Freestyle Salmon & Turkey Recipe Large Breed Puppy Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, 26-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Nulo Freestyle Salmon & Turkey Recipe Large Breed Puppy Grain-Free Dry Dog Food is a dry kibble for large breed puppies, featuring salmon and turkey as its main proteins.
This formula has a strong protein profile, with salmon as the first ingredient, which means high biological value for your dog. It also includes quality fat sources like chicken fat, and the overall protein diversity is boosted by ingredients like salmon meal and turkey meal.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for large breed puppies. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Strong fit for active large herding breeds like German Shepherds, Australian Shepherds, and German Shorthaired Pointers navigating a sensitive stomach. Salmon leads at position 1. Worth watching: multiple protein sources stacked (harder to isolate triggers). Shepherds have a documented tendency toward sensitive GI tracts and hip/elbow dysplasia. Limited-ingredient formulas with marine omega-3 source consistently fit better.
Looking at this for puppy German Shepherds or German Shepherds 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.
Sniff scored this formula 74/100, landing in B-tier territory. The biggest contributor was protein quality (+21.5 points): Strong protein profile with salmon as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. Also adding to the lift: fat quality (+11). Quality fat sources: named fat with declared fat sources. The 1-point gap to A-tier sits mostly in protein quality (21.5 of 27 possible). Full protein quality requires named-species named-cut proteins in the top of the deck (e.g., "deboned chicken" rather than "chicken meal" or "poultry meal").
Strong protein profile with salmon as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Quality fat sources: named fat with declared fat sources.
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Bottom 10% for DMB fat in Nulo's lineup (14.4%)
- Top 10% for overall Sniff Score in grain-free dry kibbles (74/100)
- Bottom 10% for carb quality in Nulo's lineup (11/16)
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 Alpine Ranch Beef, Lamb & Pork Large Breed Puppy Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag
Scores 10 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Nulo Frontrunner Ancient Grains Chicken, Oats & Turkey Puppy Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag
$2.84/lb vs your seed's $3.46/lb (18% 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 animalsalmon
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.
- 2protein animalturkey meal
Turkey with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh turkey. See why →
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3legumelentils
Same concern as peas. Affordable plant protein, but when they pile up in the top 5 ingredients, it's a flag. 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.
- 4legumechickpeas
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.
- 5vegetablesweet potato
Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.
Position 5: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 6protein animalturkey
Real meat. Lean protein, good amino acid profile, often well-tolerated by dogs sensitive to chicken.
Position 6: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 7protein animalsalmon meal
Salmon cooked into a dry concentrate. Carries both protein and natural omega-3s in one ingredient. See why →
Position 7: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 8fatground flaxseed
Cracked flaxseed for better digestibility. Same plant omega-3s as whole flaxseed, just easier for the dog to extract.
Position 8: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 9fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 9: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 10othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 11ground miscanthus grass
Same as miscanthus grass. A plant fiber source, mostly there for stool quality.
- 12mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 13dried tomatoes
Real fruit. Lycopene and trace antioxidants. Different from tomato pomace, which is the fiber byproduct.
- 14mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 15supplementdl-methionine
Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.
- 16supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 17supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 18vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 19dried apples
Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.
- 20fruitblueberries
Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.
- 21vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
- 22fiberdried chicory root
Natural prebiotic. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria. The same compound (inulin) used in human gut-health products.
- 23mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 24mineralzinc sulfate
Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.
- 25mineraliron proteinate
Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
Showing first 25 of 46. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
25 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.