What is the best dog food for my 2 year old Australian Shepherd Mix?

You can hear all sorts of nonsense about dog food on the internet, especially from the "natural food" freaks, and even the nutters that think dogs should be vegeterians. There may be nothing wrong with these fad diets, but unless you have a degree in canine biology & nutrition, you can't evaluate their claims.

Therefore I always recommend asking your vet, and especially if your dog develops a food allergy, or a condition that requires a special diet (kidney stones, etc). Otherwise, I stick to the brand from which ALL other dog food companies got their basic nutrition research.

Purina invented dog food science, period. They funded, and usually performed, all the basic scientific research on dog nutrition and health for half a century before anyone else did, and everyone else is basing their formulas strictly on the research Purina did long ago (and not shelling out the research dollars like Purina did, either). Also, Purina gets ALL their ingredients from the US, and usually from their own subsidiaries, that THEY check regularly. Most of the other brands get ingredients from ....well, who knows where? But that's why most of the others have had scandals involving dangerous additives from Chinese sources, or had massive recalls for Salmonella & other stuff, while Purina hasn't. And spending money is no guarantee of quality. The last round of recalls for tainted food & dog treats was Nutro, Wellness, Nature’s Choice, etc. Purina is busy making dog food, in their own plant, while most of the other manufacturers are settling law suits.

I also like Pedigree, since they put lots of their money into dog rescue and support rescue groups a lot. Excellent dog food, too..

I had a 50-dog kennel (working retrievers) for 40 years and now feed about 40 rescue dogs instead, so dog nutrition is very important to me. I buy strictly Purina (several different kinds) and occasionally Pedigree, just to support their rescue efforts. Nothing wrong, probably, with some of the newer yuppie "designer dog foods," but I don't see anything showing that their very high price is justified by any legitimate research,

PS -- don't buy a certain brand just because your dog likes it better. Would you let your kids eat only Cocoa-Puffs and Hershey bars? Of course not. Remember, you're the adult, the dog is the child, and you have to be the responsible one. And the pack leader.

i would ask your vet because he would have a knowledge of what he/she thinks your pet would prefer. also don't be fooled to buy those really expensive food brands because some times they are not the "best." also since you have a Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix i would suggest a food that is high in carbohydrates because they are very energetic.

I use Innova and have had great results with it. Other good ones are Merrick, Wellness and Blue Buffalo.

Look up the raw diet for dogs. It's costly but worth it.