Do you want to give your dog good dog food? Check out our 5 tips
Choosing good dog food can be quite a challenge. After all, there are so many different brands that sometimes it’s hard to see the forest for the trees. That’s why we’re going to give you some guidelines to choose the right dog food. In this blog, we answer the questions: what is good dog food and what are its characteristics?

1) Determine the life stage
Buying good dog food starts with determining your dog’s life stage. The nutritional needs of puppies are really different from those of an adult dog. Puppies need more energy and balanced amounts of vitamins and minerals to grow. So make sure to choose food that suits your loyal four-legged friend.
2) Choose natural dog food
Once you’ve determined what food is suitable for your dog, you can look for good nutrition. We always recommend natural food without artificial fragrances, colors, and flavorings. Artificial additives have no positive effect on the nutrition. The only thing that matters to your dog is that the food tastes good, but of course, you also want to give him healthy food.
3) Avoid artificial preservatives
100% natural food also means no artificial preservatives. Think of BHA or BHT. These are the most commonly used abbreviations for preservatives and can be found on the packaging. The downside of these substances is that they can cause unpleasant issues such as skin and coat problems.

4) Meat as the first ingredient
The digestive system of dogs is designed to digest animal protein sources and meat. Animal protein sources are an important supplier of essential amino acids and many vitamins and minerals. The more good quality meat in the food, the better your dog can digest it. Ingredients are listed in decreasing quantity, so it’s important that meat is listed first.
When is meat good?
We just told you that quality meat is better for your dog, but how do you know what good meat is? When looking for good food, you should avoid animal by-products. By-products are generally of lower quality than meat or meat meal. Additionally, you never know which animals the by-products come from. Quality dog food specifically states which meat is used. So choose food that lists the animal protein source in the ingredients; for example, lamb or duck meat.
5) Choose grain-reduced or grain-free food
Back to the digestibility of the food. Dogs generally have more difficulty breaking down grains and other fillers. Some dogs can't tolerate them at all, but many dogs don't have any issues. The fact remains that they digest grains and other fillers less well. Therefore, choose grain-reduced or completely grain-free food.
What is good dog food?
In short, what good dog food is and how to recognize it. First, you need to match the food to your dog's life stage. Second, good dog food is as natural as possible and therefore contains no artificial preservatives, artificial additives, or animal by-products. Lastly, check if quality meat is in the food and whether the food contains (a lot of) grains or other fillers. Always look at the ingredients on the packaging. From this, you can determine whether the food is good or not.
If you encounter problems or have doubts about the quality, we are always happy to answer your questions.
It is very important to give your four-legged friend the right dog food. Also very important is that you, as the owner, know what your dog can and cannot eat. This helps prevent allergies or stomach and intestinal issues in your dog. We have previously written an article about this that you here can view!
Many dogs already enjoy Riverwood every day. Would you also like your dog to savor our delicious foods and are you curious which variant would suit your dog best? Answer here a few questions and order a budget-friendly trial pack right away.
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Adult dogOfferIn stockDry dog food with meat | kibble | Small Breed Goose & Duck with Quail | 2kg
Regular price €21,21Regular price€24,95Promotional price €21,21Grain-free Gluten-free Hypoallergenic Natural ingredients No artificial additivesOffer -
Adult dogSenior dogIn stockWet food with meat | wet food | Venison mono protein | 400 grams
Regular price €5,75Regular pricePromotional price €5,75Grain-free Gluten-free Hypoallergenic Natural ingredients No artificial additives -
Adult dogSenior dogIn stockWet food with meat | wet food | Veal mono protein | 400 grams
Regular price €4,30Regular pricePromotional price €4,30Grain-free Gluten-free Natural ingredients No artificial additives -
Adult dogSenior dogIn stockWet food with meat | wet food | Lamb mono protein | 400 grams
Regular price €4,50Regular pricePromotional price €4,50Hypoallergenic Natural ingredients Grain-free Gluten-free No artificial additives
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