Dry Dog Food

Dry dog food is the base diet in most Australian households, and the choice comes down to three things: kibble size, life stage, and how much of the bag you will get through before it goes stale. Kibble size is the one most often skipped — a small jaw struggles with a large-breed kibble, and a large dog swallows small kibble whole, which defeats the point of it.

Life stage sets the nutrient profile rather than the flavour. Puppy formulas run higher in energy and, for large and giant breeds, hold calcium and phosphorus down so the skeleton grows at a rate the joints can carry; senior recipes moderate calories and usually add joint support. Beyond that, the splits worth knowing are grain-free and single-protein recipes for dogs with food sensitivities, and air-dried or freeze-dried food, which is fed in much smaller volumes than kibble and priced accordingly. Buy the bag size you will finish within about six weeks of opening — fats oxidise once the bag is open, so a 15kg bag bought for a 6kg dog is a false economy.

Shop Dry Dog Food by Brand

• Royal Canin
• Black Hawk
• Advance
• Orijen
• Ivory Coat
• Hill's Science Diet
• Bugsy's
• LifeWise

Shop Dry Dog Food by Type

• Air dried dog food
• Freeze dried dog food and raw toppers

Shop Royal Canin Dry Dog Food by Size

Royal Canin is the deepest dry range on this page, and it is sorted by adult body weight rather than by breed. The size bands differ in kibble shape, calorie density and joint support, so pick the band your dog will finish in.

• Royal Canin dry dog food — every dry formula we stock, from 500g bags to 15kg.
• Royal Canin Mini — under 10kg adult weight, small kibble for a small jaw.
• Royal Canin Medium — 11-25kg adult weight, adult, puppy and senior formulas.
• Royal Canin Maxi — 26-44kg adult weight, with added joint support.

Shop Hill's Science Diet Dry Dog Food

Hill's Science Diet appears in the brand list above, and these sub-collections break the dry range down further. Hill's runs many of its adult recipes in more than one kibble size, so the decision is often which size suits your dog rather than which recipe.

• Hill's Science Diet dry dog food — every Hill's dry formula we stock, puppy through Adult 11+.
• Hill's Science Diet Large Breed — Large Breed Puppy, Adult and Adult 6+ Senior, plus the Perfect Weight and Healthy Mobility large breed recipes.
• Hill's Science Diet Small Breed — the Small Paws, Small Bites and Small & Mini kibbles for smaller dogs.

More dry dog food ranges

The brand pages above cover the biggest sellers. These four are worth knowing about for different reasons — two Australian-made ranges, one air-dried and slow-cooked line that behaves nothing like kibble, and a limited-ingredient range for dogs that react to long ingredient lists.

• All dog food — dry and wet together, if you have not settled on a format yet.
• ADVANCE dry dog food — 800g to 20kg, split by breed size, life stage, healthy weight, healthy ageing and dental.
• Prime100 air dried dog food — single protein rolls and bites, fed dry or crumbled over a meal.
• Prime100 slow cooked dog food — the SPD line, a softer texture than air dried.
• Pure Life dog food — Natural Boost dry in 1.8kg and 8kg, Australian made and owned.
• Applaws dog food — limited-ingredient dry in 2.7kg, plus Taste Toppers tins to pour over it.