[Mike Sagman]

Karen,,

The purpose of our Editor’s Choice section is to look beyond the label and help you narrow down the 800+ reviews representing over 325 dog foods rated 4 stars are higher to what we believe to be 10 to 20 of the best and safest North American brands.

Much of the “science” regarding many of the literally thousands of possible ingredients can be controversial. So, we have made a significant effort to explain the high points of each one on in each of the reviews and articles found on the free areas (98%) of our website.

Some of the requests you had in your comments are good suggestions. And many of those are already on our To Do list for consideration for future features and articles.

Hope this helps.

[Mike Sagman]

All the information you requested here and that we had access to is covered in detail for each of our Editor’s Choice top picks. Just click on the brand and read the detailed report. Hope this helps.

[Mike Sagman]

I agree. Nature’s Domain and other Kirkland lines are indeed very good dog foods. However, just because the label of a dog food earns 4 or 5 stars doesn’t mean it’s automatically entitled to receive our Editor’s Choice designation.

Currently, there are over 335 dog foods rated 4 stars or higher on DFA. However fewer than 20 of them have made our June 2014 Editor’s Choice list.

Please visit our “Guide to Finding Superior Dog Food Brands” for more information.

Also, please see our “Editor’s Choice Frequently Asked Questions” page, too.

Hope this helps answer your questions.

[Mike Sagman]

Thanks for all the great input, everyone. Taking lots of notes.

[Mike Sagman]

Hey Betsy,

Thanks for all the detail. I like the Nature’s Variety treats, too. Thanks for the example.

[Mike Sagman]

OK, got it! Thanks.

[Mike Sagman]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for all the quick replies and suggestions. Please be as specific as you can. Don’t hold back. Don’t be afraid to identify the factors and features you like as well as those you don’t. Lydia and I are keeping a list of these items to help us create an infor,ative article to help our readers identify good treats.

We may not respond to each post. However, we’re scanning them regularly and transferring the best suggestions to our feature list. Thanks again for all your help.

Mike

[Mike Sagman]

Hi Tracy,

We’ve already reviewed all the current Victor products. And as you can tell from our article, we really like this brand.

However, if there’s another dog food you’d like us to review, please visit this page and let us know. We’ll do our best to cover it in the future. Don’t forget to provide as much detail as possible so we can find the info we need to prepare our report.

Thanks for your suggestion.

[Mike Sagman]

Sorry for having to temporarily take this blocking action. However, our forum software doesn’t use the same filtering system as the rest of our website.

As I’m sure you’ve already noticed from our reviews, we really like the brand of dog food you’ve mentioned here.

Unfortunately, we have a chronic troll that continues to slander and libel the owner and his brand. So, for now, we’re intentionally making it as difficult as we can for this individual to carry out his/her subversive agenda.

Please be assured, we’ve recorded all IP addresses, fake emails and other data related to these events and we continue to report this information to both private investigators and law enforcement officials. Ultimately, we’ll all finally know the real identity of this person.

Thanks for your patience.

[Mike Sagman]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for noticing the Like button. However, you’ve probably also noticed this feature has once again failed to do what it’s supposed to do. I had hoped its developer would have finally fixed it. But unfortunately, he didn’t. And I had to uninstall it. Sorry.

In addition, due to recent events on this and other threads, I’ve added a “Report” link. This will now allow you a way to report abusive behavior.

Feel free to use it to flag inappropriate content or behavior whenever you need to. However, please don’t use it to simply report a comment just because you don’t happen to like it.

Unfortunately, this feature does not send me or our moderator an automatic email alert. So, we have to manually remind ourselves to log in periodically and check the “Reports” log. Otherwise, we’ll not be aware of the reported comment. And it could take us many hours (or even a day or two) until we’re aware of it and able to respond.

In any case, now, at least there’s a way to let us know.

By the way, thanks so much for all your kind words of support posted regarding this recent issue. They meant a lot to me.

Mike

[Mike Sagman]

Tina,

In the interest of free speech, I only rarely remove comments from these Forums. However, your abusive behavior and baseless accusations posted here today regarding my personal integrity have compelled me to not only remove your malicious comment but to also permanently revoke your posting privileges on this website. I have issued a full refund for your membership.

[Mike Sagman]

This new guideline is proving to be too restrictive to our members. So, I’ve removed that statement from our description of this forum. Please feel free to post anywhere you believe you’ll get the most engagement with others and replies to your topics.

[Mike Sagman]

I have already posted the answer to this question to the very best of my ability many times. Both in the forums and on our FAQ page.

Just the same, I’ll repeat it again for you here.

Editor’s Choice designation is based upon the subjective opinions of this editor and our research staff. Removing a company from the list should not be interpreted as the discovery of some crucially important finding.

Choosing brands for Editor’s Choice is based on as many facts as I can put together. And I’m perfectly willing to disclose those facts when appropriate.

However, it’s also based upon subjective opinion, insider tips, hunches and everything else I might personally know at any point in time. Yet sharing these unprovable notions publicly would be irresponsible — unfair to the companies and misleading to readers.

For legal and ethical reasons, I will never knowingly publish any unprovable (non-factual) opinion about any company anywhere on this website just to appease a reader’s curiosity or expectations for an explanation.

And that’s not ever going to change.

However, being able to freely add or remove products from Editor’s Choice without concern for avoidable legal consequences will allow me to do a much better job of helping you choose great brands while also protecting your pet from potential harm.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 10 months ago by Mike Sagman.

[Mike Sagman]

Looks like your suggestion is paying off. Please let me know if you think of any other ways to improve these results. Thanks again for taking the time to point out this problem.

[Mike Sagman]

USA Dog Treats,

Have you noticed any improvement in the number of members posting in error to this forum? It looks a little better to me. However, I’m not sure.

[Mike Sagman]

Hi USA Dog Treats,

You’ve made a valid suggestion. So, I’ve now added the following text to our Editor’s Choice Forum description:

“This forum is for Editor’s Choice members only. Participants are asked to limit all discussions to topics related to Editor’s Choice only.”

Not sure how effective this guideline will prove to be. However, at least now you and others can point to this description to help encourage members to post unrelated content to one of our other forums.

Hope this helps.

[Mike Sagman]

I agree. I hope others will read this thread for the very same reason.

[Mike Sagman]

I understand his concern. However, knowing which forum you are in when you post your comment is your responsibility — not the responsibility of the moderator.

As in any forum, where a participant chooses to post a comment is entirely up to the person who posts it. The individual who posts a question in a members-only area is only limiting the number of responses he will receive.

[Mike Sagman]

I can understand your frustration with some of the topics that have been created by other members.

However, these forums were never intended to limit any discussion to “the Editor’s Choice foods” as you suggest. The only restriction here is that one must be a member to participate.

And although ideally it would be nice if members would stick to subjects related to which dog foods they consider to be the best, we also recognize the need for many pet owners to introduce additional topics that are important to them and their pets.

So, these discussions frequently include topics like cancer, allergies, kidney problems, cost savings and (yes) even dog treats. The only time we feel compelled to delete threads is when they have nothing to do with dogs.

And of course, as a member, it’s always your choice to select which ones you choose to read or reply to.

[Mike Sagman]

The Editor’s Choice forum is private. You must be logged in as a paid member to view it.

[Mike Sagman]

Although dehydrating a dog food is certainly an appealing concept, assuming this kind of product is automatically better than a kibble might be presumptive.

Thanks to the help of one our knowledgeable veterinary consultants, I do question whether or not all the dehydrated nutrients are getting into a dog’s body in the levels needed.

Are companies that produce dehydrated products relying on the nutrients in ingredients (like alfalfa) to be bioavailable? So far, I’ve not been able to find a satisfactory answer to this important question.

Another example would be potatoes. I would hope companies that produce dehydrated foods are cooking the potatoes they’re using in their recipes. Otherwise, the starch might not be digested very well.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by Mike Sagman.

[Mike Sagman]

Hi Cindy,

I’d love to be able to share with you my favorite dog food. However, I really don’t have one. Besides, it would be unfair to publicly endorse a specific brand while there are so many other excellent choices out there.

In any case, I can confirm we rotate Bailey’s and Molly’s diets among our Editor’s Choice dog foods. Two brands I really like and have been using for many years will soon be added to our current selections. So, keep an eye on Editor’s Choice over the next few months.

[Mike Sagman]

Sorry, Marie. I’ve already addressed everything you posted in your “me too” comment. So, it’s unfair for you or anyone else to “assume” something I’ve never ever said or implied.

For legal and ethical reasons, I will never publish an unprovable (non-factual) opinion about any company anywhere on this website just to appease a reader’s curiosity or expectations for an explanation.

And that’s not ever going to change.

[Mike Sagman]

I am not aware of any changes with the way Honest Kitchen is making their food. And everything appears to be the same as when they first made the list. Hope this helps.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by Mike Sagman.

[Mike Sagman]

I’m sorry to hear Editor’s Choice is not what you expected. For it has never been my intention to do anything but work hard for you and be helpful.

Choosing brands for Editor’s Choice is not so easy and is based (in good faith) on as many facts as I can put together. And I’m perfectly willing to disclose those facts when appropriate.

However, it’s also based upon subjective opinion and hunches based upon everything I might personally know. Yet sharing these unprovable notions publicly would be irresponsible — unfair to the companies and misleading to readers.

Please read our FAQ section carefully. Nothing has changed from the very first day it was published — or the day you joined. If you truly believe I’ve given you less than I promised you in that FAQ, then you have every right to cancel your membership. To do so, please follow the instructions in that same FAQ and I will be more than happy to refund your money.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by Mike Sagman.

[Mike Sagman]

Our decision here to not include THK or many otherwise excellent brands at this time is not due to anything specifically negative about the company (including their alfalfa response) but rather our belief that others might be more qualified. Adding or removing brands from our Editor’s Choice will likely happen many times throughout any given year and should be expected.

Editor’s Choice designation is based upon the subjective opinions of this editor and our research staff. Leaving a company off the list should not be interpreted as the discovery of some crucially important finding.

[Mike Sagman]

As we explain on our FAQ page:

“Members should not be surprised to see some changes to our Editor’s Choice list as new information is discovered or brought to our attention.

“So, in the spirit of keeping the list short enough to be useful to our readers, we may sometimes be compelled to remove one good company to make room for others that are more deserving.

“Of course, there are many reasons a particular brand may or may not be included. And these reasons are typically subtle.

“In any case, to ensure our freedom to make these opinion-based adjustments freely and as needed, we must reserve the right to keep some of the rationale we use to make these decisions private.”

In this particular case, our decision to not include THK in our latest Editor’s Choice list had absolutely nothing to do with any current report of the use of Chinese ingredients in this product. If that were true, our Editor’s Choice analysis would have clearly disclosed which ingredients they were.

Our decision here to not include THK (or many otherwise excellent brands) is not due to anything especially negative about the company or its products but rather our need to make room for others we feel might be more qualified.

By the way, you may also wish to read the thread of comments posted by readers beneath our THK review regarding undigested alfalfa as well as the company’s response. That thread begins with with this comment.

Hope this helps.

[Mike Sagman]

Based upon the label information only, Taste of the Wild still rates highly. Unless the label itself has changed, there’s no need to update this review. As I explain throughout this website, lawsuits, recalls, marketing, etc. have never had anything to do with any of our 800+ ratings.

However, companies with these kinds of histories will be (for the time being) ineligible for our Editor’s Choice designation. Over time and as their record improves, they could eventually become eligible once again.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by Mike Sagman.

[Mike Sagman]

Hey Guys,

Here’s our own recent update regarding the Diamond lawsuit settlement posted on The Dog Food Advisor Facebook page just a few weeks ago:

https://www.facebook.com/dogfoodadvisor/photos/a.208003502546298.57384.153072514706064/789163534430289/?type=1

Hope this helps.

[Mike Sagman]

Hi Jess,

Although there are many ways to rate a dog food, we’ve settled on using the only reliable information we feel we can consistently trust.

We read and interpret government-regulated pet food labels. Nothing more. And we do this in two simple

1. We study the ingredients list

2. We evaluate the meat content

And we tend to ignore virtually everything else.

As reviewers, we don’t test dog food. We don’t taste it. And we rarely trust marketing hype. Manufacturer’s claims. The fancy artwork on the package. Or legal matters.

However, in our members-only Editor’s Choice section, we do go beyond the label for a select group of dog foods we feel are among some of the very best brands available to the North American market.

You can learn more about how e rate dog food by visiting the following two pages on our website:

/choosing-dog-food/dog-food-reviews-problems/

/frequently-asked-questions/rate-dog-food/

Hope this helps.

[Mike Sagman]

Sorry you had trouble. With the exception of a few pages stored in cache memory, our entire website (along with thousands of others served by our hosting provider) was down between 12 noon ET Wednesday and 10 AM ET Thursday (April 16-17). So, some areas of DFA were inaccessible to all of us (including me) for 22 hours. Our hosting provider has now fixed their network problems and all members should now be able to log in. Sorry for the inconvenience.

[Mike Sagman]

Budget-friendly dog foods are special. They can indeed be Editor’s Choice companies. However, they may also have a few minor flaws that may prevent them from qualifying for the EC list. Yet still allow them to be considered above average quality and good value. That’s why we divided the list into two sections.

The fact a company has recalls does not ever preclude them from any list of quality products. We avoid companies that hide recall-like events from consumers or have a history of making recalls recalls a habit.

Example: Natura, the makers of Innova, California Natural, EVO and others is still a great pet food company. Until last year, they had a history of zero recalls. The fact they’re owned by a larger company can be a good thing. Larger companies typically maintain better quality control, on premises labs, access to pretested raw materials, etc. They are still under consideration for Editor’s Choice.

By the way, 3 star products are still recommended dog foods. Another example, when it comes to feeding large breed puppies, some of the most scientifically based and tested products are only rated 3-stars and come from very large producers.

Hope this makes sense.

[Mike Sagman]

No, we have not had enough time to interview every possible dog food company. We started this huge project with a number of virtual meetings and simply nominated the ones with which we were most familiar and we believed were potential candidates. We then removed the ones we found reasons to disqualify.

However, there are still many others under consideration. So, we expect to add more over the coming months and years as we continue our research. We’ve tried to make it clear that we welcome other suggestions. In fact, two of the first topics in this forum were created to allow EC and budget-friendly nominations.

By the way, the most challenging task ahead of us is to find a way to monitor all the recipes produced by these companies on a regular basis for recipe changes. So, we welcome your tips.

• This reply was modified 10 years ago by Mike Sagman.

[Mike Sagman]

No matter when you join (yesterday, today or tomorrow), you’ll ALWAYS have full access to the complete EC list as it exists at the time you view it. The presence of any brand on the list is based upon merit only and not on some predetermined quota. Or on the day of the month.

Please keep in mind that Editor’s Choice is a service — not a list. So, the value you get as a member comes just as much (and maybe even more) from the brands you DON’T find on the list as those that you do.

From the FAQ page which has been posted from the very day Editor’s Choice was launched:

How many recommended brands are included in the Editor’s Choice list?

We have no plans to limit the number of Editor’s Choice brands to a specific number. However, at any given time, we would expect the total to vary somewhere between 10 and 20 companies.

How often do you add or remove dog food brands from the Editor’s Choice section?

In most cases, our list of Editor’s Choice companies should remain relatively stable with only occasional additions to — or subtractions from — our selected group.

However, members should expect to see some changes to our lists as new information is discovered or evolving events are brought to our attention.

[Mike Sagman]

The answer to most of your questions about how we manage the EC list can be found about midway down the Editor’s Choice FAQ page.

The answer to the question about why brands are sometimes removed from the list follows:

“Members should not be surprised to see some changes to our Editor’s Choice list as new information is discovered or brought to our attention.

“So, in the spirit of keeping the list short enough to be useful to our readers, we may sometimes be compelled to remove one good company to make room for others under consideration.

“Of course, there are many reasons a particular brand may or may not be included. And these reasons are typically subtle.

“In any case, to ensure our freedom to make these opinion-based adjustments freely and as needed, we must reserve the right to keep some of the rationale we use to make these decisions private.”

Hope this helps.

[Mike Sagman]

Hi Clynne S,

We interview each company being considered for our Editor’s Choice list and inquire if they test their ingredients for preservatives and mycotoxins before these materials are incorporated into their products.

Most either test or insist their suppliers certify the raw materials are preservative-free. Unfortunately, testing by DFA is beyond the scope (or budget) of our service.

Thanks for your question.

[Mike Sagman]

Hi James,

As I mention on our FAQ page About Editor’s Choice, there are a number of reasons a particular brand may not be included on our list.

For example, a company may not have met all our guidelines. Or its agents may have been unwilling to reveal important manufacturing information.

In some cases, we may be uniquely aware of unfavorable information about a company. Or we may have received tips from industry insiders that disqualify certain brands from inclusion on our lists.

And finally, we may simply be unfamiliar with a particular brand. So, feel free to nominate a company you believe we’ve overlooked.

Hope this helps.

[Mike Sagman]

Whole Earth Farms is a 4.5 star dog food made by Merrick. It’s a great product. And depending upon where you shop, it can typically be found selling for up to 40% below the cost of the other Merrick 5-star dog foods. Hope this helps.

[Mike Sagman]

To theBCnut and Any Else That Had a Problem with Our Signup Process,

I’m truly sorry you’ve had problems with the signup process. I really wanted this to go smoother than it did for you. Please don’t worry about the renewal. You’ll receive an email reminder from DFA about 15 days before your subscription expires. So, you can login and cancel your membership at any time.

In addition, I’m also sorry about the glitch on being able to get the lower price. If you paid the full regular fee, please click the link below to reply to Member Support with your name and email address.

That way, we can adjust your subscription to the lower 14.99 price and refund your credit card for the full 5.00 overcharge.

/support/

Hope this helps make up for the rocky start.

Mike

• This reply was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by Mike Sagman.

[Mike Sagman]

Editor’s Choice was designed to be an evolutionary project. Although this list will (for the most part) remain stable, there will almost certainly be additions (and subtractions, too).

The current list is only a starting point. That’s all. Many of the comments I read here and elsewhere are surely valid. And some will have a considerable influence on the future development of this list.

That’s why we created this special forum area. Your help and observations are truly appreciated. Please feel free to post your comments and suggestions.

They will each help us develop a more valuable list. Thanks for all your help!

[Mike Sagman]

Hi Cyndi,

I see where that can be confusing. The “Member Since” date is the date you became a free forum member. Your subscription to Editor’s Choice dates from the date you subscribed and is not affected. So, your subscription will last a full year from today.

By the way, I’ve now removed that date to prevent others from being confused also. Thanks for calling it to my attention.

[Mike Sagman]

Sorry you’re having problems with the “Subscribe” and “Notify” features. They should be fixed, now.

[Mike Sagman]

RescueDaneMom,

Sorry you’re having trouble. I just checked our spam filters and I do not see any comments posted by you trapped at this time.

I’m posting the following link to test to be certain links will show up.

http://DogFoodAdvisor.com

If you can see the above test link, simply use the exact same text format I used here whenever you add a link to your replies. There’s no need to use the term (dot) when you post any links. If you do that, your links will not appear as click-able hyperlinks.

Hope this helps.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by Mike Sagman.

[Mike Sagman]

Thanks for your help. Patti. How long have you noticed this problem? When did you first observe this behavior?

[Mike Sagman]

Has anyone else noticed that with iPad using iOS7 the forum keeps logging you out? I don’t have this problem using my PC laptop but I do with the new iOS7.

[Mike Sagman]

Hi Cyndi,

Do you know anything about when you purchased that bag of Shep Dog Food. I need to be sure that this is a recent recipe. Even the company that makes it can’t tell me anything. Thanks.

[Mike Sagman]

Thanks to your help, Sandy has already done much of the research work and the review itself should be posted very soon. Thanks again for the photos. We couldn’t have done this without your help.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Mike Sagman.

[Mike Sagman]

OMG, thanks Cyndi! That’s a HUGE help. I’ll send this over to Sandy so we can review it soon. I really appreciate your help.

Mike

[Mike Sagman]

Hi Milasmom,

Since we get so many requests, we would love to review this product. However, since we can’t find this info on a company website, we would need the following help from one of our readers:

1. A readable photo image of the complete ingredients list

2. A readable photo image of the label’s “Guaranteed Analysis”. This panel contain the protein, fat, fiber and moisture content of the recipe

3. Question: Is there only one recipe for Sheps Dog Food (flavor) — or are there different versions of the brand?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Mike Sagman, Editor
The Dog Food Advisor

[Mike Sagman]

Unfortunately, I’m unable to locate reliable product information (ingredients and nutritional data) for a product called “Shep Dog Food” anywhere on the Internet. So, until I can get complete information including an accurate ingredients list and Guaranteed Analysis (protein, fat, etc.) for EACH of the available recipes from a company-operated website, I’m currently unable to review this brand. Thanks for taking the time to make this suggestion.

[Author]

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