Ah, dog food. It's like talking about politics or religion.
So many opinions.
I guess the bottom line is: check the company, dig deep because a lot of times foods will seem great on the outside but really aren't all that fantastic
, check quality control, what testing each company requires/does, where ingredients are sourced from, etc.
Of course if a dog doesn't like a food, it will do no good, so palatability is important too.
My personal opinion on Blue Buffalo? They're a marketing company. I don't feel comfortable with their food, it's made in 5-6 different plants, they keep pumping out all these 'new' formulas all the time, and I've read/heard of a lot of dogs having GI issues with their foods. With that said, some dogs will do great on them. I used to dogsit a Lab that was fed Pedigree for a long time, they switched to BB and within a month, I noticed less poop, shinier fur, and less smelly breath.
I currently use Acana (Duck & Pear). It's just always what he's doing best on. But we've had a small bag of NOW and Dr. Tim's in between. And I just am always happier with how he does on Acana so I always come back to it. Even though if I'm being honest, Champion Pet Foods isn't my "favorite" company, but he just does really well on their Singles line.
Bottom line is: there is going to be
something wrong with nearly every company. Pick what you feel most comfortable with and what your dog does best on.