Our scoring
methodology.
Dog Food Reviews scores every Australian dog food brand out of 100 using a six-pillar weighted model: Price & Value (25 pts), Ingredient Quality (25 pts), Nutrition & Suitability (20 pts), Transparency (15 pts), Availability (10 pts) and Customer Sentiment (5 pts). Scores are determined solely by this published methodology — no brand or retailer has paid to influence a score or a ranking position.
Every brand, product and retailer in our index is measured against the same transparent 100-point model. The same rules apply to everyone — there are no paid placements inside a score.
By the Dog Food Reviews Editorial Team
Independent scoring · Not pay-to-rank · Last updated June 2026 · Not veterinary advice
Six weighted checks. One score.
Six areas add up to a single score out of 100. Price and ingredient quality carry the most weight because they matter most to real-world value.
Share of the 100-point score by pillar
Price & Value
Price per kg, cost per day, subscription discount, sale frequency and value vs similar formulas.
Ingredient Quality
Named meat first, protein source quality, wholefoods, fillers, artificial colours/flavours, grain quality.
Nutrition & Suitability
Complete & balanced claim, life-stage suitability, protein/fat levels, sensitive-stomach and vet use cases.
Transparency
Clear ingredient list, country of manufacture, ownership, feeding-guide clarity, recall visibility.
Availability & Convenience
Stock availability, delivery options, repeat delivery and retailer availability.
Customer Sentiment
Review sentiment, repeat complaints and product consistency feedback.
The rating bands.
We translate each score into a plain-English band. Low scores always read as poor value or “compare carefully” — never as unsafe.
Category-leading on value, ingredients and transparency.
Category-leading on value, ingredients and transparency.
A confident recommendation with only minor trade-offs.
A confident recommendation with only minor trade-offs.
Solid all-rounder; check it against higher-scoring rivals.
Solid all-rounder; check it against higher-scoring rivals.
Workable, but better value usually exists nearby.
Workable, but better value usually exists nearby.
Lower-scoring for the price — compare carefully.
Lower-scoring for the price — compare carefully.
Weak on value or transparency; weigh alternatives first.
Weak on value or transparency; weigh alternatives first.
What the score does — and doesn't — say.
What we do claim
- Real cost per kg and per day, not the shelf price.
- Ingredient quality read from the published list — named meat, fillers, additives.
- Transparency: country of manufacture, ownership and recall visibility.
- A consistent, comparable score using the same six checks every time.
What we don't claim
- We never call a product unsafe, harmful or dangerous.
- We don’t run laboratory testing or chemical analysis.
- We don’t give veterinary, medical or individual nutrition advice.
- We don’t sell rankings — no placement inside a score can be bought.
Independence, in writing.
Our rankings are based only on this published methodology. Some links may earn us a commission, but that never changes a score or a ranking. Sponsored placements, where they appear, are clearly labelled and sit outside the scoring model.
Where a brand is retailer-owned, exclusive or heavily house-promoted and that relationship is verifiable, we label it clearly. These brands can still score well, but their transparency score reflects the harder like-for-like comparison. The same fair, consistent logic applies to every major retailer, including Petbarn: we simply show price per kg and cost per day across stores so you can find the best value at any of them.
Dog Food Reviews is a value and comparison resource, not veterinary advice. v1 scores are based on publicly available product information and pricing — not laboratory testing. Prices are illustrative and change frequently. Always speak to your vet before changing your dog’s diet.
Methodology, answered.
No. v1 scores are based on publicly available product information, retailer pricing and our published methodology — not laboratory analysis. We never claim a product is unsafe; low scores reflect poor value, lower ingredient quality or weaker transparency, not safety.
Prices and availability change frequently. Our v1 pricing is manually entered and illustrative — always confirm the live price with the retailer before buying. Live price tracking is on our roadmap.
Where a brand is retailer-owned, exclusive or heavily promoted and that relationship is verifiable, we label it clearly. These brands can still score well, but their transparency score reflects the harder like-for-like comparison.
By the Dog Food Reviews Editorial Team
Independent scoring · Not pay-to-rank · Last updated June 2026 · Not veterinary advice