What is the Best Dog Food for Dogs
Selecting the right dog food for your lovable pet is one of the most significant decisions you can make as a pet owner. With an overwhelming array of options — kibble, canned, fresh, raw, breed-specific, grain-free and beyond — it’s easy to get overwhelmed. But with the proper information and your dog’s individual dietary needs in mind, you can choose What is the Best Dog Food for Dogs that you feel good about feeding, and that helps support their health, longevity and well-being.
This article explains what makes dog food “the best,” considers some of the top options in various categories, and provides information to help you decide which best dog food to buy for your furry friend.
Why Is It The Best Dog Food?
The ideal dog food is one that is not only tasty, but also nourishing to your dog, made with high quality ingredients, safe, and appropriate for their size, breed, age and health status. Here’s what to consider:
- Balanced and Complete Nutrition: Foods should be labeled with a statement that they adhere to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) or World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) standards. Thus your hound will have everything it needs to stay healthy.
- Top-Quality Ingredients: Look for foods that list a real meat, fish, or poultry as their first ingredient, without a lot of fillers or artificial ingredients.
- Customized Ingredients: Puppies, senior dogs, and dogs of every size can enjoy a customized blend. The same goes for big and little breeds, as well as dogs with health concerns, from sensitivities to ailing organs.
- Digestion and Palatability: The food for dogs must be digestible and dog must eat it with interest.
- Safety and Transparency – The best brands are open about where they source ingredients, how they make their products, and their safety and prevention standards.
Best Dog Food Options in 2025
1. Best Overall: Fresh Dog Food
Fresh dog food has grown popular, offering it’s whole, less-processed ingredients and custom meal plans. Options like JustFoodForDogs are impressive for the research behind their recipes, variety and attention to safety.
- Just Food For Dogs makes gently cooked meals with several proteins and whether grain-inclusive or grain-free. They formulate their own recipes with veterinary nutritionists achieving compliance with both WSAVA and AAFCO criteria and validation through feeding trials. The recipes range from puppies to senior dogs, and sensitive stomachs to joint support, while providing you the option to customize your dog’s meals.
- Nom Nom and The Farmer’s Dog are also strong contenders, providing fresh, human-grade food customized to your dog’s profile.
Pros: Very digestible, customizable, high-quality ingredients
Cons: Needs refrigeration, more costly than kibble
2. Best Dry Dog Food (Kibble)
Most dog owners continue to feed kibble, because it is convenient, inexpensive and can be stored long term. The best dry dog food will keep your pet happy, healthy, and energetic; it will ensure your dog’s ideal weight, smooth digestion, healthy teeth, and strong, lean muscles while minimizing any unnecessary components such as bad sugars, fillers, artificial colors and flavors, and foods that are difficult to digest. A few options are even super-sized to accommodate dogs with big mouths and teeth.
- Hill’s Science Diet Adult Dog Food is veterinarians recommended and offers balanced nutrition and quality ingredients. It is particularly recommended for adult dogs but it also provides formulas for pups and seniors as well4.
- Royal Canin and Purina Pro Plan also have breed-specific or health-targeted kibbles, which are made with the help of veterinary nutritionists1.
Pros: Easy, inexpensive, encourages dental health
Cons: A bit denser, some finicky eaters may prefer other textures
3. Best Raw Dog Food
Raw food diets are said to mimic what dogs would have likely eaten as distant ancestors including, uncooked meats, organs, raw edible bones and some fresh vegetables and fruit. Today, commercial raw diets are formulated by pet food manufacturers to be both safe and nutritionally complete.
- Viva Raw is top of the line with USDA-meats and organic produce and wholedog supplements. They craft their recipes to be AAFCO compliant and free of any fillers or additives, and they offer several different proteins including chicken, turkey, beef, duck, and rabbit.
- Open Farm and Darwin’s Intelligent Design also provide some other fine raw options, such as freeze-dried and prescription formulas.
Pros: Minimal ingredients, high protein, no fillers
Cons: Must be handled with care, pricier, not preferred for every dog
4. Best Dog Food for Different Breeds and Needs
Every dog is unique. Some breeds require special food, and dogs with allergies, a sensitive stomach, or other medical conditions should eat according to their specific needs.
- Dog Food Advisor lists specific. In other words, best foods for Labradors, best foods for Golden Retreivers, etc.1
- For allergies or sensitivity sufferers, seek out limited ingredient diets or those with novel proteins (such as duck, venison or salmon) and steer clear of common allergens such as chicken, beef or grains2.
5. Healthy Whole Foods And Safe Treats
These are other healthy human food that you can add to your canine friends diet in moderation along with commercial dog food:
- Fruits: Apples, bananas, blueberries, watermelon (without seeds or rind)3
- Vegetables: 2 LESS SMOOTH MASHED CARROTS W/GREEN BEANS OR CELERY, CAULIFLOWER, PLAIN PUMPKIN (NOT PIE FILLING)3
- Protein: Cooked beef, chicken, turkey, eggs, fish (boneless, cooked)3
- Other: Cooked white rice (for stomach upset), unsalted peanuts or peanut butter (no xylitol), plain yogurt
**It’s always best to introduce new foods slowly and to avoid toxic foods such as chocolate, raisins, onions and garlic.
How to Select the Best Dog Food
Take into Account Your Dog’s Age, Size, and Level of Activities
- Puppies require energy-dense, growth-promoting nutrition.
- Dogs over 1 year need adult formulas.
- Foods with joint care ingredients and less calories may be good for seniors.
- Active or working dogs require more protein and fat.
Consider the Breed and Health Needs
- For smaller dogs, the solution is to provide food with less calories per pound, for large breeds provide controlled calcium and phosphorus for bone health.
- Small dogs may favor small kibble or more calorie-dense diets.
- Dogs that are allergic or sensitive to ingredients in commercial dog foods tend to do best on limited-ingredient or novel protein diets.
Read the Label
- Find the words “complete and balanced” according to AAFCO standards.
- Real meat, fish, or poultry should be the first ingredient.
- And then you will also want to skip any product that contains too many fillers, or artificial color or unnamed meat by-products.
Consult Your Veterinarian
- And there might be a few other things you should pay attention to, too, especially if your dog has a special dietary need or health condition — point your questions to a vet, who can help you make the appropriate decision.
Monitor Your Dog’s Response
- Look for indications of fine health: glossy coat, wholesome skin, good bodyweight, regular stools, and lively.
- Then look for digestive signs, itching or behavior change,” Pollak says.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is grain-free dog food healthier?
Not necessarily. That being said, and unless your dog has a true grain allergy or sensitivity, whole grains can be a beneficial part of your dog’s diet. Some grain-free foods contain other carbs, such as potatoes or peas, so always discuss food changes with your vet.
Are raw diets safe for dogs?
Due to the fact that commercial raw diets from reputable companies that adhere to AAFCO standards can be perfectly safe and healthy. Premade raw food diets are less risky but still need to be crafted through meticulous planning so as to avoid deficiencies or bacteria-laden meals.
Is it OK to feed my dog homemade food?
Homemade diets can be successful if they are closely balanced. Consult with a veterinary nutritionist to be sure your dog gets all the necessary nutrients.
Conclusion
Select balanced, complete, good-quality food that’s suitable for her age, breed and condition of health when choosing what to feed your dog. Quality food is on the rise (seriously, by 2025, Just Food For Dogs, Hill’s Science Diet, and Viva Raw is on everyone’s lips). Always ask your vet.And keep in mind that individual dogs might have different nutritional requirements.
