Sweeby, Petsmart carries Blue Buffalo, which has several pretty high quality formulas. Their organic line is very good.

The super premium foods are getting easier and easier to find, though. Most of the web sites of those brands have "store locator" functions you can use to find some place near you to buy the food.

There are also some great sources online to order dogfoods to be delivered to your door for reasonable prices.

You can get a 30 pound bag of wellness from Amazon, including shipping price, for almost exactly what I paid for a bag yesterday at my local store, $56

But if money is a concern as it is for most, consider that your dog will eat a lot once he's mature so I would also consider costs at this point too because you don't want to have to switch brands later if unnecessary.

Sweeby, right now I buy the Blue Buffalo. I've purchased it at Petco and Petsmart. They also carry Castor and Pollux and I think I saw the Natural Balance there yesterday.

They kind of put them in high places, so they are not so easy to notice. Ask the clerks.

My Petsmart carries Wellness (what I feed). Here's a link to Dog Food Analysis. Lots of good info/comparisons there.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dog Food Analysis

I feed orijen fish 6 .....hubby just orders a couple bags at a time online. We never have to worry about tracking down her food. She loves it and gives us the wiggle butt each time she is fed. WE are trying to keep ours off of Chicken and grains and were also surprised when we went into the big stores and they didnt have what we wanted. We went to a dog boutique and they seemed to have all the better quality foods and you would not find any of the grocery store brands in there. Still though it was cheaper to buy online. Especially since the store said that the orijen sells out at fast as they get it in. I like the food because it is made in Canada (dont have to worry about chinese contaminants), and it has NO grains or chicken.

Orijen is the beast, but EVO is almost as good and cheaper.

ChefKev - When I went into our local PetCo (Houston) - I saw they were selling puppies! So I haven't gone back.

I did see Blue Buffalo at PetSmart -- is that a good one?
Possibly Natural Balance, but it may have been some other 'Natural'...

Can understand your reluctance to buy from Petco, hope you find something good elsewhere

It's so difficult not to support those big-box stores, when you have no other options. Until the last few years, our only options were petsmart and petland. Petsmart here doesn't carry any of the decent food. Petland does, but they sell every animal imaginable.

Although on the other hand - it could be a good influence on the other patrons if they see people walking out with the good foods. Maybe those poor puppies and kittens will atleast end up with a good diet.

If you feed kibble, get raw meaty bones to help with tarder/dental issues.

Expect to pay at least $30 a month for proper dog food. One way to help is to get a dog that tiny, and then they don't go through so much food.

Our pup gets good old Purina Large Breed Puppy Chow which was recommended by three different vets. She is healthy, happy and 'above average'. I make her treats which are composed of chicken, eggs, cheese, garlic, olive oil and wheat flour or white depending on what I have on hand. She goes through lots of these.

I don't believe she would be any healthier if we bought some designer brand of dog food. All former dogs were raised on Purina and were all extremely healthy. They were all mixed breeds, so that is probably why they weren't prone to illness though.

oh well... some never learn. 80% of vets don't know anything about feeding cats/dogs other then what the big box companeys tells them.. YOU have to be an informer about that.

You ARE right about the mixes though they are tougher

I don't know if the link I've attached here is a reliable one as I myself would like to research further some of the assertions made, but the gist of the item is one that I have heard for many years. I've long been one who basically trusts my doctors (and vets), but it's not any secret that doctors and vets are linked to commercial products. So it's quite a challenge for us to do our own research to learn what might be best for our dogs. As for us and our doctors, that's a whole 'nuther story.

Here is a link that might be useful: VETS LINKED TO DOG FOOD BRANDS

Sweeby, unless we have another dog food disaster, your not going to kill your pet if you feed them something such as Purina One or Eukanuba, as an example. There are a lot of dogs eating Old Roy, otherwise they would discontinue the food. Buy what you feel is the best value.

The dog across the street eats the Purina One and has since day one. He is a show quality Westie who doesn't have any issues and is a beautiful dog who is going on eleven years old. His hair is shiny, but that may because he goes in for his spa treatment every Friday. The dog chewed the seats on a brand new Jag as a puppy. The price of the food is not an issue.

Another dog I babysit eats the Eukanuba. She is a show quality Doxie who again has a beautiful coat. She also has no health issues. Her biggest problem is she's a hound and ruled by her nose. Because of her body type she has to keep her weight under control.

My current pup came with the Purina One. Her daddy is a champion who eats the Purina One. Though my first Sheltie's dad was well known in the Northwest, the current Sheltie's dad is doing pretty good for his young age. A breeder is going to feed what they think will produce the best results in order to win at shows. Also, if they win they possibly can be sponsored by the dog food makers.

With all my Shelties it's been more of a concern to get something that they would actually eat. For whatever reason each one has been picky about the taste. My second one actually went through one brand of dog food, spitting out the flavors she didn't like.

Okay...... well watch this on you tube, Whats REALLY in your pets FOOD?

HAY lets all have cannibal pets everyone! THAT should show some "high breeding"

Its no use trying to talk to some, ..... sigh

Sweeby, MAYBE you are right a few brands that get into the chains that are decent. just like a few things in fast food are actually GOOD for you...

but its not the norm and not to be expected, It happens to US too not just animals. Most Group homes I've been at have those cute little- oh I can eat fast food and be heathy books- Bonnie an obese woman at my job in her early 50's that had lived in a group homes care for 5 years, had a heart attack and was moved out from the group home care to an apartment For months we never saw her, turns out she had to have a machine on her heart. " Code red insadent" gee those stupid books sure "help" people!! It was mostly the salty TV dinners in the group home though I'm sure they ate fast food too.- but still it fits the hype.

Giant chains like that know that millions of people buy a curtain brand/food, they are into making money and getting rich not helping people or animals.

runswalken, you need to stop. Please, just stop. There are bunches of "stupid" books out there. They are marketed to the gullible. The first one that comes to mind is "Food Pets Die For" Sound familiar?

Yep... but its people this time not animals. When will it end?.. when all the low income people die off like in the pets in that mass recall? I bet its already happened to a lesser extent.. somewhere.

if you want good dog food great, if not then oh well.... we warned you.

Runswalken, your personal jabs are pointless and in someways bizarre.

Basically I was trying to explain to Sweeby that there are a lot of people that are very satisfied with the more mainstream food. And it sounds like she is looking for a easily identifiable food and wanting to know who else may be feeding that particular brand. Carmengrower is an example of someone who is very satisfied with their choice. She is entitled to her opinion and you are not entitled to put her down. And I am sure her dogs are very healthy.

Growing up in the country people were always dumping their dogs. Most dogs would either starve or get run over by a car. There is nothing more heart wrenching to find a dog either about to perish because lack of food, or hurt beyond hope. Personally, if you want to get on "your high horse" get excited about people dumping dogs instead of some YouTube video about pet food.

Surely, you don't really believe all the stuff you see on the Internet, do you?

There is no one best brand for all dogs. All of my pets eat a "premium" food and each has different needs. Do a search for Whole Dog Journal top kibbles and you will get a thorough list of solid brands. (Innova, Californa Natural, Natural Balance, Solid Gold, Evo, Canidae, Timberwolf, etc)

The one piece of advice I give to people who think it is cheaper to feed Ol Roy and the like is to actually compare the amount of food to feed for the weight of the dog. Cheap brands are often double to triple the quality brands, which needs to be part of the cost equation. Triple going in the dog--is triple going out!

True each dog is different...

My little Toy Poodle is VERY picky and it is hard to get him to eat dog food at all until I tried Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul. He loves it and its a good healthy food. I get it at a local Feed & Tack Store.

I shouldn't get in on this, but here I go.
Over the past 16 years I've tried most all of the brands mentioned.
For the past 6 years we've been feeding Purina ONE Lamb and Rice - Dry only.
9 Champions, 5 free whelped litters of healthy puppies and 3 - 14 year olds Later, our Brussels Griffons and Afghan Hound couldn't be healthier - and no teeth cleaning needed.
They get one "Milkbone" type treat at bed time for a treat.
Other than that lots of belly rubs and snuggles for "Treats".
In "MY" opinion alot of people tend to indulge what they think their kids need to eat.
Put it down twice a day for 15 minutes, if they don't eat breakfast they will eat supper.
If they don't eat either, they might need to see the Vet.
They will also have to go potty in about 15-30 minutes, so it keeps accidents to a minimum.
Most of my kids weigh between 8-10 pounds, they get approximately a HALF a cup morning and night.
According to activity level increase/decrease accordingly.
Long winded as ususal, Sorry, Hug your kids good night, Alan

I like to think about feeding my dogs in a similar way I think about feeding myself. Certainly, the best diet I could make for myself would consist of all fresh, organic foods, and meals made from scratch. Similarly, the best diet for my dogs would consist of the same.

I'm not dedicated enough to feed myself that way, so my dogs don't get that either. On the other hand, I don't eat much in the way of high-fat, high-sugar prepared meals or drive-thru fast food. I know a lot of people do and live perfectly healthy lives, but I know that I feel yucky when I indulge in these things, so I avoid them. Likewise, I avoid buying the dog equivalent of fast food meals: grocery store brand dog food. Sure, they're convenient, and a lot of dogs seem to do fine on them, but I know I can do better, so I feel like I should.

For my own diet, I try to include as many fresh foods as I can, but I also look for convenience. I can go to Fresh Market and buy a prepared roast or chicken that I know was cooked that day, not processed months ago, packed with preservatives, and packed in a freezer section somewhere. I feel better eating that, even if it costs me a little more.

For my dogs, I look for dog foods with as few fillers as possible. I have giant breed dogs (2 great danes and two dane mixes--all rescues with questionable backgrounds), so finding foods with few fillers is particularly important, because it also means significantly smaller poops. Also, my breeds have naturally short lifespans, so anything I can do to lengthen them, I feel I should.

Back when there were few options, I fed my dogs Pedigree, and they did fine. They were generally healthy and they looked good. When the options expanded, I looked for more natural ingredients and found Nature's Recipe. They were healthier and looked better on this. About five years ago, we switched the adults to grain-free diets, and they immediately gained energy, had significantly better coats (and I thought their coats looked good before), and had tiny poops.

Our dane/mastiff mix came to us at age five. He had been on Purina One and ate 15 cups a day. You can only imagine the mountains of poop that resulted! We switched him to Evo, and he went to 4 cups per day, which is plenty to maintain his weight at 230.

He also now has tiny poops. I know this poop talk is gross, but I have to add that poop from grain-free food doesn't even need to be scooped. It disintegrates and disappears in about two days. We were constant scoopers before the change, but now we only scoop if they poop in inconvenient places. More important than the change in his poop were the other changes that took place. He was far more energetic and his coat improved dramatically (shinier, less shedding, no flaky skin). This dog that seemed old at age 5 now seems like a puppy at age 9.5. Considering that his expected lifespan is about 8 years, it's really remarkable how puppy-like he is. I completely attribute this to the change in his diet, which improved his quality of life substantially.

This is all a long way of saying that there are plenty of options out there, and you need to choose the ones that make the most sense for you and your dog. I also think it's important to consider the standards you have for your own diet. If you insist on all fresh foods for yourself, but feed your dog Ol' Roy, I think that's a crime. If you live on McDonald's and feed your dog Ol' Roy, that's at least understandable. Even then, though, you could do much better than Ol' Roy for a similar price.

By the way, we currently feed two of our dogs Orijen (fish), the dane/mastiff gets Nature's Variety Instinct (rabbit), and the puppy gets Innova Adult, because grain-free diets are too high in protein for giant breed puppies.

Purina One is fantastic - dogs live long healthy lives, and it is even available at WalMart.

Have never used anything else and have always had healthy animals.

for your wallet yeah- until health issues-... for dog health and nutrition nope.

Do you have a Costco nearby? The Kirkland super Premium is a decent food and MUCH less expensive than other premium foods. I switched from Wellness when I obtained my fourth dog and have had no issues whatsoever. The dogs eat the same amount, eliminate the same amount, have shiny coats and healthy teeth, the oldest dog is a 13 yr old GSD (healthy and lean at 85 lbs except for some slight arthritis) and I'm saving $13 per bag. A 40 lb bag of Kirkland Super Premium Chicken and Rice is around $23. Kirkland SP Lamb and Rice is a bit more - I think it's $25.

Sam's Club does not have anything comparable. I will not feed anything containing wheat or corn (GSD's ahve notoriously finicky stomachs), which eliminates all the grocery store brands

I'm sure Petsmart carries something worth feeding your dog. So I'm looking at their website and looking at the ingredient list of various foods. What I am looking for is a list that contains meat as the primary ingredient (the ingredients are listed in order from most to least, by weight)... I would skip any food that has too many grains listed in the top 5 or 6 ingredients.

So I found the following foods at Petsmart website, that I probably would try...

Blue:

INgredient list:

Chicken & Brown Rice
Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Ground Brown Rice, Whole Ground Barley, Rye, Oatmeal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols, Citric Acid and Rosemary), Whole Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Ground Flax Seed, Alfalfa, Herring Oil, Sea Salt, Barley Grass, Sunflower Oil (preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Calcium Phosphate, Dried Kelp, Whole Garlic Cloves, Lecithin, Parsley, Glucosamine, Spirulina, Yucca Schidigera, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Bacillus Subtilis, Bifidobacterium Thermophilum, Bifidobacterium Longum, Enterococcus Faecium, Zinc Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Zinc), Choline Chloride, Iron Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Iron), Turmeric, Vitamin E Supplement, Manganese Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Manganese), Natural Color, Beta Carotene, Copper Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Copper), Potassium Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Potassium), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Niacin, Calcium Pentothenate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Potassium Iodide, Biotin, Cobalt Proteinate (source of Chelated Cobalt), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Menadione Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite (source of Vitamin K activity), Sodium Selenite.

Guaranteed Analysis: Crude protein (min) 25.0%, crude fat (min) 14.0%, crude fiber (max) 4.0%, moisture (max) 10.0%, calcium (min) 1.0%, phosphorus (min) 0.9%, l-carnitine* (min) 100 mg/kg, omega 3 fatty acids* (min) 0.25%, omega 6 fatty acids* (min) 3.50%, beta carotene* (min) 5.0 mg/kg, glucosamine* (max) 400 mg/kg.

Calorie Content (ME):
Kcal/Kg = 3,682 (calculated)
Kcal/Cup = 462.8 (as fed)

Lamb & Brown Rice
Ingredients: Deboned Lamb, Lamb Meal, Whole Ground Brown Rice, Whole Ground Barley, Oatmeal, Rye, Rice Protein Concentrate, Alfalfa, Sunflower Oil (preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Whole Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Ground Flax Seed, Menhaden Fish Meal, Sea Salt, Barley Grass, Calcium Phosphate, Dried Kelp, Dried Chicory Root (Inulin), Whole Garlic Cloves, Lecithin, Parsley, Glucosamine*, Spirulina*, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Bacillus Subtilis, Bifidobacterium Thermophilum, Bifidobacterium Longum, Enterococcus Faecium, Zinc Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Zinc), Choline Chloride, Iron Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Iron), Turmeric, Vitamin E Supplement, Manganese Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Manganese), Beta Carotene, Copper Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Copper), Potassium Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Potassium), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Niacin, Calcium Pentothenate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Rosemary Extract, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Potassium Iodide, Biotin, Cobalt Proteinate (source of Chelated Cobalt), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Menadione Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite (source of Vitamin K Activity), Sodium Selenite.

Guaranteed Analysis: Crude protein (min) 22.0%, crude fat (min) 12.0%, crude fiber (max) 4.5%, moisture (max) 10.0%, calcium (min) 1.3%, phosphorus (min) 1.0%, l-carnitine* (min) 100 mg/kg, omega 3 fatty acids* (min) 0.40%, omega 6 fatty acids* (min) 1.80%, beta carotene* (min) 5.0 mg/kg, glucosamine* (max) 400 mg/kg.

Calorie Content (ME):
Kcal/Kg = 3,397.5 (calculated)
Kcal/Cup = 504.9 (as fed)

Bil Jac Large Breed Puppy Food doesn't look horrible It has corn in it but meat and byproducts are listed as 4 out of the top 5 ingredients. I'd keep an eye on the dog for corn allergies. I couldn't feed it ( I have a corn allergic dog).

Nature's Recipe some of those look okay.

Blue Buffalo wilderness looks okay.

Several of the "Blue" varieties looked better than most.

Is anyone feeding "blue", I've never heard of it.

too many grains, and meals, its better they use grains on people then true carnivorous animals.

I've been posting here a while, and have been rather voceferous in saying brand name commercial dog foods are ok(in my experience) I am not as closed minded as some folks think---have been doing a lot of looking at what others post/recommend as well as searching on my own.

The link below seems to me to be the most balanced analysis of the situation. The main point is tha different dogs need different foods---humans have messed up the vitality of wild dogs by breeding---and we now are dealing with the results.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Dogfood Project

I feed Legacy by Horizon. It's grain free made in Canada. Have 3 very healthy dogs.Shiny coats and lots of energy.

I'm glad to see you post your thoughts handymac and do appreciate what you said. I'm sort of the same way from the other end- I'm a firm believer in the "top rated foods" but also think some dogs do fine on grocery store food - although I don't like saying that or encourage anyone to buy them!

Do dogs need wet food like cats or just kibble?

Stir fryi are you still thinking about the malti poo :-) From what I have been told dogs do not need wet food and in fact most wet food unless you get the good kind is bad for their teeth. You are much better feeding a dog raw or a good kibble. My dog eats orijen dog food which is kibble, but her treats are things like carrots and fruits...we also make biscuits for her out of beef and beans....no grains and no chicken because of allergies.(for mine anyway). But she does not eat a wet canned food.

There are literally millions of dogs in shelters in need of homes. I would hate to think of people not adopting a dog, because they don't have access or can't afford to pay a premium for dog food.

Dogs are scavengers and before the development of commercial dog food, dogs ate what people threw away...

Personally, I think that feeding the proper amount is more important that what brand of food is being feed. More health problems are directly related to over-feeding and lack of exercise. Like joepyeweed, I'd rather see a dog in a home eating Purina than languishing in a cage eating Orijen. I try to save my big money for vet care.
I also feed Kirkland Super Premium chicken and rice. Is the "best" food out there? No, but with 5 dogs of my own ( 3 giant breeds and 2 very active breeds) + foster dogs, it's what I can afford and it's cheaper than many other "affordable" foods of lesser quality (Iams, Eukanuba, Nutro)

Better food means less vet bills.

Not really. It would depend on what the vet bill is for. Better food will often clear up ear infections, teeth and skin problems. Like Shroppie, I don't feed junk, but I also can't affor $50/bag for food. Past a certain level, I'm not convinced food will prevent an ACL tear, dysplasia or arthritis. Keeping the dogs lean and active is much more effective. I'm better off with a mid-grade food without wheat or corn (major allergens) and adding an additional G&C supplement.

I have an english bulldog.....her breed is know for ear and fold infections and skin problems....its one of the reasons we started researching food. Also some foods like Orijen which has alot of fish could help with joint problems. We have also noticed that our dogs fur is softer and shinier (everyone always comments on how soft she is). As for hip dysplasia, I think a good food will help keep weight off which could help with the pressure on the hips and shoulders. Of course like people some dogs are prone to problems and will have them no matter what you feed. We bought a bag of orijen the last week of November and our dog has only now finished half of it. She eats two cups of food a day and has been maintaining her weight at 45. I'm not really sure how that compares with cheaper brands...but I've heard that with better food the dog eats less.

Trini - what forthedogs wrote is exactly what i meant when I said "I try to save my big money for vet care." My Akbash came to me at 18 months eating Purina Dog Chow and with severe ear infections. Cleared up in a month and never had another re-occurence once she quit eating a corn-based food. The GSP, came quite underweight and with chronic loose stools. He was eating Iams, another corn-based food. He gained 11 pounds this year and has a coat like silk. The Great Dane had awful, awful teeth, black, gunky ears, dry, itchy skin and dandruff and was eating Dad's - which is on the same level as Ol' Roy. Her coat gleams, her ears have cleared up and the teeth (and breath) are now passable. They are definitely healthier - I just don't think any of the dogs would be any healthier eating a 6-star food than they are eating a 4-star food and at a cost difference of $15-20/bag, I'll take my chances.

All dogs are at absolute peak weights and it's funny because all of them are larger than your bullie and most eat the same amount.

German Short-haired Pointer (2 year old male, 59 lbs, EXTREMELY high energy) 6-8 cups per day - he was eating 8-10 c/day but is finally at a good weight

Border Collie (6 years old, 60 lbs. moderate energy - I thought she was high-energy until the little pointer came and showed me what high-energy really means) 4 cups per day

Great Dane (6 year old female, couch potato, 114 lbs) 2 cups per day.

Anatolian Shepherd (5 year old male, 125 lb, low energy) 2 cups per day

Akbash Dog (6 year old female, 115 lb, low energy) 2 cups per day

Thank you for so much info.....I noticed though that your high energy dogs eats alot more than two cups per day while the low energy dogs eat as much as toots. Tootsie while a bulldog which is known for their low energy is actually quite energetic.....we have to walk her everyday and play with her for several hours otherwise she goes crazy...you can actually see the pent up energy in her when she sits still too long....she is also a jumper (just not on command)and while she runs around the yard she also jumps up on the chairs and tables. (she's allowed). People at the bullympics this weekend said they had never seen a bully run like her before. I do agree with you though...there probably is not much difference between a four star and six star for most dogs....bullies are known as medical nightmares though so we are trying to do the absolute best for her and since we can afford it we do. Toots is actually quite funny to watch as she takes her toys and throw them herself sometime to go after...she is also one of the few bullies from what I've heard who will play fetch.....her breeder actually said we should train her for agility competitions....but we're not show people. I'd be curious to see how much she eats when she slows down a bit.

Its good that you do it, so many people just figure its only a dog, and the poor dog ends up, dead or sick. Thats what happened to my moms dog, curly that and old age, all three dogs were on terrible food, no heart worm preventive,needed bathes,ect. We now have 1 dog and I pay for the food. actually we split costs on the dog as the cats are mine and the dog is my moms.

I agree though that proper dog food is $$, the answer then is to set reasonable limits if you cannot properly feed a carnvorious animal, then don't get one.

Cats are cheaper to feed anyway as they eat less.

What do you recommend for a 50 lb. 20 week old Great Pyrenees male puppy for dry dog food?

See my post above for what i feed. i don't own Pyrs, but have other flock guardians. Pyrs are low-energy and it is in your best interest to keep them at the low end of their peak weight.

We have a great py (2 years old). Rescued at 1 yr. She eats 1 cup twice a day. If you give her more than 1 cup it takes her all day to eat it. I feed her Trader Joe's Lamb Meal and Brown Rice. If I had a Costco near by I would feed Kirkland. Wonderfull dog but she suffers from seperation anxity. Oh, she weighs 85 pounds. We do exersise her every day. Excellent health when we got her. No health problems today.

Thanks for the recommendations. It seems there's a controversy about whether to feed puppy food or not. Our boy was getting Diamond Large Breed Puppy Food, but he was having loose stools about four times daily. He appears very happy and energetic, but this stool habit doesn't seem right to me. The vet gave the puppy a clean bill of health; he doesn't sell dog food, but said that was a mediocre brand, and he didn't recommend any by name, but said, "The more expensive, the better." I found that really unhelpful. Diamond was what the breeder had been feeding. This is the first non-rescue dog we've ever had, the first giant breed, the first to come to us in years that's still a pup, and the first LGD, so it's all new to us! This puppy has us totally smitten, I must say. He is so sweet!

In my opinion.The dog food that has worked the best for both of my dogs.Sheltie/Collie mix 6 and a SILKY TERRIER ALMOST 14. Has been Science Diet (Natures Best)Chicken and Rice formula.

I have done a lot of research on dog food and I found a site called dog food advisor it rates dog food by stars, 5 being the best and 1 not so good. It amazed me how many brands I always thought was good and cost a fortune are'nt. I decided to use diamond naturals it's rated a 4 star and does'nt contain wheat or corn. I can get a forty pound bag for 25 dollars. Go to that site and see how your dog food rates.

I'm almost certain that Kirkland Signature is re-branded Diamond Naturals. I've been very leased with Kirkland. Is it the best of the best? NO, but I don't think that any benefits from feeding the best of the best would offset the greatly increased cost. Also, I haven't owned a dog yet that could handle the richness of EVO or other grainless foods - diarrhea and stomach upsets every time.

I understand that it is hard to research and find good quality commercial dog food. Large retailers only carry national brands, some lacking in many ways. My suggestion is that you find a local producer of dog food that fits your price range. Ideally, this would be an independent dog food company, with their own production facilities. I have been using such a company, Sunshine Farms dog food for some time. They are based around the corner form me in Salinas, California and source from local farmers. If you don't have anything like this, please google independent dog food and check it out for yourself.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sunshine Farms Pet Food Company