Old Mother Hubbard Classic Original Mix (Original, Chicken, Cheddar & CharTar)
Graded by The Sniff System
Wellness Old Mother Hubbard Classic Original Mix is a dry food, with chicken as a primary protein source.
This food uses quality carbohydrate sources and declares its fiber content. The AAFCO formulation is inferred, but the verbatim statement is not published by the retailer.
This formula is plant-protein-dominated, with wheat flour as the first ingredient, and has low protein and fat levels. It also contains added sugar, cane molasses, which is nutritionally unjustifiable in a dog's diet.
Hard to recommend for any dog due to the low protein, plant-protein-dominated formula, and added sugar.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for adult Labrador Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating weight management. Caloric density is not declared, with crude fiber at 5.5% (above the catalog median, supports satiety). The landmark 14-year Purina Lifespan Study on 48 Labrador Retrievers demonstrated that dogs fed 25% fewer calories lived a median of 1.8 years longer and delayed the onset of chronic diseases. 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 adult 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 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- Brooks et al., 2014diagnostic · protocol · satiety· cited in 5 claims
- APOP, 2023prevalence
- 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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 38/100, landing in D-tier territory. The biggest contributor was carbohydrate quality (+13 points): Quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber. A hard cap of 49 also applied because the guaranteed analysis falls below AAFCO's minimum nutrient profile. Even without the cap, the base component scores sit below the next band. The structural fix would need to address protein quality as well.
Quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber.
AAFCO formulation inferred from declared not stated. Verbatim statement not published by retailer.
Plant-protein-dominated formula. wheat flour as the #1 ingredient.
Contains added sugar. Nutritionally unjustifiable in any complete dog diet..
- Bottom 3% for DMB fat in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (7.3%)
- Top quartile for crude fiber in Wellness's lineup (6.2% DMB)
- Bottom 4% for protein quality in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (3.3/27)
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.
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.
- 1wheat flour
Refined wheat, usually used as a binder. Cheap, not harmful, not a nutrition contributor.
Position 1 grain: primary carbohydrate base. This is a grain-inclusive formula with wheat flour as the dominant carb.
- 2grainoatmeal
Gentle on the stomach. Slow-release carbs and soluble fiber that supports stool quality.
Position 2: major carbohydrate source.
- 3wheat bran
Position 3: major carbohydrate source.
- 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 animalchicken
Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6cane molasses
Added sugar from sugar cane. Used for palatability or texture. Dogs don't need added sugar.
- 7eggs
Whole eggs. The highest-quality protein on any ingredient label by amino acid score.
Position 7: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 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.
- 9vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
Position 9: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 10supplementturmeric
Spice with anti-inflammatory compounds. Real research in humans, but the dose in kibble is small. Mostly there for label appeal.
- 11paprika
- 12mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 13cheddar cheese
- 14paprika extract
- 15bone charcoal
- 16preservative naturalmixed tocopherols
Natural vitamin E used to keep fats from going rancid. The good kind of preservative. See why →
- 17preservative naturalrosemary extract
Natural preservative. Replaces synthetic ones like BHA and BHT.
- 18supplementgreen tea extract
- 19spearmint extract
12 of 19 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.