Ancient Prairie with Ancient Grains Dry Dog Food, 28-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Taste of the Wild Ancient Prairie with Ancient Grains is a dry dog food featuring water buffalo, pork, and chicken meal, formulated for adult dogs.
This dry food offers good protein quality, with pork contributing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources that provide fermentable fiber. The fat sources are high quality, featuring named fats and marine oil for EPA and DHA.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for 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.
Good fit for active large sporting breeds like Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and Irish Setters navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Working in its favor: taurine listed as added ingredient. Pork anchors position 2, with zero pulses in the top 15. In its 2022 update on diet-associated DCM, the FDA identified Golden Retrievers as the most reported breed, with 121 cases out of 1,382 total canine reports (8.8%) received between January 1, 2014, and November 1, 2022 (FDA, 2022) .
Looking at this for adult 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 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- FDA, 2022cardiac · epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 5 claims
- FDA, 2019diet composition· cited in 2 claims
- NRC, 2006nutrient bioavailability
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Strong grade. 76/100 (A) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+18 points): Reasonable protein quality. pork delivers solid amino acid coverage. The supporting beat: carbohydrate quality (+16 points). Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Reasonable protein quality. pork delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Lowest crude fiber in Taste of the Wild's lineup (3.3% DMB)
- Top 10% for caloric density in Taste of the Wild's lineup (445 kcal/cup)
- Top 10% for overall Sniff Score in Taste of the Wild's lineup (76/100)
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.
ACANA Wholesome Large Breed Adult Grains Dry Dog Food, 22.5-lb bag
Scores 7 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
CANIDAE All Life Stages Real Chicken & Ancient Grains Recipe Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
$1.62/lb vs your seed's $2.11/lb (23% 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.
- 1water buffalo
- 2protein animalpork
Real meat. Dense protein and fat, though less common in dog food than chicken or beef.
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3protein animalchicken meal
Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken. See why →
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 4grain sorghum
Same as sorghum. Whole grain with a low glycemic index. Gluten-free, well-tolerated.
Position 4: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 5grainmillet
Gluten-free whole grain. Fine for most dogs, often used as an alternative to rice.
Position 5: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb 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.
- 7cracked pearled barley
Pre-cracked pearled barley for better digestibility. Same whole-grain story.
Position 7. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 8dried yeast
Natural source of B vitamins and trace minerals. Adds a savory flavor that dogs respond well to.
- 9roasted bison
Position 9: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 10roasted venison
Position 10: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 11othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 12fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 12: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 13protein animalbeef
Real meat. Dense in protein and iron. Some dogs are sensitive to it, but for most it's an excellent base.
Position 13: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.
- 14grainquinoa
Pseudo-grain with a complete amino acid profile. Rare in dog food because it's expensive.
Position 14: minor grain inclusion.
- 15chia seed
Plant source of omega-3 and fiber. Like flaxseed, useful in trace amounts.
- 16dried tomato pomace
The fiber-rich byproduct of tomato processing. Sometimes flagged unfairly. It's a real fiber source, not a filler shortcut.
- 17fatsalmon oil
Pure omega-3s. The thing skin-and-coat formulas are usually built around.
- 18mineraldicalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus combined. Required source of both minerals, especially in formulas without much bone content.
- 19mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 20mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 21mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 22supplementdl-methionine
Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.
- 23supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 24supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 25fiberdried chicory root
Natural prebiotic. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria. The same compound (inulin) used in human gut-health products.
Showing first 25 of 56. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
22 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.