--- title: "6 Steps for Choosing the Right Dog Food for Your Dog" id: "223309" type: "post" slug: "6-steps-choosing-right-dog-food-dog" published_at: "2016-04-17T20:02:14+00:00" modified_at: "2022-09-21T12:57:10+00:00" url: "https://petlandmallofgeorgia.com/6-steps-choosing-right-dog-food-dog/" markdown_url: "https://petlandmallofgeorgia.com/6-steps-choosing-right-dog-food-dog.md" excerpt: "6 Steps for Choosing the Right Food for Your Dog We all want to be responsible pet owners and a big part of caring for your dog is seeing to its nutritional needs. Our beloved four-legged family members cannot tell..." taxonomy_category: - "Blog" taxonomy_post_tag: - "Breeders" - "Diet" - "Food" - "Grooming" - "Health" - "Playtime" - "puppy" - "Tricks" --- ![6 Steps for Choosing the Right Dog Food for Your Dog](https://petlandmallofgeorgia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/dog-food-photo.png)[Home](https://petlandmallofgeorgia.com/) / [Blog](https://petlandmallofgeorgia.com/blog/) / [Blog](https://petlandmallofgeorgia.com/category/blog/) / **6 Steps for Choosing the Right Dog Food for Your Dog** [Blog](https://petlandmallofgeorgia.com/category/blog/) # 6 Steps for Choosing the Right Dog Food for Your Dog April 17, 2016 · 4 min read · [Carley Kuehner](https://petlandmallofgeorgia.com/author/cosmick/) [Stay connected via Google News Follow Us For The Latest Pet Updates and Guides.](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=petlandmallofgeorgia.com) **6 Steps for Choosing the Right Food for Your Dog** We all want to be responsible pet owners and a big part of caring for your dog is seeing to its nutritional needs. Our beloved four-legged family members cannot tell you want they need, so it’s up to you to be able to navigate the every-growing sea of dog food brands. Keep in mind that no two dogs are exactly the same and differences in age, growth, activity level and reproductive status all play a role in which dog food might be right for your dog. And while there are many good dog food options with regards to nutrition, there is no one “best” dog food and these steps should help you evaluate the most important needs for your individual pet. So let’s get started! 1. **Your pet’s age and activity level.** These categories are very important when deciding on a dog food. A growing puppy needs more calories than an older pet would, just as a high energy breed of dog needs more calories than a breed that prefers to laze around the house. 2. **Evaluate the specific nutritional needs of your dog.** Enjoying this read? You'll love our puppies. Adorable, vet-checked pups looking for their forever homes — available now. [Meet our puppies](https://petlandmallofgeorgia.com/puppies-for-sale/) You should ask the question of whether your dog is in healthy shape. Can you see a discernable waist and feel the dog’s ribs with your hands? It can be fairly easy to see if your dog is a little on the thin side or if he has been packing on the pounds and this should factor into your dog food decision. 3. **Don’t be afraid to ask questions.** When comparing dog foods inside a pet supply store, allow the employees to help you by asking questions about each dog food you’re considering. They are usually pretty knowledgeable about the dog food they stock and can help point you in the right direction or give suggestions based on your pet’s individual needs. 4. **Talk to your veterinarian.** If you’re worried about your pet being at its optimal weight or if it has very specific health problem that is affected by diet, then your first resource should be your veterinarian. You should be able to discuss options and develop a plan that’s right for your pet. Typical diet related health problems can include dry/irritable skin, chronic loose stool and diabetes. Still reading? Our puppies are waiting. Healthy, happy pups ready to meet their families — see who's available today. [Meet our puppies](https://petlandmallofgeorgia.com/puppies-for-sale/) 5. **Check the list of ingredients on the label.** After you’ve narrowed down your pet’s nutritional needs, now it’s time to make sure the dog food fits those needs. Many people don’t realize, but dogs are omnivores that can eat a variety of vegetables, meats and grains. The thing to be on the lookout for is the first listed ingredient, which should be the protein source or the meat that you want your dog to have. Stay away from foods that have a grain or vegetable listed first, unless you are specifically looking for a vegetarian diet, and beware of foods that have “meat by-product” or “beef or chicken meal” listed first. 6. **Check the protein and fat analysis on the label.** This gives you a starting point for deciding if it’s right for your dog. Also important is the adequacy of the food for your pet, does the bag say that the food is appropriate for “all life stages” or is it specifically for “adult maintenance”? These are all things to consider with choosing a dog food. The key element here is that doing a little research can go a long way to picking the perfect dog food for your pet. Here at Petland Mall of Georgia, we have landed on Health Extensions brand dog food and it is what we feed and recommend in our store. Health Extensions is an American made dog food company that is family owned and operated, which is an important factor with us as we are family owned and operated ourselves! It has several protein sources to choose from, organic chicken being the most popular, as well as formulas for senior, weight management, small breed specific and grain-free. And if that doesn’t fit your needs, we have many other high-quality dog foods for you, and your four-legged companion, to choose from! [Stay connected via Google News Follow Us For The Latest Pet Updates and Guides.](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=petlandmallofgeorgia.com) Available Now## If you loved this, you'll *love our puppies* Meet the happy, healthy pups ready to join your family today — browse the whole litter below. 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Posted on Google Cathy b Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Joey was absolutely a delight to work with! I absolutely loved our conversation. She was very helpful answering questions. Next time I come in, I am definitely going to request joy Posted on Google Chris W Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Cally was a great sales associate! We appreciate her knowledge showing our girl the dogs! Posted on Google YOOmi R Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Matthew was GREAT! Very detailed and knowledgeable! And Timmy mini poodle was so sweet and cute!! Our girls loved the visit! Posted on Google Corina G Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Posted on Google Maleigha S Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Matthew was a wonderful help and me and my bf had a great chat with him! Very kind professional and kind to us we loved the dogs too shoutout Chocolate. Posted on Google Grace K Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 👍 Posted on Google Alexander S Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Blue is SUCH A CUTIE I LOVE HIM SM AGHHH Posted on Google Patrick W Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Joy was amazing and she was so helpful with information!! ```