Choosing a Top Quality Dry Food

UPDATE: January 2016 - This post is several years old.  I have been feeding a raw diet for nearly 5 years now and it is in my opinion the best thing I could ever do for my dogs. If you are looking for advice or opinions on a specific brand of food please follow the protocol below and visit dogfoodadvisor.com to find out their rating. I have fed raw so long I can't comment on any one food other than what is outlined below and at dogfoodadvisor.com

I personally feed my dogs, and always have fed, Diamond Naturals Large Breed 60+lb dog food.  I’m seriously considering switching over to a raw diet because it is the absolute best thing you can feed your dog, however it takes a little more planning than I’m sure I can handle right now.  If you do choose to feed a dry kibble to your dog, be it an English Mastiff or a Toy Poodle, below is a list of criteria we believe a food must meet to be considered a quality kibble. 

• Food contains NO corn and doesn’t have a lot of grains in the top ingredients.
• Company has disclosed where the food is manufactured.
• Food contains a good amount of animal protein in the top ingredients (prefer a named meal as #1 or at least a named meat as #1 followed by a named meal in the top ingredients).
• Food contains NO meat or poultry by-products.
• Food contains NO synthetic Vitamin K.
• Food has only named ingredients, especially in the fats and proteins.
• Food contains NO gluten meals.
• If food contains grains and vegetables, they are whole grains and vegetables, not fragments.
• Food contains NO artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. For instance, no BHA, BHT or Ethoxyquin.
• Food contains NO added sweeteners.

And remember, a top food is only top if your dog likes it and does well on it.   All of this information was taken from a list my friend puts together for the forum, Mastiff Online Community.  Here is a link to the article which contains a list of foods that adhere to the criteria above.  This list, in my opinion, is what I would consider the Dog Food Bible! 

On a side note, while it is outlined in the article, I wanted to bring attention to this: Please use caution in feeding grain free foods to growing dogs! Many grain free foods have calcium and phosphorus levels that are too high for growing giant pups. Feeding those foods can harm your puppy. So the general rule is steer clear of grain free until your dog's growth plates have closed, usually around 2 years of age.