Challenger Puppy & Adult Northern Catch Haddock, Salmon & Acadian Redfish Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Nulo Challenger Puppy & Adult Northern Catch Haddock, Salmon & Acadian Redfish Dry Dog Food is a dry formula for all life stages, featuring haddock, salmon, and redfish as its main proteins.
This formula boasts a strong protein profile, led by haddock, salmon, and turkey, which provides high biological value for your dog. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber and named fat sources like chicken fat, contributing to overall nutritional quality.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for puppies and adult dogs 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.
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. Salmon anchors position 2, with zero pulses in the top 15.
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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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 78/100, this formula sits near the top of our catalog. The lift comes from protein quality, worth 21 points to the final number: Strong protein profile with haddock 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 haddock 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 10% for overall Sniff Score in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (78/100)
- Top quartile for DMB fat in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (20.0%)
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.
Nulo Challenger Puppy & Adult Alpine Ranch Beef, Lamb & Pork Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag
Scores 6 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.
- 1haddock
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalsalmon
Real fish meat. Natural source of omega-3s, which kibble usually has to add back from oil.
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.
- 4protein animalturkey meal
Turkey with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh turkey. 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.
- 7grainmillet
Gluten-free whole grain. Fine for most dogs, often used as an alternative to rice.
Position 7: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 8fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 8: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 9grainbarley
Whole grain with a low glycemic profile and some soluble fiber. Easy on blood sugar.
Position 9: minor grain inclusion.
- 10acadian redfish
- 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.
- 13mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 14supplementdl-methionine
Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.
- 15mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 16mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 17vegetablepumpkin
Soluble fiber that supports stool quality. Mild and well-tolerated.
- 18fruitblueberries
Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.
- 19dried spinach
Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.
- 20fiberdried chicory root
Natural prebiotic. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria. The same compound (inulin) used in human gut-health products.
- 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.
- 23vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 24mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 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.
23 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.
Nulo Challenger Puppy & Adult Northern Catch Haddock, Salmon, & Acadian Redfish 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).