Dad’s Dog Food Reviews, Recalls & Coupons

NOTICE : DAD'S IS NO LONGER IN PRODUCTION -> More Info Here

The Dad’s Pet Care company was founded in 1933 by George “Dad” Lang after the founder’s Springer Spaniel whelped a litter of eleven puppies. Because commercial dog food was expensive at the time, Lang set out to make his own pet food.

The Dad’s Pet Care company grew out of this mission and has expanded significantly over the past few decades, though the Lang family still owns and operates the company’s manufacturing facilities in Meadville, PA.

What sets this brand apart from the competition is their commitment to keeping things local. They have relationships with local farmers and having those relationships means that they have access to the freshest ingredients available – it also means that they can keep their own cost low as well as the prices of their products.

Dad's Dog Food company follows a “farm to bowl” philosophy and their number-1 priority is to provide pets with the high-quality nutrition they deserve and the natural flavor they love.

Manufacturer Information

The Dad’s pet food brand is produced and manufactured by Ainsworth Pet Nutrition, the same company that manufactures Rachael Ray’s Nutrish pet foods and the Better Than brand.

Ainsworth Pet Nutrition was founded over 75 years ago by George Ainsworth Lang, a dedicated animal lover who sought to provide dogs and cats with the highest quality, safest pet foods possible.

The Lang family still plays an important role in managing the company today and Ainsworth Pet Nutrition maintains their commitment to upholding the highest standards for quality and safety with each of their products. This company seeks to offer pet store quality foods with supermarket convenience.

Dad’s Dog Food Reviews

If you look online, you’ll find that Dad’s dog food reviews are not very positive. Considering the price of this brand, you shouldn’t be surprised. It is always a good idea, however, to perform your own analysis before purchasing a pet food product – especially one that is sold in grocery stores and dollar stores.

While price is not always an indication of quality, it does seem to be true in this case that cheap dog foods are, well, cheap. You’ll find that most of this brand’s products are heavy-laden with corn, wheat and soy products as well as by-products and artificial additives.

The fact that these ingredients are locally sourced doesn’t change the fact that they are low-quality ingredients that offer very limited nutritional value for dogs – they also come with a high risk for triggering food allergies or sensitivities. Keep reading to find our Dad’s reviews for one original recipe and one Kibble Select Complete recipe.

1. Dad’s Healthy Homestyle Dry Food Formula

This Healthy Homestyle dry food formula is described as a “delicious, well-balanced meal” made with eight nutritious soft and crunchy pieces. The website states that this product is made with real beef and whole grains, garnished with vitamin-rich carrots and peas.

Some of the benefits this product is said to provide include beef & veggie flavor, omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids for healthy skin and coat, high quality protein, and highly digestible ingredients. Given these descriptions, you might expect this to be a high-quality product. The ingredients list, however, tells a different story.

The first ingredient in this recipe is ground yellow corn. Not only is corn one of the most common food allergens for dogs, but it offers limited nutritional value at best. You’ll also find corn gluten meal in the fourth ingredient slot which means that corn products make up the majority of the ingredients in this recipe.

Whole wheat takes the fifth ingredient slot and, while it may be a whole grain, it too is a common dog food allergen and it offers very little nutrition for dogs. Many dogs have trouble digesting corn and wheat ingredients, even if they aren’t allergic to them.

The main source of protein in this recipe comes from chicken by-product meal. It is better to see a named by-product meal than an unnamed one (chicken versus poultry), but neither are particularly good ingredients.

Soybean meal is the third ingredient and it too is used as a source of protein, though it is a plant protein which means that it offers lower biological value to your dog than any animal protein would.

Fresh beef is on the list but it is low enough down that you can assume it isn’t used in any significant quantity. Also, as far as animal proteins go, beef is not the most nutritious option and it is also a common food allergen for dogs.

The remaining ingredients in this Healthy Homestyle dry food formula consist of fats, flavors, colors, and supplements. The main source of fat in this recipe is beef tallow – this ingredient is very flavorful but it offers only moderate nutritional quality at best.

It is troubling to see high fructose corn syrup on the list for this product as well because sugars have no place in a healthy diet for dogs. This recipe includes several artificial colors and flavors, not to mention artificial preservatives.

There are synthetic vitamins and minerals thrown in for balance, but synthetic supplements offer moderate nutritional value at best – your dog’s body can’t absorb them as efficiently as if they came from natural sources.

This Healthy Homestyle dry food formula has a guaranteed analysis as listed below:

• Crude Protein (Min) – 25%
• Crude Fat (Min) – 10%
• Crude Fiber (Max) – 4%
• Moisture (Max) – 14%
• Calcium (Min) – 1.1%
• Phosphorus (Min) – 0.8%
• Calorie Content – 3,257 kcal/kg (302 kcal/cup)

This Healthy Homestyle dry food formula is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.

Dry Rating: 1/5 Stars

Overall, this Healthy Homestyle dry food formula is probably not something you want to feed your dog. Immediately, this recipe is problematic because it lists ground yellow corn as the first ingredient.

There is some animal protein here but most of it comes from by-products and the rest from beef ingredients which have a high risk for triggering food allergies. In general, this product is very carbohydrate heavy and most of the carbs come from low-quality fillers and grains like corn, wheat, and soy.

There is no good reason to include artificial colors or flavors in dog food except to improve the visual appeal for pet parents and to make the product more palatable for pets.

This recipe does include some nutritional supplements but they are synthetic which means that your dog’s body will only be able to partially absorb them. There are no chelated minerals and the product is completely lacking in probiotics which could aid your dog’s digestion.

2. Dad’s Kibble Select Complete Original

This Kibble Select Complete Original dry food formula is part of the Kibble Select Complete line which features crunchy kibbles mixed with bite-sized chewy pieces. This particular formula is said to combine “the ultimate in taste with balanced nutrition from the key food groups”.

It is made with wholesome grain, beef, chicken, vegetables, fruit, and cheese to provide your dog with the nutrition he needs to live a healthy and happy life. In terms of the benefits this recipe is said to offer, there are antioxidants, omega fatty acids, vitamins A and E, calcium and phosphorus, and all other required vitamins and minerals.

Similar to the previous product, however, this recipe tells a different story when you actually take the time to review the ingredients list.

The first ingredient on the list for this Kibble Select Complete Original dry food formula is ground yellow corn. Not only is corn a low-quality ingredient for dog food, but it offers very limited nutritional value and it has a high risk for triggering food allergies or sensitivities in dogs.

The same can be said for the soybean meal that comes next and the whole wheat that appears in the fourth ingredient slot. In general, this recipe is overloaded with carbohydrates, even if the crude fiber level is only 4%.

You’ll also find things like apple pomace and brewer’s rice as supplementary sources of dietary fiber as well as peas which provide carbohydrate energy, fiber, and plant protein.

There are two sources of animal protein in this recipe – poultry by-product meal and beef meal. Poultry by-product meal is a questionable ingredient for several reasons.

The first problem is that it comes from an unnamed source – poultry could include random parts from any type of poultry and you can’t determine the quality of this ingredient based on the name alone. Add to that the fact that it comes from by-products and you can see the problem.

The fact that it is a meal simply means that it has already been cooked to remove moisture which makes it a more highly concentrated source of protein than before cooking – it still isn’t a good ingredient.

The beef meal is a little bit better because it comes from a named source and it too is highly concentrated. The problem is that beef is another one of the most common food allergens for dogs.

The remaining ingredients in this Kibble Select Complete Original dry food formula consist of fats, flavors, colors, and synthetic supplements. The main source of fat in this recipe is poultry fat.

Chicken fat is one of the most nutritious sources of animal fat used in pet food, but poultry fat comes from an unnamed source so it is difficult to determine the quality or the nutritional value. It may be better to include this unnamed animal fat than to see a low-quality plant-based fat listed, but it is hard to tell.

The use of artificial colors and flavors in this recipe is another big problem, as are the artificial preservatives. This recipe relies fairly heavily on synthetic supplements to ensure nutritional balance as well, and none of them minerals are chelated.

This Kibble Select Complete Original dry food formula has a guaranteed analysis as listed below:

• Crude Protein (Min) – 20%
• Crude Fat (Min) – 8%
• Crude Fiber (Max) – 4%
• Moisture (Max) – 20%
• Calcium (Min) – 1.0%
• Phosphorus (Min) – 0.8%
• Calorie Content – 3,063 kcal/kg (312 kcal/cup)

This Kibble Select Complete Original dry food formula is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.

Wet Rating: 1/5 Stars

Overall, this Kibble Select Complete Original dry food formula will meet your dog’s minimum nutritional requirements, but not through the use of any high-quality ingredients. This formula is very carbohydrate-heavy and most of the carbohydrates come from low-quality grains and fillers like corn, wheat, and soy.

The main source of protein in this recipe is an unnamed by-product, though there is some beef meal as well. The inclusion of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives is very problematic and there aren’t any chelated minerals or probiotics either.

All in all, this product is not something you want to feed your dog because it earns our lowest 1-star rating. If you are feeding your dog a product like this, you should seriously reconsider and upgrade to at least a 3-start product.

Made in the USA?

The Dad’s dog food company is produced by Ainsworth Pet Nutrition, a company that is headquartered in Meadville, Pennsylvania.

Though the brand website doesn’t provide specific information regarding exactly where their products are manufactured, it seems as though the company’s production facilities are located in Meadsville as well.

This makes the brand a U.S.-based company and it means that their products are made in the USA as well.

Ingredient Sourcing

The Dad’s pet food brand follows a “farm to bowl” philosophy which means that they always purchase their ingredients from local farmers they know and trust.

This brand understands that buying locally is the best way to ensure the freshest ingredients – it also means supporting their neighbors and reducing transportation costs to keep prices low.

Buying from local farmers also means knowing exactly where their ingredients come from and that is the best way to ensure that every product they make is safe for pets – that is their primary goal.

Dad’s Recall History

Dad’s is a brand manufactured by Ainsworth Pet Nutrition, a company that is dedicated to upholding the highest standards for quality and safety. This brand guarantees the safety and quality of their products by sourcing their ingredients locally and by manufacturing their products carefully.

They are so confident in their products that they offer a money-back guarantee, no questions asked. You’ll also be glad to know that there aren’t any Dad’s recalls in recent history. This isn’t always a guarantee of quality for a pet food brand but, in this case, it support’s the brand’s claims of being committed to quality and safety.

How Expensive Are Their Products?

The Dad’s brand of pet food is by no means expensive – the fact that you can purchase their products in dollar stores and Walmart speaks to this.

For an 18-pound bag of dry food, you will spend less than $10 for any of the brand’s original recipes – the Kibble Select line is a little more expensive at about $5 for 4 pounds of kibble. You can save even more money on this brand using Dad’s coupons that you can find online or from independent retailers.

List of Current Products Available

The Dad’s brand of pet foods claims to offer a variety of delicious and wholesome foods that are designed to keep your furry friend health and happy. Their products are complete and balanced, made with fresh local ingredients and the supplements your dog needs for a strong and healthy body.

This brand offers a very limited selection of product choices compared to many other pet food brands, and they only offer dry dog food products at the moment.

Dry Products

The Dad’s Pet Care company only offers seven dry food formulas at this time. These formulas can be divided into two categories – the original lineup and the Kibble Select Complete line.

The original lineup includes five recipes for traditional kibble while the Kibble Select Complete line includes two formulas made with crunchy kibble and moist, chewy chunks. There is a total of seven recipes to choose from. Here is a list of their dry recipes:

• Bite-Size Meal
• Trail Mix
• Econ-O-Mets
• Kibble Select Complete Original

Wet Products – This brand doesn’t currently offer any wet food products or dog treats.