Dog Food Ranking Methodology

It is impossible to pick a 'best dog food' that will be a good fit for every dog; however, we have worked on developing an evaluation method which takes multiple factors into consideration. No matter what our opinion, you should do your own research and based on your own dog?s needs pick the best food for it.

We base our ranking on the following factors:

• Number of Ingredients: The number of ingredients in a dog food says a lot about the quality and care that has gone into formulating the food. Generally, the fewer ingredients the better.
• Ingredients: We take a close look at not only the number of ingredients, but also the type of ingredients that are used in a dog food formula. For example, food with corn and soy get an automatic failing grade.
• Additives: Many dog food companies put additives such as vitamins in their dog food; however, our belief is that the food should be balanced enough to not require any additives at all.
• Grain & Gluten: We take a close look at the type of grain used in dog foods. Generally, wheat as an ingredient is a sign of a lower quality food.
• By Products: If a dog food formula contains animal by products, it automatically gets a failing grade.
• Complete & Balanced: The dog foods which we consider ?good? are those which provide a complete and balanced nutritional profile.
• Corn: Corn is just a filler as far as we are concerned, so any dog food that has corn as an ingredient gets an automatic fail.
• Preservatives: We look for preservatives and want to see natural preservatives such as vitamin E and C instead of artificial preservatives.
• Soy: This is another ingredient that earns a food an automatic fail.
• Sodium: Even though some dog foods have this as part of their formula, it is unnecessary and we consider it a negative when evaluating dog foods.
• Added Color or Flavors: Good dog food does not include any added color or flavors.