First off, you should note that grains are an unnatural food source for canines, and that dog food products should be based on meat rather than grain. There is no single best food for every dog. However goodthe quality of ingredients, a food that suits every single dog does not exist.This site provides its users with information on the content of dog foodproducts-appropriate quality of those foods. There is no guarantee that any food, however highly rated, will suit a particular dog (just as one food suiting a dog does not mean that the next food in the same category willqually suit the dog). Finding the best food for your individual does, andalways will, involve some amount of experimentation. Corn is a difficult to digest grain of limited valueand that is commonly associated with allergy problems. Corn gluten meal is also low quality. This is defined as that part of the commercial shelled corn that remains after the extraction of the larger portion of the starch, gluten, and term by the processes employed in the wet milling manufacture of cornstarch or syrup. In plain English, the remains of corn after most of the nutritious bits have been removed. Wheat flour is a further low quality ingredient. In dog food products, this is commonly a by-product (think floor sweepings) of human food production and is a grain fragment we consider primarily filler. Wheat is believed by many to be the leading cause of food allergy problems in dog foods. Beet pulp is a controversial filler. It is a by-product, being dried residue from sugar beets, which has been cleaned and extracted in the process of manufacturing sugar. It is a controversial ingredient in dog food, claimed by some manufacturers to be a good source of fiber, and derided by others as an ingredient added to slow down the transition of rancid animal fats and causing stress to kidney and liver in the process. We note that beet pulp is an ingredient that commonly causes problems for dogs, including allergies and ear infections, and prefer not to see it used in dog food. There are less controversial products around if additional fiber is required. Soy flour boosts the protein content of the food. Soy is a product we prefer not to see used in dog foods, especially this high on the ingredient list. Soy is a very common cause of food allergy problems, and although boosting the (otherwise minimal) protein content of this food, it is very low quality protein compared to that sourced from meat. Brewers rice is a low quality by-product. It is impossible to ascertain the quality of by-products and these are usually products that are of such low quality as to be rejected for use in the human food chain, or else are those parts that have so little value that they cannot be used elsewhere in either the human or pet food industries. The AAFCO definition of chicken by-product meal is consisting of the ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered chicken, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs and intestines, exclusive of feathers, except in such amounts as might occur unavoidable in good processing practice. We would prefer to see the use of whole eggs rather than egg product in the food. Animal fat is an ingredient of unidentified origin for which it is impossible to determine species, source or quality. Unidentified ingredients are very low quality. We prefer not to see the use of artificial colorants in dog food. Some of these are believed to be usually carcinogenic and cause hyperactivity disorders and are banned from use in many countries. Note: Dog foods using citric acid as a preservative and should not be premoistened prior to feeding (a bloat risk factor for large breed dogs). A concern is to see chicken fat in the first through third ingredient on any dog food. Research at Purdue University has identified fat in the top four ingredients of a dry food as a factor increasing the risk of bloat in large breed dogs (smaller breeds are untested). Note that the manufacturer claims to use Ethoxyquin-free ingredients (Ethoxyquin is a chemical preservative commonly added to fish meal ingredients, and which is believed to be carcinogenic).The presence of synthetic vitamin K  a substance alleged by some to be linked to liver problems and which is progressively being removed from better quality products.There is no excuse for adding artificial colorings or sugar to dog food products.               
What we should look for in pet foods: 
Meat, meat and more meat products. Cats and dogs are carnivores, and a species appropriate diet for these animals must be based on meat. They have no evolved need of carbohydrates in their diet. Grains are in pet food because they're cheaper than meat products, and are needed to hold the kibble bits together. Not because they're species-appropriate nutrition for a carnivorous mammal. Meat and fat products that are identified by species. If the species cannot be identified, neither can the quality. We suggest avoiding any products that use unidentified meat, animal or poultry products in their foods. Where grains are used, we look for good quality whole grains. Avoid those products that make prolific use of grain fragments (think floor sweepings) in their foods these are nutrition less fillers. Whole fruits and vegetables are appreciated, especially where these replace grains in the foods. Organic ingredients are appreciated but note above about the need for a food to contain a high proportion of meat. Organic grains are very nice where grains must be used, but they are no substitute for meat content.
What we avoid:

Foods containing any form of by-products, most especially those of indeterminate origin (animal, poultry, etc.) Artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or preservatives especially those believed to be carcinogenic or that are banned from use in the human food chain. In dog food, principally these are BHT, BHA, Ethoxyquin, Propyl Gallate.                                   NOTE:

 Some ingredients, usually fish products, may contain artificial preservatives that are not disclosed on the ingredient list; if they are not added by the manufacturer, they are not required to be listed. We therefore look for assurances by manufacturers using ocean fish products that their foods do NOT contain any artificial preservatives. Meats and fats that are not identified by species. These could literally be anything, and are almost certainly of very low quality.
Practices and ingredients to be aware of: 
Splitting:
Splitting is a common practice on dog food labels and it pays to be aware. Ingredients in dog food are listed in order of their weight so the heaviest ingredients, those that make up the largest portion of the food, are listed first. Splitting is when a manufacturer lists different components of the same ingredient as separate items. For example, chicken and chicken meal are both chicken products. Brown rice, white rice, rice, rice bran, rice gluten and rice flour are all parts of the same ingredient rice. Yes, there is a difference in the nutritional aspects of the different forms of rice brown rice is more nutritious than white rice, and grain fragments are far lower quality and less nutritious than whole grains. But the issue around splitting is in determining quantity. The reason for the practice of splitting is essentially to make the ingredient list look better. As an example, when there are large quantities of rice in the food, a manufacturer might choose to list the component parts separately. That way, although the total rice products may make up, say, 55% of the food and meat only 25%, it is possible to list the meat product first and then three or four individual rice products that each separately weigh less than the meat product. Combined, however, rice makes up more than double the chicken content. Manufacturers don't disclose the quantity of ingredients on the labeling though. So you have to make the best assessment you can from the rest of the information given. Thus, while seeing the component parts of rice (or any other ingredient) is useful for determining the quality of ingredients used, when you're trying to assess quantity you should always mentally add those component parts together. Splitting can also serve to increase the level of confidence one has in the quantity of particular ingredients used. When you see two forms of the same meat ingredient, chicken for example, at the head of an ingredient list that can help you come to the reasonable conclusion that there is indeed a reasonable amount of chicken in the food. The ingredient chicken means fresh chicken, which is inclusive of its water content. Now water content is of course removed in the process of making dry dog food. It is thus likely that the true position of that ingredient (sans water) should be much further down the ingredient list than is stated. But if that were the first ingredient in a food, and the next ingredient is chicken meal then the practice of splitting can tell us that there was sufficient chicken meal in the food for it to be rated ahead of the first grain despite a portion of the ingredient split off. This serves to increase our confidence that the true first ingredient is that named a form of chicken (meat product). Be careful though that it may not necessarily be the case if the grains behind it were also split, or if there are a lot of different grain products in the food.
Some examples:
Example 1:
Chicken, chicken meal, turkey, turkey meal, brown rice, chicken fat. That looks excellent. There are four meat ingredients at the head of the ingredient list. And only one grain. Once we factor in the removal of water content (which is about 80%) from the ingredients chicken and turkey then it is likely that these would be more accurately placed somewhat further down the ingredient list. A more likely true ingredient list here is thus: chicken meal, turkey meal, brown rice, chicken fat, chicken (sans water), turkey (sans water). So how does it look now? Actually, still very good. The first two ingredients are still meat products, and there are two further meat products in the food. There is only one grain ahead of the fat content. We could have a very high level of confidence that there really was a decent quantity of meat products in the food.
Example 2:
Chicken meal, brown rice, white rice, rice bran, rice gluten meal, barley, and chicken fat. At first glance, that also looks fairly good. The first ingredient in the food is a meat product in meal form too, so we don't have to factor in the effects of water removal. But is it really the first ingredient? Actually, we cant be confident that it is. Once we add all the different forms of rice together, they may well outweigh the chicken meal. And in fact they probably do, by a significant margin. Note that there's another grain right behind the rice products in the ingredient list too. In short, it is impossible to be confident that the food contains an adequate amount of meat. While not strictly an example of splitting, you should also take note of foods that use a lot of different grain products, and mentally add all those grains together to compare against all meat products.
For example:
Chicken meal, brown rice, barley, oat grouts, ground corn, chicken fat, wheat flour, corn gluten meal, fish meal, millet. No splitting going on there, so we can read that as a true list. But we should look carefully at the overall meat versus grain content. The first ingredient may be meat, but in this case it is followed immediately by four different grains ahead of the fat content, and three more grains after that. There is one further meat product (a meal) but its 9th on the ingredient list. It is likely that the combined grain products outweigh the total meat products by a large margin. This too is a grain heavy food. The manufacturers wont tell us the exact proportions of the ingredients that go into the products, so it is really a case of making an assessment based on the information you do have. And when it comes to dog food, it is wiser to err on the side of scepticism than of blind trust.
What DFA does NOT do:
The ratings and reviews on this site are based solely on the ingredients the manufacturers state they use in the foods and other information given. We make no assessment of their ethics, involvement in food recalls, animal testing, Phenobarbital 'scandals' or other practices, believing this to be a matter for the individual consumer. If you wish to include such considerations in your food purchase decision, we would encourage you to research widely prior to purchase. If first ingredient in the food is a named meat product and is not a meat meal, it is inclusive of water content (about 80%). Once this is removed, as it must be to create a dehydrated product, the ingredient will weigh around 20% of its wet weight. As ingredients are listed in order of weight, it is thus unlikely that this is truly the first ingredient in the food, but would be more accurately placed much further down the ingredient list as a minor ingredient in the food.

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      Transitioning Your Dog to a New Pet Food. Why Transition When Changing Your Dog's Diet?
Your dog's digestive tract is sensitive and needs time to acclimate to changes in diet. The following transition guidelines based on customer feedback, advise from veterinarians and our own experience with our family pets. Dogs who are used to eating a different diet will transition easier if the old food and new food are mixed together for a short time.An abrupt change to a different diet can cause some dogs to experience gastro-intestinal upset, for example, loose stools or vomiting. While this upset usually disappears in a matter of days, it can often be avoided by following these simple transition guidelines. Unlike humans, dogs often eat the same diet for months or years and their digestive systems are not as used to change as ours are.
How to Transition Your Dog's Diet. We have found that the smoothest transition from one dog food to another is to mix the foods together. This process should usually take aboutsix days as outlined below, but you can increasethe transition time if your dogis particularly sensitive.                       

            Additional Tips for Food Transitioning

• In most cases we realize transitioning slowly is not possible. In that case, feed smaller portions more regularly. We suggest breaking up the daily intake to 3 to 4 feedings per day. Adding small amounts of warm water to the food will also decrease the chance of your dog eating too quickly and not chewing thoroughly. Gulping a highly palatable product could cause vomiting.
• If at any time during the transition, your dog experiences gastro-intestinal upset, keep the ratio of new to old food the same for several days. This will allow your dog to adjust to the new ratio before you incorporate more of the new food. In the event you are not transitioning with your old food, withhold food for 1 day and then start re-introducing 3 to 4 feedings per day mixed with warm water. All other treats and supplements should be withheld until fully transitioned.
• You may notice a change in the appearance of your dog's stool even after the transition period. This can often be a result of a change in the amount of fiber and protein in the new diet and is normal.            

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