Kleines Einmaleins in Sachen Hundefutter: Fütterungsarten und Produkte

Is your four-legged friend hungry? Then they deserve a wholesome, tasty, and above all, healthy meal. You want dog food that doesn’t rely on misleading advertising or fall short of its promises. Instead, you need food made from natural ingredients, that is well-tolerated, problem-free, and affordable. But finding the right dog food can be more challenging than expected.

Healthy, species-appropriate dog food involves much more than just the price, label declarations, nutritional analysis, and composition. Choosing the right food for your dog depends on various important factors that must be carefully considered. Can you rely on the advice of breeders, trainers, or fellow dog owners? Too many opinions can be confusing, so it’s better to focus on the label. Or should you? 

Understanding how to read labels is essential. Once you know how, choosing the right dog food becomes easier. Without even opening the package, you can make a rough distinction between good and inferior dog food because many crucial details are hidden between the lines on the label.

What about descriptions like "fresh fish with jacket potatoes," "wild boar delicacies," or "guinea fowl with chard"? Today, dog food labels often resemble gourmet menus, appealing to owners with the promise of luxury. We think, “Only the best for my dog!” and feel good about offering a “special treat” to our furry companions. 

Unfortunately, these labels can be misleading. Current regulations allow manufacturers some flexibility when it comes to naming and listing ingredients. Many dog food products sound more impressive than they actually are, thanks to a legal loophole known as the 4%-rule. This rule allows dog food labeled "delicate fish fillets," for example, to contain only 4% fish, with the remaining 96% made up of other ingredients, sometimes of much lower quality.