Authority Dog Food (Dry)

by Mike Sagman
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Rating: ★★★☆☆

Authority dry dog food earns the Advisor’s mid-tier rating of three stars.

The Authority product line includes 13 dry dog foods. Since we could not locate AAFCO nutritional adequacy statements for these products on the Authority website, we’re unable to report life stage recommendations.

  • Authority Puppy with Real Lamb
  • Authority Puppy with Real Chicken
  • Authority Senior with Real Chicken
  • Authority Adult Chunk with Real Lamb
  • Authority Adult Chunk with Real Chicken
  • Authority Adult Mini Chunk with Real Lamb
  • Authority Adult Mini Chunk with Real Chicken
  • Authority Adult Large Breed with Real Chicken
  • Authority Puppy Large Breed with Real Chicken
  • Authority Senior Large Breed with Real Chicken
  • Authority Adult Large Breed Weight Management
  • Authority Adult Weight Management with Real Lamb
  • Authority Adult Weight Management with Real Chicken

Authority Dog Food Large Breed with Real Chicken was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.

Authority Adult Large Breed with Real Chicken

Dry Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 28% | Fat = 13% | Carbs = 51%

Ingredients: Chicken, chicken meal, (source of glucosamine and chondroitin) brown rice, corn, oat groats, corn gluten meal, dried beet pulp, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), natural flavor, dicalcium phosphate, dried egg product, canola oil, potassium chloride, choline chloride, vitamin and mineral supplements (zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, vitamin E supplement, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of ascorbic acid), copper sulfate, vitamin A supplement, manganese sulfate, niacin, d calcium pantothenate, vitamin D3 supplement, riboflavin, calcium iodate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamin mononitrate, folic acid, sodium selenite, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement), dried chicken cartilage (source of glucosamine and chondroitin)

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.4%

Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients

The first ingredient in this dog food lists chicken. Although it is a quality item, raw chicken contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost… reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.

After processing, this item would probably occupy a lower position on the list.

Which brings us to chicken meal… the second and (most likely) the dominant meat ingredient in this dog food.

Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.

The third item is brown rice. Brown rice is a quality ingredient… a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) is fairly easy to digest.

The fourth item is corn. Now, contrary to what you may have heard, corn isn’t necessarily a bad ingredient.

On the other hand, although there’s no way to know for sure here, the corn used in making many pet foods can be similar to the kind used to make feed for livestock.

And that can sometimes be problematic.

What’s more, corn is commonly linked to canine food allergies1.

For these reasons, we rarely consider corn a preferred component in any dog food.

The fifth item is oat groats… a whole grain, minimally processed form of oats. So long as they are adequately cooked, groats are unusually high in nutritional value.

The sixth item is corn gluten meal. Gluten is the rubbery residue remaining once corn has had most of its starchy carbohydrate (the good stuff) washed out of it.

Compared to meat, glutens are inferior grain-based proteins low in many of the essential amino acids dogs need for life.

This inexpensive plant-based ingredient can significantly boost the total protein content reported in this dog food.

The seventh ingredient mentions dried beet pulp. Beet pulp is a controversial ingredient… a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.

Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits.

We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most dog foods is entirely acceptable.

The eighth ingredient is chicken fat. Chicken fat is obtained from rendering chicken… a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.

Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid… an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Though it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is a quality ingredient.

After the natural flavor, we find dicalcium phosphate… probably used here as a dietary calcium supplement.

The next ingredient is dried egg product… a dehydrated form of shell-free eggs. Quality can vary significantly. Lower grade egg product can even come from commercial hatcheries… from eggs that have failed to hatch.

In any case, eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.

With three notable exceptions…

First, we note the inclusion of canola oil. Most applaud canola for its favorable omega-3 content… while a vocal minority condemn it as an unhealthy fat.

Current thinking (ours included) finds the negative stories about canola oil more the stuff of urban legend than actual science.2

Next, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Non-chelated minerals are usually associated with lower quality dog foods.

And finally, we find no mention of probiotics… friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing.

Authority Dry Dog Food
The Bottom Line

The first three ingredients of each Authority dry dog food include a meat, a meat meal and brown rice… all considered better ingredients.

However, the list goes on to add lower quality items.

Yet ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 28%, a fat level of 13% and estimated carbohydrates of about 51%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 27% and a mean fat level of 13%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 52% for the overall product line.

Average protein. Below-average fat. And above-average carbs… as compared to a typical dry dog food.

In any case, when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the corn gluten meal, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing only a modest amount of meat.

Bottom line?

Authority Dog Food is a plant-based kibble using a modest amount of chicken or lamb meals as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand three stars.

Recommended.

Those looking for a comparable wet food from the same company may wish to visit our review of Authority canned dog food.

A Final Word

This review is designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food. However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in a specific health benefit for your pet.

For a better understanding of how we analyzed this product, please be sure to read our article, “The Problem with Dog Food Reviews”

Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult a veterinarian for help.

Have an opinion about this dog food… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.

Notes and Updates

03/14/2010 Original review
10/14/2010 Review updated

  1. White, S., Update on food allergy in the dog and cat, World Small Animal Veterinary Association, Vancouver, 2001 ↩
  2. Mikkelson, B and DP, Oil of Ole, Urban Legends Reference Pages (2005), retrieved 12/05/2009 ↩
Dog Food Advisor IconThe Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.


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  • Chad1658

    My dogs have really bad gas from this food. Also they poop alot but it’s solid.

  • Bob K

    Mary – What brand and formula do you now feed your dog for the past 2 years? What Authority formulas caused problems?

  • Mary

    I fed my dog Authority brand dog food, both canned and dried, as well as the treats and he got severe diarrhea twice and had to stay at the vets overnight to get well. Then a third time started and at the suggestion of the vet, I took him off the Authority dog food and he has never been diarrhea sick again. That was two years ago. Stay away from Authority brand dog food if u love your dog!

  • melissa

    Josie-

    I have fed foods from one end of the “price range” to the other as well as quality-Iams, Proplan, Eukanuba-have to say I have always had good luck feeding the Proplan and Euk, not so much with the Iams. Higher prices-lower ratings-Middle ratings and price-Native(had dogs loose hair) Most Diamond corn free products(and had horrible stomach issues) Avoderm-dogs looked dull coated and ate large amounts- and then onto grain free-Blue caused intestinal issues, and weight loss-I don’t gauge the success of the food by the poop, but rather how the dogs look and act, as well as their overall appearance.

    Best luck with foods I have had so far -Acana Grainfree(49.75-64.75 for 29.7lb bags-depending on variety) and ProPac-3 1/2 star rated, contains corn and is cheap in price-28.99 for 33-44lbs, and a coupon in every bag, lol.

    Less waste to clean up is a bonus in my book, but not an overriding concern if the dogs look and act great. I don’t have a problem with corn in the diet, IF the facility is EU certified(thanks to Antonio and Jonathan for explaining the EU certification system) but I am not a fan of the glutens.

    At the end of the day, no matter what one’s “food belief” system is, you need to feed what works for your individual dog.

  • Shawna

    Josie,

    You also have to factor in how well the dogs BODY utilizes the food fed not just the consistancy of the poop.. Hydrolyzed feathers are readily digested (leaving little poop) but the ingredient does very little to nourish the body. I’ve heard that they are actually planning on using hydrolyzed feathers in pet foods (already being used for livestock I’ve read).

    Protein is what the BODY (on a cellular level) needs the very most for health. Actually what the protein breaks down in to — amino acids. Lower quality proteins, like corn gluten meal, are not great sources (when compared to meats) of amino acids. Not well utilized by the body and some believe, with time, can be a burden on the kidneys.

    Don’t judge a food by cost per pound or even by amount of poop left behind but rather by how efficiently the body can use the food on a cellular level.. AKA the higher end (not always higher price when compared to Purina and SD) higher protein and better utilizable protein foods…

  • Bob K

    Josie – Measuring the output of poop is fairly inaccurate since many dogs get other foods, treats, leftovers and some dogs are many dogs are overfed which will have more poop. If you underfeed a dog they too will have less poop. Don’t feed a dog anything and they probably won’t have any poop.

    Also don’t forget to consider water consumption and density of poopies. Thats why there is the dog food calculator available on this website. Most people overfeed their dogs like they do themselves.

  • Josie

    Quick question: Has anyone compared this to other foods and seen a difference in poop content? Sorry to be so, well, icky, but just as an FYI, if a dog poops more/bigger, this means more of the ingredients in the food are useless to his body. Which is not only stickier for you, but annoying to the dog’s body because it needs more for the same effect of a better quality food. Likewise, if you must feed your dog more of a food, it means the body needs more of it for it to actually fuel their body. So do not judge the dog food by how much per pound, instead judge by $ to feed/day. Much more accurate than $/pound. You can usually find the feeding requirements of a dog food on their website. Or on a website where you can buy it, like PetSmart. Or on the actual bag. :) Hope you can feed your dog better! <3 Me

  • JBKitley

    Please note that the above post is an obvious product of a spam bot.

  • Josie

    I do not have a dog but from these reviews and the ones on PetSmart.com, I think this is a good choice for my future dog. At PetSmart it is about $8 for an 8 pound bag and less expensive in bulk, $28 for a 34 pound bag. This is less expensive than some of the Purina foods. The problem with foods like Blue and Nutro is they are so darned expensive! Blue Wilderness is about $4 a pound while this is $1 or less. This is what I’d call a decent food. I wouldn’t dream of feeding any dog Iams, Purina, or Science Diet, but I also think the price tags on the super healthy foods are outrageous. In the dog food world, there are 2 types of foods: Foods with amazing quality and terrible prices and foods with terrible quality and OK prices. This is a great balance of both, a great price for a good quality food. I would buy this! :)

  • George

    I had a Lab that would throw up every time she had water, I figured it was the chlorine and or the fluoride in the water. I bought a simple carbon water filter and she never had a problem after that.

  • Gordon

    Kristen – That’s almost similar to causes of bloating, I think. Anyway, your Vet’s advice is usually what resolves bloating causes, as well. More meals a day and not an actual increase in the daily volume of food, is usually a better and pragmatic way of minimising bloat, and the problem that your dog had. It makes sense.

  • Kristen

    Courtney,
    I have no idea if this is true or related to the problems you are having with your dog, but thought I’d mention it. When I was young, I remember my family having trouble with our dog throwing up his meals. When we talked with the vet, he said that it was most likely related to the rice in the food. After eating the food, our dog drank a good amount of water, and the rice absorbed the water and ‘expanded’ in her stomach – then she would throw it up. Rather than switch the food out, he suggested we first try increasing the number of meals we gave her (same amount of food – but divided into 3 meals, instead of 2) – and it solved her problems.

  • melissa

    Lori-

    With such big dogs, do you see a difference in the amount fed from these three brands-more less or the same?

  • Lori

    I have always purchased Taste of the Wild for my Danes, but costs have gotten out of control. I did study on ingredients, and while not the quality of Taste of the Wild, I felt Nutro Venison and Rice was a good fit for my dog w/ allergies. I loved it until the cost went sky high on it as well. I researched everything else and started on Authority for them. No allergic reactions w/ the lamb and rice, affordable price and decent ingredients. I just know that a must is to stay away from any dog food using ground yellow corn (they use the cob and all), by products (which is hooves, beaks, etc) and animal digest (don’t have to explain what that is……it doesn’t even specify WHAT animal it comes from). Science Diet and BilJack are laden with ground yellow corn. High allergen. Just my opinion. My Danes like Authority as well as they did Taste of the Wild, but not as well as Nutro Vension and rice.

  • Gordon

    Ahhh Mark. That would be Mealy Moth infestation. They multiply in spades and settle larvae in every nook and cranny imaginable. I’ve had the same experience that such were introduced in my home not from dog food, but from special parrot dry mix, for my South American Conure parrots. Although they’re biologically harmless, they are incredibly difficult to rid, once they’ve settled in your home.

  • Mark

    The food is great and my dogs love it…HOWEVER the moths and larvae in the dry dog food bags are detestable and I will not buy this dry food any longer. I have spent more than a year trying to eradicate them from my home, garage, pantry and kitchen and I’m sick of them!

    Hopeful from bag to bag that they might be seasonal or sporadic and such, they have been an absolute pain since the first day we ever bought this food. That said, it has been several years and throughout every season.

    I’m done with it! Moving on.

    Mark Zupo
    Atlanta

  • Courtney

    Bob – I got him in April and that was his last vet visit in which he was clear of all parasites and had received all vaccinations. His next check-up is next April. He was slowly transitioned onto Authority for over a week by mixing it with the Purina he was already on. It has been a little while now that he has been solely on Authority. His stool is hard now, but has only recently been throwing up. He eats very fast. I put a ball in his food for him to eat around, but it doesn’t slow him down much. I even went as far as scattering his food all over the floor to try and make him slow down. I feed him twice a day (morning and night), but the scattering was just making him and myself frustrated so we went back to the ball in the food. Maybe something heavier will work?

    Melissa – Thank you for the blood panel suggestion. I don’t believe he drinks more water than normal, but I will continue to keep an eye out. He both eats and drinks really fast. I was assuming that this was the problem for the throwing up, but I wanted to hear other suggestions before paying for an unnecessary vet visit. He hasn’t been throwing up since he’s been solely on Authority. It has only occurred the past couple of days, which is the subject of my concern.

  • Bob K

    Courtney – Another thing – How fast does he eat? If he inhales his food thats not good, smaller portions and place a soup can or large rock or two in his bowl to slow down his eating so he has to dig around the bowl to find it and eat the kibble slower hopefully chewing it.

  • Bob K

    Courtney – You should have transitioned his food for at least a week slowly blending in the new food. Your comment, “I don’t know if he’s getting into something outside” concerns me. You need to know what he is doing and eating as he is a puppy and puppies get into things. Unsupervised puppies are not good and can cause you hundreds of dollars of vet bills for chewing, eating and digesting things a puppy should not have.

    Dogs can have loose stools for many reasons: Sudden increase in exercise, pond and lake water, insecticides, pesticides, eating grass, dead animals , other dogs poops, and many many more. I suggest feeding him 2 or even perhaps three times a day not to exceed the total recommended amount of daily food. Do not withhold water. Wait an hour before heavy exercise after eating. Have you ever had him tested for parasites including Giardia, Coccidia and Crypto.? If he is outside unsupervised and has not been tested for parasites, its time.

  • melissa

    Courtney-

    If your dog is only vomitting since introducing this food, why would you continue to feed it? Not all foods agree with every dog, and if such a reaction coincides with the switch, change him off it and see if the issue resolves.

    Also, if your dog is drinking more than a normal amount of water(prior to the switch), a blood panel is probably in order to see if something is going on .

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Courtney… Sure, it’s certainly possible for the food to be related to your dog’s symptoms. Unfortunately, since I’m not a veterinarian and due to the biological uniqueness of each pet, it would be inappropriate for me to provide specific health advice or product recommendations. Please be sure to check back for a possible response from one of our other readers. Wish I could be more help.

  • Courtney

    Great review! I have grown up with dogs all my life and my parents always fed our dogs Science Diet. I recently graduated college and moved even further away for a job. I bought a house and adopted my very own dog. He is now a 7 1/2 month old black lab. The people I adopted him from were feeding him Purina. I decided I wanted to gradually get him off that particular food, but I didn’t want to spend an outrageous amount of money on foods like Blue Buffalo and SD. However, I wanted to make sure he was getting all that “stuff” he needs. The lady at Petsmart suggested Authority and I went with it. I chose the Puppy with Real Lamb. My puppy has fully made the switch now and at first I noticed he was having soft stool. I figured it was the new food and he wasn’t used to it so I stuck with it. His stool for the past week has become harder, but I notice that he throws up a good bit. I don’t know if he’s getting into something outside, drinking too much water after eating (he indulges in water), or what. I called the vet and they said it’s probably the water (so I’m starting to monitor that), but he threw up early this morning and it wasn’t just “watery”. He acts and seems healthy and fine (as rambunctious as any puppy). I just didn’t know if this problem could have anything to do with the food upsetting his stomach, etc. Any suggestions?

  • rich

    Evolve is NOT cheaper than Authority. It is listed at 18.99 per 18 lb bag, before a $5.00 coupon, making it 13.99. That is much cheaper than Evolve.

  • Gini

    We have a large Lab mix that we rescued 7 years ago at age 5 months. He had stomach problems for months until we put him on Royal Canon dry food for Labs. A few years ago we started also giving him Authority Training Dog Treats Made With Real Liver. After we opened a new bag a week ago, he started vomiting every night with what looked like his undigested treats. We went on-line and learned about giving him a little yogurt around suppertime since he is fed a meal only in the morning. We cut back on the treats and kept count. Each night every single treat was in his vomit. He stopped vomiting finally when he was given no treats at all. We suspect that either the manufacturer has changed the quality of the ingredients or he has developed an allergy. Because this started with a new bag, this is just a warning to others about this product in case the manufacturer is at fault.

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  • Audra

    Thanks Melissa! We bought Evolve and our Boxer loves it, she licks the bowl clean and the cats even try to get in on her dinner. We went ahead and changed our cats’ diets too. Thank you for the explanation, I always heard the “grocery brand” taboo, glad you cleared that up for me!

  • ShamelessRawFoodie

    Maybe your girls got wise and decided they want REAL FOOD?
    If they “will not touch” Bil Jac and Authority, what are they eating?

  • Darlene

    Our 2 Standard Poodles have been on Bil-Jack and Authority since babies. Perfect, perfect, perfect until we bought the last bags of each. Now they will not touch the food, my husband even went so far as to separate a bowl of each brand and they still will not touch it. Our girls are 7 1/2 & 6 1/2 years old. Just does not make sense.

  • Nicole

    My dog is a lab/rott mix, almost 2 yrs old. The specialty pet shop suggested high quality and expensive foods both grain-free and with grain. I tried samples on my dog of this higher quality food and he did not seem to enjoy them. I was worried when he skipped meals at times. I needed a higher quality food that was a bit less expensive and tried authority large breed chicken. He loves it! I love that it has good ingredients. His coat is thick and shiny and he gobbles up his food with enthusiasm (he is fed in the morning and evenings). Great product!

  • melissa

    Audra-

    Its not about where you buy it, but rather what you are buying. Unfortuently, in the past, most supermarkets/grocery stores carried the 1-2 star products, hence why you hear to avoid “grocery/supermarket brands”. If the food however is 4 star, its 4 star no matter where you are buying it(its not two seperate formulas based on the location of sale)

  • Audra

    We’ve been using Authority for quite some time and our boxer loves it. We chose it because of the 3 stars & price. I just saw Evolve at HEB (grocery store in Texas), which has a 4 star rating and is cheaper than Authority. I’ve heard a lot of negative things about buying pet food at grocery stores. Does anyone have any comments about buying pet food at grocery stores?

  • Diana

    After many years of using Iams never really paid much attention to what was in it. I did some research and found out its not so good :) I decided to try the authority from petsmart because it was about the same cost as iams but had a lot better stuff in it for my dog. First bowl i mixed with the old iams my dog had been eating and guess what! My dog ate the new authority dog food and left the iams pieces. Easy to see i think my dog likes it!!!!!!!!!!!

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