11 Best Dry Dog Foods – 2024 Reviews & Top Picks

Dry dog food is one of the most popular ways to feed companion dogs. As you probably know, there are several dry dog foods on the market. Some are high-quality formulas that use USDA human-grade meat. Others are designed to be as inexpensive as possible and include fillers and cheap veggies.

Like us, dogs are what they eat. Therefore, it is vital to choose high-quality dry dog food.

In this article, we’ll help you determine the best dog food for your canine. Our reviews below cover some of the best brands available, while our buyer’s guide will show you what to look for when shopping for premium formulas.

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2024

The 11 Best Dry Dog Foods

1. Ollie Dog Food Beef with Sweet Potatoes Recipe – Best Overall

Our pick for the best dry dog food overall is Ollie’s Baked Beef with Sweet Potatoes Recipe. It includes beneficial ingredients to give your dog the nutrients they need to stay active and healthy. Ollie Dog Food is designed for dogs of any age, making it ideal for a home with multiple pets in different life stages.

Beef is, of course, the main ingredient. Then, you have sweet potatoes, oats, lentils, and carrots to provide your pet with all the antioxidants, potassium, omega-6 fatty acids, and vitamins you want from dog food. The guaranteed analysis for this recipe is 26% Crude Protein, 16% Crude Fat, 4% Fiber, and 10% Moisture.

The only issue we found with Ollie’s Baked Beef is that it requires a monthly subscription, which may become a bit expensive for families on a budget.

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2. Purina ONE SmartBlend Adult Formula Dry Dog Food – Budget Buy

Purina dog food is significantly less expensive than other formulas. However, it has high-quality ingredients and is suitable for most canines. If you’re on a budget, we recommend the Purina ONE SmartBlend Adult Formula Dry Dog Food as the best dry dog food for the money.

Real chicken is the first ingredient. It is the primary protein source and is included a few times throughout the ingredient list. However, other vegetable and grain sources add a little bit of protein content. Whole grains are used in this food, which are more nutritious than processed grains. Omega-6 fatty acids are included, as is glucosamine. Both of these ingredients support your dog’s health.

However, Purina One has a lower protein content, at only 26%. Fat is also lower than other brands, at 16%. This is one of the main reasons Purina ONE is less expensive than other formulas; it simply includes less meat, which is an expensive ingredient. However, despite that, most dogs will still thrive on this food.

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3. Taste of the Wild High Prairie Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

Out of all the dry dog foods we reviewed, Taste of the Wild High Prairie Grain-Free Dry Dog Food is the third best option for most canines. It is grain-free and made with real buffalo as the first ingredient. It also includes a variety of other protein-rich ingredients, including roasted venison and beef. We loved that Taste of the Wild has a variety of protein sources, as this increases the variety of nutrients your dog gets and reduces the chance of food allergies.

It also includes added vitamins, antioxidants, fruits, and veggies. A probiotic blend improves your dog’s gut health and helps them get the most from this nutrient-packed food.

Taste of the Wild does not include wheat, artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. You’ll love that it’s made in the USA using scientific food safety protocols. This reduces the odds of dangerous recalls.

Furthermore, Taste of the Wild is very high in protein at 32%. Fat is also high at 18%, which is exactly what you want from a dry dog food.

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4. Iams ProActive Health Smart Puppy Dry Dog Food

Puppies need specially designed dog food and require specific nutrients to help their growth that adult dog foods don’t include. Some dog foods are suitable for all life stages. However, most of them are not. You need to buy a puppy formula in most cases, such as Iams ProActive Health Smart Puppy Dry Dog Food. It is formulated to support the growth of large and giant breeds, which require even more nutrition than your average puppy.

Iams includes farm-raised chicken as the first ingredient, which is an inexpensive and nutrition-rich protein source. It contains 22 key nutrients your growing puppy needs, including omega-3 DHA. All of these ingredients are vital for your puppy’s healthy growth, so it is vital that they consume the appropriate amounts.

Iams uses whole grains, which contain vitamins and minerals. Whole grains are nutritious and shouldn’t be avoided unless your dog is allergic to grains, which is quite rare.

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5. American Journey Grain-Free Dog Kibble

There is much to like about the American Journey Grain-Free Dry Dog Food. Unlike most dog foods, it uses deboned salmon as its primary protein source. Chicken and turkey are included as well, on top of various vegetable-based proteins. As a result, American Journey is pretty high in protein at 32%. Fat is only at 14%, which is slightly lower than you might have expected. However, you have to remember that much of the protein comes from vegetables and, therefore, is not as high-quality as other options.

We like that this formula includes a variety of fruits and veggies. Blueberries, carrots, and dried kelp are all included. They contain nutrients, like antioxidants and phytonutrients, which help your dog’s immune system and overall health. Salmon oil and flaxseed are also included, which are high in omega fatty acids and support a healthy coat.

While these are great additions, American Journey is a bit expensive.

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6. Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Dry Dog Food

The Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Dry Dog Food features farm-raised chicken as the first ingredient. You’ll like the fact that it is free from by-product meals, fillers, wheat, artificial colors, or preservatives. It includes whole grains, peas, and carrots.  Peas are a lower-quality veggie and may be linked to some heart conditions in dogs, likely because they affect how the body uses taurine – an important nutrient for heart health. However, studies are still ongoing.

Nutrish contains added poultry fat. This is not necessarily a bad ingredient despite some of the common misconceptions, as it is a natural source of omega fatty acids.

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7. VICTOR Hi-Pro Plus Formula Dry Dog Food

Victor is known for making high-quality dog food, but its formulas are pretty expensive. If you have the extra money, you may consider purchasing the VICTOR Hi-Pro Plus Formula Dry Dog Food. However, you could probably find a formula with the same quality at a lower price. Just look at the brands we’ve previously reviewed.

VICTOR’s Hi-Pro food includes a variety of protein sources, including beef, chicken, and pork. It is designed for dogs with higher energy levels. It is full of protein to help dogs build muscle while maintaining healthy physical condition. However, even if your dog isn’t particularly active, Hi-Pro may still be suitable for them. It is also great for all life stages, including puppies.

The macronutrient content of this food is fantastic, with 30% protein and 20% fat. It is one of the best on the market, but you will pay quite a bit for it. VICTOR uses grain sorghum as the second ingredient. This means it includes quite a bit of grain instead of protein from meat.

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8. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Dry Dog Food

Several dog owners rely on the Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Dry Dog Food to provide a well-balanced meal to their pups. The first two ingredients are deboned chicken and chicken meal, which are decently high-quality ingredients. Brown rice is included as the third ingredient. While we like to see grains as low on the ingredient list as possible, brown rice is a whole grain, making it one of the better-quality grain options.

Life Protection is somewhat low in protein, at only 24%, and only includes 14% fat. Although Blue Buffalo is a popular brand, we ranked it lower on our list because the company has had several recalls in recent years.

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9. Diamond Naturals All Life Stages Dry Dog Food

Diamond Naturals All Life Stages Dry Dog Food is formulated for all life stages and is suitable for adults as well as puppies. However, it is not suitable for large and giant breed puppies. It is made with cage-free chicken and a few other protein sources, including chicken meal and grain products.

There are quite a few added vitamins, and it has no corn, wheat, artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. You’ll also like the fact that it is made in the USA by a family-run company. They follow strict food standards in their factories, decreasing the odds of recalls.

Our main problem with Diamond Naturals is that it is only moderately high in protein and fat. Protein is only 26%, while fat is 16%. For the price, you would expect it to be quite a bit higher.

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10. Nutro Wholesome Essentials Adult Natural Dry Dog Food

Nutro Wholesome Essentials Adult Natural Dry Dog Food is specifically formulated for large-breed adult dogs. Farm-raised chicken is included as the first ingredient, which is a high-quality option for most dogs. Chicken is one of the most common allergens, so this food is unsuitable for dogs with poultry allergies.

Nutro includes natural sources of glucosamine and chondroitin, which help your dog’s joints. Since larger dogs often have joint problems, this is a significant benefit. Essential ingredients like vitamin E are also included, which supports your dog’s immune system.

Although expensive, Nutro includes less-than-stellar ingredients like brewer’s rice and split peas. Furthermore, the protein and fat content are both very low. The protein content is only 21%, which is far lower than most of the other dog foods on this list. The fat is only at 13%.

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11. Hill’s Science Diet Adult Dry Dog Food

Hill’s Science Diet is a popular brand, and its Adult Dog Food contains chicken as the first ingredient. However, the other ingredients are low-quality. Cracked pearled barley, whole-grain wheat, and whole-grain corn are very high in the ingredient list. As you might imagine, this is a lot of grain for a dog to consume. While grain is not necessarily bad for dogs and can be helpful, you don’t want your dog primarily consuming grain.

The protein and fat content are lacking because of the many grains included. Protein is only 20%, which is one of the lowest on the market. The fat is 11.5%, which is also extremely low, even when compared to very inexpensive options.

Buyer’s Guide: Finding the Best Dry Food for Dogs

When shopping for dog food, you must consider the ingredients, macronutrient content, vitamins, and flavor. However, with some basic background information, you can quickly choose the dry food for your pup

Macronutrient Content

Macronutrients include protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Every animal needs a specific ratio of macronutrients to thrive. According to one study, dogs need a diet high in protein and fat. Therefore, you should choose a dog food that matches this ratio. Sadly, this can be difficult to do in the current market.

Many formulas are high in carbohydrates because grains are cheaper than most other ingredients. Grains aren’t necessarily bad for dogs, but they are low in protein and fat. A little bit is okay, but you don’t want all of your dog’s diet to be made up of grains.

Ingredients

Preferably, any dog food you choose should have a high amount of meat. Preferably, animal products should be the first five ingredients listed. However, this can be difficult to find, so don’t let it be a deal-breaker.

The type of meat doesn’t matter unless your dog has an allergy.  If your dog is allergic to chicken, you obviously don’t want to feed them food that contains poultry. Dogs develop allergies to ingredients they have eaten a lot. To prevent allergies, you should choose a formula that includes a variety of meat sources and switch your dog’s food every few months.

Grains aren’t necessarily bad. Many quality dog foods include a variety of grains. However, they should not be a major component, and they should be whole grains. Whole grains have some nutritional value. However, that is not true for processed grains. They aren’t nearly as nutritionally dense as other ingredients.

Added Vitamins

If your dog has a health condition, you may consider looking for foods that contain added ingredients and vitamins that may help with those conditions. For example, omega fatty acids are helpful for a dog’s skin and coat. So, if your dog has skin problems, added omega-three fatty acids may be beneficial.

Vitamins like glucosamine and chondroitin are both helpful for joints. If your dog is bigger or prone to joint problems, these added nutrients may be helpful. However, consult your vet before adding supplements or changing your dog’s diet.

Conclusion

There are several factors to consider when choosing dry dog food. Hopefully, our reviews helped you find the best dry food for dogs.

Of all the dry foods we liked, Ollie’s Baked Beef with Sweet Potatoes Recipe is by far the best. It includes a lot of meat and is high in protein. Our second pick is Purina ONE SmartBlend Adult Formula Dry Dog Food, which is a great budget option. It is decently high-quality despite also being very affordable. Our third choice is Taste of the Wild High Prairie Grain-Free Dry Dog Food for its high meat and protein content.

 

• See also: Best Inexpensive Dog Foods for Large Breeds — Reviews & Top Picks

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Featured Image Credit: Gladskikh Tatiana, Shutterstock