Choosing a dog food is overwhelming — hundreds of options, and every bag says it’s the best. In this full interview, Whole Dog Journal’s Kate O’Connor sits down with companion animal nutritionist Mary Cope to talk through how to actually choose the right food for your dog.

They cover how to start with your own dog instead of the claims on the bag, how to read a label — the nutritional adequacy statement, who formulated the food, feeding trials, and where it’s made — and what the guaranteed analysis does and doesn’t tell you. Mary explains protein quality with a simple “building a house” analogy, where carbs and grain-free fit, and how to match calories to your dog’s age, size, and activity. They also get into the big myths (that expensive means better, and that dogs should eat like wolves), when it makes sense to switch foods, and how to tell the food you’re on is actually working.

The post Video: How to Choose the Right Dog Food appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.