Dry Dog Food

Kibble is the most common way to feed a dog for good reason: it is easy to measure into precise portions, cheap to store, and ideal for slow feeders and puzzle toys that keep busy dogs occupied. The dryness also gives the teeth a little abrasive help, though it does not replace dental care. What varies enormously is quality, so the real decision is choosing a complete, meat-first kibble matched to your dog rather than the cheapest bag on the shelf.

Kibble vs Air-Dried Dog Food

Traditional kibble is the most common and economical format: complete, balanced, and easy to store and portion. Air-dried food, such as Prime100, is a concentrated, minimally processed option that many dogs find highly palatable and that suits single-protein or elimination diets. Kibble size matters too, with smaller pieces for little mouths and larger ones for big breeds.

Dry Dog Food by Breed Size

Dogs are unusual in needing food matched to their size, because a 4kg Chihuahua and a 40kg Labrador grow, burn energy and age very differently.

• Small breeds suit a small breed dry dog food with smaller, energy-dense kibble for fast metabolisms.
• Medium breeds do well on a medium breed dry dog food built for balanced everyday nutrition.
• Large breeds need a large breed dry dog food with controlled calcium and joint support for growing bones and ageing joints.

Dry Dog Food by Life Stage

A dog's nutritional needs shift with age, so feeding to life stage helps keep them in healthy condition.

• Puppies need a puppy dry dog food, a growth formula higher in protein, energy and calcium.
• Adults do well on an adult dry dog food fed to body condition.
• Seniors benefit from a senior dry dog food with adjusted protein, joint support and easier-to-chew kibble.

Comparing Dry vs Wet Dog Food

Many dogs do best on a combination, feeding kibble topped with a little wet dog food for taste and moisture.

Why Choose Vet-Recommended Over Supermarket Dog Food?

Supermarket dog food can be complete and balanced, but it is usually built to a price, which tends to mean less meat, more grain and plant fillers, and a single recipe stretched across every dog. Every product we stock is vet-verified: checked against clinical standards by a vet before it earns a place in our range. In practice that means diets led by a named animal protein, made in size, life-stage and condition-specific recipes, with many backed by feeding trials rather than a formula that only works on paper. It comes down to the same principle our vets use when recommending a diet: match the food to the dog, and start with the quality of what goes in.

What to Look For on a Dog Food Label

A quality dry dog food leads with a named animal protein and is complete and balanced to the standards of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) or the Pet Food Industry Association of Australia (PFIAA) for your dog's life stage. Here is what to check on any label, whatever the brand:

• Named meat first (chicken, lamb, salmon), not a vague “meat” or “animal by-product”.
• “Chicken meal” is a good sign, not a red flag: it is named meat with the water removed, so it is concentrated protein. The one to avoid is unnamed “meat meal”.
• No added sugar or artificial colour, and whole ingredients over heavy fillers.

“Most pet parents I see are doing better than they think. The biggest shift I encourage is simply moving from reading the front of the bag to reading the back.”

— Dr Jack Ayerbe OAM, Veterinarian & Vets Love Pets Partner

Read his guide to what matters in dog food ingredients.

Storing Dry Dog Food

Keep kibble in its original bag inside an airtight container in a cool, dry place, and use it within about six weeks of opening. Air, heat and light turn the fats rancid over time, so a sealed bag inside a container keeps it freshest.

Trusted Dry Dog Food Brands

• Royal Canin: precise size, life-stage and condition-specific recipes, with an extensive veterinary range.
• Hill's: clinically backed everyday and prescription diets developed with vets.
• Purina Pro Plan: complete everyday nutrition and a dedicated veterinary diets line.
• Advance: Australian-made recipes tailored to breed size and life stage.
• Prime100: single-protein and air-dried options, useful for elimination diets and food-sensitive dogs.

Want to Learn More?

• Compare options in our vets' best dog food guide.
• New puppy? See puppy dry dog food.
• Older dog? Read our best senior dog food picks.