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Working Dog Recipe

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High-calorie, energy-dense formula – ideal for working dogs, highly active dogs, underweight dogs, and pregnant or nursing females.

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Dr. Gary's Best Breed

FUELED BY COMMON SENSE NUTRITION

Weight Support
Energy-Dense Formula
580 Calories Per Cup
High Fat, Moderate Protein
Joint & Mobility Support
Skin & Coat Vitality
THE BEST BREED <em>DIFFERENCE</em>

THE BEST BREED DIFFERENCE

Purpose-built nutrition backed by decades of veterinary expertise and crafted with uncompromising ingredient standards.

  • Veterinarian Developed
  • Small Batch Made in Ohio, USA
  • Purpose-Built Formulas
  • Never On a Recall List
  • Low & Slow Cooked
  • EU-Approved Ingredients
Learn more

Better Ingredients. Better Nutrition.

Every ingredient fulfills a purpose – from premium proteins and functional fibers to healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals.

Chicken

Made with protein-rich, low ash chicken sourced from the USA. Chicken supplies essential amino acids including taurine, a critical nutrient for heart health.

Chicken Fat

USA-sourced wholesome chicken fat supplies a concentrated and efficient source of energy while helping with overall body maintenance.

Brown Rice

Sourced from the USA, brown rice used in the German Dog Diet is a highly- digestible carbohydrate that provides sustainable energy. Also supplies beneficial minerals and B vitamins.

Eggs

Eggs are the perfect source of protein as they contain all 9 essential amino acids. They are a highly digestible ingredient that also supplies many vitamins and minerals.

Working Dog Recipe FAQs

What dogs is the Working Dog Recipe formulated for?

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Best Breed Working Dog Recipe is formulated for highly active working and performance dogs, including police, Schutzhund, field, hunting, and other dogs with elevated energy demands. Its calorie-dense, high-fat formula can also be a good option for dogs that struggle to maintain weight or need additional calories to support healthy weight gain.

Can I feed the Working Dog Recipe to my pregnant or nursing dog?

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Yes. Working Dog Recipe is formulated for all life stages and its high calorie and fat content can help meet the increased energy demands of pregnant and nursing dogs. As with any dog with elevated nutritional needs, feeding amounts should be adjusted based on body condition and activity level.

Why does the Working Dog Recipe have moderate protein instead of high protein?

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Working dogs need enough high-quality protein to support lean muscle, but more protein is not always the same as more usable energy. Best Breed Working Dog Recipe was intentionally formulated with moderate protein and a higher level of fat, which provides a concentrated source of calories for sustained physical activity.

Why is the Working Dog Recipe high in fat?

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Fat is the most calorie-dense macronutrient and provides an efficient source of energy for highly active dogs. Working Dog Recipe contains 580 calories per cup and a higher fat level to help working and performance dogs meet elevated energy demands without requiring excessively large meals.

Is Working Dog Recipe good for weight maintenance or weight gain?

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Yes. Its calorie-dense, high-fat formula can be helpful for active dogs that have difficulty maintaining body weight, dogs that need additional calories to support healthy weight gain, and some senior dogs that struggle to hold weight as they age. At 580 calories per cup, it delivers substantial energy in a smaller volume of food.

Is Working Dog Recipe a good choice for dogs in kennel or boarding settings?

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It can be. Dr. Gary has often recommended Working Dog Recipe in kennel and boarding environments because its higher calorie density allows dogs to get the energy they need from a smaller volume of food, which can also mean less stool to manage. Because activity levels can vary in a kennel setting, portion size should be adjusted carefully to avoid unwanted weight gain.

What is chicken meal, and why does Best Breed use it?

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Chicken meal is a concentrated source of animal protein made by cooking chicken and removing most of its water. Because fresh chicken is roughly 70% water, chicken meal provides a much more concentrated and consistent source of protein by weight. Best Breed uses premium, low-ash chicken meal – meaning it contains less bone and a higher proportion of animal meat. Our chicken meal typically provides around 70% protein along with a complete amino acid profile. Using high-quality meat meals helps us ensure that the majority of protein in our recipes comes from animal sources, rather than relying heavily on plant proteins such as pea protein or corn gluten meal to increase the total protein percentage.

What are New Zealand Green-Lipped Mussels, and why are they in Best Breed recipes?

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New Zealand Green-Lipped Mussels are a nutrient-dense ingredient naturally rich in minerals, amino acids, vitamins, antioxidants, and a unique combination of Omega-3 fatty acids. Nearly every Best Breed recipe includes New Zealand Green-Lipped Mussels as part of our approach to purposeful nutrition. Our recipes also contain natural sources of glucosamine and chondroitin to help support joint and mobility health. Green-Lipped Mussels aren’t a recent ingredient trend for Best Breed – they’ve been part of our formulas since the beginning.

What does “EU-approved ingredients” mean, and why does it matter?

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Because some Best Breed formulas are exported to the European Union, we use EU-approved ingredients where applicable – one of the strictest sourcing standards in the world. In practice, this means ingredients used in our food must come from sources approved for the human-consumption supply chain before processing. For example, if a fish is rejected for human consumption, it cannot be used to make Best Breed’s EU-approved fish meal – it is diverted to the animal-grade supply chain instead. This does not mean Best Breed kibble is human grade. But it does mean the source ingredients meet a higher standard before processing.

What are the benefits of slow-cooked, low-temperature dog kibble?

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Best Breed kibble is made using a slower, lower-temperature cooking process than conventional high-temperature, high-speed production. Cooking more slowly helps maintain the nutritional integrity of proteins, vitamins, and minerals while properly conditioning carbohydrates for easier digestion and nutrient absorption. We also produce our food in small batches so quality and consistency can be closely monitored throughout the process. The result is highly digestible, nutrient-dense food designed to help your pet absorb and utilize more from every meal.
See More FaQs →
  • 5 stars: 24 (80%)
  • 4 stars: 6 (20%)
  • 3 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 2 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 1 star: 0 (0%)
D
Deena P.

My dogs love it. It's always fresh. It keeps my dogs coat looking amazing.

D
Danice W.
Good choice

Great for those growing dogs that happen to be picky like mine.

A
Anjelika P.
Dog food

Healthy alternative to your everyday dog food. Veterinarian formulated and high quality ingredients. For active dogs only. Meant for a working dog. My dog enjoys this brand very much and the size of the dog pellets is fairly average. Holistic brand made with care and insight on your dog's health. I highly recommend giving this product a try.

J
Jeannette B.
Leading ingredients are chicken meal and chicken fat

If you have a working dog on your homestead or ranch, this product is designed for your shepherd, agility dog or guardian dog. The top ingredients are chicken meal and chicken fat, which provide protein and calories. The next ingredients are rice flour, oatmeal, brown rice, dried beet pulp, egg products and catfish meal. This has an unusual proportion of crude protein to crude fat, which makes sense for a dog that runs off a lot of energy. My dog runs outside all day and will share this bag with his sister, who is a bit too lean. Both dogs love this flavor.

S
Susan H.
Better Mixed With Other Foods

My dog wouldn't eat this food on its own. He only eats it if I mix it with other food. It's a small bag as well, so you don't get much for the money. I also had a hard time re-sealing the bag.

D
David P.
Great for my border collie

The dog seemed to like it. The small, bite-sized kibbles are easy for her to eat. I like the glucosamine support and the proteins in it.

D
Daniel S.
Great dog food

Our doggo loved it. First ingredient is chicken. It's also fortified with vitamins, which is important to us as our dog needed extra vitamins. Functional resealable bag. Recommend.

A
Aaliyah J.
Very Palatable

All 5 pups agree, this is good food. We have a few variations of this dog food and the rescues adore it. Out of the three, this seemed to be the favorite. They can be picky at times but devoured it before I finished filling the bowl. The list of ingredients is good. I can tell you it's extremely palatable and even picky dogs like the taste, so it should be easy to feed most dogs. Pretty good.

C
Carlos G.
good formula

Dog taste test approved, so that is good. Fed it to our working dog. He is an Anatolian Pyrenees and he lives with our goats. He stays with our goats when they are out, warns them of predators and gets them to go home if there is danger. He is very good at his job and he works hard. The 4 lb bag was not enough to say whether this creates a better coat or gives our guy more energy, but he likes it. The ingredients are also all recognizable. I like that it is formulated for a bigger, high-energy dog. The kibble is a little smaller than my bigger dog is used to. Overall, a nice formula.

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Lisa M.
It�s about time!

My English Mastiff won�t eat anything!!! But she loved this dog food. She has always been too thin. I have high hopes that she will finally gain weight! Thank you. Hard to find in Texas.

J
Jessica Z.
I will continue to use this food

Seems to be quality dog food.

R
Rachel R.
Hunting and Ranching

Most people don't think of poodles as working dogs. Nothing could be further from the truth. Standard poodles are excellent hunting companions, both in and out of the water � smart, sturdy and easily bored. The sire of my standard poodle, retired from the show ring, is a working cattle dog on a ranch in Montana. The ingredients of this food fit my dog's active life. He needs a higher calorie diet that can accommodate the way he burns energy. I mix it with his usual home-cooked meals of game meat, vegetables and brown rice. As with the introduction of any new dog food, just a tiny bit at a time to prevent any stomach upset.

C
Corey T.
Good dog food!

The first thing I love about this dog food is the price for the quality of food you receive. It has been a challenge to find a food my male German Shepherd will eat � he is very picky and he seems to love it. They have several size options. I do not recommend the 4 lb bag for 2 big German Shepherds, as it lasts about 3 days. My female GSD has so much energy and my male GSD is shiny and not scratching nearly as much.

P
Peggy J.
Dog really loves it and he digests it well!

The dog is very enthusiastic about this dog food and he is a true gourmet. Apparently it tastes delicious, smells pleasantly like food and seems to be very easy on the dog's digestion.

A
Amy B.
Good dog food

This working dog variety has somewhat smaller pieces than the kinds we usually get. Smells pleasant as far as dog food goes, and the dogs both seemed interested when they first tried it. I did mix it with some wet food for their dinner, however. It's supposed to be nutritionally balanced, and they seem to like the flavor.

K
Kristen M.
Best Breed Working Dog Diet Made in USA

My dogs love this food! They get rather specific for each breed, and I don't quite believe that is necessary, however, the all dog breed food is really nice and made with great ingredients! The bag design is wonderful too! No issues with skin allergies or GI upset for my pups!

E
Erica S.
Good Choice

Pricey but do love it as an option for our high-energy dogs. Helps give them the extra calories they need without having to feed as much.

E
Emma E.
Great food

This is very good stuff. Ingredients are great and my dogs absolutely love this.

L
Leah E.
High fat for working dogs

Some types of dogs make for good working dogs, such as police dogs, and they are so active that they need more fat and overall calories. Our dog isn't a worker, but our kids play constantly with him. For this reason I decided to try this food out on our guy, and it should be no surprise that he loves it. This is a well-balanced dry dog food with good protein from chicken and eggs. It has chelated minerals, glucosamine, antioxidants, omega fatty acids and fiber. I recommend it.

Z
Zaria R.
Hidden Gem

This food is a hidden gem among dog owners. I wish this were formulated for All Life Stages instead of Maintenance only. But for a high-calorie food, all the dogs have transitioned over beautifully. When I started mixing the food, I noticed right away that their stools got smaller. Dr. Gary�s formulas are higher calorie and more meat-based than plant-based. Switching from Pro Plan Sport, I love this food. My veterinarian was very impressed with how my 2-year-old German Shepherd was doing and asked what I was feeding. I use the Working Dog formula because she is a very active girl and I run her every day.

B
Brian P.
Used it to get my dog back to his baseline weight after an illness

My dog normally eats raw and has for the past five years, but after a bout of pancreatitis he lost a lot of weight. Since then we haven�t been able to get him up to his normal body weight due to his high activity level. We switched him over to this and after about three weeks he put on approximately 10 pounds. He�s back to his normal weight. I�m not a big believer in processed dog foods, but this product served a need to help him get back to his normal weight. He ate it and never had any digestive issues going from raw to this. My only complaint is that he drinks a ton of water after eating this compared to his normal raw diet. Overall, good product and would use again if we need to help him bulk up.

K
Kim D.
Good dog food

Dog likes it and it agrees with her stomach. A little pricey.

J
Jasmine B.
Great dog food.

My dogs work hard for me during hunting season. When they're working, they need higher calorie food. This food provides those calories. The dogs love it. It seems to be made from high quality ingredients.

N
Nicole W.
Great food to put weight on real working dogs

I have 5 large breed working dogs, and they really work. My dogs do dock diving, agility, IPO, AKC obedience and more. In addition to dog sports, they hike in the desert and mountains a few times a week, swim at home and run our acreage daily. It can be really difficult to keep weight on these dogs. I'm super excited to have a new option to help put weight on my working dogs. My dogs all love this food and eat it right up. I have had no stomach upset or diarrhea with this food. I highly recommend this food if you have an extremely active dog that has difficulty maintaining weight. This food is NOT for couch potato dogs. I recommend this dog food and will buy it again.

K
Karla J.
Very good dog food!

My dogs love this food! I love the high quality ingredients and the ease of pulling the "zipper" to close this product. There is nothing worse than finding a surprise bug in your dog's food! This eliminates that issue. I love that my dogs are happy and I feel good knowing they are eating quality food.

V
Vanessa F.
Great dog food

My dog looks so healthy and acts like he loves this dog food. As soon as you fill his bowl, he eats like it�s a steak dinner! He has no issues with digestion and this dog food is made with good ingredients. I highly recommend it and so does my Yoshi.

R
Rachel T.
Great holistic dog food

Dogs went wild for this food, they gobbled it up. Really good quality ingredients with lots of fruit and veggies and glucosamine, and it says holistic. Comes in a small 4 lb bag, which is good to see if your dogs like it and to make sure it agrees with them. I do wish the 1st ingredient was chicken, not chicken meal. That is my only complaint, especially for the price. Otherwise top notch food. Great high calorie dog food for working dogs.

K
Kathleen S.M.
All three of my friend�s dogs love this food; this is a high-calorie food for active dogs

All three of my friend�s dogs love this food. I got this for my friend's dogs to supplement with their other food. All three dogs enthusiastically ate this. The food itself is pale, medium and round. This is made in the U.S.A. in Ohio. The ingredients are high calorie and appear to be good quality. I love that the bag has a zippered closure, which ensures that the kibble stays fresh.

J
James T.
High Caloric Content. High Quality Ingredients. Dogs Like It.

Doesn't say on the front, but this is a chicken-based kibble. It has about 100 kcal/cup more than typical kibble, which should definitely be kept in mind when feeding. If your dogs aren't very active, they could gain weight on this stuff. I will feed my dogs this on days we go backpacking, do a long hike or something similar. The dogs seem to enjoy it as they gobble it up and lick the bowls clean. The smallish kibble does well for my roughly 40 lb dogs. The food looks to be high quality and not crumbly or powdery like some other brands. Dogs are doing well with the food and enjoy eating it.

H
Hannah H.
Great high calorie dog food!

I have large dogs that use a lot of calories and this food is perfect! They love it and it fills them up while giving them the nutrition they need. The price is comparable to other good brands and I do recommend this dog food! 5 stars!