At Smart Bark, we’re real people reviewing real dog food in real homes. Since 2019, we’ve been tasting, testing, and exploring dog foods to give honest, practical advice for UK dog lovers.
With so many dog food options available to you, from well-known brands like Royal Canin, Forthglade, Harringtons, and James Wellbeloved to newer independent names like Butternut Box, Different Dog, and Marleybones, it can be tricky to cut through all the marketing noise and find the best food for your dog.
We don’t just read labels or rely on lab data. We try the foods ourselves (well our four-legged friends do) and observe how dogs respond.
Alongside ingredients and nutritional suitability, we look at everyday factors like storage, delivery, price, customer service, and of course, feedback from our testers.
Purpose: We assess each dog food firsthand in a home environment, safely, and consistently, using transparent and repeatable criteria. We don't simply reword the blurb and add the brand's marketing shot!
Principles:
We focus on ingredients, not marketing
Recommend based on suitability, not universal claims
Observe long-term effects when possible
Be clear about limitations
Evaluate fairly, without brand bias
Continually test, update reviews and our recommendations
Evaluation Method:
Label and ingredient review
Feeding trials with volunteer dogs
Owner-reported experiences
Manufacturer disclosures
While we’re not vets, we rely on the fully independent nutritional ratings from the All About Dog Food website. We also don’t provide veterinary diagnoses.
Our reviews cover:
Different life stages - puppies, adults, seniors
Suitability for different breeds - small, medium, and large breeds
Dogs with sensitive digestion
Dogs with weight management needs
Fussy Dogs (you know who you are) and different activity levels.
Over the years we've tested so many different types of dog food and whilst our popular Best Dog Food article heroes the best food in each category, we also compare foods within types to keep things fair:
Dry kibble
Wet and canned food
Fresh and gently cooked
Raw and freeze-dried
Insect
Delivered
New for 2026 prescription-adjacent diets
If you want the full picture on a specific dog food, we also dive deep with detailed feature reviews.
Ingredients & Formulation: Primary proteins, additives, fillers, cooking technique and whether ingredients are clearly named
Nutritional Suitability: Life stage compatibility, calorie density, protein range and feeding guideline clarity
Palatability: Initial acceptance and ease of transitioning
Packaging & Storage: Reseal quality, portion control, shelf life, and storage practicality
Value for Money: Price per day/month, delivery charges, offers, subscribe and save options, loyalty clubs
At Smart Bark, we combine experience, careful observation, and clear criteria to provide dog food reviews you can trust. Our goal is simple: help you find the best food for your dog so they stay happy, healthy, and thriving.
Claire is the founder of Smart Bark and a lifelong dog lover.
With a 10 year background in retail buying for one of the UK’s major retailers, she brings a keen eye for quality and value to every dog product review.
Claire personally tests every item featured on Smart Bark with her own family dog and her team of dog testers—so you get honest, expert advice (not recycled marketing blurb) from someone who truly understands what works in real life (and what doesn’t).
No gimmicks. Just trusted recommendations backed by experience.
