada.
• Un-Healthy Ingredients: There are certain things that should not be in a dog food. See the chart above for some examples of what I wouldn’t want in a pet food.
• Healthy Ingredients: There are many ingredients that are healthy and great for a dog to be eating (see chart above for examples).
• Grain-Free: Grain Free foods simply means that the food does not contain any unhealthy fillers such as wheat, corn, soy, and barely. Some alternatives that are healthier for your dog would be a food that contains: white potatoes, green peas, sweet potatoes, carrots, and chickpeas. Research has showed that grains were never really part of the diet that our wild dog ancestors may have eaten. Many dogs have sensitivities to grains in their foods, but even if they don’t eating grain free may still improve their digestion and skin & coat health.
• Protein: A high protein food can help with easier digestion and nutritional absorption. It can also mean better bathroom visits for your pet. So I look for a food that has a higher protein percentage.
• Reviews & Recalls: I always check to see if a brand has any recent recalls, and I search the web to see what types of company reviews they have. Steer clear of any brands that might have a history of a lot of recalls, and bad customer reviews.

Can you spot which of these foods my mom wouldn’t feed me based on the ingredients?…. (click on the images to view them larger)

Without naming names, the second label pictured is a much better choice, and one of the brands I eat myself. You’ll notice with the yellow label the very first ingredient was Corn, followed by “meat and bone meal” (which doesn’t even specify what kind of meat it is), and also included a lot of dyes that weren’t healthy. Definitely a product I would be steering clear of personally.

Following these guidelines for choosing foods, my mom also does the same for any treats or cookies she feeds me.

While my search for great pet foods never really ends, here’s the current list of foods that I have been rotating through my diet:

• Open Farm* (Check out my review on Open Farm pet food)
• Blue Buffalo Wilderness*
• Wellness Core & Wellness Trufood*
• Honest Kitchen*

Stay tuned for a few reviews coming up soon on my blog with some of these foods, I’ll also be giving away some pet food to some lucky readers too! *contains affiliate links

For recommendations on how to keep your dog looking trim, you might want to check to check out one of my past posts on 5 tips for keeping your pet trim. Which also includes how much food I actually eat on a daily basis!

What brands and type of food do you feed your dog? Any recommendations you suggest and think I will love? Do tell!

Thanks to Reviews.com and the PetsMart Food Center for helping me with some great information for this post! 

Disclaimer: this post is meant to be a general guide for choosing dog foods. Ammo nor his parents are pet nutrition experts, and if you are unsure about what to feed you should always consult a vet or pet nutrition expert first. What works for Ammo may not work for all dogs, and feeding what we feed may not be recommended for all dogs and all situations. We are not responsible for any issues or illnesses that may result from feeding what we feed our own dog.

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