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ORIJEN Grain-Free High-Protein Small Breed Puppy Dry Dog Food, 4-lb bag
ORIJEN

Grain-Free High-Protein Small Breed Puppy Dry Dog Food, 4-lb bag

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
dry $8.00/lb

Graded by The Sniff System

In plain English

ORIJEN Grain-Free High-Protein Small Breed Puppy is a dry food formulated for puppies, featuring chicken, salmon, and turkey as its main protein sources.

This formula has a strong protein profile, with chicken as the first ingredient, which means good quality protein for your puppy. It also uses quality fat sources that are clearly named. Plus, this food has undergone AAFCO feeding trials to substantiate its suitability for growth.

Nothing concerning in the deck.

Good fit for small breed puppies. 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 lower-energy small companion breeds, including the French Bulldog, navigating a sensitive stomach. Chicken leads at position 1, but 5 stacked proteins make isolating triggers harder. Worth watching: calorie density (494 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 puppy 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.

Why this score

Sniff scored this formula 71/100, landing in B-tier territory. The biggest contributor was protein quality (+22 points): Strong protein profile with chicken 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 4-point gap to A-tier sits mostly in carbohydrate quality (8 of 16 possible). Full carbohydrate quality requires whole-grain or single-source carbohydrates with a declared fermentable fiber.

What lifted the score

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

PQI

Quality fat sources: named fat with declared fat sources.

FQI

AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for growth.

ACF
What pulled it down

No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.

What sets this apart
  • Lowest DMB protein in ORIJEN's lineup (43.2%)
  • Top 1% for crude fiber in grain-free dry kibbles (15.9% DMB)
  • Lowest carb quality in ORIJEN's lineup (8/16)

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.

Better match
Higher score, similar formulation
ORIJEN Amazing Grains Original High-Protein Dry Dog Food, 30-lb bag
ORIJEN

ORIJEN Amazing Grains Original High-Protein Dry Dog Food, 30-lb bag

81

Scores 10 points higher with a similar formulation profile.

Best value
Lower price, comparable score
ORIJEN Original Grain-Free High-Protein Dry Dog Food, 31-lb bag
ORIJEN

ORIJEN Original Grain-Free High-Protein Dry Dog Food, 31-lb bag

74

$4.32/lb vs your seed's $8.00/lb (46% 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: 43% ⓘ
Protein
38%
min (as fed)
Fat
19%
min (as fed)
Fiber
14%
max (as fed)
Moisture
12%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

58 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    chicken

    Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.

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

  2. 2
    salmon

    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.

  3. 3
    turkey

    Real meat. Lean protein, good amino acid profile, often well-tolerated by dogs sensitive to chicken.

    Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.

  4. 4
    whiting
  5. 5
    haddock

    Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.

  6. 6
    dehydrated turkey

    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.

  7. 7
    dehydrated chicken

    Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.

    Position 7: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.

  8. 8
    dehydrated herring

    Whole fish, naturally high in omega-3s and very digestible protein. Common in premium formulas.

    Position 8: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.

  9. 9
    dehydrated chicken liver

    Organ meat. Dense in protein, iron, vitamin A, and the B vitamins. Among the most nutrient-rich ingredients a dog can eat.

    Position 9. Functional organ inclusion. Adds amino acids and micronutrients even at smaller weight.

  10. 10
    dehydrated egg

    Whole eggs. The highest-quality protein on any ingredient label, by amino acid score.

    Position 10: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.

  11. 11
    red lentils

    Same concern as other lentils. Affordable plant protein, part of the legume stack the FDA examined. See why →

    Position 11. Trace inclusion. Below the level associated with the FDA's DCM-pattern concerns.

  12. 12
    pinto beans

    Position 12. Trace inclusion. Below the level associated with the FDA's DCM-pattern concerns.

  13. 13
    chicken giblets

    Position 13. Small organ inclusion. Functional but not a primary contributor to the protein profile.

  14. 14
    eggs

    Whole eggs. The highest-quality protein on any ingredient label by amino acid score.

    Position 14: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.

  15. 15
    turkey giblets

    Position 15. Small organ inclusion. Functional but not a primary contributor to the protein profile.

  16. 16
    chicken fat

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

  17. 17
    wholegreen lentils
  18. 18
    navy beans
  19. 19
    chickpeas

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

  20. 20
    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 →

  21. 21
    natural flavor

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

  22. 22
    pollock oil
  23. 23
    driedapple pomace
  24. 24
    green mussels
  25. 25
    dried kelp

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

Showing first 25 of 58. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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