We all like to think we are buying the best food we can for our dog but with so many choices how do you pick the better options?

In fact it is not all that hard, once you get to know the basics. Good news is it is not rocket science and once you get to know these simple criteria areas it will be no harder than a walk in the park, to pick that best dry dog food product!

1st Criteria – Ingredients.

Knowing what ingredients you DO NOT want in your dog food means you can quickly look at the ingredients listed, on the product, and spot any unwanted nasties. Most of the real undesirables will fit onto a small jotter sheet and that can be kept in your purse or wallet, which saves you having to memorize them.
Ingredients are listed in order of the percentage portion that they share of the product recipe, so you want to see some quality inclusions in those first listings. Certainly you will not want to see fillers.

It is also best to get to get to know tactics such as splitting, which is where instead of saying, for example, “rice”, the listing says white rice, brown rice, and other named variations of rice. If you have a fair proportion of splitting taking place, within the product recipe, then those split percentages will probably add up to become the main ingredient.

2nd Criteria – Labels.

Labels that use images of dew laden vegetables, thick cut meat portions or energetic looking dogs are designed to appeal to your senses. You would be well advised to ignore what you are seeing and go straight to the ingredient section of the label.

Just because you see the word of a particular meat, such as beef or chicken, does not mean that there has to be real such meat within the product. Depending on how it is worded it could just be a flavor enhancer that has been used in the manufacturer of that particular food, and no real meat exists within the recipe!

3rd Criteria – Manufacturer.

If you had a heart condition you would no doubt want to consult with a heart specialist, as opposed to your general practitioner. Perhaps therefore when looking for the best dry dog food a company whose sole business is pet food may be a worthwhile consideration for you. There are some really high quality dog foods available from specialist manufacturers. Their products are not just part of a vast product portfolio, but rather the sole purpose of their business.

4th Criteria – Premium and Natural.

These two terms have no regulation governing their use, and should be dismissed as indicating any advantage in product quality.

Premium may well reflect the standing of that product within that particular manufacturer’s product range, but if the base product is already of a low grade quality then only a slight ingredient improvement would allow the manufacturer to claim it as their premium product.

Natural is another buyer beware area. Rendered meat, which is a product derived from what is often referred to as 4D meat (Dead, Diseased, Disabled, Dying) is an acceptable inclusion as a natural ingredient. Since ear tags, collars and packaging can all go into the boiling pot, as part of the rendered meat product, suddenly it does not seem a very natural product at all!

5th Criteria – Price.

Price is definitely not the way to find the best dry dog food. Price and quality bear no correlation in the market place! Again quality should solely be judged by the ingredients.

It should also be pointed out that you may well find you will need to feed more of a cheaper product than that of a higher priced product, purely because quality ingredients will nourish and fulfill the dog’s appetite better. This reflects in the amount of food that needs to be given and there are plenty of testimonials around, from us dog owners, which say we have in fact saved money by feeding a better quality food.

Now you know the basics you can see it is not going to be a huge learning curve. By visiting my website I can help you further and, amongst lots of other information, there are some product comparisons.

I look forward to your visit.

Paul Henstock provides easy to understand information on dog food diets and dog food ingredients for healthy happy dogs at http://www.dog-food-aid.com

Discover which dry commercial dog food contains the best dog food ingredients: http://www.dog-food-aid.com/best-dry-dog-food.html

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