High Prairie Puppy Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, 28-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy Formula is a grain-free dry food for puppies, featuring water buffalo, lamb meal, and egg product.
The protein quality is good, with lamb meal providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality fat sources like chicken fat and marine oil, which is a good source of EPA and DHA. The formula adds diverse, highly bioavailable protein from egg product, roasted bison, and roasted venison.
The formula contains high legume stacking, with garbanzo beans, peas, and pea flour all appearing in the top 10 ingredients. This is a pattern the FDA flagged in its DCM investigation, but the presence of organ meats helps mitigate it.
Good fit for puppies of any size. Less ideal if you prefer foods without significant legume content.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for puppy Labrador Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating weight management. At 415 kcal/cup this formula runs on the rich side, with crude fiber at 5% (above the catalog median, supports satiety). Labs are the canonical food-motivated breed. Weight management is the dominant practical concern, even more than breed-specific health risks. 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 puppy 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 2 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- Brooks et al., 2014diagnostic · protocol · satiety· cited in 3 claims
- 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Sniff scored this formula 66/100, landing in B-tier territory. The biggest contributor was protein quality (+15 points): Reasonable protein quality. lamb meal delivers solid amino acid coverage. The biggest detractor was controversial-ingredient penalty (-2 points): Contains high legume stacking. Multiple pulse-family ingredients in top 15. Mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat (natural taurine precursor) in top 10. To reach A-tier, this formula would need to gain about 9 points, most likely through controversial-ingredient penalty.
Reasonable protein quality. lamb meal delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
Contains high legume stacking. Multiple pulse-family ingredients in top 15. Mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat (natural taurine precursor) in top 10..
- Bottom quartile for protein quality in Taste of the Wild's lineup (14.9/27)
- Top quartile for DMB fat in dry kibbles (18.9%)
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.
Taste of the Wild Ancient Wetlands with Ancient Grains Dry Dog Food, 28-lb bag
Scores 16 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Taste of the Wild High Prairie Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, 28-lb bag
$2.11/lb vs your seed's $2.14/lb (2% less) at a comparable score.
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Large Breed Puppy High Protein Natural Chicken & Wholesome Grains Dry Dog Food, 28-lb bag
Chicken instead of lamb, 15 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.
- 1water buffalo
- 2protein animallamb meal
Lamb cooked down to a dry concentrate. Per pound, more protein than fresh lamb. See why →
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3vegetablesweet potato
Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.
Position 3: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 4protein animalegg product
Processed whole eggs. Same nutritional profile as fresh eggs, just shelf-stable.
Position 4: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 5legumegarbanzo beans
Same as chickpeas. Part of the legume stack the FDA investigated. See why →
Position 5. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.
- 6legumepeas
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 →
Position 6. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 7legumepea flour
Powdered peas, usually used as a binder or filler. Counts toward the legume stack the FDA flagged.
Position 7. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 8fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 8: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 9dried yeast
Natural source of B vitamins and trace minerals. Adds a savory flavor that dogs respond well to.
- 10roasted bison
Position 10: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 11roasted venison
Position 11: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.
- 12protein animalbeef
Real meat. Dense in protein and iron. Some dogs are sensitive to it, but for most it's an excellent base.
Position 12: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.
- 13dried tomato pomace
The fiber-rich byproduct of tomato processing. Sometimes flagged unfairly. It's a real fiber source, not a filler shortcut.
Position 13: trace fiber inclusion.
- 14othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 15fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 15: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 16protein animalfish meal
Concentrated fish protein, usually whitefish, herring, or mackerel. Strong amino acid profile. See why →
- 17fatsalmon oil
Pure omega-3s. The thing skin-and-coat formulas are usually built around.
- 18mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 19supplementdl-methionine
Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.
- 20mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 21supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 22supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 23fiberdried chicory root
Natural prebiotic. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria. The same compound (inulin) used in human gut-health products.
- 24supplementyucca schidigera extract
Plant extract added to reduce stool odor. Functional, not nutritional. Fine in trace amounts.
- 25tomatoes
Real fruit. Lycopene and trace antioxidants. Different from tomato pomace, which is the fiber byproduct.
Showing first 25 of 53. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
22 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.