Dog Foods I Recommend as a Dog Walker
- Will Ferman
- 4 minutes ago
- 8 min read
Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered medical or veterinary advice. Every dog is different, and dietary needs can vary based on age, breed, allergies, health conditions, activity level, and other factors. Always consult with your veterinarian before making significant changes to your dog’s diet.
Dog food is one of those subjects people get strangely emotional about.
Some people act like kibble is literal poison. Other people go broke trying to feed their dog raw venison organs out of a handcrafted wooden bowl like they’re raising a wolf instead of a Goldendoodle named Hudson that wears a designer harness complete with matching poop bag holder and leash.
Meanwhile most dog owners are just trying to figure out what food won’t destroy their dog’s stomach or cost them half their paycheck every month.
After spending around 15 years working with dogs professionally, these are the foods I’ve personally seen work well the most consistently. This is not some scientific ranking or veterinary analysis. It’s just my real life experience being around hundreds and hundreds of dogs over the years and noticing patterns. Energy levels. Digestion. Coat quality. Weight. Stool quality. All the glamorous topics dog people eventually become experts in whether they want to or not.
Some of these foods are expensive. Some are affordable. Some are fresh. Some are processed. There’s always a trade off somewhere.
But these are the brands and feeding styles I personally respect.
A lot of people like to say Farmer’s Dog is overrated or that it only became successful because of influencer marketing and strong branding online. And honestly, I get why people say that. The company definitely has a modern social media friendly image.
But at a certain point you have to separate internet cynicism from actual results.
I’ve personally seen a lot of dogs on Farmer’s Dog and honestly I can barely think of any that didn’t thrive on it overall. Better coats. Better energy. Healthier looking weight. More excitement around meals.
Now to be fair, some dogs eventually turn their nose up at it. But dogs do that with almost every food eventually. Anybody who’s worked around dogs long enough knows even premium foods can become “boring” after a while to certain dogs.
What stands out to me is the ingredient quality and transparency. The food is human grade, which says a lot in a world filled with ultra processed foods, preservatives, artificial coloring, and ingredient labels that sound more like chemistry homework than nutrition.
I also genuinely think the company set out to improve dog wellness instead of just maximizing profits with flashy packaging.
Is it expensive? Absolutely. Especially for large breeds.
But in my opinion this is one of those situations where you’re actually paying for quality.
The Honest Kitchen is another brand I really like.
It’s definitely more expensive, especially for larger dogs, but I think it’s one of the better options for people who want something healthier and less processed without fully committing to refrigerated fresh food.
A lot of people use it for smaller dogs because of the price point, but honestly dogs of any size can benefit from it. Even using it as a topper or supplement alongside dry food works really well.
The dehydrated format takes a little getting used to at first. I usually recommend using really hot water and letting it sit for a few minutes. It’s honestly kind of wild how much it expands and hydrates. You can immediately smell that it’s real food and not just heavily processed pellets sprayed with flavoring.
Dogs seem to absolutely love it too.
One thing I really like is how easy it is to mix supplements or pills into it. Once hydrated it gets kind of stew like and gelatinous, so dogs can’t really pick around things the way they do with dry food.
Technically it starts off dry, but once it’s prepared properly it feels much closer to wet food overall.
Purina Pro Plan feels like one of the best middle ground dog foods out there.
Not everybody can afford premium fresh food, especially when you have a large breed dog eating like a teenage linebacker every day.
That’s why I respect Pro Plan. It feels like a good balance between affordability, nutrition, convenience, and quality.
They also offer a lot of different formulas depending on the dog’s needs. Sensitive stomach formulas. Sport formulas. Salmon recipes. Puppy formulas. Large breed formulas. Most owners can usually find something that works for their dog specifically.
And honestly, most dogs I’ve personally known that eat Pro Plan seem very healthy overall. Good energy. Healthy coats. Solid weight. Consistently good poops, which honestly tells you a lot about how a food sits with a dog.
People sometimes dismiss mainstream brands because they’re not packaged like boutique wellness products, but there’s a reason so many vets, breeders, trainers, and long time dog owners still recommend it.
It works.
Merrick is another brand I recommend pretty often.
The larger bags are actually pretty affordable for the quality, which matters when you’re feeding large dogs or multiple dogs.
I also like how many different protein options and recipes they offer. Some dogs thrive on chicken. Others do way better on fish recipes. They have canned options too.
Their limited ingredient salmon recipe in particular is one I’ve personally seen work really well.
I had a hound mix client years ago that had constant stomach problems and explosive diarrhea no matter what she ate. I recommended Merrick’s limited ingredient salmon recipe and honestly it made a huge difference. Solid stools almost immediately and way less digestive chaos overall.
That’s why I value brands like Merrick. Sometimes people obsess over trendy marketing words and forget the actual goal is simply finding food that works for your specific dog.
Stella and Chewy’s is another really solid option, especially for smaller dogs.
The food is very nutrient dense, so a little goes a long way. That’s part of why I think it makes the most practical sense for smaller breeds financially.
What I like most is the variety. Freeze dried patties. Frozen raw. Meal mixers. Toppers. Treats. There are a lot of ways to work it into your dog’s diet.
The products also store surprisingly well compared to some raw feeding setups that make your freezer look like you’re preparing for the apocalypse.
Dogs usually go crazy for it too.
Overall if you have a smaller dog and want something premium, nutrient rich, and easy to work into your routine, Stella and Chewy’s is a really good option.
I generally support raw feeding when it’s done responsibly.
I think there’s a strong argument that dogs were biologically designed to eat more natural and nutrient dense foods instead of heavily processed diets. But honestly the raw feeding debate could be an entire article by itself because people get extremely passionate about it.
What I like about We Feed Raw is that it makes raw feeding feel more realistic and structured for the average dog owner.
Raw feeding is expensive. Meat is expensive. Everybody knows that.
But compared to some raw brands this one feels relatively cost efficient for the quality.
I’ve also noticed certain breeds seem to thrive on diets like this. Huskies. Shepherds. Malinois. Highly athletic working dogs. Some dogs just seem physically built for very high quality protein heavy diets.
The ingredient quality feels solid, the food is nutrient dense, and overall it feels like a cleaner approach to feeding.
And honestly knowing exactly what your dog is eating feels reassuring compared to staring at a bag trying to decode mystery ingredients.
Pedigree gets criticized constantly online because people say it’s overly processed.
And compared to fresher foods on this list, sure, it absolutely is more processed.
But I also think people online sometimes become detached from reality when discussing dog food.
I had a Chihuahua growing up that ate basically nothing but Pedigree from the local bodega for most of her life. Back then I didn’t know what I know now. I wasn’t researching ingredients or comparing nutrition labels online.
And honestly? She did completely fine on it.
She lived to around 15 years old, stayed healthy and active most of her life, and only passed after suffering a sudden heart attack later in life.
That experience shaped how I look at dog food overall.
Do I think there are healthier options today? Absolutely.
But I also think some people act like anything less than handcrafted organic elk stew means you don’t love your dog properly.
Pedigree may not be luxury wellness food, but it has helped a lot of dogs live long lives with families that cared deeply about them.
And honestly, that matters too.
Diamond Naturals is a brand I’ve seen used a lot with highly active dogs and large breeds.
Now to be clear, this is just my personal observation from years around dogs, not veterinary advice.
But a lot of large breed owners and breeders seem to really like this food because it’s nutrient dense, calorie dense, and relatively affordable for the bag sizes.
It also tends to be higher in protein depending on the formula, which works really well for some dogs but may not be ideal for others depending on their health needs. Definitely something worth discussing with your vet.
I’ve seen a lot of active dogs thrive on it though.
Large breed breeders especially seem to like it because feeding giant dogs gets expensive quickly, and Diamond Naturals offers a pretty solid balance between cost efficiency and nutrition.
Slightly processed? Sure.
But there’s always a trade off somewhere with dog food.
Freshpet is one of those budget friendly dog foods that I genuinely respect.
And there’s a difference between affordable dog food and genuinely bad dog food.
There are absolutely some foods out there that feel overly artificial and questionable ingredient wise. Freshpet doesn’t really fall into that category for me.
At the end of the day it’s still meat based fresh food to some degree depending on the recipe. It feels noticeably less processed than a lot of ultra cheap dry foods sitting on shelves forever.
Dogs also seem to love it.
One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that most dogs digest Freshpet pretty well overall. I honestly can’t personally remember seeing a dog get seriously sick from it or react terribly to it.
Obviously every dog is different and this is just based on my own lived experience, not medical advice. But from what I’ve personally observed it tends to sit safely in that middle ground where most dogs tolerate it well.
I also think mixing it into dry food is a really smart compromise for a lot of households.
Not every owner has the budget for fully fresh diets full time, and honestly that’s okay.
Honestly, in my opinion, cooking for your dog is probably the best option overall if you have the time, knowledge, and budget for it.
The biggest advantage is control.
You control the ingredient quality yourself. Grass fed beef. High quality turkey. Sweet potatoes. Blueberries. Sardines. Goat milk. Fresh vegetables. Real food.
And honestly dogs thrive on fresh whole foods when it’s done properly.
You’ve probably seen those videos online where people prepare elaborate meals with supplements, powders, turmeric, bone broth, and what basically looks like a Michelin star tasting menu for a Golden Retriever.
And yeah, sometimes it feels a little extra.
But honestly? A lot of it probably is healthier for dogs.
At the same time I also understand reality. Not everybody has the time, freezer space, energy, or financial flexibility to cook fresh meals consistently. Life gets busy. As a dog walker, I get it.
Social media sometimes makes people feel guilty if they’re not feeding their dog like a celebrity wellness influencer every night. The truth is even improving your dog’s diet slightly can make a meaningful difference.
This article is based on the author’s real world experience and professional observations. AI tools assisted in formatting the article for readability, organization and flow.
