What is the best dog food in the United States? We’ve reviewed over 50 dog food brands for wet and dry food and show you what really matters. Because every dog is different, we also present some alternatives for each dog’s specific needs.

The Best Dog Food

Summary: There are actually two recommendations here. One for dry dog food and one for wet dog food. Each dog food has its pros and cons.

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Extended Version: Want more details and comprehensive test reports? Then definitely check out the next categories. There you’ll find our testing criteria and complete reviews.

Dry Food, Wet Food, or BARF – A Look at the Advantages

Choosing the right nutrition is crucial for your dog’s well-being. Whether dry food, wet food, or the BARF method, each feeding method has its own advantages. Here you’ll learn what makes each of these options special and how they can benefit your dog.

Dry Food: Convenience and Easy Handling

Dry food is very popular because of its practical advantages. It’s easy to store and dose, simplifying the feeding routine. The long shelf life and easy portioning help maintain your dog’s nutrition consistently without worrying about the freshness of the food. Dry food is also ideal for on-the-go, as it doesn’t need refrigeration and is easy to transport.

Wet Food: Hydration and Taste

Many dogs love wet food, mainly due to its intense flavor and naturalness. The high moisture content is particularly beneficial for dogs that don’t drink enough and supports healthy kidney function. The variety of flavors and tasty consistency can even convince the pickiest of dogs.

BARF: Natural and Individual, but with Caution

The BARF method, based on raw feeding, is often praised for its naturalness. It allows for a diet rich in fresh ingredients and offers the opportunity to tailor meals precisely to your dog’s individual needs. However, this feeding method also carries risks. The danger of bacterial contamination should not be underestimated, and an unbalanced diet can lead to nutrient deficiencies. Therefore, it’s important to thoroughly research and plan the diet beforehand.

Dry Dog Food Review

Want to know which dry food is best for your dog? Every dog is individual, so there are a few things to consider with dry food. But no problem, we’ve examined all brands in detail and reveal the best recommendations.

Dry food is offered in airtight packaging and is relatively long-lasting. After opening, it should be consumed quickly, but it is still edible for several months. However, it slowly loses its aroma.

In addition to the packaging advantages, there are sometimes disadvantages in the composition and labeling. Here, you really need to be careful to be on the safe side with this industrial dog food.

But that’s exactly why we’ve written this test report and researched for weeks for you. We want to help you navigate through the jungle and find the best dog food for you and your beloved pet. No compromises!

Wet Dog Food Review

Do you want to know which wet food is the best for your dog? Every dog has different needs, so there are a few things to consider with wet food. But no worries, we’ve examined all brands in detail in our test report and reveal the best recommendations for you.

Wet food is well-packaged in cans or aluminum trays and available in various sizes. It’s easy to store and provides the assurance of being of the highest quality.

Most dogs prefer the taste of wet food over dry food. It’s truly a good compromise and gives the dog an extra dose of water for the day, as wet food consists of about 80% water.

Wet food is a complete food and therefore entirely sufficient for your dog’s balanced diet. Want to learn more about this topic? Then read our comprehensive wet food test report. Perhaps one of the 5 recommendations is the perfect dog food for you.

We’ve put a lot of effort into this test report so that we can help you with your decision today.

What is the best Puppy Food?

Do you have a puppy at home? Puppies need a lot of energy for a healthy immune system. A good protein supply is especially important. We’ve compared 3 dog food brands and compiled a useful guide to puppy nutrition for you…

What is the best Senior Dog Food?

When your dog reaches a certain age, many things become more challenging for them. They need fewer calories, and above all, obesity is often a problem. In most cases, a diet food is recommended here. We’ve looked at a few brands and show you what’s right for your dog…

Food for Small Breeds

Food for Large Breeds

Grain-Free Dog Food Review

Grain-free food, as the name suggests, contains no grains. It’s very important for dogs that are allergic to them or for owners who prefer not to have grains in their pet’s food. We’ve looked at the best varieties for this purpose and present them to you here.

Hypoallergenic Dog Food Review

Hypoallergenic dog food is suitable for dogs allergic to certain foods. If your dog is allergic to certain types of meat or grains, you should feed them with this food. Here we show you which brands we can recommend…

Cold-Pressed Dog Food Review

Cold-pressed dog food is produced using a special process. No high heat is used in the manufacturing process. This results in very high-quality food. Here we introduce you to 3 brands that have convinced us and that we can recommend without hesitation.

Organic Dog Food Review

Do you only want organic quality? We understand that. That’s why we’ve examined the best organic dog food brands very carefully. And we’ve asked the question: How good is organic really, and do you really need it?

Prefer to Cook Yourself?

The third variant of feeding is cooking for yourself. If you want to completely avoid industrially produced dog food, you should consider barfing. However, you shouldn’t start barfing without prior knowledge. That’s exactly why we’ve written this guide. Here, even beginners will learn everything about barfing, including the 15 most important tips.

Is Wet Food or Dry Food Better?

Did You Know?

The most common and fed type of food is industrially produced food. Here we differentiate between wet and dry food.

The advantage of industrially packaged dog food is obvious: it has a much longer shelf life and fits into our modern everyday life. Not everyone has time to prepare something individually for their dog and take the time for it in the kitchen. That’s exactly why there is dry or wet food.

So, should I give wet food or dry food?

The big difference is the water content between dry and wet food. Dry food contains very little water, but its shelf life is significantly better.

Many dogs prefer wet food to dry food. However, it’s a matter of taste and should be tested from dog to dog.

The shelf life is also good with wet food. There are different types of wet food; here we recommend paying attention to good quality meat. For example, a feed of organic quality.

Another advantage of wet food also has to do with the water content.
With around 80% water content, your dog already gets as much water as he needs for everyday life. Especially if your dog drinks little, this is a great idea.

Our tip: With dry food, you should always put a bowl of water next to it. Because this food is drier, your dog will drink a lot afterwards.

Another tip: You can also soak the dry food in a few drops of water beforehand. This way, it’s not quite as hard and is easier to eat.

Dry dog food definitely has its place. If we look at the ingredient lists of the winners of the tests, the ingredients sound almost like from a gourmet restaurant. Here there are selected ingredients and fruits as well as really good meat. However, it will never match the quality of wet food.

More important than the question of dry or wet food is the question of what exactly your dog needs. What is his age and how big is your dog? Does he have any illnesses or preferences? Many dogs nowadays also have allergies. If your dog has one, then that’s a very important decision for the food.

Another option would be mixed feeding. Give your dog wet food in the morning and dry food in the evening. This is not uncommon and is a healthy change for your darling. Of course, you should not mix both types at the same time during a meal.

What do you pay attention to in good dog food?

Clearly the ingredients, that they have been processed with high quality and the composition is right. We have looked at products from big brands as well as from smaller dog food companies. Many small and previously unknown brands have really convinced us.

In the composition, points like crude protein, fat content, calcium content, crude ash, and crude fiber are important. They should be balanced. By the way, you can find our test criteria here.

What should you look for in good dog food?

The most important thing should be the composition of good ingredients. It is understandable – manufacturers try to make all ingredients on the packaging sound as good as possible.

But some terms are contradictory in themselves and sound better than they are. But we paid attention to these things in our test and really checked every ingredient for its correctness.

Your dog definitely needs high-quality proteins and good fats as well as vitamins. They should be processed gently and free from flavor enhancers, colorants, or preservatives, or even artificial additives.

A little tip: We also looked at the healthiest treats and chew items to go along with the types of dog food. Because your dog likes his reward and also wants a special treat for himself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which dog food is in first place?

The best dog food in first place is always the food that is the best choice for your dog. This depends on the care, age, breed, and activity level. However, above we show you our absolute top list.

What is the best dog food according to Consumer Reports?

The winners from Consumer Reports vary. In the iHugDogs dog food test, we place more emphasis on accurate labeling and high-quality ingredients. However, the best choice depends on the individual needs of your dog.

Do you have any further questions? Then feel free to ask them in the comments below.