Challenger Puppy & Adult Gamebird Quarry Duck, Turkey & Guinea Fowl Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Nulo Challenger Puppy & Adult Gamebird Quarry Duck, Turkey & Guinea Fowl Dry Dog Food is a dry food for all life stages, featuring duck as its first ingredient.
This formula has a strong protein profile, led by duck, which provides high biological value for your dog. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber and named fat sources like chicken fat, indicating good quality fats.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for dogs of all life stages, from puppies to adults. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Goldens appeared disproportionately in the FDA's DCM reports. Pulse-heavy grain-free formulas warrant extra caution; named animal protein with organ meat or marine sources is the safer fit. Strong fit for puppy Golden Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Duck anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus salmon meal at position 4.
Looking at this for puppy Golden Retrievers or Golden Retrievers with diet-associated DCM concerns ? 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.
- FDA, 2022epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 4 claims
- FDA, 2019diet composition· cited in 2 claims
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
At 82/100, this formula sits near the top of our catalog. The lift comes from protein quality, worth 25.5 points to the final number: Strong protein profile with duck as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. Secondary contribution comes from carbohydrate quality (+16 points). Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Strong protein profile with duck as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Quality fat sources: named fat with declared fat sources.
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Top 4% for DMB protein in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (38.9%)
- Top 1% for protein quality in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (25.4/27)
- Top 2% for overall Sniff Score in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (82/100)
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.
Nulo Challenger Puppy & Adult Alpine Ranch Beef, Lamb & Pork Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag
Scores 2 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Nulo Frontrunner Ancient Grains Chicken, Oats, & Turkey Recipe High-Protein Adult Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag
$2.80/lb vs your seed's $4.42/lb (37% 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 animalduck
Real meat. Often used as a novel protein for dogs with sensitivities to chicken or beef.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalturkey
Real meat. Lean protein, good amino acid profile, often well-tolerated by dogs sensitive to chicken.
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3protein animalturkey meal
Turkey with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh turkey. See why →
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 4protein animalsalmon meal
Salmon cooked into a dry concentrate. Carries both protein and natural omega-3s in one ingredient. See why →
Position 4: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 5protein animalchicken meal
Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken. See why →
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6grainoats
Whole grain. Steady energy, soluble fiber, and well-tolerated by most dogs.
Position 6: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 7fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 7: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 8grainmillet
Gluten-free whole grain. Fine for most dogs, often used as an alternative to rice.
Position 8: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 9grainbarley
Whole grain with a low glycemic profile and some soluble fiber. Easy on blood sugar.
Position 9: minor grain inclusion.
- 10guinea fowl
Position 10: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 11ground miscanthus grass
Same as miscanthus grass. A plant fiber source, mostly there for stool quality.
- 12othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 13mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 14mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 15mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 16vegetablepumpkin
Soluble fiber that supports stool quality. Mild and well-tolerated.
- 17fruitblueberries
Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.
- 18dried spinach
Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.
- 19fiberdried chicory root
Natural prebiotic. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria. The same compound (inulin) used in human gut-health products.
- 20supplementdl-methionine
Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.
- 21supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 22supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 23mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 24vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 25mineralzinc sulfate
Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.
Showing first 25 of 46. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
24 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.
Nulo Challenger Puppy & Adult Gamebird Quarry Duck, Turkey, & Guinea Fowl Recipe Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages, except for growth of large size dogs (70 lb. or more as an adult).