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The first category PetScored ever scored, and still the deepest. Every bag runs the same five sub-scores: nutrition fit, brand trust, ingredient clarity, sensitivity risk, and value. No manufacturer money, no sponsored rankings, and the math behind every score is on the page. 130 products scored so far.
How 130 dog foods scored
Average 7.0 / 10Top of the rubric
Hill's Science Diet
$1.52 / 1,000 kcal
A clinically oriented formula with moderate calories and broad availability. The tradeoff is that brewers rice, rather than animal protein, leads the ingredient list.
Fromm
$0.89 / 1,000 kcal · 51% below median
A grain-inclusive chicken recipe with named meat meals, menhaden fish meal, and a modest cheese and egg inclusion. Family-owned brand with a strong transparency record; value-priced for the tier.
Purina Pro Plan
$1.46 / 1,000 kcal · 46% above median
Source-backed adult maintenance dry food with salmon first, specific grains, and AAFCO feeding-test language. Main watch-outs are fish/beef-fat sensitivity flags, natural flavor, partial Brand Trust, and a recent brand-level Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets wet dog food mislabeling recall that remains disclosed.
Blue Buffalo
$1.98 / 1,000 kcal · 10% below median
Limited-ingredient-positioned dry food with salmon first, official product identity, and retailer-controlled GA/calorie fields. Watch-outs are formal AAFCO text not captured, pea-family ingredients, natural flavor, partial Brand Trust, and price freshness.
Blue Buffalo
$1.40 / 1,000 kcal · 22% below median
Source-backed adult maintenance kibble with named chicken sources and specific grains. Main watch-outs are chicken sensitivity, legumes on the label, natural flavor, vegetable juice color, and a Brand Trust record that still needs stronger primary evidence.
Diamond Naturals
$0.90 / 1,000 kcal · 36% below median
Budget-tier grain-free with named salmon protein and a transparent fish-and-legume base. Strong value per calorie. Fish + legume stack matters for sensitivity-aware dogs.
Hill's Science Diet
$1.22 / 1,000 kcal · 24% below median
A feeding-trial-substantiated large-breed maintenance kibble with chicken first and a grain-forward base (barley, brown rice, wheat, corn). Strong brand-trust record; the corn and soy fractions and a 20% protein floor are the tradeoffs.
Purina ONE
$1.15 / 1,000 kcal · 18% below median
A feeding-trial-backed mainstream formula with lamb as the first ingredient and solid nutritional credentials. The main compromise is a first-ten ingredient list that includes poultry by-product meal plus several common dietary triggers.
Blue Buffalo
$1.49 / 1,000 kcal · 17% below median
A grain-inclusive lamb recipe with named meats up front, though menhaden fish meal, peas, pea protein, and pea starch all contribute. Priced in the upper-mid tier.
Canidae
$1.83 / 1,000 kcal
A concise fish-first formula designed for ingredient-sensitive dogs. The tradeoff is a notable reliance on peas and lentils high in the ingredient list.
Instinct
$1.33 / 1,000 kcal
A straightforward grain-inclusive formula with chicken listed first and fewer controversial fillers than many mainstream foods. The tradeoff is the presence of fish and egg, which can matter for sensitive dogs.
Jinx
$1.26 / 1,000 kcal · 21% below median
A named-animal-first kibble with real calorie data and solid value for a premium dry food. The tradeoff, in our view, is a crowded protein/allergen profile with chicken, turkey, and fish all present.
Purina ONE
$1.20 / 1,000 kcal · 14% below median
Strongest on protein and feeding-trial substantiation; the tradeoff is a very busy first-ten list with soy, wheat, corn, and multiple animal triggers.
Wellness
$2.15 / 1,000 kcal · 20% above median
A focused fish-based limited-ingredient formula with relatively few moving parts. The main compromise is moderate protein and the inclusion of peas in the top ingredients.
Diamond Naturals
$0.70 / 1,000 kcal · 50% below median
A value-priced all-life-stages kibble led by named chicken and chicken meal with whole grains and salmon oil for DHA. The price per calorie is among the lowest in the catalog; Diamond's manufacturing history (2005 and 2012 recalls) is the main reason Brand Trust isn't higher.
Diamond Naturals
$0.76 / 1,000 kcal · 46% below median
A budget-premium large-breed formula led by named lamb meal and whole grains, with added glucosamine. Conventional composition at a low cost per calorie.
Fromm
$1.57 / 1,000 kcal · 13% below median
Family-owned Wisconsin manufacturer with grain-inclusive recipe and named protein sources. Moderate dry-matter protein with strong ingredient clarity. Watch for fish and poultry sensitivity overlap.
Hill's Science Diet
$1.43 / 1,000 kcal · 43% above median
Source-backed adult maintenance dry food with AAFCO feeding-test language and clear calorie data. Watch-outs are chicken and wheat sensitivity exposure plus a historical Hill’s canned-dog-food recall/warning-letter record that remains disclosed as brand-level regulatory history.
Kirkland Signature
$0.61 / 1,000 kcal · 39% below median
An unusually strong ingredient panel for the price, with chicken and chicken meal leading the list. The main tradeoff is that availability is tied to Costco membership.
Acana
$2.03 / 1,000 kcal · 13% above median
Strong named animal lineup with high dry-matter protein and a clear ingredient panel. Common-trigger ingredient stack is significant - not for dogs avoiding poultry, egg, fish, or pulses.
Annamaet
$1.19 / 1,000 kcal · 34% below median
A well-regarded grain-inclusive formula with all-life-stages adequacy and clearly named ingredients. Pricing is premium, but the recipe is comparatively straightforward and avoids legumes.
Gentle Giants
$0.99 / 1,000 kcal
A value-priced all-life-stages kibble with named grains and a low cost per calorie. The tradeoff, in our view, is modest protein and chicken meal rather than fresh meat as the first ingredient.
Hill's Science Diet
$1.79 / 1,000 kcal · 79% above median
Source-backed adult maintenance kibble with AAFCO feeding-test language, official calorie data, and retailer package/GA capture. Watch-outs are chicken and egg exposure, pea ingredient presence, partial Brand Trust, price freshness, and Hill's historical canned-dog-food recall/warning-letter context.
Iams
$1.05 / 1,000 kcal · 25% below median
A straightforward large-breed formula with decent protein sourcing and moderate calories. Corn and by-product meal remain major contributors, which limits ingredient quality upside.
Showing the top 24 of 130. Browse & filter every dog food we've scored to sort by sub-score, narrow by format, or find a specific bag.
What's next on dog
Dog food is at rubric v1.0 and carries the largest catalog on PetScored. The public-beta scorecards use source-backed partial data, with every score showing its methodology, source confidence, and the trail behind the number. See /methodology/dog-food for the full rules and what we refuse to score.
You can filter the full set at /dog-food/browse, narrow by need at /best-for, size a portion with the feeding calculator, or read how the formats differ at /dog-food-formats. Coverage expansion and new categories are on the category roadmap.
