Dog Food Packaging… Beware the Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

by Mike Sagman
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You know… I still can’t believe the incredible lengths so many dog food companies go to… just to trick unwary shoppers into buying their plainly inferior products.

wolf-in-sheep-clothing

OK, admittedly, there are a good number of quality dog foods out there.

But let’s face it… many are nothing more than shamefully inferior products made from the cheapest ingredients.

Ingredients deemed “unfit for human consumption”.

Yet these low-grade dog foods are given appealing names and shrewdly packaged in flagrantly deceptive wrappers.

Like Putting Lipstick on a Pig

You’ve seen them before… in full, mouth-watering color.  Whole fresh chickens, succulent vegetables and a multitude of other farm-fresh ingredients… pictured right there on the bag.

To a trusting shopper, these second-rate products have been cleverly disguised to look appetizing… and completely healthy.

But here’s the problem.  These companies aren’t just practicing shrewd business.  They’re employing deceptive advertising.

And all because they’ve left themselves no choice!

After all, if you had used slaughterhouse waste, restaurant grease and other industrial by-products to create your own commercial dog food… how would you market it?

What Would You Do?

Would you be truthful?  Would you call your new product something like “Bob’s Slaughterhouse Waste and Cereal Grain Rejects for Dogs”?

Would you openly show pictures of this re-cycled garbage right on the wrapper?  Would you use clear “see-through” packaging?

And if you did… do you really think anyone would buy it?

Of course not.

But that’s exactly what so many profit-first dog food companies want you do.  They want you to buy these cheaply made products.

So… what should you do to combat this marketing insanity?

My Very Best Advice

Become knowledgeable.  Read labels.  Seek out independent ratings and reviews.

And whatever you do… don’t fall for these tricky “smoke-and-mirror” marketing tactics.

You have to beat these greedy companies at their own corrupt game. So, never buy dog food products based on packaging alone.

Dog Food Advisor IconThe Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.


  • “Ryo”

    Meagan, I perfectly agree. Trust me… I’ve always been so obsessed with this topic- I remember walking up to this person when I was like 7, and I told her that Friskies wasn’t good for cats! And she actually put the stuff back on the shelf! :)
    This is a magical article, I tell you.
    Trust me… I’m truly disgusted with that they put in pet food. I mean, seriously? My PetSmart just started carrying Come’n Get It and Award Gourmet, and I felt like complaining because they refuse to add any new brands of “good” food- just junk. Looks like I have to stick with Blue Wilderness and Wellness CORE when I stick there….

  • Meagan

    Claire- I agree I have been seeing the new Kibbles and Bits and one other one that is a new formula. It is annoying because ppl like us know how bad those foods are. Everytime I walk in Wal-Mart I see ppl buying dog chow. I would really like to print a million copies of this website off and tape them up in the dog food aisles at grocery stores and other places. Hell even at my on job. (Grooming/Boarding Kennel)

  • Claire Sellers

    i think that the pet food industry is like a ”crazy” industry because they have like ”dog mascots”, pretty packaging, and commercials that convince people to buy their food. And i can not belive that they also ”hurt” dogs and cats then put them in for pet food. It’s like a case of ”dog eats dog” and ”cat eats cat” kindof. People should scan the ingredients list BEFORE they purchase a commercial product. They should even look at the ingredients of some ”high quality” foods too. It is crazy. The commercials are so annoying too.