How to choose dry dog foods
Look for "complete and balanced"
Every food here carries an AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement. Check that it matches your pet's life stage (growth, adult maintenance or all life stages) and, for puppies, whether it covers large breeds. WSAVA also prefers foods proven by feeding trials over those balanced on paper only.
Ask who makes it
The World Small Animal Veterinary Association says the most useful quality signals aren't on the bag: a qualified nutritionist on staff, the company making its own food, real quality control, and published research. That's our 25-point nutrition standards score.
Check the recall record
A single minor recall isn't a deal-breaker, but repeated serious ones (wrong vitamin levels, pathogens) say something about a company's checks. Every recall we count links to its FDA or company notice.
Compare by calories, not by bag
Foods range from about 300 to over 500 kcal per cup, so price per bag is misleading. We compare dry food by cost per 1,000 kcal. Use our dog food calculator to turn calories into cups.
Switch slowly
Move to a new food over about 7 days, mixing in a little more each day, to avoid an upset stomach.
Questions
What is the best dry dog food in 2026?
Of the 15 best-selling dry dog foods we graded, Purina Dog Chow Complete Adult with Real Chicken scores highest at 94/100 (grade A). Runners-up: Purina ONE (90), Iams (89).
What is the cheapest dry dog food we graded?
Pedigree Complete Nutrition Grilled Steak & Vegetable Flavor, at $0.43 per 1,000 kcal. It grades A (85/100).
Which dry dog foods have had recalls recently?
In the last five years, the brand lines behind Pedigree have had at least one recall. Each product page lists the recalls with links to the notices.
Which dry dog foods meet WSAVA guidelines?
WSAVA doesn't certify brands, but it lists questions to ask a pet food maker. Based on answers given to the Pet Nutrition Alliance, the makers of Hill's Science Diet, Iams, Merrick, Nutro Natural Choice, Pedigree, Purina Beneful, Purina Dog Chow, Purina ONE, Purina Pro Plan, Royal Canin meet all of them. The makers of Diamond Naturals, Taste of the Wild, Wellness Complete Health didn't answer.
Brands in this list: Blue Buffalo, Diamond Naturals, Hill's Science Diet, Iams, Merrick, Nutro Natural Choice, Pedigree, Purina Beneful, Purina Dog Chow, Purina ONE, Purina Pro Plan, Rachael Ray Nutrish, Royal Canin, Taste of the Wild, Wellness Complete Health.