Pork Recipe Freeze-Dried Dog Food, 14-oz bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Shepherd Boy Farms Pork Recipe Freeze-Dried Dog Food is a freeze-dried food built around pork and pork liver.
The protein quality is reasonable, with pork providing solid amino acid coverage. It includes quality carbohydrate sources that offer fermentable fiber. The formula also features organ meats like pork heart and liver, plus egg, for diverse, highly bioavailable protein.
The main thing to watch is the lack of an AAFCO statement, which means its nutritional completeness is unverified. This absence capped its overall score.
Good fit for dogs whose owners prioritize a freeze-dried format and whole animal ingredients. Less ideal if you need AAFCO verification for nutritional completeness.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
The landmark 14-year Purina Lifespan Study on 48 Labrador Retrievers demonstrated that dogs fed 25% fewer calories lived a median of 1.8 years longer and delayed the onset of chronic diseases. Strong fit for adult Labrador Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating weight management. At 257 kcal/cup this formula runs on the lean side, with crude fiber at 6% (above the catalog median, supports satiety). The 2014 AAHA Weight Management Guidelines define overweight as a Body Condition Score (BCS) of 6-7 on a 9-point scale. A score of 8 or 9 indicates obesity, representing 20-30% and >30% above ideal body weight, respectively (Brooks et al., 2014) .
Looking at this for adult Labrador Retrievers or Labrador Retrievers with weight management ? 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 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- Brooks et al., 2014diagnostic · protocol · satiety· cited in 5 claims
- APOP, 2023prevalence
- Raffan et al., 2016genetics
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
At 59/100, this formula lands mid-pack. The lift comes from protein quality, worth 19 points to the final number: Reasonable protein quality. pork delivers solid amino acid coverage. The ceiling on this score is 59, set 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). The fix path: the brand publishing the AAFCO statement. That would lift the cap and put this formula above the B-band line at 60.
Reasonable protein quality. pork delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
- Lowest fat quality in Shepherd Boy Farms's lineup (6/16)
- Top 5% for DMB fat in grain-inclusive freeze-dried foods (40.2%)
- Lowest carb quality in Shepherd Boy Farms's lineup (15/16)
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.
Stella & Chewy's Purely Pork Freeze-Dried Raw Dinner Patties Dog Food, 14-oz bag
Scores 4 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Simple Food Project Duck Recipe Freeze-Dried Dog Food, 6-lb box
$18.75/lb vs your seed's $43.20/lb (57% less) at a comparable score.
Simple Food Project Bison Recipe Freeze-Dried Dog Food, 6-lb box
Bison instead of pork, 4 points higher, 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 animalpork
Real meat. Dense protein and fat, though less common in dog food than chicken or beef.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2pork heart
Position 2. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 3protein animalpork liver
Organ meat. Dense in B vitamins, iron, and vitamin A. Among the most nutritious ingredients on any label.
Position 3. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 4pork kidney
Position 4. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 5egg
Whole eggs. The highest-quality protein on any ingredient label, by amino acid score.
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6goat milk
Position 6: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 7fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 7: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 8vegetablesweet potato
Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.
Position 8: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 9supplementkelp
Seaweed source of iodine. Trace mineral support, common in better formulas.
- 10vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
Position 10: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 11fruitapples
Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.
Position 11: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 12fruitblueberries
Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.
Position 12: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 13cod liver oil
Position 13. Small organ inclusion. Functional but not a primary contributor to the protein profile.
- 14pumpkin seeds
- 15vegetablespinach
Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.
Position 15: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 16fiberchicory root
Prebiotic fiber that supports gut bacteria. A genuine functional ingredient, not marketing.
- 17fruitcranberries
Often added with a urinary-tract-support marketing angle. Real cranberry compounds help in concentrate form, but kibble doses are small.
- 18supplementginger
Real spice. Some anti-nausea evidence in humans, but the dose in kibble is small. Mostly for flavor.
- 19preservative naturalmixed tocopherols
Natural vitamin E used to keep fats from going rancid. The good kind of preservative. See why →
- 20probioticlactobacillus acidophilus
- 21lactobacillus casei
- 22bifidobacterium bifidum
14 of 22 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.