Best Dog Food for Hunting Dogs

There are a lot of dog food options. But if you looking for dog food for hunting dogs the search gets a little narrower. When I got my first American Brittany pup the breeder (Ben Garcia at Hideaway Kennels) said that you wanted a 30/20 ratio of protein in your dog food for your hunting dog. Most experts agree that hunting dog food should have a 30/20 ratio of protein to fat. Ben also told us what brand to buy specifically.

A little science behind the importance of protein for a dog.

From SportDog (If you notice in my videos I do, in fact, use a SportDog Tek 2.0 system).

Iams dog food conducted a test feeding four different groups of dogs that were put through what would be considered a good workout for upland game hunting dogs 16, 24, 32, and 40 percent protein in their diets.

All the 16% protein dogs washed out of the hunting training regimen. Two of the 24% protein dogs washed out of the training. All the hunting dogs in the 32% and 40% group finished the training.

What about fat in a hunting dog’s diet

From Purina, “a dog’s metabolism relies primarily on fat for energy during rest and light to moderate intensity exercise. Ingesting higher levels of fat in the diet actually ‘primes’ or ‘metabolically conditions’ an active dog’s metabolism, even when not active or exercising.”

The list of hunting dog food contenders.

I consulted three different websites on the best hunting dog food, pawster, dogfood.guide, and dogfood.guru. Combining all three of them created a list of 19 choices. I added Walmart’s Ol’ Roy High Protein for comparison.

Dog food prices are as of the date of publication.

Comments from what I’ve learned about dog food for hunting dogs.

First of all, Do your own research. A lot of the brands start to blend together.

Look at the ingredients. Limited ingredient dog food brands still have a lot of ingredients. However, most of the time the added ingredients are added nutrients.

Some of the dog food brands’ testimony conflicts. One bosts peas as an ingredient and the next states that dogs shouldn’t have legumes or carbohydrates for that matter. Meanwhile, another brand boasts that it has sweet potatoes to aid in your dog’s digestion. At some point, you’re going to have to choose for your own what you think is best.

The wet dog food doesn’t offer a fair comparison. You’ll need to evaluate that on your own.

Ziwi was interesting. My thoughts are to go the Whole Foods and make your own dog food. It’d be cheaper. I have made my own dog food in the past. Ziwi mentions that their dog food could be used as treats. It is an interesting idea that we’re considering.

Merrick does offer dog treats and we are considering them also.

What dog food we have fed our American Brittanys in the past

This dog food is a close runner-up to what we decided on because of the price point.

Dog treats we are considering for our American Brittanys.

This is the dog food that Ben Garcia initially and we are going back to.

My conclusion about dog food for hunting dogs is that it is a science to a point. But with all the options out there it will eventually come down to an individual choice.

I hope this article helps you some in deciding on a dog food brand for your hunting dog. Please, drop a comment below on which dog food you choose and why. I’m really curious to hear what you decide. Thanks.