Dog food and feeding guides
Explainers on how to read a pet food label, plus ranked guides for every life stage, breed size and budget. All of them run on the same published scoring model, and none of them are for sale.
Reviewed by the Dog Food Reviews editorial team
Independent scoringUpdated August 2026Not veterinary advice
Not veterinary advice. Always speak to your vet before changing your dog's diet.
Start here
Three ways in
If you only read one page on this site, read the index. If you want to know whether to trust it, read the methodology. If you would rather we did the narrowing, take the finder.
The ranking
Best dog food in Australia
Every food brand in our index, scored out of 100 and sortable by pillar.
20 brands scored
The method
How we score brands
The weighted pillars behind every number on this site, published in full.
6 pillars · 100 points
The shortcut
Dog Food Finder
Answer a few questions about your dog and we shortlist from the same index.
Same index, narrowed
Fresh & delivery
Fresh dog food, explained and ranked
The premium end of the bowl: what fresh delivery actually costs, whether it earns its price, and how the leading services compare.
- 6
- Brands with a fresh, raw or air-dried lineRead from the formats each brand publishes
- 20
- Products priced across themPrices entered by hand
- $2.32 to $7.90
- Estimated cost per day, cheapest to dearestEditorial estimates at a ~15kg adult benchmark
Estimated cost per day, 15kg adult dog
Brands with a fresh line, against the rest of the index
Several of these brands sell kibble as well as fresh, raw or air-dried food, so each span covers every product we hold a price for from those brands rather than one format. The ends of the top row are the two figures printed above it.
| Brand group | Cheapest | Median | Dearest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh-line brands | $2.32 | $3.17 | $7.90 |
| Every other brand | $1.00 | $2.20 | $3.60 |
Editorial estimates · August 2026
Lyka review
Our full review of the highest-scored fresh food in our index: recipes, delivery, the subscription model and the drawbacks worth knowing before you sign up.
Full scorecard · Pros and cons · FAQ
Read guideBest fresh dog food in Australia
Fresh, air-dried and subscription options ranked on the same 100-point model, with the estimated cost of a day's feeding printed beside each one.
Ranked table · Cost per day chart · Our picks
Read guideWhat does Lyka cost?
Per-day and per-week editorial estimates by dog size, the plan levers that bring the spend down, and how the total compares to feeding kibble.
Cost tables · Editorial estimates · FAQ
Read guideWhat does Scratch cost?
Per-day, per-week and per-bag editorial estimates for all four Scratch kibble recipes, and how the direct-only subscription compares with retail and fresh alternatives.
Cost tables · Editorial estimates · FAQ
Read guideFresh vs kibble
Where fresh genuinely differs, where kibble wins on cost and convenience, and an honest read on the gap between the two.
Side by side table · Cost comparison · FAQ
Read guideExplainers
How to read dog food
What the labels mean, how to spot good and bad ingredients, and why the cheapest bag is rarely the cheapest feed.
Why ingredients matter
The difference between named-meat-first and meat-meal-first formulas, and why ingredient order shapes the quality of what your dog actually eats.
Label walkthrough · FAQ
Read guideHow we score brands
The six-part methodology behind every rating on this site: Price & Value, Ingredient Quality, Nutrition, Transparency, Availability and Sentiment.
The six pillars · Weightings · FAQ
Read guidePetbarn private-label dog food
Which Petbarn own-label products are made by external manufacturers and how they compare to branded alternatives, on our parent site.
Published on petreviews.com.au
Read on petreviews.com.auAlternatives to Petbarn dog food
Independent options stocked across Australia, compared honestly on price, ingredient quality and transparency, on our parent site.
Published on petreviews.com.au
Read on petreviews.com.au“The first ingredient on the label tells you most of what you need to know.”
Named meat as ingredient #1, such as chicken, salmon or lamb, is a strong signal. Generic “meat meal”, a cereal grain or a vegetable derivative in the first position is a warning sign, whatever the front of the pack claims.
Why ingredients matter
Licensed stock photography
The model
6 pillars, 100 points
- Price & ValuePrice per kg, cost per day, subscription discount, sale frequency and value vs similar formulas.
- 25
- Ingredient QualityNamed meat first, protein source quality, wholefoods, fillers, artificial colours/flavours, grain quality.
- 25
- Nutrition & SuitabilityComplete & balanced claim, life-stage suitability, protein/fat levels, sensitive-stomach and vet use cases.
- 20
- TransparencyClear ingredient list, country of manufacture, ownership, feeding-guide clarity, recall visibility.
- 15
- Availability & ConvenienceStock availability, delivery options, repeat delivery and retailer availability.
- 10
- Customer SentimentReview sentiment, repeat complaints and product consistency feedback.
- 5
Dog buying guides
Best dog food by type
Ranked shortlists for a specific need: breed size, life stage, budget or dietary requirement. Every one of them applies the same scoring model to the same index.
The index, spread out
Where every scored brand sits, out of 100
One tick per food brand in our index. The shaded span is the middle half of the index and the heavy rule is the median, so you can see what an ordinary score looks like before a shortlist tells you what a good one is.
- MinMin
- 44
- Q1Lower quartile
- 59
- MedianMedian
- 70
- Q3Upper quartile
- 79
- MaxMax
- 87
| Brand | Overall score |
|---|---|
| Black & Gold | 44 |
| Baxter's | 46 |
| Julius | 48 |
| Woofin' Good! | 50 |
| ProBalance | 54 |
| Leaps & Bounds | 60 |
| The Nosh Project | 62 |
| Providore | 64 |
| Hill's Science Diet | 66 |
| Royal Canin | 68 |
| Ivory Coat | 71 |
| Meals for Mutts | 74 |
| SavourLife | 75 |
| Black Hawk | 76 |
| Prime100 | 78 |
| ZIWI Peak | 81 |
| Petzyo | 83 |
| Frontier Pets | 84 |
| Scratch | 86 |
| Lyka | 87 |
Dog Food Reviews index · checked August 2026
All dogs
Best dog food in Australia
The full ranked index, every food brand scored out of 100 and sortable by pillar. Start here if you are not sure which guide you need.
Sortable index · Score bands · The competition
Breed size
Best dog food for small dogs
Smaller kibble, higher calorie density and what to look for on the label for toy and small breeds.
Ranked table · Why it suits small dogs · Price per kg
Breed size
Best dog food for large dogs
Joint-support nutrients, controlled energy density and portion guidance for large and giant breeds.
Ranked table · Cost per day at 30kg · Price per kg
Life stage
Best puppy food in Australia
High protein, DHA, calcium-to-phosphorus ratios, and why most of the marketing on a puppy bag is hollow.
Ranked table · Nutrition scores · Price per kg
Budget
Best budget dog food
The lowest-cost options that still clear our ingredient quality floor, ranked on value rather than on shelf price alone.
Ranked table · Value scores · Cost per day
Dietary
Best grain-free dog food
Ranked grain-free options with honest context on the ongoing grain-free cardiac research discussion.
Ranked table · Grain-free formats · Price per kg
Dietary
Best for sensitive stomachs
Single-protein and limited-ingredient formulas for dogs with food sensitivities or elimination diet needs.
Ranked table · Ingredient scores · Cost per day
Value
Cheapest dog food online
Where the same bag lands cheapest per kg, compared across the Australian online pet retailers we price-check.
Price table · Cost per day · Retailer spread
Feeding in practice
Feeding a dog, day to day
The owner side of the bowl rather than the label on it: what a food is like to change, serve, store and live with. These four are signed by our contributing reviewer on practical feeding, and where a guide touches your dog's health, that part is reviewed by our veterinary reviewer and credited on the page.
Switching your dog to a new food
What a week of mixing looks like, how to plan the changeover around bag sizes and delivery dates, and the signs that mean stopping and calling a vet.
The mixing steps · Bag arithmetic · FAQ
Read guideFeeding routines and portions
One meal or two, feeding around walks, why the pack guideline is a starting point rather than an answer, and how a multi-dog household is fed.
Routine and timing · Treat load · FAQ
Read guideWhat to try with a fussy dog
Routine, bowl placement and treat load before the food, plus a clear line between a long-standing pattern and an appetite that has changed.
Four practical levers · When to see a vet · FAQ
Read guideStoring fresh dog food
How much freezer room a subscription really needs, rotating deliveries so nothing gets buried, thawing ahead, and what travels when you are away.
Freezer planning · Pack sizes · FAQ
Read guideStraight answers
Start from the question you actually have
Every row goes to a guide above. Pick the sentence that sounds like your week.
- You want the short answerThe whole index, ranked by total score and sortable by pillar.Full ranking
- You are feeding a puppyProtein, DHA and the calcium-to-phosphorus numbers that matter while a dog grows.Puppy guide
- Your dog is sensitive to certain foodsSingle-protein and limited-ingredient formulas, ranked on ingredients and cost.Sensitive stomachs
- You are watching the weekly spendThe lowest cost per day that still clears our ingredient quality floor.Budget guide
- You want to know where it is cheapestThe same bag priced across the online retailers we track, per kg and per day.Price comparison
- You have it down to two brandsHead-to-head pages that score both sides on the same six pillars, side by side.All comparisons
- You are weighing fresh against kibbleWhat the two formats actually cost, and where each one earns its place.Fresh vs kibble
Before you choose
Common questions
The single most predictive signal is the first ingredient. Named meat (e.g. 'chicken', 'salmon') as the first ingredient is better than a generic 'meat meal' or a carbohydrate like 'corn'. After that, look for a short, readable ingredient list, no excessive fillers, and clear feeding guides on the pack. Our Why Ingredients Matter guide covers this in detail.
Not automatically. Grain-free formulas replace grains with legumes or potatoes, which isn't nutritionally superior for most dogs. The more important question is the overall ingredient quality and protein source. Our Best Grain-Free Dog Food guide explains the current research context, including the ongoing DCM (dilated cardiomyopathy) discussion.
Every brand is scored out of 100 across six weighted areas: Price & Value (25), Ingredient Quality (25), Nutrition & Suitability (20), Transparency (15), Availability (10) and Customer Sentiment (5). The methodology is public: see our How We Score Brands guide.
It depends on the product. Some Petbarn private-label lines use named-meat-first formulas with competitive ingredient quality; others rely heavily on meat meals and fillers. Our Petbarn Private-Label Dog Food guide breaks down each line and compares them to branded alternatives at similar price points.
No. Dog Food Reviews is an independent value and comparison resource. Always speak to your vet before changing your dog's diet, especially for puppies, seniors or dogs with known health conditions.
Licensed stock photography