What do the profile symbols mean?
Our unique profile symbols are intended to quickly and easily let you know if a food might be suitable for your dog or not. We have given each food five symbols to represent 5 of the most commonly discussed dog food characteristics - additives, hypoallergenic ingredients, meat content, cereal content and the clarity of the labelling.
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You will only see our natural logo on foods that are free from all artificial preservatives, antioxidants, colourings and flavourings. The logo is also not awarded to foods containing other controversial synthetic ingredients like sodium HMP and STPP.
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The high meat logo means that the food contains at least 30% meat on a dry matter basis (once all of the food's water has been removed). Obviously, if the percentage of meat is not stated the high meat logo cannot be awarded.
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For a food to be called hypoallergenic it must have a low chance of causing allergies. We therefore only give our hypoallergenic logo to foods that are free from ingredients like wheat, maize, dairy products, soya products and artificial additives, all of which are regularly linked by veterinarians to food allergies and intolerance in dogs.
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As you might expect, our grain free logo is given to foods that are free from all cereals including wheat, rice, maize, barley and oats.
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In order to receive the clear logo, foods must state each ingredient clearly and individually and must give a good indication of their percentage meat content. Any unspecified or vague ingredients will mean that the clear logo is not given.
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How are the expert ratings calculated?
 To help you to make the best choices for your best friend, we give each dog food and treat a rating out of 5 stars. The ratings reflect how beneficial we think the food is likely to be for a dog based on its stated ingredients.
To make sure the ratings are as impartial as possible, we calculate the ratings mathematically with our own special equation that evaluates each food according to 33 separate criteria. It took a lot of hard work and research to get the formula just right but we think it's the best way to keep things fair and we're confident that our ratings accurately reflect the quality of the ingredients of the foods.
The formula effectively awards points for properties that we think are desirable and deducts them for controversial or low-grade ingredients. Where it is difficult to tell what is in the food (for example when broad, umbrella terms like 'cereals' or 'meat and animal derivatives' are used) the formula assumes the worst and deducts points. Here are a few of the more important criteria we look for:
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Meat: Up to a point, the more meat a food contains, the better. I say 'up to a point' because we believe that dogs benefit from more than just meat so a 100% meat food would not get 5 out of 5.
Carbohydrates: We don't regard carbohydrate sources like grains or potatoes as necessarily bad. Small amounts of good quality whole grains like brown rice, for example, can be very beneficial for dogs. Foods are however downgraded for excessive carbohydrate content or for low grade carbs like wheat and maize.
Vegetables, fruits and herbs: We have always found certain vegetables, fruits and herbs to be enormously beneficial for dogs and award points accordingly.
Other ingredients: Every ingredient is looked at. Some may win additional points, others might lose points depending on our knowledge, research and experience of the ingredient in question.
Ingredient quality: The quality of the ingredients is, of course, very important, with high end, nutritionally dense ingredients scoring much better that highly processed forms, derivatives or by-products.
Ingredient clarity: Wherever ingredients are unclear, or where broad umbrella terms are used, we have to assume the worst and downgrade the foods. We acknowledge that this might result in some foods receiving lower ratings than they deserve but in the interest of fairness, we can only take the ingredient list as we find it.
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Our aim is to give an unbiased reflection on how healthy and nutritious the food is likely to be for your dog. We have not tested the foods and we do not take into account the typical analyses, price, carbon emissions, ingredient sourcing, ethical implications, processing methods or any personal opinions.
How are the daily feeding amounts calculated?
For each featured product we have collected the manufacturer's feeding guidelines, either from the food's packaging or from the manufacturer's own website. When you select your dog's weight on which dog food, the site goes about calculating the feeding amounts based on the manufacturers' suggestions for an average dog in the selected weight bracket. For example, if you select 20-30kg as your dog's weight, the feeding amounts are calculated for a 25kg dog.
Unfortunately, it's rarely that easy. Many manufacturers have very different ways of providing feeding guidelines. For example, where food X tells you how much to feed if your dog weighs 5kg, 10kg, 15kg and so on, food Y may only provide a figure for 'small dogs', 'medium dogs' etc. Others might say something like "dog's weight: 0-20kg, daily amount: 100-400g" which leaves a awful lot of guesswork. In all cases, where exact amounts are not given, we extrapolate the figures that are provided to make a best estimate.
For puppies things get even more complicated: Many foods provide different feeding guidelines depending on the puppy's age and while some feeding amounts are based on the puppy's current weight, others use the expected adult weight. To allow for a more accurate comparison, we have re-calculated the feeding amounts so that you only have to enter the puppy's current weight. Where several figures are given for different ages of puppies, we have used the one for 6 months of age.
Where dog food producers provide alternative feeding amounts for any other reasons (for example, for very active dogs, breeding bitches etc.) we only ever use the 'normal' value.
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For these reasons, we strongly recommend consulting the manufacturer's full guidelines before feeding any dog food.
The daily feeding amounts provided by Which Dog Food are provided only to allow dog owners to make like-for-like comparisons and to get a reflection of the relative cost of feeding a food. The figures provided on Which Dog Food are approximate and should not be used as an alternative to the manufacturer's own guidelines which can be found on the product's packaging.
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How are the daily feeding costs calculated?
The feeding costs are calculated based on feeding the suggested daily amount (see above) from the largest pack size bought at full recommended retail price. Since prices are changing all the time, some costs may be inaccurate. If you notice any inaccuracies at all, please contact us.
What do the nutrient levels mean for my dog?
On the packaging of every dog food in the land you will find the levels of four macro-nutrients - protein, fat, fibre and ash. For some dog owners (see below), these levels can be very important so with each product listing, we have provided nutrient dials to help see how different foods compare. The dials show the percentages of the nutrients after the water has been removed allowing you to directly compare the nutrient makeup of dry foods against wet foods.
Do I need to worry about nutrient levels? Probably not. As long as your dog is fit and well and doesn't have any history of health problems, then chances are the macro-nutrient levels of your dog food won't even need to cross your mind. If, on the other hand, your dog belongs to one of the below groups, the nutrient levels may need to be considered.
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Overweight dogs: If your dog needs to lose weight, try to look for a food with below average fat levels.
Hungry dogs: For very food-orientated dogs, a high fibre diet can really help by slowing down digestion and making him feel fuller for longer.
Highly exercised dogs: The best sources of energy for a dog are fat and protein so if your dog is engaged in rigorous activity on a daily basis, he may benefit from a food with above average fat and protein levels.
Puppies: To maintain healthy growth, puppies need plenty of protein and fat - any puppy formula should fit the bill.
Health problems: Many health problems can be eased or even cured with dietary changes so if your dog is suffering from anything from itchy skin to cancer, please ask your vet what macro-nutrient levels would be best.
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Once you have an idea of the best nutrient profile for your dog, please visit our Advanced Dog Food Search page - you can specify the levels of protein, fat, fibre and ash you're looking for under "Search by nutrient levels..." before clicking "Search and compare" for a full list of suitable foods..
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