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Blackwood Grain-Free Salmon & Field Pea Recipe All Life Stages Dry Dog Food, 4.5-lb bag
Blackwood

Grain-Free Salmon & Field Pea Recipe All Life Stages Dry Dog Food, 4.5-lb bag

Evidence Fair
dry all life stages $4.66/lb

Graded by The Sniff System

In plain English

Blackwood Grain-Free Salmon & Field Pea Recipe is a dry food for all life stages, featuring salmon as its primary protein source.

This formula has a strong protein profile, with salmon as the first ingredient and salmon meal right after, which is a good sign for bioavailability. It also uses quality named fat sources like canola oil and chicken fat. This combination of fresh meat and same-species meal is a solid approach for dry food.

The formula does contain high legume stacking, with peas, chickpeas, and lentils all appearing in the top five ingredients. The driver notes this is mitigated, likely by other aspects of the formula.

Good fit for dogs of all life stages, especially those who do well on a salmon-based diet. Nothing serious working against it.

Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.

Who this is for

Good fit for adult French Bulldogs and similar lower-energy companion breeds navigating a sensitive stomach. Salmon leads at position 1. Worth watching: calorie density (462 kcal/cup) is rich for a lower-activity breed. Frenchies have notoriously sensitive GI tracts plus a tendency toward obesity given their low activity needs. Limited-ingredient formulas with moderate calorie density tend to fit them well.

Looking at this for adult French Bulldogs or French Bulldogs with a sensitive stomach ? We are building dedicated pages for these combinations.

Auto-matched from this product's measurements (ingredients, life stage, calorie density) to a breed archetype. Not a substitute for vet input on your specific dog.

Research informing this analysis

Methodology

The Sniff System grades this product against 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.

Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.

Why this score

Sniff scored this formula 72/100, landing in B-tier territory. The biggest contributor was protein quality (+24 points): Strong protein profile with salmon as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. The biggest detractor was controversial-ingredient penalty (-2 points): Contains high legume stacking. Multiple pulse-family ingredients in top 15. Mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat (natural taurine precursor) in top 10. The gap to A-tier is small (3.0 points). Trimming controversial-ingredient penalty would likely close it.

What lifted the score

Strong protein profile with salmon as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.

PQI

Quality fat sources: named fat with declared fat sources.

FQI

Named fresh meat paired with same-species meal, a strong extrusion architecture.

STACK
What pulled it down

Contains high legume stacking. Multiple pulse-family ingredients in top 15. Mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat (natural taurine precursor) in top 10..

CIP
What sets this apart
  • Top 10% for caloric density in Blackwood's lineup (462 kcal/cup)
  • Bottom 10% for crude fiber in Blackwood's lineup (4.4% DMB)
  • Top 10% for protein quality in Blackwood's lineup (24/27)

Computed against the rest of our catalog. Percentiles refresh on each catalog update.

Similar dog foods worth considering

Three lenses on products with formulation profiles similar to this one.

Better match
Higher score, similar formulation
Merrick Grain-Free Real Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food, 4-lb bag
Merrick

Merrick Grain-Free Real Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food, 4-lb bag

73

Scores 1 point higher with a similar formulation profile.

Best value
Lower price, comparable score
CANIDAE All Life Stages Real Salmon & Ancient Grains Recipe Dry Dog Food, 27-lb bag
CANIDAE

CANIDAE All Life Stages Real Salmon & Ancient Grains Recipe Dry Dog Food, 27-lb bag

67

$1.85/lb vs your seed's $4.66/lb (60% less) at a comparable score.

Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.

Guaranteed analysis
Dry-matter protein: 29% ⓘ
Protein
26%
min (as fed)
Fat
18%
min (as fed)
Fiber
4%
max (as fed)
Moisture
10%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

55 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    salmon

    Real fish meat. Natural source of omega-3s, which kibble usually has to add back from oil.

    Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.

  2. 2
    salmon meal

    Salmon cooked into a dry concentrate. Carries both protein and natural omega-3s in one ingredient. See why →

    Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.

  3. 3
    peas

    Cheap protein bulk. Fine in small amounts, but when peas stack with lentils and chickpeas in the top ingredients, it's the pattern the FDA flagged in its heart-disease investigation. See why →

    Position 3. Pulse-family ingredient this high in the deck is a notable build choice. When stacked with other pulses in the top 10, matches the formulation pattern the FDA flagged in its diet-associated DCM investigation.

  4. 4
    chickpeas

    Also called garbanzo beans. Affordable plant protein source, part of the legume stack the FDA examined in its heart-disease investigation. See why →

    Position 4. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.

  5. 5
    lentils

    Same concern as peas. Affordable plant protein, but when they pile up in the top 5 ingredients, it's a flag. See why →

    Position 5. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.

  6. 6
    whitefish meal

    Whitefish cooked into a dry concentrate. Strong protein source, common in premium formulas.

    Position 6: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.

  7. 7
    tapioca

    Starch from cassava root. Highly digestible energy source, but pure starch with minimal nutrition beyond that.

  8. 8
    canola oil

    Plant oil. Some omega-3 from the parent plant, though dogs absorb it less efficiently than fish-derived omega-3. Fine in moderation.

    Position 8: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.

  9. 9
    potato

    Standard white potato. Steady carb source, common starch in grain-free recipes.

    Position 9: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.

  10. 10
    brewers dried yeast

    Yeast left over from brewing. Rich in B vitamins and amino acids. A traditional and well-tolerated inclusion.

  11. 11
    chicken fat

    Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →

    Position 11: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.

  12. 12
    dried tomato pomace

    The fiber-rich byproduct of tomato processing. Sometimes flagged unfairly. It's a real fiber source, not a filler shortcut.

    Position 12: trace fiber inclusion.

  13. 13
    natural flavor

    Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.

  14. 14
    dicalcium phosphate

    Calcium and phosphorus combined. Required source of both minerals, especially in formulas without much bone content.

  15. 15
    salt

    Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.

  16. 16
    inulin

    Prebiotic fiber that feeds beneficial gut bacteria. Same compound found in chicory root.

  17. 17
    calcium carbonate

    Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.

  18. 18
    dried kelp

    Natural source of iodine and trace minerals. A common premium-brand inclusion.

  19. 19
    apple

    Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.

  20. 20
    cranberries

    Often added with a urinary-tract-support marketing angle. Real cranberry compounds help in concentrate form, but kibble doses are small.

  21. 21
    blueberries

    Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.

  22. 22
    pumpkin

    Soluble fiber that supports stool quality. Mild and well-tolerated.

  23. 23
    choline chloride

    Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.

  24. 24
    taurine

    Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.

  25. 25
    dl-methionine

    Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.

Showing first 25 of 55. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

25 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.

AAFCO statement

Nutritionally Complete & Balanced: Blackwood Chicken Meal with Ancient Grains Recipe for Puppies and Performance Dogs food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles for all life stages including for growth of large size dogs (70 lb or more as an adult).