15 Top Dog Food Brands: Best Dry Dog Foods [Updated 2024]

Picking top dog food brands is not simple, and here's why: it depends on what kind of dog food you're looking for.

As someone who's been researching this for years, I'd like to first quickly introduce you to the right way of choosing the best dog foods for your specific dog.

If you're not sure, then I recommend you continue reading.

As someone who has worked in the pet food industry, done research, and written about the best dog foods for years, my first concern is for pet owners to understand what makes top dog food brands best for their specific dogs.

To make your job easier, I've gone through hundreds of best dog food brands, analyzed them and their reviews, and picked these top dog food brands based on their ingredients, dog food recalls, company reputation, and several other factors.

That said, I strongly recommend you do your research on choosing the best dog food for your own Fido.

Picking the Top Dog Food Brands Based on Type

We'll discuss all of this further in the article.

Here's a quick summary.

Think about what type of dog food you'll feed your dog:

• Dry dog food, kibble, or
• Wet canned dog food or
• Freeze-dried, dehydrated dog food.

Now, you can pick two varieties of dog food:

• Well-balanced dog food or
• Grain-free dog food.

Finally, the age of your dog is also important:

• Are you feeding a puppy?
• Is your pet an adult dog?
• Or do you have a senior dog?

Here are the five top dog food brands that we'll cover later in the article (among others):

 

What Is the Best Dog Food Brand?

Are these the absolute best dog food brands for our pets, then?

There's no such thing. The correct answer is it depends.

Anybody (and I mean tons of other dog food ratings and reviews websites online) that tells you otherwise is lying.

With so many variables to account for, it's impossible to pick the absolute best dog food brands that would be the optimal choice for all dogs.

Instead, you have to (a) consider your personal situation, (b) several dog food criteria, and (c) several organizational requirements.

Here's the formula I recommend using (more on this below):

Personalize + Critical Assessment + Requirements = Best Dog Food

I've already mentioned above how to pick the best dog food for your specific dog. Now, you also need to consider several criteria of good quality dog food (for critical assessment) that I'll mention below.

Final ranking factors come from the FDA's Pet Food guidelines and AAFCO requirements and use evidence from research and rational advice provided by veterinarians and nutritionists as the last step.

How to Pick Top Dog Food Brands

It's imperative to know how dog foods are chosen.

There are tons of criteria to consider when picking the absolute best dry dog food brand in any category (hence my ongoing research on this, even after years of working in, reading, and studying about the pet food industry).

The truth is finding top-rated dog food brands is not that easy.

However, according to research, canine nutritionists, and veterinarians, ten factors will help you to determine the best dog food brand for your canine (ranked in the order of importance, from most to least).

Your ideal dog food:

1. It doesn't contain suspicious or controversial ingredients
2. It doesn't contain chemical and/or artificial preservatives
3. It doesn't contain artificial flavorings or coloring agents
4. It doesn't contain unknown or anonymous ingredients
5. It doesn't contain foul ingredients or generic animal fats
6. Has a ratio between fat and protein that's 60-80% (or lower)
7. Has a high protein percentage and high-quality protein source
8. Has medium to low amounts of carbohydrates and grains
9. Has met most of AAFCO and organizational requirements
10. Has a disclosure of manufacturing location and ingredient sources

Even though some other criteria can and should be considered, the above ten will usually bring up a handful of top food brands of good quality and safe for dogs.

Note that some top-rated dog food brands do not fit all criteria and, for example, will have a different protein-to-fat ratio (but otherwise rank fairly well).

You can easily take the above list and try to find the best dog food brand yourself without my help.

But if you're looking for a selection of top-rated dog food brands in one place, after doing hundreds of dog food reviews, I've managed to make a list of fifteen top dog food brands, which you can find below.

For more information on choosing the best dog food brand and how to do so, continue reading.

I've used links to Amazon to see more information about the brand on their product page and read other pet owners' dog food reviews, which I strongly encourage.

These are the best dog foods for adult dogs; you can find the best puppy food rankings.

15 Top Dog Food Brands in 2023
(Best Dry Dog Food)

This top dog food brands list has only dry dog foods (grain-free and well-balanced) varieties.

For these dog food reviews and ratings, we've used adult dog food recipes/formulas.

If you're feeding a puppy or senior dog, simply pick their puppy/senior formula since they rank closely in rating.

1. Merrick Chicken Sweet Potato Recipe
by Merrick

Rating: Variety: Grain-free

Find it on Amazon ($73.13/ 22 lb.)
Find it on Chewy ($72.98/ 22 lb.)

Dry matter content:

• Protein: 43%
• Fat: 19%
• Carbohydrates: 30%
• Fiber: 3.9%
• Calories: 381 kcal/cup

Merrick Grain Free dog food ranks high on the list of top dog food brands as it fits most of our ranking criteria, with high-quality ingredients and little to no controversial items on the list.

Depending on the formula you pick, the first ingredient will always be a real protein source (chicken, lamb, duck, buffalo, etc.).

Some healthy additives, like a balance of omega-3s and omega-6s with additional glucosamine and chondroitin, make this a decent choice.

Merrick Dog Food Reviews: Read what dog owners say on Amazon

2. Nature’s Variety Instinct
by Nature's Variety

Rating: Variety: Grain-free

Find it on Amazon ($66.68/ 22.5 lbs.)
Find it on Chewy ($70.19/ 22.5 lbs.)

Dry matter content:

• Protein: 39%
• Fat: 22%
• Carbohydrates: 31%
• Fiber: 3.9%
• Calories: 499 kcal/cup

Nature's Variety Instinct Grain-Free dog food formula is another high-quality brand that's a popular choice among pet owners who understand the importance of using different criteria for vetting their top dog food brands.

The company is known for producing great quality pet food, always with added omega-3 and omega-6, vitamins and minerals, and never artificial preservatives, colors, or flavorings.

The ratio of a high amount of protein and an ultra-low amount of carbohydrates makes this a perfect grain-free choice.

Nature’s Variety Dog Food Reviews: Read what dog owners say on Amazon

3. Taste of the Wild High Prairie Canine
by Taste of the Wild

Rating: Variety: Grain-free

Find it on Amazon ($56.04/ 28lbs.)
Find it on Chewy ($58.99/ 28lbs.)

Dry matter content:

• Protein: 32%
• Fat: 17%
• Carbohydrates: 43%
• Fiber: 5.6%
• Calories: 370 kcal/cup

Taste of the Wild dry dog food is arguably the most popular top dog food brand today.

They use a simple formula that closely follows (yet not to the extreme) the ancestral diet of dogs and prioritizes high protein and extremely low carbohydrate recipes.

Their Bison and Venison formula is the most well-known and contains a high-quality protein source as the first ingredient, with the rest of the food supplemented with low-calorie healthy additions such as vegetables and fruits.

Taste of the Wild Dog Food Reviews: Read what dog owners say on Amazon

4. Wellness Core Natural Grain Free

Rating: Variety: Grain-free

Find it on Amazon ($66.68/ 26 lbs.)
Find it on Chewy ($70.19/ 26 lbs.)

Dry matter content:

• Protein: 38%
• Fat: 13%
• Carbohydrates: 41%
• Fiber: 6.7%
• Calories: 421 kcal/cup

Wellness Core Natural Grain Free dry dog food is another trendy brand that hasn't been poisoned by the multinational corporations gobbling up natural dog food manufacturers that still care about producing high-quality dog foods.

It ranks high on our top dog food brands list due to its continued dedication and promises to reduce fat, low carbohydrates, and a high amount of good quality protein pet foods.

Always made in the USA, this is never a bad choice as long as your dog loves the taste.

Wellness Dog Food Reviews: Read what dog owners say on Amazon

5. Canidae Grain-Free PURE

Rating: Variety: Grain-free

Find it on Amazon ($71.16/ 24 lbs.)
Find it on Chewy ($73.98/ 24 lbs.)

Dry matter content:

• Protein: 33%
• Fat: 13%
• Carbohydrates: 45%
• Fiber: 4.4%
• Calories: 509 kcal/cup

Description: Canidae Grain Free Pure dry dog food formula has been around for a while but deserves a lot more attention than it has received to date.

Like the other top dog food brands I've mentioned above, this company follows a very simplistic formula to manufacture pet food with high-quality protein sources, no additives or unnecessary carbohydrate fillings, with the addition of vital vitamins and minerals.

Their PURE recipe is especially great for dogs with sensitive stomachs and is one of the most popular choices.

Canidae Dog Food Reviews: Read what dog owners say on Amazon

6. Orijen Six Fish

Rating: Variety: Grain-free
Value: $4.70 per pound

Find it on Amazon ($106.99)
Unavailable on Chewy

Dry matter content:

• Protein: 42%
• Fat: 20%
• Carbohydrates: 30%
• Fiber: 5.7%
• Calories: 449 kcal/cup

Description: Orijen Grain-Free dry dog food is arguably one of the highest-quality foods, but it's also one of the most expensive brands out there as well.

It's often ranked as the number one choice by veterinarians and canine nutritionists.

The company hasn't changed much in all the years they've been in the industry, and its recipe is straightforward (read: great).

The most popular option is the Six Fish recipe, formulated to be biologically appropriate for dogs but at a price, not every dog owner can afford it.

Orijen Dog Food Reviews: Read what dog owners say on Amazon

THIS PRODUCT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE

7. Castor and Pollux Organix

Rating: Variety: Well-balanced
Value: $2.08 per pound

Find it on Amazon ($73.67)
Find it on Chewy ($73.67)

Dry matter content:

• Protein: 30%
• Fat: 16%
• Carbohydrates: 46%
• Fiber: 5.6%
• Calories: 383 kcal/cup

Castor & Pollux Organix dry dog food is one of the few organic top dog food brands among the popular, well-known companies that can still pride themselves on high quality.

Their main ingredient is usually real chicken, followed by brown rice and the addition of flaxseed oil and other minerals, which is the most popular option in their line.

They're not grain-free, so if your canine has no problems with a few extra carbohydrates, this USA-made organic dog food brand is easily the best dog food of the non-grain-free variety.

Castor & Pollux Organix Dog Food Reviews: Read what dog owners say on Amazon

8. Iams Proactive Health Adult Minichunks Dry Dog Food

Rating: Variety: Well-balanced
Value: $1.12 per pound

Find it on Amazon ($31.64)
Find it on Chewy ($31.64)

Dry matter content:

• Protein: 28%
• Fat: 18%
• Carbohydrates: 46%
• Fiber: 4.4%
• Calories: 485 kcal/cup

Iams Grain Free Healthy Naturals dry dog food is quickly climbing up the ranks to join other popular top dog food brands and their companies, as more pet owners are choosing dodoes well.

You can find either grain-free or non-grain-free formulas, and they have an outstanding ratio of protein to fat to carbs. Some of their popular formulas will contain a rich blend of the most vital minerals and vitamins for dogs.

The company prides itself on never including wheat, soy, or meat by-products (a popular option for many others) in its recipes.

Iams Dog Food Reviews: Read what dog owners say on Amazon

THIS PRODUCT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE

9. Horizon Legacy

Rating: Variety: Grain-free
Value: $2.80 per pound

Find it on Amazon ($64.99)
Find it on Chewy ($64.99)

Dry matter content:

• Protein: 38%
• Fat: 17%
• Carbohydrates: 38%
• Fiber: 3.9%
• Calories: 420 kcal/cup

Horizon Legacy dog food is one of the least popular top dog food brands on this list, and that's very unfortunate.

Their Salmon recipe, in particular, is made of extremely ultra-healthy and natural ingredients, 80% of which is simply high-quality salmon (this is very rare among most dry dog foods).

This is a non-grain-free formula, but the small amount of included carbohydrates has all the necessary nutrients for the dogs with no useless fillings.

The reason it's not as popular as other dog foods is its price.

Horizon Legacy Dog Food Reviews: Read what dog owners say on Amazon

THIS PRODUCT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE

10. Victor Active Dog & Puppy

Rating: Variety: Grain-free
Value: $2.23 per pound

Find it on Chewy ($47.82)

Dry matter content:

• Protein: 36%
• Fat: 18%
• Carbohydrates: 38%
• Fiber: 4.2%
• Calories: 397 kcal/cup

Victor Dog Food Grain Free dry dog food is not yet popular among pet owners.

The company hasn't been around as some of the famous top dog food brands above, but their dedication to manufacturing high-quality dog food can already be noticed.

This formula specifically contains three protein sources as their main ingredients – beef, chicken, and pork – with minimal carbohydrate fillings.

The rest of the food is complimented with everything else needed for dogs: omega-3 and omega-6, vitamins, and minerals.

Victor Dog Food Reviews: Read what dog owners say on Chewy

11. Bully Max High-Performance Super Premium

Rating: Variety: Well-balanced
Value: $3.50 per pound

Find it on Amazon ($139.99)
Unavailable on Chewy

Dry matter content:

• Protein: 33%
• Fat: 22%
• Carbohydrates: 37%
• Fiber: 4.2%
• Calories: 535 per cup

Bully Max High-Performance dog food is the newest company of all those mentioned on the top dog food brands list.

While we're still monitoring them for how they will continue to perform as the company grows, so far, they've been manufacturing high-quality performance dog food usually marketed for pit bulls (although there's no reason other dog breeds cannot use this).

This best dry dog food doesn't include any wheat, soy, or corn and is primarily meat-based. It's a high-calorie dog food that is perfect for canine weight loss.

Video Analysis: Bully Max Dog Food Review
Bully Max Dog Food Reviews: Read what dog owners say on Amazon

12. Pinnacle Grain-Free Dog Food

Rating: Variety: Grain-free
Value: $5.75 per pound

Find it on Amazon ($22.99)
Find it on Chewy ($15.99)

Dry matter content:

• Protein: 25%
• Fat: 13%
• Fiber: 6%
• Calories: 397 kcal/cup

Pinnacle Grain Free dog food is yet another unpopular option among our top dog food brands picks, and it's mostly their cat foods that are known to pet owners.

Nevertheless, the company manufactures a great recipe for dogs that contains no grains, with their primary ingredient high quality, natural, real turkey, salmon, or duck.

Their recipes also include sweet potato, pumpkin, or quinoa seeds for added nutrition and the necessary vitamins and minerals to complete the formula.

13. Crave Adult Dry Dog Food

Rating: Variety: Grain-free
Value: $5.30 per pound

Find it on Amazon ($42.66)
Find it on Chewy ($42.66)

Dry matter content:

• Protein: 47%
• Fat: 24%
• Carbohydrates: 21%
• Fiber: 2.8%
• Calories: 516 kcal/cup

Crave Grain Free dog food has been recently breaking into the market, and they have first done so successfully with their canned dog foods.

Bringing one of the best dry dog food brands, their recipes will not disappoint – no grains, deficient carbohydrates, high protein, and great protein-to-fat ratio.

More than 80% of their formula will usually contain a high-quality protein source, quickly followed by a small number of fruits and veggies to ensure an ample supply of vitamins and minerals.

Crave Dog Food Reviews: Read what dog owners say on Amazon.

14. Farmina Natural & Delicious

Rating: Variety: Low-Grain
Value: $4.15 per pound

Find it on Amazon ($109.99)
Find it on Chewy ($19.56)

Dry matter content:

• Protein: 41%
• Fat: 20%
• Carbohydrates: 31%
• Fiber: 2.9%
• Calories: 436 kcal/cup

Farmina Natural & Delicious Ancestral Grain dry dog food is mostly a popular choice of puppy food, but their adult dog food formula and/or all-life stages recipe is just as great.

However, their higher prices prevent the company from becoming more popular among pet owners.

When it comes to ingredients, the company is mostly focused on grain-free and gluten-free formulas with a high level of natural, good quality, fresh protein sources and a small amount of fiber and carbohydrates.

Farmina Dog Food Reviews: Read what dog owners say on Amazon

15. Weruva Caloric Melody

Rating: Variety: Well-balanced
Value: $7.5 per pound

Find it on Amazon ($18.99)
Find it on Chewy ($18.99)

Dry matter content:

• Protein: 41%
• Fat: 15%
• Carbohydrates: 36%
• Fiber: 5.9%
• Calories: 360 kcal/cup

Description: Weruva Caloric Melody dry dog food is another young company that has broken onto the scene and into our list of top dog food brands as one of the best dry dog foods with high-quality ingredients.

They are not yet well-known, but if they continue to include grass-fed lamb (extremely rare in dog foods) and focus on certified GMO-free ingredients (also rare), they should quickly gain more popularity.

The company is very transparent and open about sourcing ingredients, but its prices are still very high.

Video: Weruva Dog Food Review
Weruva Caloric Melody Reviews: Read what dog owners say on Amazon

Honorable Mentions: Other Commonly Recommended Top Dog Food Brands

While the above options are the best choices for dry dog food, they are far from the only ones.

The following brands are also commonly suggested.

If your dog doesn’t love anything on the above list, you can consider checking out these offerings.

• Blue Buffalo
• Diamond Naturals
• Zignature
• Nature’s Logic
• Nulo
• Dr. Tim’s
• Freshpet
• Annamaet
• The Farmer’s Dog
• Nutro
• Go!
• Eagle Pack
• Rachael Ray Nutrish
• Royal Canin
• Hill’s Science Diet
• Holistic
• Natural Balance
• Purina Pro Plan
• Only Natural Pet
• Whole Earth Farms

Understanding Dog Nutrition and Top Dog Food Brands

When it comes to picking the best dog food for your specific canine, ideally, you want to be able to choose your own top dog food brands based on your dog's age, breed (to an extent), health condition, and other unique requirements that only you will know about.

To do that, you need to understand the basics of dog nutrition. Without you knowing how to feed your specific dog, no top-rated dog food lists will do you any good.

That makes all dog food reviews, rankings, and analyses like those on this list or Dog Food Advisor reviews only slightly helpful.

I have already mentioned above the criteria that are best to use when picking top dog food brands. On top of that, you can also further educate yourself on canine nutrition and use reputable resources.

With this information, you'll understand better why some top-rated dog food brands rank higher or lower.

There's a lot of misinformation on dog foods out there.

I've seen much advice about feeding dogs and all the top 10 dog food brands rankings out there.

With so many misleading and false assumptions and plainly wrong advice floating around the internet, it's important to use the most accurate, up-to-date information, reputable resources, and well-referenced data to pick the best dog food for your pet.

Unfortunately, it's way beyond this article's scope to delve deeper into understanding top-rated dog food brands at the very core, but I would suggest looking at research as your first point of reference.

A few studies to assess the nutritional adequacy of dog food brands:

• Nutritional Sustainability of Pet Foods
• Pet Food Safety: Dietary Protein
• Raw food diets in companion animals

If you're able to pay for it, there's another important paper on the topic (behind the paywall) called The Effect of Ingredients in Dry Dog Foods by Malathi Raghavan, DVM, Ph.D., et al.

A couple of good and short guides to understand dog nutrition and how to distinguish top-rated dog food brands from false advertising, which will ultimately help you choose your own top dog food brands for your specific dog, can be found here and here.

The devil is in the details, so read carefully.

When collecting canine nutrition and picking out top-rated dog food brands, make sure only to use reputable resources.

Government sites may or may not be a good point of reference because I've seen them provide wrong information at times.

University veterinarian-run sites are usually my favorite point of reference as veterinary and medical journals, which is what I used to come up with the above list of top dog food brands.

FAQs about Top Dog Food Brands

If you still have some questions about the top dog food brands or just want more concise answers, explore the following FAQs:

What are the 10 best dog foods?

You can choose any of the top dry foods on our list above.

Or just look for products from leading brands, like Orijen, Canidae, Instinct, and Wellness.

What is the best dog food recommended by vets?

Some of the best vet-recommended options include Purina Pro Plan, Wellness, Orijen, Nutro Ultra, and Iams or Eukanuba.

What is the highest quality dog food?

Any of the dog foods on our list is a high-quality option. Merrick is always an excellent choice for high-quality dog food.

What is the healthiest dog food on the market?

All our picks for the top dog food brands are healthy choices. Your dog will get a healthy, balanced meal with food from Merrick, Canidae, Wellness, or any other brand on our list.

What dog food is killing dogs?

You should always be alert for potential dog food recalls. The most recent recall involved Sportmix dry kibble. It was linked to more than two dozen canine deaths.

Top Dog Food Brands: Final Thoughts

Just to be clear, in this article, we have chosen the best dry dog food brands.

All of the above-mentioned top dog food brands are the market leaders not due to low price and mass production but because they spend a lot of resources in formulating appropriate and healthy dog foods for the general dog population.

If dry dog foods are not what you were looking for, here's a list of other top-rated dog food brands that are more specific to your situation and for individual cases:

• Best Sensitive Stomach Dog Food
• Vet-Recommended Dog Food Brands
• Best Hypoallergenic Dog Food
• Best Dehydrated Dog Food
• Best Wet/Canned Dog Food
• Best Grain-Free Dog Food
• Best Puppy Dog Food
• Best Senior Dog Food

If, overall, dry top dog food brands are not what you're out for, then you'll find more appropriate dog foods in the above articles.

Dry kibble is the most popular choice among pet owners, so you can probably find the best dog food brand for your canine among the fifteen choices I've mentioned above.

Alternatively, take a look at the vet-recommended dog food brands article for some tips from Dr. Debora Shores, DVM.

With all the above information at hand, you should easily distinguish between poor-quality dog foods and top dog food brands that will best suit your specific dog at his stage of life (age) and condition.

Remember to use some common sense and further research before picking out any top-rated dog food brands since it all depends on your individual dog.

Use my suggested formulas or simply search for a second and third opinion.

I'm a firm believer in gathering a lot of reputable information and deducing from that.

READ NEXT: 16 Things You Didn’t Know About Prescription Dog Foods

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