Score it for your dog

Best-scoring dog foods

Best-scoring dog foods for a small puppy, moderately active, holding weight

For a small puppy, moderately active and holding weight, the best-scoring food among the 265 dog foods BowlWise scores, all sold in Canada, is Acana Puppy Small Breed Recipe, a kibble, at 97 out of 100. The best-scoring of each kind: kibble, Acana Puppy Small Breed Recipe at 97; gently cooked, Open Farm Gently Cooked Chicken & Brown Rice at 84; air-dried, Smack Chunky Chicken at 81; freeze-dried, K9 Natural Beef & Hoki Feast Freeze-Dried Dog Food at 83. 168 of the 265 foods fit this dog. The scores are BowlWise’s own, worked out from each food’s label on October 12, 2026.

Acana Puppy Small Breed Recipe: On March 3, 2026 Pet Valu listed the 5.99 kg bag at $58.99 in Canadian dollars.

Open the form with this dog filled in

Kibble

102 kibble foods fit this dog.

  1. 97 of 100
    • Balanced protein (33.0%) for this dog's moderate activity
    • Balanced fat (20.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (33.0%) for this dog
  2. 96.5 of 100
    • Balanced protein (34.0%) for this dog's moderate activity
    • Balanced fat (17.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (34.0%) for this dog

    0.5 points under Acana Puppy Small Breed Recipe:

    • Price value, 3.5 against 4. Price per kilogram is above the middle of kibble foods. Full points are given for the cheapest quarter.
  3. 95 of 100
    • Balanced protein (35.0%) for this dog's moderate activity
    • Balanced fat (17.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (35.0%) for this dog

    1.5 points under Open Farm Small Breed Grain-Free:

    • Format suitability, 6 against 10. Regular kibble — compatible with this dog's size. This is regular kibble. For a small dog, full points are given for small kibble.
  4. 94.5 of 100
    • Balanced protein (27.5%) for this dog's moderate activity
    • Balanced fat (16.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • High protein content (27.5%) for this dog

    0.5 points under Acana Highest Protein Pacifica Recipe:

    • Nutritional quality, 21 against 25. High protein content (27.5%) for this dog. Excellent Omega-3 (1.2%) for this dog's joints and coat. Optimal caloric density for this dog. Balanced fat content (16.0%) for this dog. Protein is 30.6% of dry matter. Full points for protein start at 33.3%. DHA is 0.15% as fed. Full points for DHA start at 0.3%.
    • Price value, 3.5 against 4. Price per kilogram is above the middle of kibble foods. Full points are given for the cheapest quarter.

  5. 5th of 102, level with seven others

    Acana Highest Protein Wild Prairie Recipe

    94 of 100
    • Balanced protein (35.0%) for this dog's moderate activity
    • Balanced fat (17.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (35.0%) for this dog

    0.5 points under Open Farm Small Breed Ancient Grains:

    • Format suitability, 6 against 10. Regular kibble — compatible with this dog's size. This is regular kibble. For a small dog, full points are given for small kibble.

  6. 5th of 102, level with seven others

    Acana Healthy Grains Puppy Recipe

    94 of 100
    • Balanced protein (31.0%) for this dog's moderate activity
    • Balanced fat (20.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (31.0%) for this dog

  7. 5th of 102, level with seven others

    Acana Healthy Grains Sea to Farm Puppy Recipe

    94 of 100
    • Balanced protein (31.0%) for this dog's moderate activity
    • Balanced fat (20.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (31.0%) for this dog

  8. 5th of 102, level with seven others

    Acana Puppy Recipe

    94 of 100
    • Balanced protein (33.0%) for this dog's moderate activity
    • Balanced fat (20.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (33.0%) for this dog

And 4 more at the same score.

Gently cooked

4 gently cooked foods fit this dog.

  1. 84 of 100
    • Balanced protein (9.0%) for this dog's moderate activity
    • Balanced fat (4.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (9.0%) for this dog
  2. 77 of 100
    • Balanced protein (9.0%) for this dog's moderate activity
    • Balanced fat (5.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (9.0%) for this dog

    7 points under Open Farm Gently Cooked Chicken & Brown Rice:

    • Nutritional quality, 13 against 20. Premium protein content (9.0%) for this dog. The label gives no omega-3 figure, so those points could not be given. The label gives no DHA figure, so those points could not be given. Calories are 6,455 kcal per kg of dry matter. For gently cooked food, full points are given between 4,500 and 5,800. Fat is 22.7% of dry matter. Full points for fat are given between 13.3% and 22.5%.
  3. 76 of 100
    • Balanced protein (10.5%) for this dog's moderate activity
    • Balanced fat (8.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (10.5%) for this dog

    1 point under Open Farm Gently Cooked Beef & Brown Rice:

    • Life stage, 7 against 10. Formulated for this dog's puppy life stage. The label gives no calcium and phosphorus figures, so this part was given a middle score.

Air-dried

10 air-dried foods fit this dog.

  1. 81 of 100
    • Balanced protein (35.0%) for this dog's moderate activity
    • Balanced fat (24.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (35.0%) for this dog

  2. 2nd of 10, level with two others

    Open Farm Harvest Chicken Air-Dried Recipe

    80 of 100
    • Balanced protein (32.0%) for this dog's moderate activity
    • Balanced fat (28.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (32.0%) for this dog

    1 point under Smack Chunky Chicken:

    • Price value, 4 against 5. Good value for this dog. Price per kilogram is in the cheaper half of air-dried foods, above the cheapest quarter. Full points are given for the cheapest quarter.

  3. 2nd of 10, level with two others

    Open Farm Pollock & Lamb Air-Dried Recipe

    80 of 100
    • Balanced protein (40.0%) for this dog's moderate activity
    • Balanced fat (15.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (40.0%) for this dog

  4. 2nd of 10, level with two others

    Smack Lip Smacking Lamb

    80 of 100
    • Balanced protein (40.0%) for this dog's moderate activity
    • Balanced fat (29.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (40.0%) for this dog

Freeze-dried

42 freeze-dried foods fit this dog.

  1. 83 of 100
    • Balanced protein (46.0%) for this dog's moderate activity
    • Balanced fat (32.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (46.0%) for this dog
  2. 82.6 of 100
    • Balanced fat (19.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (57.0%) for this dog
    • Excellent Omega-3 (1.13%) for this dog's joints and coat

    0.4 points under K9 Natural Beef & Hoki Feast Freeze-Dried Dog Food:

    • Activity and goal, 30.6 against 35. Balanced fat (19.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal. Protein is 62.0% of dry matter. For this dog, a moderately active dog holding weight, full points are given between 25% and 50%.
    • Price value, 3 against 5. Price per kilogram is in the most expensive quarter of freeze-dried foods. Full points are given for the cheapest quarter.

  3. 3rd of 42, level with another

    Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Beef Nuggets

    81 of 100
    • Balanced protein (42.0%) for this dog's moderate activity
    • Balanced fat (32.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (42.0%) for this dog

    1.6 points under Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Venison Nuggets:

    • Nutritional quality, 15 against 23. Premium protein content (42.0%) for this dog. Optimal caloric density for this dog. Omega-3 is 0.44% as fed. Full points for omega-3 start at 0.8%. The label gives no DHA figure, so those points could not be given. Fat is 34.8% of dry matter. Full points for fat are given between 13.3% and 22.5%.
  4. 81 of 100
    • Balanced protein (39.0%) for this dog's moderate activity
    • Balanced fat (30.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (39.0%) for this dog

Toppers

A topper is added to a meal, not fed as one, and is scored on other parts than a meal. These are not ranked against the foods above. 10 toppers fit this dog; each number is a topper’s score out of 100:

What was left out, and why

168 of the 265 foods fit this dog. The others:

  • 77 foodsMade for the adult life stage, not puppy.
  • 11 foodsMade for the senior life stage, not puppy.
  • 7 foodsKibble too large for small breed.
  • 2 foodsNot a complete diet.

A dog a little different

How to read this

These scores are BowlWise’s own, worked out from each food’s label for one kind of dog at a time. They are not veterinary advice. How a score is worked out: How we score.

Worked out on October 12, 2026.

Is your dog a little different?

Open the form with these answers and change what differs.

Open the form

Free. No account required. Takes about 30 seconds.