CORE Large Breed Puppy Grain-Free High-Protein Natural Chicken Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Wellness CORE Large Breed Puppy Grain-Free High-Protein Natural Chicken is a dry food for large breed puppies, featuring deboned chicken, chicken, and turkey as its main proteins.
This food has a strong protein profile, with deboned chicken as the first ingredient, providing high biological value. It also includes quality fat sources like chicken fat and salmon oil, which offers beneficial EPA and DHA. The combination of fresh meat and same-species meal is a good sign for how the food is made.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for large breed puppies. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Shepherds have a documented tendency toward sensitive GI tracts and hip/elbow dysplasia. Limited-ingredient formulas with marine omega-3 source consistently fit better. Strong fit for active large herding breeds like German Shepherds, Australian Shepherds, and German Shorthaired Pointers navigating a sensitive stomach. Deboned chicken leads at position 1, with dried plain beet pulp (prebiotic fiber) at position 7 on the deck. What to watch: multiple protein sources stacked (harder to isolate triggers).
Looking at this for puppy German Shepherds or German Shepherds 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.
At 72/100, this formula lands in solid B territory. The lift comes from protein quality, worth 21 points to the final number: Strong protein profile with deboned chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. Secondary contribution comes from fat quality (+12 points). Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source). The 3-point gap to the A-tier line is concentrated in carbohydrate quality (8 of 16 possible). Full carbohydrate quality requires whole-grain or single-source carbohydrates with a declared fermentable fiber.
Strong protein profile with deboned chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Named fresh meat paired with same-species meal, a strong extrusion architecture.
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Bottom 1% for carb quality in Wellness's lineup (8/16)
- Top 10% for DMB protein in dry kibbles (37.8%)
- Bottom quartile for DMB fat in grain-free dry kibbles (14.4%)
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.
Wellness CORE Digestive Health Sensitive Stomach Adult Wholesome Grains High-Protein Natural Chicken Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag
Scores 10 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Wellness Complete Health Large Breed Puppy Wholesome Grains Natural Chicken, Brown Rice, & Salmon Meal, 30-lb bag
$2.33/lb vs your seed's $3.25/lb (28% 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.
- 1protein animaldeboned chicken
Real meat with the bones removed before grinding. The cleanest version of chicken on an ingredient label.
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.
- 3legumepeas
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 3. Pulse-family ingredient this high in the deck is a notable build choice. When stacked with other pulses in the top 10, matches the formulation pattern the FDA flagged in its diet-associated DCM investigation.
- 4protein animalturkey meal
Turkey with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh turkey. See why →
Position 4: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 5legumelentils
Same concern as peas. Affordable plant protein, but when they pile up in the top 5 ingredients, it's a flag. See why →
Position 5. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.
- 6dried ground potatoes
- 7dried plain beet pulp
Beet fiber, with the sugar removed. Long unfairly maligned. It's a real soluble fiber that supports stool quality. See why →
Position 7: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 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.
- 9fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 9: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 10fatsalmon oil
Pure omega-3s. The thing skin-and-coat formulas are usually built around.
Position 10. Moderate marine-oil inclusion. Supplements EPA/DHA without being the primary fat.
- 11othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 12mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 13fiberdried chicory root
Natural prebiotic. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria. The same compound (inulin) used in human gut-health products.
Position 13: trace fiber inclusion.
- 14mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 15supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 16vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 17vegetablespinach
Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.
- 18vegetablebroccoli
Real vegetable. Adds fiber and some antioxidants. Fine in the small amounts used in kibble.
- 19vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
- 20supplementparsley
Real herb. Trace amount of vitamins K and C. The dose in kibble is small, mostly there for label appeal.
- 21fruitapples
Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.
- 22fruitblueberries
Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.
- 23vegetablekale
Leafy green with antioxidants and fiber. Small dose in kibble, but it's not just for marketing.
- 24preservative naturalmixed tocopherols
Natural vitamin E used to keep fats from going rancid. The good kind of preservative. See why →
- 25vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
Showing first 25 of 52. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
24 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.