To find out what makes the best dry dog food, ... “A good general rule is to choose a brand that has both the Association of American Food Controls Officials (AAFCO) certification on the side ...

AAFCO also has feeding trials, where companies can have their food fed to a colony of dogs and then show how a dog responds to life with that nutritional feed, according to Watkins.

The following highly rated dog foods meet or exceed AAFCO nutritional recommendations and are formulated under the guidance of a board-certified veterinary nutritionist.

As further evidence of its food’s quality, the Farmer’s Dog has released results from ongoing long-term feeding trials showing that the nutritional value in its food exceeds AAFCO recommendations.

Some dog food labels also list the percentage of other ingredients, such ascalcium and phosphorous. Low-fat dog foods often contain less fat and more fiber, to fill up a dogwithout adding calories.