Best dog food brands according to veterinary experts and owners

There are hundreds of options available, from dry to grain-free to raw. But which of the best dog foods will have your furry friend licking the bowl clean?

We surveyed 2,304 dog owners to uncover the food that customers (and their dogs) love. 

We've also spoken to three independent veterinary experts to learn how to find the best food for your pet. 

Read on to see which brands make the top-rated dog food, from veterinary brands such as Burns, Harringtons and Royal Canin to supermarket options from the likes of Aldi and Lidl. 

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Dog food reviews

Our dog owners rated their brand of dog food – these results apply to dry food, wet food and specialist ranges from every brand. 

Which? members can log in to unlock the full results. If you're not yet a member, join Which? to get instant access. 

Our top-rated dog food brand achieved an impressive customer score of 82%, while two brands at the bottom of the table scored less than 60%.

Some brands received just two-star ratings for value for money and/or the dog's wellbeing on the food.

Best dry, wet, sensitive and senior dog foods

Log in or join Which? to see our expert food picks from the top-rated brands.

Are you also a cat owner? See our guide to the best and worst cat food brands

How to choose the best dog food

Deciphering all the pet nutrition information on the internet can seem like an impossible task. It can range from confusing to completely contradictory.B 

So we've spoken to three veterinary nutrition experts, with more than 50 combined years in the field, to find out what really matters. 

 Good news: finding the best food for your dog isn’t as complicated as it seems. 

‘The most important part of choosing a food is actually monitoring your pet,’ says Dr Teresa Hollands.

Dr Nigel Kendall agreed: ‘If your pet is on completely the wrong diet, then there will be physical signs.’ 

Signs that your pet is eating a nutritious diet and the right food for their needs, include: 

• Good overall health 
• Plenty of energy 
• Good sleeping habits
• Regularly passing firm stools 
• Maintaining a healthy weight

How to feed your dog

As well as choosing the right food, you can also maximise the nutritional value of your pet’s diet by feeding them in the right way. 

We spoke with Dr David Gardner to find out more.

Choose a complete dog food

‘Start by making sure you are feeding your pet a complete food,’ he says. ‘That’s really important, but it isn’t always clearly labelled.’ 

Complete foods are designed to give your pet all the nutrients they need, so you can feed them the same thing every day without causing a nutritional imbalance or deficit. 

Weigh out your dog food

David also highlighted the importance of weighing your pet’s food every time you feed them. 

Remember, you may not notice that you're overfeeding your pet if you accidentally increase the size of their feed very slightly each day. 

Vary what you feed your dog

If you want to take additional steps to ensure your pet is getting the best nutrition, David also suggested varying the food you give them (provided that this doesn’t upset their stomach).

These changes could be as small as varying the flavour of food that you give to your pet. 

‘If you buy a bag of lamb dog food one month, try the chicken next time,’ David suggested. 

If you do want to try changing the type or brand of your pet food, remember to do so gradually. Your pet's meal should be no more than 25% new food for the first couple of days, increasing over the course of a week. 

Dogs can be fussy, so know that varying pet food is not essential. The main thing is that they eat and enjoy their food, and that it's nutritionally complete.

Which is the healthiest food for dogs?

The healthiest food for your dog is a complete food, which means it contains all the nutrients your pet needs to thrive. 

If you have a working dog, a senior dog or a puppy, you should opt for a food tailored to this life stage, as the nutrients required by these dogs differ from the average pet. 

If your veterinarian has advised you that your dog has a food intolerance or allergy (the most common allergies are chicken, beef and dairy), you should also feed a diet that doesn't contain these foodstuffs. 

Other than that, you can generally feed your pet whatever food you prefer. 

You might have heard different brands claim that raw diets, grain-free diets, ancestral diets or others are healthier for your pet. However, there's currently no body of independent, peer-reviewed research to suggest that these diets are healthier or superior to traditional pet foods. 

If you want to know more, see why your dog probably doesn't need grain-free food

Is wet or dry dog food better?

David recommended feeding your pet a mixture of wet and dry food. 

‘Evidence suggests that there are slight differences in the nutritional composition of wet and dry food. That means you are going to cover more nutrients if you mix them together.’ 

If you want to feed your dog exclusively one type of food, wet food tends to be more appealing. However, it's often more expensive, and it can predispose pets to dental disease. 

In contrast, dry food is beneficial to dogs’ teeth and gums, plus it's usually easier and cheaper to use and store. Just make sure that your dog has access to plenty of fresh, clean water, as they won't be getting hydration from their food. 

Can dogs be vegan?

Yes, provided you're careful about the type of food you give them.

There are commercial dog foods available that are vegetarian or vegan and nutritionally complete. 

Some people may want to prepare homemade vegetarian or vegan meals for their dog, but experts don't typically recommend this. 

This is because evidence suggests that homemade food (including meat-based diets) is typically not nutritionally complete, even when people follow recipes labelled as such. 

Is raw food good for dogs?

Raw pet food has become more popular over the past few years, especially for dogs, but experts don't generally recommend it.

‘I wouldn't recommend a raw food diet due to the risk to human health,’ says Nigel. 

Bacteria present in raw meat can include salmonella, listeria, campylobacter and E. coli. These can be spread around the home during food preparation and eating. They can also be passed to humans if your pet licks your face after eating. 

All of these bacteria are destroyed when meat is correctly cooked.

Can dogs eat raw meat?

The risks of your dog getting sick from raw food is higher if you feed them raw meat from the supermarket. 

This is because supermarket meat is designed to be cooked, so it typically contains higher levels of bacteria than is safe for dogs to eat. 

If you want to feed your dogs raw food, a commercial raw food will be much safer. 

How much should my dog weigh?

According to UK Pet Food, 50% of dogs (and 43% of cats) are overweight or obese. 

Your pet being overweight can have a huge impact on its quality of life, including limiting their ability to exercise or sleep properly. According to the RSPCA, it also predisposes them to illnesses, including: 

• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Cancer.

Is my dog overweight?

Dr Teresa Hollands recommends an easy method for checking your pet’s weight. 

‘Create a fist with your hand and feel your knuckles with your fingers,’ she said. ‘If your pet’s ribs feel like that, they are underweight.’

‘Then lay your hand flat and feel your knuckles again. If their ribs feel like that, they're the perfect weight.’ 

‘Finally, keep your hand flat, turn your hand over and run your fingers over the pads on your palm at the base of your fingers. If their ribs feel like that, they're overweight.

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How we calculated dog food ratings

To uncover the best and worst dog food brands, in July 2023, we surveyed 2,304 Which? members who had bought dog food recently and were asked about their experiences with their chosen brand.

We asked them to rate the brand on various attributes, including value for money, how their dog responded to the food and it's perceived wellbeing on the food.

Overall customer scores are based on how satisfied customers were with the brand overall and whether or not they would recommend it. 

Sample sizes: Aldi own-brand (Earls) (80), Arden Grange, Bakers (87), Barking heads (44), Burns (106), Butcher’s (115), Canagan (44), Cesar (59), Chappie (85), Eukanuba (31), Forthglade (96), Harringtons (121), Hill’s (72), Iams (55), James Wellbeloved (130), Lily’s Kitchen (114), Nature’s Menu (87), Naturo (48), Pedigree (101), Pets at Home own-brand (Wainwright’s). Pooch & Mutt (39), Royal Canin (190), Sainsbury’s own-brand (56), Skinner’s (52), Tails.com (68), Tesco own-brand (78), Wagg (74), Waitrose own-brand (21), Winalot (61).

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