Choosing the best dry dog food for your beloved furry friend can feel overwhelming. There are countless brands and options to choose from. Each one promises to be the best. How do you pick the best one?
To help you make a dog food choice for your pet, we've compiled a list of the best dry dog foods available in Canada. Whether you're looking for the best kibble for dogs with skin allergies or the best dry food for senior dogs, we've got you covered.
As the oldest commercially made dog food, it's no wonder that kibble is the most popular and available option for pet owners. It's a simple way to combine all the core nutrients your pooch needs into one convenient nugget.
There is more than one way to make kibble, and more and more kibble alternatives that are popping up for pets. Here is a quick breakdown of the most common options:
Most kibbles are made using the extrusion method, which involves mixing the raw ingredients and putting them through an extruder machine that cooks the dough at high heat using steam or friction and shapes it into a log or ribbon.
The product is then cut into pieces and air dried in an oven to remove excess moisture and complete the cooking process. Some extrusion processes may vary slightly depending on the formula and cooking temperatures, but the end result is a dense, dry, and shelf-stable product that is easy to feed and store.
Another popular option when choosing the best dry dog food is to look at oven baked kibble diets. Unlike traditional extrusion methods, oven baked kibbles are simple that - Oven baked.
They use a lower cooking temperature to preserve nutrients and give it a crunchy but more airy texture. The slower cooking process also helps to preserve flavour, making it a top pick for feeding picky dogs.
This method is a little newer, but a popular option for those looking for the best dry dog food options without sacrificing nutrients or taste to the heat of extrusion or oven baking processes.
The raw ingredients are mixed, hydrated, and pressed firmly into moulds. This process not only shapes the kibble but also forces out excess water. The pieces are then air-dried or dehydrated at a low temperature to make the final product shelf-stable.
All three options share some similar benefits, especially in terms of ease of feeding, but each has its own advantages and drawbacks.
Like any type of pet food, not every dry dog food is going to be the right fit for every dog. It's important to learn more about the pros and cons of dry dog food over other food formats, as well as the perks of each dry dog food method.
If you decide that dry dog food is the choice for you, you then need to decide on what type of dry dog food is going to suit your dog's dietary needs.
Extruded: This type of dog kibble is by far the most affordable and widely available, and is offered in a huge range of formulas for different needs and preferences.
Oven Baked: The light, airy texture of oven-baked makes it more palatable and easier to digest, but you will find less variety among oven-baked options, especially when feeding for different life stages, breeds, and health needs.
Cold-Pressed: While the closest to fresh or raw food in a kibble format, cold-pressed dog food is often the most expensive choice. This makes it difficult to feed multiple pets or larger breeds on a budget.
Choosing the best dry dog food can feel overwhelming. With so many brands on the market, it can be hard to decipher all the fancy lingo and marketing tactics to uncover what the food actually offers your pooch.
To help make your decision easier, we’ve highlighted ten of our most trusted, top-performing dry dog food brands for a variety of preferences and health needs. These brands consistently stand out for ingredient quality, nutritional balance, and customer satisfaction.
Whether you're seeking a dry food to keep up with your high-energy dog, help manage healthy weight in an older pooch, or just something natural and well-balanced, our list can help you identify some of the leading dry dog foods in Canada.
Finding that sweet spot between high-quality ingredients and well-balanced nutrition is where many pet owners find themselves. Just about every brand offers a basic, one-size-fits-all recipe that is designed to work for most healthy, adult dogs.
You may not be seeking a solution-based formula for allergies or weight management, rather, you want to find a food that is nutritionally dense, palatable, and easy to feed. Our best overall dry dog food pick checks all the right boxes for a reliable, healthy base diet..
Undoubtedly, the Acana brand is a top contender for the best dry dog food. Their formulas are rich in protein and essential nutrients to support growth and development.
Created by the Canadian company Champion Petfoods, Acana prioritizes high-quality ingredients from local suppliers. Their canine food recipes include a variety of premium meats, poultry, and fish. They focus on offering only protein-rich diets for your furry friend to promote muscle development and improve health.
Kibble gets a bad reputation for being junk food or less healthy than other options. This can stem from the different makeup of the food to the quality of ingredients.
If you like the convenience of kibble dog food but are seeking out natural, healthy, and whole food-focused formulas, then you've come to the right place.
You’ll find options here that focus on transparency, sustainability, and food you can actually recognize, without compromising on nutrition.
Carna4 is a brand that is well-known for its high-quality ingredients and nutritional value. This brand prides itself on using only fresh, whole foods with no synthetic additives.
Without a doubt, Carna4 is an excellent choice if you want the best dry dog food. Its clean ingredients can help improve digestion and promote healthy skin in pets.
Carna4 is changing the game in pet nutrition with its innovative "un-kibble" concept. Unlike traditional extruded kibble, Carna4 offers a unique approach to dry dog food. This Canadian pet food brand combines the ease of feeding your pup kibble with superior nutrients and taste.
The brand’s dry food kibble goes through a distinctive baking process. It’s heated to 90 degrees Celsius for four minutes. The short bake time removes pathogens while preserving the food’s essential nutrients and enzymes.
Open Farm Dry Dog Food focuses on transparency and sustainability. They source their ingredients ethically and ensure their recipes are free from artificial additives. Open Farm's dry dog food is rich in protein and includes wholesome ingredients like fruits and vegetables.
The dog food brand is a great option for the best kibble for dogs and the best dog kibble in Canada. At Open Farm, every aspect of the pet food manufacturing process is carefully crafted to uphold the highest standards of quality, ethics, and sustainability.
Transparency is a core value at Open Farm. They are at the forefront of sustainable practices, collaborating with regenerative farms and adopting eco-conscious fishing methods. Their goal is to minimize their environmental footprint.
Poor digestion in dogs is at the core of many more life-impacting health issues, so a great place to start the healing process is with their food. From regular gas or loose stool to inconsistent mealtime habits, choosing the best dry dog food for sensitive stomachs can provide your dog with relief from discomfort and boost their overall health.
Dog kibble for sensitive digestion will focus on easy-to-digest ingredients as well as functional ingredients to help your dog's body work more efficiently. Many of the best choices focus on real, whole-food ingredients that are nutrient-dense, fibre-rich, and promote healthy gut bacteria.
As a renowned Canadian company that specializes in creating high-quality pet food and treats, their products feature unique and nutritious ingredients, including wild-caught fish, grass-fed beef, and free-range poultry.
The Honest Kitchen Clusters are a game-changer for dogs with sensitive stomachs. Made from human-grade, whole-food ingredients, the clusters are cold-pressed and gently roasted instead of being extruded, which makes them easier to digest and closer to a homemade meal.
These tasty nuggets are light and airy, but still have a satisfying crunch, like kibble. This makes them easier to chew and digest, leading to better overall nutrition for dogs with sensitive digestion.
Managing skin issues and food allergies in pets can be a headache, but opting for an allergy-friendly, limited ingredient, or digestion-focused formula can help to provide relief from symptoms and ensure your pet is getting all the nutrients they need to thrive.
Allergies and other skin reactions can be a bit of a guessing game, so when looking for the best dry dog food for skin allergies, stick to simple, whole food, novel proteins to help weed out possible triggers and help you find a long-term and balanced diet your dog can thrive on.
Go! Solutions Limited Ingredient Dog Food offer specialized diets to address specific health needs, such as weight management and sensitive stomachs. Their dry dog food is made with high-quality ingredients to ensure optimal nutrition.
The versatile brand is suitable for various dietary needs and life stages, making it a contender for the best dry dog food brands.
GO! Solutions pet foods are produced by Petcurean, an independently owned Canadian pet food manufacturer founded in 1999. Each recipe provides dogs and cats with a high-quality diet that supplies essential nutrients and energy.
Whether your pet has specific dietary sensitivities or you're simply looking for high-quality, nutrient-dense food, GO! Solutions have a recipe to meet those needs.
Even the smallest dogs can have a big metabolism, so finding the right diet means choosing a formula that can help provide for their energy needs, muscle development, and digestion while still keeping the portions reasonable and the food palatable.
Whether you’ve got a picky eater or a pint-sized powerhouse, our top pick for the best dry dog food for small dogs combines the ideal kibble size and texture with a nutrient-dense formula to keep them happy and healthy for years to come.
Oven-Baked Tradition Dry Dog Food takes a slower, more artisanal approach to dry dog food. Unlike most kibble, which is extruded at high heat and pressure, their recipes are gently oven-baked in small batches.
This method also allows for a more nutrient-dense final product, meaning you can feed more calories and nutrients in smaller portions. This is ideal for smaller breeds that have little appetites but a big metabolism.
Based in Quebec, this family-owned company uses fresh deboned meat, whole grains, and natural fruits and vegetables. To further cater to the needs of smaller dogs, they offer a variety of formulas made with functional ingredients to support common small dog issues, weight management, dental health, and mobility.
Large breeds can have their own unique set of size-related issues and needs, so sticking to a diet that caters to their size can go a long way towards a longer, healthier life.
From hip and joint issues to weight problems, a high-quality diet designed with big dogs in mind can help stave off and minimize the effects of time and gravity on their giant bodies.
Orijen Large Breed Dog Food is a premium brand known for its biologically appropriate recipes. Their dry dog food contains up to 85% meat, including fresh and raw ingredients. This high-protein diet is excellent for maintaining healthy muscle mass and improving mobility in large breed dogs.
Formulated specifically for large breed needs, it includes controlled calcium and phosphorus levels to support bone development, plus glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health. The kibble size is also larger to encourage proper chewing and slow down fast eaters.
The award-winning Canadian pet food brand is renowned for its biologically appropriate nutrition philosophy. Crafted by Champion Pet Foods, Orijen's products mimic the ancestral diet of dogs and cats.
Time is cruel to all of us, but for our beloved pets, their senior years are a crucial time to monitor their health closely and provide them with optimal nutrition to help them feel young and spry for as long as possible.
From mobility issues to declining cognitive function, the best dry dog food for senior dogs should be packed with real food nutrition, digestible proteins, and functional support from omega fatty acids and digestive aids.
Now Fresh Senior Dog Food is one of the more unique kibbles, known for using 100% fresh meat with no meat meals or by-products. This minimal processing technique can improve the overall digestibility and flavour of the food, which is ideal for older dogs with health issues that often develop with age.
Now Fresh's thoughtfully crafted recipe for senior dogs is made with real, fresh food ingredients to provide optimal nutrition and functional ingredients like glucosamine, L-carnitine, and omega fatty acids to support skin health, maintain a healthy weight, and improve mobility.
The Canadian kibble is minimally processed and cooked at lower temperatures compared to many of its competitors, helping to retain key nutrients and flavour. This multi-protein formula is also chicken-free, making it a great choice for older dogs with food allergies and sensitivities.
Helping your dog maintain a healthy weight is one of the best ways to improve their quality of life and reduce the risk of chronic disease. Diet is at the core of healthy weight, and when combined with proper exercise and routine, reaching your dog's weight goals and maintaining them is achievable.
Whether your porky pooch needs to slim down or you are trying to keep your weight-gain-prone pooch at their ideal weight, opting for a high-quality weight management dog food can be a helpful tool.
Farmina Weight Management combines natural ingredients with scientific research to create a balanced and nutritious recipe to help dogs maintain a healthy weight and energy levels. Their dry dog food is highly palatable and made with premium proteins, low-glycaemic carbohydrates, and functional ingredients to support satiety and muscle maintenance.
The pet food brand is headquartered in Nizza Monferrato, a charming town in the Piedmont region of Italy. This location reflects Farmina's dedication to quality and tradition, rooted in Italian craftsmanship.
They are committed to ethical practices and do not test their products on animals. They rely on scientific research and nutritional expertise to create safe and effective pet food.
Dry dog food is one of the easiest dog food formats to feed and store, but that doesn't mean it's completely foolproof. Proper handling and storage practices can keep the food fresher for longer and prevent you or your dog from getting sick.
Here are a few simple feeding tips for dog kibble to make feeding even more stress-free:
Proper storage: Even though it's dried and shelf-stable, dog kibble can still go rancid if not properly stored. It's best to store dry dog food in its original bag (when possible) and inside an airtight dog food storage container. This will not only reduce oxidation that leads to food spoilage but also keep away pests that might want to snack on your dog's dinner.
Keep your Dog Hydrated: Because dry dog food has such a low moisture content, your dog's meals need to be paired with a constant, fresh, and clean source of water. You can also feed moisture-rich meal toppers with your kibble to rehydrate their meal.
Sanitize Their Bowl: Even though kibble is thought to be the least messy feeding option, it's still important to practice regular hygiene habits. Dog bowls should be regularly washed and sanitized, and more importantly, replaced when cracked or damaged. Glass, metal, and ceramic bowls are the best for minimizing bacteria buildup over time.
Measure Meals: Portion control with kibble can help reduce digestion issues and keep your dog fit and trim. Many dogs are natural foodies who will overeat or eat too fast when limitations aren't set for them. Use a measuring scoop or food scale to measure out each meal and be prepared to make changes to suit your dog's weight, health, and activity levels.
Transition Slowly to New Kibble: When switching brands or diet types, it can be helpful to slowly transition from one formula to the next. This can prevent digestive issues and make the transition safer and easier.
Does your dog suffer from skin allergies? Carna4, Zignature, and FirstMate are great food choices due to their limited ingredients and high-quality proteins.
Looking for the best food dog food choices in Canada? Brands like Acana, Orijen, and Open Farm are among the top contenders as leading, premium food choices.
If you have a small dog then you’ll want a nutrient-packed food choice in small bite-sized chunks. Acana, Orijen, and Petkind offer nutrient-dense kibble suitable for small dogs.
As your dog ages, his nutritional needs change. Farmina and Stella & Chewy's provide excellent options for senior dogs. The focus is on providing balanced nutrition. Also, many have joint food formulas.
Puppies grow fast, and they need all the help they can get. Acana and Stella & Chewy offer highly nutritious and balanced puppy kibble to support the growth and health of your pup.
All of the brands we have listed are leaders. However, top brands include Carna4, Acana, Zignature, Orijen, FirstMate, Farmina, Open Farm, go! Solutions, Petkind, and Stella & Chewy's.
Choosing the right dry dog food is a necessity for your furry friend’s health and happiness. By selecting one of these top brands at Homes Alive Pets, you can ensure your dog gets the best nutrition possible.