Wilderness Red Meat & Grains Rocky Mountain Recipe High-Protein Puppy Dry Dog Food, 28-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Red Meat & Grains Rocky Mountain Recipe is a high-protein dry food for puppies, featuring beef and salmon as its main protein sources.
This formula boasts a strong protein profile, with beef as the primary ingredient, which means high biological value for your puppy. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources with good fiber content and quality fat sources like named fat and marine oil, providing beneficial EPA and DHA.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for puppies of any size. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Labs are the canonical food-motivated breed. Weight management is the dominant practical concern, even more than breed-specific health risks. Strong fit for active large sporting breeds, including the Labrador Retriever, navigating weight management. At 428 kcal/cup this formula runs on the rich side, with crude fiber at 5% (above the catalog median, supports satiety). The 2014 AAHA Weight Management Guidelines define overweight as a Body Condition Score (BCS) of 6-7 on a 9-point scale. A score of 8 or 9 indicates obesity, representing 20-30% and >30% above ideal body weight, respectively (Brooks et al., 2014) .
Looking at this for puppy Labrador Retrievers or Labrador Retrievers with weight management ? 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
MethodologyThe Sniff System grades this product against 2 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- Brooks et al., 2014diagnostic · protocol · satiety· cited in 3 claims
- Raffan et al., 2016genetics
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
At 81/100, this formula sits near the top of our catalog. The lift comes from protein quality, worth 26 points to the final number: Strong protein profile with beef as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. Secondary contribution comes from carbohydrate quality (+13 points). Quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber.
Strong protein profile with beef as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Top 2% for protein quality in Blue Buffalo's lineup (26.2/27)
- Bottom quartile for crude fiber in Blue Buffalo's lineup (5.6% DMB)
- Top 2% for DMB protein in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (40.0%)
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.
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Red Meat & Grains Rocky Mountain Recipe High-Protein Large Breed Adult Dry Dog Food, 28-lb bag
Scores 2 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Chicken Recipe High-Protein Adult Dry Dog Food, 28-lb bag
$2.86/lb vs your seed's $3.43/lb (17% less) at a comparable score.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1protein animalbeef
Real meat. Dense in protein and iron. Some dogs are sensitive to it, but for most it's an excellent base.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalbeef meal
Beef cooked down to a dry concentrate. More protein per pound than fresh beef. See why →
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3protein animalsalmon meal
Salmon cooked into a dry concentrate. Carries both protein and natural omega-3s in one ingredient. See why →
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 4grainoatmeal
Gentle on the stomach. Slow-release carbs and soluble fiber that supports stool quality.
Position 4: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 5grainbarley
Whole grain with a low glycemic profile and some soluble fiber. Easy on blood sugar.
Position 5: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 6grainbrown rice
Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.
Position 6: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 7dried egg product
Whole eggs with the water removed. Same nutritional value as fresh eggs, just shelf-stable.
Position 7: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 8protein plantpotato protein
Concentrated potato protein. Like pea protein, it inflates the protein number without matching meat-quality amino acids.
Position 8: moderate plant-protein boost. Less likely to materially shift the protein profile.
- 9dried tomato pomace
The fiber-rich byproduct of tomato processing. Sometimes flagged unfairly. It's a real fiber source, not a filler shortcut.
Position 9: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 10othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 11fatchicken 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.
- 12fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 12: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 13fatfish oil
Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.
Position 13. Trace marine oil. Contributes some omega-3 but well below the level that drives EPA/DHA totals.
- 14protein animalchicken meal
Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken. See why →
Position 14: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.
- 15mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 16direct dehydrated alfalfa pellets
Pelleted alfalfa with the moisture removed. Same role as alfalfa meal, fiber and minerals.
- 17mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 18protein animalvenison
Real meat, lean and gamey. Used as a novel protein for dogs with sensitivities.
- 19protein animallamb
Real meat. Often used for dogs with chicken or beef sensitivities. Slightly higher fat content than chicken.
- 20mineraldicalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus combined. Required source of both minerals, especially in formulas without much bone content.
- 21supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 22alfalfa nutrient concentrate
Concentrated alfalfa, rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. A legitimate functional ingredient.
- 23supplementdl-methionine
Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.
- 24mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 25l-threonine
Essential amino acid. Sometimes added when plant proteins dominate, since threonine is naturally lower in plants than meat.
Showing first 25 of 68. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
25 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.