It's important you feed your four-legged friend dog food that is healthy and nutritious so they can have the energy to play all day and make us laugh, which is why you may want to consider the best dry dog food. Many owners opt for dry food, also referred to as kibble, as a cost-saving and long-lasting option. Some even choose to mix the two together to give their pets the best of both worlds.
We know what you're thinking, but dry food doesn't have to be bland and boring. Who wants that? With so many flavours and brands to choose from, your dog will be spoilt for choice. Most dogs live happy, healthy lives when it is all they eat. They seem to love it too, even if wet dog food may seem more palatable.
Best dry dog food at a glance:
• Best overall: James Wellbeloved Superfoods Complete Hypoallergenic Dry Dog Food - view on Amazon UK
• Best affordable dry dog food: Bakers Adult Dry Dog Food - view on Viovet
• Best grain-free dry dog food: Pooch and Mutt Primal High Meat Dog Food - view on Pooch and Mutt
When it comes to selecting dry food for your dog you'll need to think about their dietary requirements. You can get dog food for sensitive stomachs made without common dog allergens and kibble to give your pup the best start in life. You'll also want to consider the flavours that your pooch prefers. As much as it's vital that you choose a food that will have all the vitamins and minerals they need for growth, it's got to entice them to the bowl in the first place.
Whether your hound already eats dry food or you're thinking about making the switch, we've rounded up the best dry food for dogs below. Plus we've got some helpful information below that will answer some of your dry food-related questions to help you decide what is the best dry dog food for your pooch.
Best dry dog food 2024
Best overall
Amazon James Wellbeloved combines wholesome natural ingredients with tasty flavours to help keep your dog energised and healthy. This James Wellbeloved Superfoods Complete Hypoallergenic Dry Dog Food ticks all the boxes as it is hypoallergenic with omega 3 and 6 oils and prebiotics, helping promote healthy skin, a glossy coat, and a healthy gut, and has no added artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives.
Customer review: "I am a bit cautious of conventional dog food. My dog is choosy too and I tend to cook for him- roast chicken and brown rice and vegetables. I wanted something he could go to when I'm at work. He loves this stuff. It is not cheap but seems one of the better ones. Must say, he does love it."
Pros
- Combines wholesome natural ingredients with tasty flavours
- Superfood blend for added fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants
- No added artificial colours, flavours or preservatives
Cons
- Often goes out of stock because it's so popular
Best affordable dry dog food
Viovet www.viovet.co.uk
Bakers Complete Adult Dry Dog Food is packed with moist, tasty meaty chunks and gives your beloved pooch all the goodness needed for a healthy, happy, and active adult life. It's available in different sizes, so you can stock up and buy in bulk to store or get what your pooch needs short term. It offers a good course of protein and fibre for overall health and digestion, as well as Vitamin D and minerals for healthy teeth and strong bones.
Customer review: "My dogs thoroughly enjoy this food and the bowls are emptied every time. They can be fussy eaters, so it says a lot for the food."
Pros
- Come in three different sizes
- Crunchy kibble
- Source of fibre for good digestion
Cons
- Could contain a higher meat percentage
Best grain-free dry dog food
Pooch & Mutt www.poochandmutt.co.uk
Pooch & Mutt is famous for its grain-free and hypoallergenic dog food, and the PRIMAL range of dry dog food replicates the ancestral diet of dogs, providing the highest nutritional value from natural ingredients hunted or foraged in the wild. With 80 per cent meat content, containing lamb, ostrich, chicken, and salmon plus a whole load of vegetables as well as superfoods like turmeric, the Pooch and Mutt Primal High Meat Dog Food will benefit active and working dogs in particular.
Customer review: "Great ingredients, and high meat content with all the right things for your dog."
Pros
- Hypoallergenic
- Anti-inflammatory
- Available in small and regular kibble sizes
Cons
- Best to change dogs over to this gradually because of the high meat content otherwise it could cause an upset stomach
Best dry dog food for taste
Pets At Home www.petsathome.com
If you're worried about dry dog food not satisfying your pooch's taste buds, the kibble in the AATU Free Run Dry Adult Dog Food contains 80 per cent meat and then 20 per cent vegetables, fruits and herbs that will get their tail wagging with excitement at every mealtime. All of these elements are carefully blended together to give your pet all the vitamins and minerals they need. The food is also free of grains, white potato and gluten and is available in smaller sizes, too.
Customer review: "Really great food, the dogs look great on it.'
Pros
- High meat content
- Available to buy on a subscription
- Made without artificial colours, preservatives and flavours
Cons
- Hard to store if you buy in bulk
Best dry dog food for sensitive stomachs
Amazon If you prefer to give your food a mix of wet and dry, Wagg Complete Wheat Free Chicken Dry Dog Food is a yummy dry food to mix with wet food that is easy on sensitive tummies, thanks to its wheat-free recipe. Flavoured with chicken and rice, it is a good staple to complement wet tins, pouches and trays and has added Vitamin E to help support your dog's immune system. It's also made without adding any artificial flavours or colourings.
Customer review: "I purchased it for my neighbour for his dog, his dog loves this and his owner stated that he finds it agrees with his pet, no upset tummy! it is used with the pouches as well."
Pros
- Made with sensitive dogs in mind
- Added Vitamin E to support your dog's immune system
- All natural with no added wheat
Cons
- Only available in one size bag and you might not have room to store 12kg of food
Best tailored dry dog food
Tails.comtails.com
Feeding your pooch couldn't be easier with a Tails.com Tailor-Made Dry Dog Food Subscription, whose vets and nutritionists pick each ingredient for the specific nutrients it provides. This means your growing dog gets the right balance of protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals they need in every bite. The subscription service often has deals in the first few months and is available to taste test for free.
Our review: "As Frankie is food driven, he'll eat almost anything, but it's clear that tails.com is on another level for him. Alaskan Malamutes are a vocal breed, so when they really love something, you'll know about it. Dinner time has now become an almighty song and dance. He leaps around the room, barking and howling at us until we're done dishing up and he can dig in, wolfing it down in just a few minutes. He's never been this vocal about any previous food brands, so I know he loves it."
Pros
- Vet-approved and careful monitoring for your dog
- Tweak subscription at any time
- Save money compared to a supermarket
Cons
- Average price varies depending on size and breed of your dog
Read our full Tails.com review to find out more.
Best vet-recommended dry dog food
Pets At Homewww.petsathome.com
AVA dry food is Veterinary Approved and a perfect choice for those wanting to feed their dog quality natural food. It was a hypoallergenic white fish recipe and contains advanced formulas for sensitive tums. As well as being easily digestible, this AVA Optimum Health Sensitive Skin and Stomach Dog Food contains all you need to promote overall wellbeing, including a gorgeous shiny coat and brain function development. Suitable for adult dogs from one to seven years, the kibble size and shape is tailed to suit pets in that bracket.
Customer review: "Finally kibbles which suit to my miniature dachshund. We tried few different brands and she always ended up with digestive issues, alot of grass eating and painful tummy. But not anymore since she is on AVA sensitive stomach. She was also very fussy but she really likes this one."
Pros
- Vet-approved
- Hypoallergenic white fish recipe
- Contains a rich source of Omega 3 and 6 to support skin and coat condition as well as heart and kidney health
Cons
- Not designed for dogs under one year or over seven years
Best all-round dry dog food
Pets At Homewww.petsathome.com
Harringtons adult dry dog food is a perfect all-round food for your pooch. It has been carefully formulated to provide wholesome nutrition and contains no artificial colours or flavours, no dairy, no soya, and no added wheat with meat ingredients, vegetables, vitamins and minerals in every bite to keep your dog happy and healthy. Its turkey flavour provides a good source of protein and it has gravy in and around the kibble to make it tounge-waggingly delicious.
Customer review: "Great food for my dogs. No upset stomachs. Reasonably priced."
Pros
- Full of vitamins and prebiotics
- Gravy inside and outside the kibble
- Helps maintain healthy digestion
Cons
- Needs to be stored in an airtight container once opened to seal in freshness
Best highly digestible dry dog food
Pets at Homewww.petsathome.com
Royal Canin creates food that is specially formulated for different sized dogs and various breeds so you can feed your pooch a diet that takes into account their size or breed-specific needs. The Royal Canin Size Health Medium Breed Dry Adult Dog Food is suitable for dogs aged one to seven years that weigh between 11-25kg, with an adapted kibble size to suit the size and strength of their mouth and teeth. This highly digestible food is packed with quality fibre to support healthy digestion and an exclusive antioxidant completed to support your dog's natural defences.
Customer review: "My dog has been eating this brand of dog food since being a puppy. She loves it,. Would definitely recommend"
Pros
- Adapted kibble size
- Highly digestible
- Supports your dog's natural defences
Cons
- As this come in a big bag, you'll need to make sure you've got plenty of room to store it and keep it fresh
Best luxury dry dog food
Lily's Kitchenwww.lilyskitchen.co.uk
With wholesome and delicious natural ingredients, this Lily's Kitchen Chicken and Duck Dry Food is sure to get your pup's tail wagging at mealtimes. The complete, grain-free recipe is made with freshly prepared chicken with duck, plus vegetables, fruits and all the required vitamins and minerals your dog needs to grow up happy and healthy so you can ensure your pooch is getting only the best in every meal. It also has added glucosamine and chondroitin to help support your hound's joints as they grow as well as prebiotics to help encourage healthy digestion.
Customer review: "Love Lily's Kitchen, have been buying it for 5 years."
Pros
- Made with natural ingredients and proper meat
- Can be fed from four months+
- Added glucosamine and chondroitin for joint support
Cons
- Although it is a grain-free recipe, it's made in a factory that handles grains so traces may be present
Best all-natural dry dog food
AmazonMade entirely of all-natural ingredients with no added sugars or salts nor any derivatives, fillers, artificial colours or flavours, the Scrumbles Dry Dog Food with Fresh Chicken is just full of good stuff for your pooch. Ideal for adult and senior dogs with a sensitive tum, the recipe is hypoallergenic and free from gluten, wheat and dairy, which are all common dog allergens, so it'll be gentle on your dog's insides. It's got a high meat content with free-run chicken taking up 60 per cent of the composition, plus essential vitamins, minerals and added probiotics.
Customer review: "The only dry food he pesters for every night and we’ve definitely seen an improvement in his health. It’s given him a new lease of life and I no longer have to resort to tempting him to eat by adding bits of chicken to his food. He loves Scrumbles."
Pros
- High meat content
- Made entirely of all-natural ingredients
- Recipe made without common allergens
Cons
- Some reviewers felt the kibble size was on the small side for their pooch
Best budget dry dog food
AmazonYour dog will love getting their teeth into these Pedigree Dry Dog Food Tender Goodness chunks. Speaking of teeth, these chunks contain balanced minerals that are known to keep your dog’s gnashers strong and healthy and they’re good for gut health, too, as they contain natural fibres and high-quality protein to aid with digestion. Not only that, the recipe contains Vitamin E, which is known to have antioxidative functions and help support your dog’s natural defences, plus the added zinc and sunflower oil, will keep your dog’s skin and coat nourished and in lovely condition.
Customer review: "This is my dog's fave does not smell horrid like some dog food and is always cleared up straight away. Suits my dog very well. Another dog visited us and he really liked it as well."
Pros
- Tender chunks
- Contains balanced minerals to maintain healthy teeth
- Includes natural fibres and high-quality protein
Cons
- One reviewer thought it had a strong and overwhelming smell
FAQs
Which dry dog food is best for dogs UK?
What is the best dry dog food for your pooch depends on a number of things, including your dog’s age, breed, size, and their dietary requirements. We think one of the best dry dog foods is James Wellbeloved Superfoods Complete Hypoallergenic Dry Dog Food as it combines wholesome natural ingredients with tasty flavours and is packed with prebiotics that help promote healthy skin, a glossy coat and a healthy gut. Another great choice is Scrumbles Dry Food with Chicken as it’s made entirely of all-natural ingredients with no added sugars or salts nor any derivatives, fillers, artificial colours or flavours. Plus, it’s made without common allergens, like gluten, wheat and dairy, so it’s ideal for pooches with allergies or intolerances.
When introducing a new food to your dog, you’ll want to take it slowly and add a little bit at a time to their old food to stop them from getting an upset stomach. You’ll want to increase the amount of the new food you give them day by day until it’s fully switched over. If you’re unsure what food is best for your pooch, you can always consult your vet to help decide what is the most suitable diet for them.
Another factor you’ll want to take into account when choosing a dry food for your pooch is your overall budget. In a time where we’re all watching our wallets, sometimes the best dry dog food for your pooch is simply one that is affordable yet tasty enough to get your hound wolfing it down at mealtimes. Some of the most popular dry dog food brands are affordable ones, such as Pedigree and Bakers.
What type of dry dog food is good for dogs?
Generally speaking, the best dry dog foods are ones that offer your pooch a complete and balanced diet, which is packed with the essential nutrients they need to grow up strong and healthy, like proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.
The best kibble for dogs are ones that are rich in high-quality animal proteins, so look for dry dog food brands that have a high percentage meat source, such as chicken, beef, salmon or duck, as the main ingredient. Giving your pup a protein-rich diet will help build up their muscles, repair tissue in their ligaments and also keep their coat and skin nice and healthy because of the amino acids found in meat sources.
While some carbohydrates are an important part of your pup’s meals to provide them with much-needed energy, you may want to avoid foods that have a high amount of fillers, like corn, wheat and soy. These ingredients don’t have any nutritional value and are often added to bulk out your pup’s meal, which actually won’t make them feel any fuller. Fillers can be difficult for your hound to digest, too and can be quite fattening too, which can lead to problems with their weight and blood sugar. Not to mention, fillers are usually ingredients that many pooches can have allergies or intolerances to as well, so if your dog is prone to a sensitive tum, you’ll want to avoid dry dog food brands that have a high level of fillers.
What are the benefits of dry dog food?
Dry food is handy for hounds who don't wolf everything down at once, as it can be left out for longer periods of time. It is also much more economical, as it comes in bigger packaging and has a longer use-by date. You can also buy dry food for small dogs or large dogs that have kibble specifically made in sizes to suit your dog.
Here's a round-up of some other benefits:
• It has a long shelf life.
• Great for pups who love to graze instead of eating all their dinner in one go.
• Dry food is easier to buy in bulk, meaning that this is a less expensive option.
• Bags of kibble require less packaging than cans of food, leading to less rubbish being created.
• Specially formulated dry food is effective at reducing plaque accumulation and gingivitis in teeth.
If you have a pet who eats too quickly (potentially leading to them vomiting), slow-feeder dog bowls can be used with dry food easily.
Can I only feed my dog dry dog food?
Yes, dogs can eat an entirely dry dog food diet. These days, dry food is packed with better ingredients and more nutrients than ever before. They are also now formulated to contain a certain percentage of protein and fats that are necessary for dogs to be their healthiest.
The feeding guidelines from Viovet for the size of your dog and the grams of food per day are:
Toy dog - 1-5kg 35-155g
Small dog - 5-10kg 115-190g
Medium - 10-25kg 190-380g
Large - 25-45kg 380-590g
Giant - 45-70kg 590-820g
Can I mix dry food with wet food?
If done correctly, mixing wet and dry food can be beneficial for hounds as they get the best of both worlds. Mixing the two will bring balance and variation to your pooch's diet, offering up a more rounded mealtime that covers a wider range of nutrients. For example, wet food brings a higher water content than dry food, so having the two will make sure that they are hydrated and well-fed.
How long does dry dog food last?
It is best to check the best-before date on dry food, but you'll be pleased to know it lasts quite a while. Bags of unopened dried food will generally last up to 18 months after manufacture. Once dried food has been opened, you should generally aim to use it within 6 weeks.
Hannah Mellin is a Homes & Garden Product Writer for Take A Break. She has been working in the Journalism industry for over a decade and has written for an array of brands including John Lewis, Daily Mirror and Grazia. When she's not writing, researching or testing products, she's renovating her Victorian terrace and chilling in the garden with her sausage dog Waffle.