Puppy Chicken & Rice Dry Dog Food, 16.5-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Wholesomes Puppy Chicken & Rice Dry Dog Food is a dry kibble for puppies, primarily featuring chicken and whitefish as its protein sources.
This formula offers good protein quality, with chicken meal providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources that provide fermentable fiber, and the fat sources are well-defined, like chicken fat, which is a plus.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for puppies of all sizes. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Neutral fit for medium-sized herding breeds, including the Australian Shepherd, at the puppy life stage. Chicken meal leads the deck at position 1, 33% DMB protein, 390 kcal/cup.
Looking at this for puppy Australian Shepherds ? 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 69/100, this formula lands in solid B territory. The lift comes from protein quality, worth 15.5 points to the final number: Reasonable protein quality. chicken meal delivers solid amino acid coverage. Secondary contribution comes from carbohydrate quality (+13 points). Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber. The 6-point gap to the A-tier line is concentrated in protein quality (15.5 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").
Reasonable protein quality. chicken meal delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Quality fat sources: named fat with declared fat sources.
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Lowest crude fiber in Wholesomes's lineup (4.4% DMB)
- Top 5% for DMB fat in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (22.2%)
- Top 10% for DMB protein in Wholesomes's lineup (33.3%)
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.
Lotus Wholesome Puppy Recipe Dry Dog Food, 12.5-lb bag
Scores 12 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Wholesomes Fish Meal & Rice Formula Adult Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
$1.30/lb vs your seed's $1.51/lb (14% 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 animalchicken meal
Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken. See why →
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2grainbrown rice
Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.
Position 2: major carbohydrate source.
- 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.
- 4fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 4: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 5protein animalwhitefish meal
Whitefish cooked into a dry concentrate. Strong protein source, common in premium formulas.
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6fiberbeet pulp
Soluble fiber from sugar-beet processing. Sometimes treated as a filler, but it's actually one of the better fiber sources in kibble. See why →
Position 6: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 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.
- 8fruitapples
Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.
Position 8: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 9fruitblueberries
Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.
Position 9: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 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.
- 11fruitcranberries
Often added with a urinary-tract-support marketing angle. Real cranberry compounds help in concentrate form, but kibble doses are small.
Position 11: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 12vegetablespinach
Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.
Position 12: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 13mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 14mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 15supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 16vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 17vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
- 18vitamincalcium pantothenate
Same as d-calcium pantothenate. Vitamin B5 in standardized form.
- 19vitaminvitamin a supplement
Vitamin A in stable, standardized form. Required for vision, immune function, and growth.
- 20vitaminriboflavin supplement
B vitamin (B2). Required in complete dog foods. The standardized form ensures consistent dosing.
- 21vitaminthiamine mononitrate
B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.
- 22vitaminpyridoxine hydrochloride
B vitamin (B6). Essential for protein metabolism. Standard inclusion in complete formulas.
- 23vitaminbiotin
B vitamin that supports skin and coat health. Required for AAFCO-complete formulas.
- 24vitaminvitamin b12 supplement
Essential for red blood cell formation and neurological function. Plant ingredients lack B12, so it has to be added.
- 25vitaminvitamin d3 supplement
The active form of vitamin D dogs need. Required for calcium absorption and bone health.
Showing first 25 of 37. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
25 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.