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10 Best Dry Dog Foods in the UK in 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks

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By Nicole Cosgrove

Schnauzer puppy dog eating tasty dry food from bowl

Dry dog food causes less mess than canned. It has a long shelf life, and it can be left in the bowl for longer. It is typically more convenient and less pricey than canned and especially fresh food. But, convenience shouldn’t come at the cost of quality or nutrition. Complete dry dog food should be nutritionally balanced to meet all of your dog’s dietary requirements. It should also be tasty, otherwise, your dog will ignore it or pick at its favourite bites and leave the rest. While every dog’s tastes are different, and so too is every dog’s specific requirement, some foods stand out as offering everything our beloved canines require.

Below, you will find reviews of 10 of the best dry dog foods in the UK, including some specifically formulated for puppies as well as those for adults. And, if your dog has a sensitive stomach or you have been specifically told your dog needs a grain-free diet, you can find convenient and high-quality dry food options too.

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A Quick Look at Our Favourites of 2024

Rating Image Product Details
Best Overall
Winner
Burns Pet Original Complete Adult and Senior Burns Pet Original Complete Adult and Senior
  • Reasonably priced
  • Short list of ingredients
  • Brown rice and chicken are the primary ingredients
  • Best Value
    Second place
    Skinner’s Field & Trial Working 26 Skinner’s Field & Trial Working 26
  • 26% protein is good
  • Ingredients are of decent quality
  • Really cheap price
  • Premium Choice
    Third place
    Arden Grange Sensitive Adult Dry Dog Food Arden Grange Sensitive Adult Dry Dog Food
  • Includes prebiotics and probiotics
  • Uses fish, which is good for sensitive stomachs
  • 25% protein is good
  • Best for Puppies
    Royal Canin Medium Puppy Dry Dog Food Royal Canin Medium Puppy Dry Dog Food
  • 32% protein is good for puppies
  • Suitable for puppies up to 12 months old
  • Smaller kibble is easier for puppies to eat
  • Farmina Natural and Delicious Ancestral Farmina Natural and Delicious Ancestral
  • 28% protein is good for large breeds
  • Primary ingredients are meat-based
  • No fillers
  • The 10 Best Dry Dog Foods in the UK

    1. Burns Pet Original Adult & Senior Dog Food – Best Overall

    Burns Pet Original Complete Adult and Senior Dry Dog Food

    Life Stage: Adult
    Primary Ingredients: Brown rice, chicken meal, oats
    Protein: 18.5%
    Weight: 15kg

    Burns Pet Original Complete Adult and Senior Dry Dog Food is an adult dog food that is also classed as suitable for senior dogs. Its main ingredients are brown rice, chicken meal, and oats. Its ingredient list is refreshingly short with no questionable ingredients and it is, like all the foods on this list, a complete food, which means it meets the dietary requirements of dogs. Burns is reasonably priced: there are cheaper, but it certainly isn’t the most expensive, and while this is brown rice and chicken flavour there are other ingredient options available to buyers.

    Burns Pet Original is our choice as the best overall dry dog food in the UK because it is reasonably priced and has a good ingredient list, but it does have an 18.5% protein ratio and 62% carbs. Typically, we would be looking for something with a little more protein and less carbs.

    Pros
    • Reasonably priced
    • Short list of ingredients means less filler and unwanted ingredients
    • Brown rice and chicken are the primary ingredients
    Cons
    • 19% protein is low
    • 62% carb ratio is high

    2. Skinner’s Field & Trial Working 26 – Best Value

    Skinner

    Life Stage: Adult
    Primary Ingredients: Poultry meat meal, wheat, maize
    Protein: 26%
    Weight: 12kg

    Skinner’s does a range of Field & Trial dog foods that are designed primarily for working dogs. Working dogs tend to be very active dogs, running around fields all day long. They also have to use their brain. This combination means that the dog benefits from a higher protein ratio and can also enjoy some extra carbs and calories because they will be able to burn them off over the working day.

    Skinner’s range includes a variety of flavours, including muesli mix for picky eaters, but our choice as the best dry dog food in the UK for the money is Skinner’s Field & Trial Working 26 which uses poultry meat meal, wheat, and maize as the main ingredients. It is cheap, its ingredient list is short and recognizable, and 26% protein not only gives the food the 26 in the name but also gives working dogs plenty of high-quality protein to help maintain and build muscle. The food can be mixed with a little warm water to make it more appealing.

    The higher protein ratio and carbs that make this a working dog food mean it won’t be suitable for dogs that get less exercise and it may take some getting used to.

    Pros
    • 26% protein is good
    • Ingredients are of decent quality
    • Really cheap price
    Cons
    • High protein content for non-working dogs

    3. Arden Grange Sensitive Adult Dry Dog Food – Premium Choice

    Arden Grange Sensitive Adult

    Life Stage: Adult
    Primary Ingredients: Fresh Ocean white fish, sweet potato, ocean white fish meal
    Protein: 25%
    Weight: 12kg

    Arden Grange Sensitive Adult Dry Dog Food is formulated for dogs with sensitive stomachs. It uses white fish as its main protein source, which tends to be gentler on dogs’ stomachs than red meat and even poultry. It also contains prebiotics and probiotics, which can help improve and support good gut health and general health, and its ingredient list also includes fruit and vegetables. What it doesn’t include are grains as this is a grain-free diet. Unless your vet has specifically said to avoid grains, there isn’t really any need to adopt a grain-free diet, but some owners use grain-free foods as a way to try and combat upset stomachs.

    The food is expensive but it has a desirable 25% protein ratio and its ingredients are sensitive to stomachs. However, the food does have a strong smell, as you might expect considering the amount of fish in the ingredients. While this food does cost a little more than most, it could do a very effective job of shoring up your dog’s stools and preventing upset stomachs.

    Pros
    • Includes prebiotics and probiotics
    • Uses fish, which is good for sensitive stomachs
    • 25% protein is good
    Cons
    • Expensive
    • Strong smell

    4. Royal Canin Medium Puppy Dry Dog Food – Best for Puppies

    Royal Canin Medium Puppy

    Life Stage: Puppy
    Primary Ingredients: Dehydrated poultry protein, maize, animal fats
    Protein: 32%
    Weight: 10kg

    Royal Canin dry dog foods are available in breed-specific formulae as well as those that are based on the size of the breed. They also do foods that are formulated for puppies, like this Royal Canin Medium Puppy Dry Dog Food. Puppies expend a lot more energy than adult dogs, and they need extra protein to build and strengthen their muscles. Therefore, puppy food should have a higher protein ratio than adult food.

    Royal Canin has 32% protein which is a very good ratio for puppy diets. It also has smaller kibble so that puppies can easily get it in their mouth and chew it properly. And there’s a host of added vitamins and minerals that aid with growth and development.

    The food is expensive and there aren’t specific flavours, although this puppy food’s primary ingredient is dehydrated poultry protein and it contains animal fats for flavour and additional animal proteins. The food is recommended for puppies aged between 2 and 12 months and medium-sized breeds.

    Pros
    • 32% protein is good for puppies
    • Suitable for puppies up to 12 months old
    • Smaller kibble is easier for puppies to eat
    Cons
    • Expensive

    5. Farmina Natural & Delicious Ancestral Grain

    Farmina Natural

    Life Stage: Adult
    Primary Ingredients: Lamb meat, dehydrated lamb meat, whole spelt
    Protein: 28%
    Weight: 5kg

    Large and giant breed dogs need more protein, as well as more calories and nutrients, to help support and maintain their large body size. It is generally recommended that such breeds get at least between 22% and 25% protein in their diet. Ideally, this protein should come from high-quality sources, primarily from meat with some protein from plant-based sources and grains.

    Farmina Natural and Delicious Ancestral Low-Grain Formula Dry Dog Food is targeted at large and giant breeds. It has 28% protein, which is a really good level for dogs of this size, and its ingredients are 60% meat, 20% fruit and vegetables, and 20% ancestral or ancient grains. Its main ingredients are lamb meat, dehydrated lamb meat, and whole spelt.

    Farmina is on the expensive side but that’s primarily because it doesn’t contain fillers. It could do with being in a bigger bag for large breed dogs, however.

    Pros
    • 28% protein is good for large breeds
    • Primary ingredients are meat-based
    • No fillers
    Cons
    • Expensive
    • Small bag

    6. James Wellbeloved Adult Turkey and Rice

    James Wellbeloved Adult

    Life Stage: Adult
    Primary Ingredients: Turkey meal, brown rice, white rice
    Protein: 23.5%
    Weight: 15kg

    James Wellbeloved Adult Turkey and Rice is a dry kibble that consists of 23.5% protein, which is suitable for adult and senior dogs of all sizes. Its primary ingredients are turkey meal, brown rice, and white rice and the food contains linseed as a source of Omega 3, yucca that can help improve the smell of your dog’s stools, and chicory extract which is a prebiotic that helps to maintain good gut health and immune system health. Other vitamins and minerals are included to maintain the coat, skin, and general health.

    James Wellbeloved is average-priced food with decent quality ingredients. While turkey meal is listed as the first ingredient, brown rice and white rice aren’t far behind and when these two are combined they do make up the bulk of the food. Although the ingredients and nutritional makeup are suitable for all breeds, the kibble may be too large for smaller breeds of dogs.

    Pros
    • Reasonable price
    • Main ingredient is turkey meal
    • Contains prebiotics, as well as yucca, which improves poop smell
    Cons
    • Contains a lot of rice
    • Kibble size is quite large for small breeds

    7. Lily’s Kitchen Wild Woodland Walk Dog Food

    Lily’s Kitchen Duck

    Life Stage: Adult
    Primary Ingredients: Duck, Salmon, Venison
    Protein: 22%
    Weight: 7kg

    Lily’s Kitchen Duck, Salmon, and Venison Natural Grain Free Complete Adult Dry Dog Food is a dry kibble that contains natural ingredients with its main ingredients being duck, salmon, and venison. These three meat proteins make up over a third of the total ingredients. Other ingredients include fruit and vegetables, as well as additional ingredients like linseed and lentils. The food is fortified with vitamins and minerals to ensure it meets your dog’s dietary requirements.

    This is a grain-free recipe. Dogs are omnivores so they don’t need a grain-free diet, and very few dogs are intolerant or allergic to grains. However, if your vet has recommended you try a grain-free diet, Lily’s Kitchen is a good choice thanks to its high-quality ingredients. It is an expensive food but has a high meat content which means that the protein in the food comes from beneficial sources. The protein ratio of 22% could be higher but is certainly high enough for most adult dogs and breeds.

    Pros
    • 35% meat ingredients
    • 22% protein should be suitable for most breeds
    • Natural ingredients
    Cons
    • Expensive
    • Grain-free diet is not necessary for most dogs

    8. Bakers Adult Dry Dog Food Beef and Veg

    Bakers Adult Dry Dog Food

    Life Stage: Adult
    Primary Ingredients: Cereals, meat and animal derivatives, derivatives of vegetable origin
    Protein: 21%
    Weight: 14kg

    Bakers Adult Dry Dog Food Beef and Veg is one of the lowest-priced complete dog foods on this list. The food is beef and vegetable flavoured and contains superfoods including spirulina, as well as additional vitamins and minerals. The kibble itself also comes in a variety of shapes and flavours, which does bring some variety to your dog’s meal, but it also enables very picky eaters to be able to choose which pieces they eat and which they leave.

    The food is inexpensive and a complete diet, but the listed ingredients are somewhat vague and despite being labelled as beef, only 20% of the food is meat derivatives, and only 4% of this is beef, which means less than 1% of the food is beef. The protein ratio of 21% is reasonable but it would benefit from being a little higher, especially if yours is a large or giant breed of dog.

    Pros
    • Cheap
    • 21% protein better suited to small breeds
    • Good variety of kibble size and textures
    Cons
    • Minimal beef content
    • 21% protein ratio could be higher

    9. Harringtons Complete Dry Dog Food Lamb & Rice

    Life Stage: Adult
    Primary Ingredients: Lamb and meat meals, maize, barley
    Protein: 21%
    Weight: 15kg

    Harringtons Complete Dry Dog Food Lamb is an inexpensive complete dry dog food with the main ingredients of lamb and meat meals, maize, and barley. Other ingredients include linseed, which is a good source of Omega 3, as well as yucca extract, which can help improve the smell of your dog’s poop.

    The protein ratio of the food is 21%, which would benefit from being a little higher but is still reasonable for most breeds and sizes. The fibre content of 2% would benefit from being a little higher, but the food is inexpensive and will suit a lot of dogs.

    Pros
    • Inexpensive
    • Over 25% meat content
    • Includes yucca and linseed
    Cons
    • 21% protein could be higher
    • 2% fibre could be higher

    10. Wellness CORE Large Breed Original Dog Food Dry

    Wellness CORE Large Breed

    Life Stage: Adult
    Primary Ingredients: Chicken, peas, dried potatoes
    Protein: 31%
    Weight: 12kg

    Most dry foods are formulated to meet the needs of most dog breeds and dog sizes. This means that they tend to be ideal for medium dogs but could be better for toy and large breeds. Large breeds generally require more calories and more protein to help strengthen muscles and ensure that they can carry their size so while a standard food might contain 22% to 25%, a large breed benefits from 25% to 28% or more.

    Wellness CORE Large Breed Original Dog Food Dry is targeted at large and giant breed dogs. It has 31% protein and also contains glucosamine and chondroitin, which help with joint and bone strength. Joint conditions like hip and elbow dysplasia are more common in large breeds and getting the right ingredients in the dog’s food can help stave these off.

    Wellness CORE is a premium food, with the primary ingredients being chicken, peas, and dried potatoes. 57% of the food ingredients are chicken, which is an impressively high ratio. The food is also naturally free of allergens. However, the premium label means it carries a premium price tag.

    Pros
    • 31% protein is good for large-breed dogs
    • The primary ingredient is chicken
    • Naturally free of allergens
    Cons
    • Not suitable for smaller dogs
    • Expensive

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    Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Dry Dog Food in UK

    Feeding your dog the right food, in the right quantity, is important. It doesn’t just ensure that your dog feels full and satisfied but it meets their nutritional and dietary requirements. Good food can provide the energy your dog needs, and certain foods can even help with problems like upset stomachs or sensitive skin. Dry food is one option when it comes to choosing the type of food, with wet food and raw food being other options.

    Dry food buyers typically choose it because it has a longer shelf-life, can be left in the bowl longer, is cheaper, and can meet all of a dog’s daily dietary needs.

    labrador dog eating from the feeding bowl
    Image Credit: Monkey Business Images, Shutterstock

    Dog Diet

    Dogs are omnivores. This means that they can eat meat and plant-based foods. Their teeth and their digestive system can benefit from the consumption of all types of food. While a dog could survive and thrive on a well-balanced vegetarian diet with no meat products whatsoever, it would not be able to thrive on a meat-only diet. Generally, however, it is easier to ensure a well-balanced diet through a combination of meat and plant ingredients.

    Dog Food Options

    Dry food is just one type of food available for dogs. The ingredients are prepared and mixed. Usually, the mixture is then heated and cut into the kibble shape. This leaves dry food. The extrusion of moisture not only makes a biscuit but it means that the food can be stored for longer. Dry foods can usually be kept, unopened, for months, or even years. Once opened, they can be kept for several weeks, compared to the day or two that most open wet food can be kept. Dry food typically creates less mess than wet food, too, but some dogs may not find dry food to be palatable or appealing. And, because it is dry, you need to ensure that your dog consumes enough water daily.

    Wet food combines similar ingredients to those used in the production of dry food, but rather than heating and removing the water, additional water or a broth is added to the food and it is stored in tins or pouches. The food doesn’t keep as long and can cost more than dry food, but a lot of dogs do prefer the texture, aroma, and taste of wet food. It also contains plenty of moisture, which helps ensure that your dog is adequately hydrated.

    french bulldog eating from bowl
    Image Credit: Gryllus M, Shutterstock

    Raw food has become increasingly popular. Owners buy all the constituent ingredients directly from stores and prepare the food themselves. This can be a good way to manage exactly what your dog is eating, but it does require research to ensure that you’re meeting the dietary and nutritional requirements of your dog. It also tends to be more expensive and because you will be handling raw meat, there is some danger of contamination, although this is true when handling raw meat for your own consumption.

    It is also possible to combine food types. It is common to leave dry food down and to feed wet food for one or two meals a day. This gives your dog a more palatable and appealing diet and affords you the convenience and affordability of dry food. You can also add some raw food toppers to the dry food. If you do combine food types, you will have to ensure that you aren’t overfeeding your dog and it can be more difficult to track protein and other levels.

    Main Ingredients

    Not all dry foods are equal, and one way in which they can differ significantly is in the ingredients used. Some dry foods use high-quality and clearly labelled ingredients, with meat as the primary protein source along with nutritional and beneficial fruit and vegetables. Some food labels are a lot less clear and can be somewhat opaque.

    large fluffy bernese Mountain Dog with huge paws eating out of blue bowl
    Image Credit: Kristesoro, Shutterstock

    Common Ingredients

    Some ingredients commonly found in dry dog food include:

    • Meal – Chicken meal, beef meal, and other meat meals are commonly seen on ingredient lists. This means that the ingredient in question has been cooked and turned into a powder. Most of the nutrients are left intact but the moisture has been removed. By weight, it provides more protein than the raw ingredient, so it is viewed as a good quality ingredient as long as the meat itself is labelled.
    • Linseed – Meat generally contains levels of Omega 6 fatty acids, but less or no Omega 3 fatty acids. But both are considered beneficial to your dog. Linseed, which is also known as flax or flaxseed, is a beneficial source of omega 3 and combines well with meat ingredients.
    • Yucca Extract – Yucca extract is ground and dried before being added to food and its primary role in dog food is to help reduce waste odour so it can help your dog’s poop smell better.
    • Rice – Rice is easy to digest and low in fibre, and along with boiled chicken is commonly fed to dogs when they are ill. It is also added to dry dog foods for similar reasons. Brown rice is considered more nutritionally beneficial but is harder to digest, so a combination of the two is sometimes seen in good dry foods.
    • Prebiotics and Probiotics – Probiotics are good bacteria that help promote good gut health and fight off bad bacteria. Prebiotics are fibres that are used as a food source by the probiotics, therefore making them stronger and enabling them to do their job better. Both are beneficial.
    • Grains – Grains have gained a bad reputation in the dog food world in recent years, with some owners claiming that they cause upset stomachs and are hard to digest. Dogs are omnivores and in the vast majority of cases, dogs are not only able to digest grains, but they get essential vitamins and minerals from these ingredients that they wouldn’t get otherwise. Unless your vet has told you to avoid feeding grains to your dog, you do not need to look for grain-free foods.
    • Protein Ratio – The protein ratio of dry dog food should generally be between 22% and 25% for medium dogs. Larger dogs benefit from more protein, while smaller dogs can have less protein in their diet. Puppies and senior dogs also benefit from having more protein. Puppies need protein to build strong muscles while senior dogs, even though they tend to be less active, naturally utilise more protein through the course of the day to repair and rebuild.

    Life Stage

    Most dog foods are geared towards adult dogs, and many of these are also considered suitable for senior dogs, but you should look for puppy-specific food if your dog is under 12 months. Puppies have different dietary requirements to adult dogs and a specially formulated food will meet these requirements. Don’t feed puppy food to adult dogs, however, because it usually has more protein and calories and this can cause an adult dog to put on excess weight.

    French Bulldog is busy with his meal eating
    Image Credit: Tienuskin, Shutterstock

    Dog Breed Size

    In the same way that dogs have different requirements at different stages of their lives, so do dogs of different sizes and breeds. There are some food brands, such as Royal Canin, that offer foods for specific breeds, while other companies formulate their foods according to breed size. If yours is a medium dog, a standard food will usually be OK, but if you have a very small or very large breed, you should consider a specialist food to meet your dog’s dietary needs.

    Divider 5Conclusion

    Dry dog food is convenient and affordable, and with the right food, you can meet your dog’s dietary requirements and satisfy their hunger. But, there are a lot of food options on the market. With the reviews above, you can find one that best suits your dog.

    We found Burns Pet Original Complete Adult and Senior Dry Dog Food to be the best overall, although its lower protein ratio means that it is best suited to smaller breeds. Skinner’s Field & Trial Working 26 is a really affordable food and its higher protein ratio means it is better suited to large breeds and working dogs.

    Although expensive, Arden Grange Sensitive Adult Dry Dog Food is good for sensitive stomachs and uses good quality ingredients. Royal Canin Medium Puppy Dry Dog Food is formulated specifically for puppies and is one of Royal Canin’s brands targeted at specific breed sizes.


    Featured Image Credit: Maximilian100, Shutterstock

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