The title of your post asks for the best dog food. Here is a link to dog food ratings: Dog Food Reviews - Dry Dog Foods - Powered by ReviewPost

You can start off with the higher rated foods. From there, you have to make sure that your puppy likes it, and that it works for his little tummy!

As others have suggested, sometimes you can get sample size bags from the healthy dog food/pet supply stores. The last time I went to mine, there was a rep from Nature's Variety. This is the brand I have been using (switching from Eukanuba - recommended by my breeder - after reading around this site). I got some coupons for the food (yea!), and also for their raw food, which I had been thinking of trying.

You might also try the manufacturers' websites for free samples or coupons.

:goodluck:

Oh My Goodness, Thats what both of my babies are on. I've never heard anything was wrong with it. Actually my vet put my 8 year old on it when she was having some stomach problems when she was younger (husband was feeding her people food when I wasn't looking, he was loving her to death) so when I got the puppy I put her on that too. Can someone tell me whats wrong with Science Diet.
Thanks, Dee

Best Food for the "Kids"
 

We feed the the "Boyz" Natural Balance dry and Merrick canned. Small portions of dry w/a little can food twice a day. We fed Annie Iams for the longest time til when she was about 12 then Science Diet Senior and the other two yorkie boys were on Wellness can w/SD Senior til I knew better and did the research. There's plenty of discussion on YT on what is the best foods and the best way to go i.e. canned, dry, raw and so on. Ultimately it will be what you can afford and feel best with for your little "furbs". I am trying to feed the guys the best that I can afford. Some times they are eating better than me with my sandwich for supper. Search through the threads and find the one(s) that tell how to get samples.

there are quite a few premium brands of dog food available for smaller pups, wellness, solid gold, EVO, life's abundance, nature's variety, etc.
but the important issue is, is it a good fit for YOUR pup since dogs are quite different, and does your pup like it.

This is something you are probably going to get many, many different opinions on, so I will just let you know what I have done. I think for the most part (not to offend anyone) that most people in here don't like using Science Diet. That is what I had Wookie:aimeeyork on during his first year and I thought I was just doing so good giving him that because that is what my vet recommended! (I have since become very cynical towards vets!) So I really, really started researching a ton of foods and decided to switch to Canidae. He did great on it! I was amazed at the change in his coat, breath, all kinds of stuff!! Then Canidae went and changed their formula on me, added lots of stuff they don't need to make a cheaper product. So I switched to Innova EVO kibble combined with a home cooked meal and he did great on that, but I was not sure that I was balancing the nutrients well in his homecooking. Last week, I finally made the switch to incorporate raw into his diet. I always read how great that was for them, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Now I do the rotation diet recommended by Natures Variety (and my hollistic vet is on its Pet Nutrition Council so I feel good about that). I still use the Innova for his kibble in the morning but then he gets 1/2 a NV raw medallion in the evening. He is really liking it. Don't really see much difference yet, but it has been less than a week. Since I am rotating during the day with kibble, it is not going to be that expensive for me to feed my one 8 lb baby. (I can see why people with bigger or multiple dogs won't go raw, its a little costly) Hope this helps and doesn't confuse you more!!!:animal-pa

Same here for my girls...:thumbup:

Chester has been on several of the solid gold for awhile and his hair is great, he is on the wee bit now which has bison in it, and he gets salmon oil on his wet food almost every night.

I read the ingredients...why would they put SEA SALT in their dog food? Isn't salt bad for doggies?! :confused: I feed my babies Natural Balance Original Ultra.

Natural Balance is great! especially the SMALL BITES...it's the smallest size of kibble I've ever seen. (<--correct me if I'm wrong)

I use royal canin mini baby
 

I transition from canned science diet to
royal canin baby they are doing great both of energy and great coat
i know some people dont like it , but i try a lot of diferent thinks a hollistic rich diets will make them vomit and from evo i got blood in the stools and mucus
so , probably is not the best ,but they are doing good, no more huge poops and smelly, they go know ,small stools , coat is shiny .
Just try some samples, do it slowly
good luck

We feed Natural Balance.

If you're having trouble finding a particular store, may I reccomend you try your local feed stores. They usually have many bags of the high quality foods.

Chelsea wouldn't eat dog food and finally I found Wellness Core no grain and she loves it. I had to cut the portions because she is putting weight on. I add a tablespoon of wet core and fresh chicken just a little. DaisiMae will take her time eating the food like all day, thx goodness Chelsea leave a little for her.

Isn't that the truth.I have a 9 week old and the breeder recommended eukanuba and she was eating it for a little bit and I tried the puppy chunks and she will eat it one and then leave it.I bought wellness super5 mix and I hope that she will like it.. if not the search continues:).

I don't know but I have heard from so many people and have done some research on Merrick's food and it is suppose to be really good for dogs. Rocky really likes it as well.