I’ve been doing a lot of looking into the analysis of dog food in the past year. We’ve got two elegant, well-bred pedigree idiots with sensitive stomachs (well, they can eat paper coffee cups and brown banana skins but god help us if we change their dinner) so I’m careful what I find to feed them with.
I’ve been through all the commercial dried dog foods readily available in the UK and have produced the Ultimate Dried Dog Food List.
In the process I was amazed at the utter crap found in some of the so-called ‘science’ diets or ‘vet recommended’ foods, let alone what they put into ‘Chappie’ and other cheapo dogs’ dinners.
The things I’ve looked at are ingredients and analysis i.e. the amount of fat etc.
I won’t explain too much, but if you want to know more about ingredients this is a good website – Best Dog Food Guide (in particular the Ingredients 101 page). Or this one, explains even more about the ingredients – The Dog Food Project.
This website gives star ratings to dog food with a heavy emphasis on the amount of meat that’s in it. It’s also American so you won’t have heard of lots of the foods but it’s an interesting read – Dog Food Analysis- reviews.
This is my top list of (UK) dried dog food brands in no particular order:
Barking Heads
Orijen
Applaws
Arden Grange
Skinners Field and Trial
James Wellbeloved
Wainwrights
Fish4Dogs
Lathams
Burns
Sorry if I’ve missed any similar ones out. I will explain further, and lastly, finish with a nice, juicy table (I like tables, that’s how my mind works) where you can compare the different foods made by these companies. Yes, they are all ‘premium’ brands and yes this means they come with larger price tags but you get what you pay for.
Which one of these is best for your particular unique little beastie will depend entirely on the beastie itself – any sensitivities, taste and energy needs. And of course how deep your pocket is.
Barking Heads
A relatively new brand, made in the UK, still can be tricky to get hold of in the shops but becoming more available online.
Barking Heads do nine different types of food – 2 puppy foods, 2 large breed foods, one extra sensitive food, a slimming food, a food for seniors and a couple of other adults recipes.
Their foods have a named type of meat as their highest % ingredient (apart from the slimming and senior versions), although once you take the water out of the fresh meat element it brings the meat % down to mostly below 30%. The cereals used are mostly rice and oats (also potato).
The price is about middling (for a premium food).
Orijen
Orijen is from Canada and is pretty much 80% meat and 20%, no cereals at all (naturally reflected in the price – VERY expensive).
A few owners have reported that their dogs always seem hungry when fed this food, probably because of the lack of cereals or other carbohydrates ‘filling them up’. Perhaps this doesn’t happen if you start a puppy off on this sort of food so that it isn’t used to eating cereals. But as I said earlier, there are different dinners for different dogs and this one on paper looks good.
Please check their website because the list of ingredients for each food is far, far longer than I’ve added below. There just wasn’t the room.
http://www.orijenpetfoods.co.uk
Applaws
Another high percentage meat food, Applaws contains 75% meat and 25% vegetables in all three of its foods – two adult and one puppy. I can vouch that dogs think this food is extremely tasty – we buy a small pack and feed it as a treat rather than dinner though.
The price is actually medium to high-ish in the premium range (depending on where you find it), possibly kept lower by the mysterious ‘poultry’ gravy and fat – two slightly suspect ingredients because it doesn’t state what they actually are. It is made in the UK.
Applaws does contain beet pulp, which the vast majority of dogs eat with no problems at all (it’s the fibre part of the food). However, some dogs have a reaction to it, just like some dogs react to wheat or maize etc. For most dogs it’s fine.
Arden Grange
A large range of fairly well-known ‘premium’ dog food with mostly pretty good ingredients. All but ‘Arden Grange Premium’ and ‘Sensitive’ contain maize, if that happens to bother your dog. Is often available on pretty good offers in online stores so prices range from low to high-ish depending on where you get it and which variety you buy. A good range of low-ish calorie through to extra high calorie foods available.
Some people may criticise them for using chicken ‘meal’ and lamb ‘meal’ rather than straight meat. Most of their foods also contain less than 30% meat, but this is no less than other premium dog foods apart from Orijen and Applaws.
We feed one of our dogs the extra high calorie version ‘Prestige’ otherwise she looks like a badly put together toast rack.
Skinners Field and Trial
It seems like Skinners have managed to produce (a couple of) dog foods with reasonable ingredients that don’t cost the earth. They are by far the cheapest of all listed here, but bottom of the range (hence the price). They have a slightly lower meat content than the others, apart from some Burns.
Only three Skinners Field and Trial varieties are really up to scratch though, and only one of these contains Omega 3 and 6 (Turkey & Rice). Others contain wheat, maize gluten meal or maize as the main cereal ingredient followed by white rice instead of whole rice.
Skinners foods with the better ingredients are included in the list below.
http://www.skinnerspetfoods.co.uk
I have only listed the first few ingredients in each one (usually down to the ‘oil’ ingredient, otherwise the table would be massive) so you can see what proportion of cereals are included and what they are. Please visit each company’s website for more information on their food.
| Dog food | Ingredients | Analysis (% protein, fat, fibre, ash) | Approx. Price |
| Barking Heads Bad Hair Day | Fresh Lamb (min 26%), White Rice (min 26%), Dried Lamb (min 26%), Ground Oats, Lamb Fat, Salmon Oil, | 22%, 16%, 3%, 9% | £42 (12kg) |
| Barking Heads Little Big Foot – Puppy (large breed) | Deboned Chicken, Dried Chicken, Brown Rice, Potato, Pea Starch, Oats, Deboned Salmon, Trout, Pea Protein, Chicken Fat | 26%, 16.5%, 3%, 7.25% | £46 (12kg) |
| Barking Heads Big Foot – Lamb (large breed) | Deboned Lamb, Dried Lamb, Brown Rice, Oats, Barley, Trout, Pea Protein, Lamb Fat | 24%, 14%, 4%, 9.75% | £42 (12kg) |
| Barking Heads Big Foot – Chicken (large breed) | Deboned Chicken, Dried Chicken, Brown Rice, Oats, Barley, Trout, Pea Protein, Chicken Fat | 25%, 14%, 3.75%, 8.5% | £42 (12kg) |
| Barking Heads Fat Dog Slim | Brown Rice (min 26%), Dried Chicken (min 20%), Potato, Chicken, Lucerne, Oats, Peas, Sunflower Oil | 20%, 9%, 4.3%, 9% | £42 (12kg) |
| Barking Heads Golden Years | Brown Rice, Dried Chicken, Dried Scottish Salmon, Potato, Ground Oats, Salmon, Salmon Oil, Lucerne, Sunflower Oil | 25%, 11%, 3.5%, 10% | £44 (12kg) |
| Barking Heads Puppy Days | Fresh British Chicken (min 22%), Dried Chicken (min 21%), Brown Rice (min 21%), Ground Oats, Dried Salmon (min 10%), Potato, Chicken Fat | 28%, 18%, 2.5%, 8% | £46 (12kg) |
| Barking Heads Tender Loving Care | Fresh British Chicken (min 26%), White Rice (min 26%), Dried Chicken (min 26%), Ground Oats, Chicken Fat | 24%, 17%, 3%, 7% | £42 (12kg) |
| Barking Heads Fusspot | Fresh Scottish Salmon (min 26%), Potato (min 26%), Ground Oats, Dried Salmon, (min 15%), Potato Starch, Rapeseed Oil, Salmon Oil | 22%, 16%, 3%, 7% | £44 (12kg) |
| Orijen Puppy | Fresh boneless chicken, chicken meal, fresh boneless salmon, turkey meal, herring meal, russet potato, chicken fat | 40%, 20%, 3%, 7.5% | £60 (13.5kg) |
| Orijen Puppy Large | Fresh boneless chicken, chicken meal, fresh boneless salmon, turkey meal, herring meal, russet potato, sweet potato, peas, fresh boneless turkey, chicken fat | 38%, 16%, 3%, 7.5% | £60 (13.5kg) |
| Orijen Adult | Fresh boneless chicken, chicken meal, fresh boneless salmon, turkey meal, herring meal, russet potato, peas, sweet potato, fresh boneless turkey, fresh whole eggs, fresh chicken liver, fresh boneless lake whitefish, fresh boneless walleye, sun-cured alfalfa, pea fiber, chicken fat | 38%, 17%, 3%, 7.5% | £58 (13.5kg) |
| Orijen 6 Fish | Fresh boneless salmon, salmon meal, herring meal, fresh boneless herring, fresh boneless walleye, russet potato, sweet potato, peas, salmon oil | 38%, 18%, 3%, 7% | £72 (13.5kg) |
| Orijen Regional Red | Fresh deboned wild boar, fresh deboned lamb, fresh beef liver, fresh deboned pork, lamb meal, peas, salmon meal, russet potato, herring meal, fresh whole eggs, fresh deboned bison, potato starch, fresh deboned salmon, pacific whitefish meal, fresh deboned walleye, salmon oil | 38%, 18%, 3%, 7.5% | £80 (13.5kg) |
| Orijen Senior | Fresh boneless chicken, chicken meal, fresh boneless salmon, turkey meal, russet potato, herring meal, sweet potato, peas, pea fiber, fresh boneless turkey, fresh whole eggs, fresh chicken liver, fresh boneless lake whitefish | 38%, 15%, 5%, 7.5% | £60 (13.5%) |
| Applaws Adult 75% Chicken | Dry Chicken Meat, Dry Potato, Poultry Oil, Fresh Chicken, Poultry Gravy, Salmon Oil | 37%, 20%, 3.5%, 9.5% | £42 (12kg) |
| Applaws Adult 75% Ckicken and Lamb | Dry Chicken Meat, Dry Potato, Poultry Oil, Fresh Chicken, Poultry Gravy, Dry Lamb, Salmon Oil | 37%, 20%, 3.5%, 9.5% | £42 (12kg) |
| Applaws Dry Puppy Food | Dry Chicken Meat, Dry Potato, Poultry Oil, Fresh Chicken, Poultry Gravy, Salmon Oil | 39%, 22%, 3.8%, 9.4% | £9 (2kg) |
| Arden Grange Sensitive – Ocean White Fish and Potato | Potato (min. 42%), White Fishmeal (haddock) (min. 26%), Beet Pulp, Chicken Oil | 25%, 14%, 3%, 7% | From £45 (15kg) |
| Arden Grange Adult Mini Lamb & Rice | Lamb Meal (min 30%), Whole Grain Rice (min 26%), Whole Grain Maize, Chicken Fat | 25%, 16%, 2%, 8.5% | From £20 (7.5kg) |
| Arden Grange Weaning/Puppy | Fresh Chicken (min 25%), Chicken Meal (min 25%), Whole Grain Rice (min 14%), Whole Grain Maize, Chicken Fat | 32%, Oil 20%, Fibre 2.5%, Ash 7% | From £38 (15kg) |
| Arden Grange Puppy/Junior | Fresh Chicken 18%, Chicken Meal 18%, Whole Grain Rice, Chicken Fat | 29%, 18%, 3%, 6% | From £38 (15kg) |
| Arden Grange Puppy/Junior Large Breed | Chicken Meal (min 30%), Whole Grain Rice (min 19%), Whole Grain Maize, Chicken Fat | 26%, 16%, 2.5%, 7% | From £42 (15kg) |
| Arden Grange Adult Chicken & Rice | Chicken Meal (min 27%), Whole Grain Rice (min 26%), Whole Grain Maize, Chicken Fat | 25%, 15%, 2.5%, 7% | From £35 (15kg) |
| Arden Grange Adult Salmon & Rice | Fresh Salmon (min 26%), Whole Grain Rice (min 26%), Whole Grain Maize, Chicken Fat | 25%, 15%, 2.5%, 7% | From £40 (15kg) |
| Arden Grange Adult Lamb & Rice | Lamb Meal (min 30%), Whole Grain Rice (min 26%), Whole Grain Maize, Chicken Fat | 25%, 16%, 2%, 8.5% | From £25 (15kg) |
| Arden Grange Adult large Breed Chicken & Rice | Chicken Meal (min 27%), Whole Grain Rice (min 26%), Whole Grain Maize, Chicken Fat | 24%, 14%, 2.5%, 7% | From £35 (15kg) |
| Arden Grange Senior | Chicken Meal (min 23%), Whole Grain Rice (min 23%), Whole Grain Maize, Dried Brewers Yeast, Beet Pulp, Chicken Fat | 22%, 12%, 2.75%, 5.5% | From £35 (15kg) |
| Arden Grange Performance | Chicken Meal (min 26%), Whole Grain Rice (min 26%), Whole Grain Maize, Chicken Fat | 25%, 18%, 2.4%, 6.5% | From £35 (15kg) |
| Arden Grange Premium | Fresh Chicken (min 19%), Chicken Meal (min 19%), Whole Grain Rice, Potato, Chicken Fat | 26%, 17%, 3%, 7% | From £40 (15kg) |
| Arden Grange Prestige | Fresh Chicken (min 19%), Chicken Meal (min 19%), Whole Grain Rice, Whole Grain Maize, Chicken Fat | 30%, 21%, 3%, 7% | From £45 (15kg) |
| Arden Grange Adult Light | Whole Grain Rice (min 31%), Whole Grain Maize (min 31%), Chicken Meal, Beet Pulp, Chicken Fat | 18%, 7.5%, 3.5%, 6% | From £33 (15kg) |
| Skinners Field & Trial Duck & Rice | Whole rice (40%), duck meat meal (20%), naked oats, peas, whole linseed, sunflower oil | 22%, 11%, 3.5%, 5% | From £20 (15kg) |
| Skinners Field & Trial Salmon & Rice | Whole rice (40%), salmon meal (17.5% dry weight), naked oats, peas, sunflower oil | 20%, 12%, 3.5%, 5.5% | From £22 (15kg) |
| Skinners Field & Trial Turkey & Rice | Whole rice (40%), turkey meat meal (21%), naked oats, peas, linseed, sunflower oil | 21%, 11%, 3%, 6.2% | From £26 (15kg) |
| Skinners Field & Trial Superior | Chicken meat meal, maize, chicken fat | 30%, 20%, 2.5%, 8% | From £24 (15kg) |
See the next five makes in the next blog post.
A blog from here 
December 7, 2012 at 10:19 am
Thank you for the time and effort that went into the research. The table is really useful. Yes i like tables too!
January 26, 2013 at 8:19 am
This is super-useful. Thank you for taking the time to put it together. Do you do requests? I am thinking that factoring in portion size would give a more realistic impression of the price, as some foods that appear quite expensive have smaller recommended portion sizes (if you take the manufacturer’s recommendations at face value) and therefore the overall cost per meal may be lower than foods that are less expensive per kilo.
It would also be useful to factor in Symply, a relatively new premium brand. Many thanks again!
April 12, 2013 at 10:55 am
I think I have seen Symply recently, it appears exactly the same as James Wellbeloved ingredients-wise but it’s much more expensive.
April 12, 2013 at 10:42 am
thanks-I have spent literally days and got RSI from trying to research this-the scary thing is that all the expensive /premium/science/foods seem to come bottom -the benefits of an excellent marketing strategy….
April 12, 2013 at 10:56 am
That’s why they’re so expensive! Someone has to pay for the marketing. They also give a lot of free samples to vets, that’s why it appears vets recommend it. They don’t specifically, they’re just giving away freebies.
February 22, 2014 at 11:45 am
I also echo the thanks for this research. I would also welcome any comments on what dogs actually seem to like from this list! I feed my dog Barking Heads (Lamb or Chicken as he hated the Salmon one) but he actually doesn’t really like it and I have to entice him into eating it by putting some meat addition or chicken stock etc on to it. He used to eat ‘Barkers’ by Purina until someone told me that was the equivalent of feeding a dog McDonalds – but in comparison, he loved the taste of that and no problem in getting him to eat it; I also thought his coat was shinier! The drawback was the number of stools he produced with all that cereal in the food. He is a highly active Vizla and eats a lot of food (+500g per day). Have you any thoughts on alternative good brands I could try him on that might fit the ‘more tasty’ bracket – or any pointers at all? Thanks
February 24, 2014 at 5:26 pm
Hi Tessa,
I don’t know enough about dog nutrition to comment on fussy eaters I’m afraid! All the dogs I’ve had, from Jack Russells to an Irish wolfhound to sheepdogs to the two flat coated retrievers I have now have always loved their food. The only thing I’d query is the quantity you feed him. Rather than just putting more food in, can you feed him a higher calorie food?
One of my dogs was difficult to feed when she was younger, she had so much energy and needed a lot of calories or she looked like a toast rack. I found a food that had a much higher number of calories i.e. oil content (a bit like eating a lovely fatty lamb roast as compared to a no-skin chicken roast!). I used to feed her Burns Active with oil at 20% (classed as ‘working dog’ food so is VAT free as well) whereas the other pup has always been on standard food at 10-14% oil as she maintains her weight. Arden Grange Prestige has oil at 21% and Applaws is also 20% oil. Juvenile dog food usually has an oil content of around 20% as well.
You could also try adding sunflower oil or fish oil to his food to up the calories without feeding him more bulk as well. It might be worth a try because it worked with mine, but I’d like to stress I’m not an expert!