CORE Puppy Grain-Free High-Protein Natural Chicken & Turkey Dry Dog Food, 26-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Wellness CORE Puppy Grain-Free High-Protein Natural Chicken & Turkey Dry Dog Food is a dry food for puppies, featuring deboned chicken, chicken, and turkey as its main proteins.
This formula 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 adds 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 puppies 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.
Toy and miniature breeds need smaller kibble size and higher calorie density per gram. Look for explicit 'small breed' formulations. Good fit for moderately active toy breeds, including the Toy Poodle, navigating a sensitive stomach. Deboned chicken leads at position 1, with dried plain beet pulp (prebiotic fiber) at position 8 on the deck. What to watch: multiple protein sources stacked (harder to isolate triggers).
Looking at this for puppy Toy Poodles or Toy Poodles 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 73/100, 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 2-point gap to the A-tier line is concentrated in protein quality (21 of 27 possible). Full protein quality requires named-species named-cut proteins in the top of the deck (e.g., "deboned chicken" rather than "chicken meal" or "poultry meal").
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.
- Top 5% for DMB protein in dry kibbles (40.0%)
- Top quartile for caloric density in Wellness's lineup (471 kcal/cup)
- Top quartile for overall Sniff Score in Wellness's lineup (73/100)
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.
Wellness CORE Digestive Health Sensitive Stomach Adult Wholesome Grains High-Protein Natural Chicken Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag
Scores 9 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Wellness Complete Health Puppy Wholesome Grains Natural Chicken, Oatmeal, & Salmon Dry Dog Food, 30-lb bag
$2.33/lb vs your seed's $3.08/lb (24% 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.
- 3protein animalturkey meal
Turkey with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh turkey. See why →
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 4vegetablepotato
Standard white potato. Steady carb source, common starch in grain-free recipes.
Position 4: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 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.
- 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.
- 7fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 7: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 8dried 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 8: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 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.
- 17supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 18vegetablespinach
Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.
- 19vegetablebroccoli
Real vegetable. Adds fiber and some antioxidants. Fine in the small amounts used in kibble.
- 20vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
- 21supplementparsley
Real herb. Trace amount of vitamins K and C. The dose in kibble is small, mostly there for label appeal.
- 22fruitapples
Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.
- 23fruitblueberries
Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.
- 24vegetablekale
Leafy green with antioxidants and fiber. Small dose in kibble, but it's not just for marketing.
- 25mixed tocopherols added to preserve freshness
Natural vitamin E used as a preservative. The good kind of antioxidant on a label. See why →
Showing first 25 of 53. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
25 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.