Good Dog Food Kibble Chicken Recipe High Protein Freeze-Dried Dog Food, 3.5-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Pupford Good Dog Food Kibble Chicken Recipe is a freeze-dried food built around chicken and turkey.
This formula offers good protein quality, with chicken providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources that have fermentable fiber, and its fat sources are good, featuring named fats and marine oil for EPA and DHA.
The main thing to watch out for is the lack of an AAFCO statement, which means the nutritional completeness of this food is unverified. This absence capped its overall score.
Good fit for adult dogs whose owners prioritize quality protein and fat in a freeze-dried format. Less ideal if AAFCO verification is essential.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for lower-energy giant working breeds like Saint Bernards, Bernese Mountain Dogs, and Great Danes navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Chicken anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus chicken heart at position 14 (a natural taurine precursor). Worth watching: calorie density (502 kcal/cup) is rich for a lower-activity breed. As of the FDA's June 2019 update on diet-associated DCM, the Saint Bernard was one of the most reported breeds, with 10 cases submitted to the agency (FDA, 2019) .
Looking at this for adult Saint Bernards or Saint Bernards 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 4 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- FDA, 2022epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 4 claims
- FDA, 2019cardiac concerns with named research if dcm predisposed · diet composition· cited in 3 claims
- NRC, 2006nutrient bioavailability
- OFAcardiac concerns with named research if dcm predisposed
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Sniff scored this formula 59/100, landing in C-tier (acceptable-with-notes). The biggest contributor was protein quality (+19.5 points): Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage. A hard cap of 59 also applied because the AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement isn't disclosed on the retailer page (so our methodology can't verify the formula meets adult, growth, or all-life-stages standards). If the brand publishing the AAFCO statement were on the label, the cap would lift and this formula could clear the B-band threshold (60).
Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
- Top 3% for caloric density in grain-inclusive freeze-dried foods (502 kcal/cup)
- Bottom 10% for DMB protein in freeze-dried foods (31.1%)
- Top 10% for carb quality in freeze-dried foods (16/16)
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.
Dr. Gary's Best Breed Chicken Recipe High-Protein Adult Raw Freeze-Dried Dog Food, 12-oz bag
Scores 15 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
A Better Treat Raw You Can See Chicken Recipe High-Protein Kibble & Raw Freeze-Dried Dog Food, 15-lb bag
$4.67/lb vs your seed's $5.71/lb (18% less) at a comparable score.
Primal Kibble in the Raw Fish & Pork Recipe Non-GMO Freeze-Dried Dog Food, 24-oz bag
Pork instead of chicken, matched score, different brand.
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 animalchicken
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.
- 2protein animalchicken meal
Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken. See why →
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3grain sorghum
Same as sorghum. Whole grain with a low glycemic index. Gluten-free, well-tolerated.
Position 3: major carbohydrate source.
- 4grainmillet
Gluten-free whole grain. Fine for most dogs, often used as an alternative to rice.
Position 4: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 5protein animalturkey meal
Turkey with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh turkey. See why →
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 6: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 7fatground flaxseed
Cracked flaxseed for better digestibility. Same plant omega-3s as whole flaxseed, just easier for the dog to extract.
Position 7: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 8coconut meal
- 9grainquinoa
Pseudo-grain with a complete amino acid profile. Rare in dog food because it's expensive.
Position 9: minor grain inclusion.
- 10othernatural flavors
Same as natural flavor. Usually hydrolyzed liver or broth, adds palatability.
- 11fatsalmon oil
Pure omega-3s. The thing skin-and-coat formulas are usually built around.
Position 11. Moderate marine-oil inclusion. Supplements EPA/DHA without being the primary fat.
- 12mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 13vegetablesweet potato
Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.
Position 13: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 14protein animalchicken heart
Organ meat. Dense in taurine, B vitamins, and CoQ10. One of the best ingredients dogs can eat.
Position 14. Small organ inclusion. Functional but not a primary contributor to the protein profile.
- 15protein animalchicken liver
Organ meat. Dense in protein, iron, vitamin A, and the B vitamins. Among the most nutrient-rich ingredients a dog can eat.
Position 15. Small organ inclusion. Functional but not a primary contributor to the protein profile.
- 16chia seed
Plant source of omega-3 and fiber. Like flaxseed, useful in trace amounts.
- 17chicken cartilage
- 18mineralsea salt
Same as salt. Required at small doses for normal physiology.
- 19apple cider vinegar
- 20cod liver oil
- 21kelp meal
- 22supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 23mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 24dried beet
- 25fruitcranberries
Often added with a urinary-tract-support marketing angle. Real cranberry compounds help in concentrate form, but kibble doses are small.
Showing first 25 of 56. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
19 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.