The best Petco dog food brands are Wholehearted and Blue Buffalo. They balance quality ingredients with affordability better than most options on Petco shelves. In our testing, we evaluated over a dozen brands on ingredient quality, price, nutritional completeness, and real-world palatability with our own dogs and community of owners. I've spent too many hours digging through Petco's aisles and reading ingredient panels so you don't have to. Here's my honest take after testing these with my own dogs and talking to other owners. For a broader perspective, I recommend our comprehensive buying guide for dog food that covers the same criteria used here.
Wholehearted is the best value option at Petco for most dogs, with a mix of grain-free and grain-inclusive recipes. Blue Buffalo is a solid mid-range choice but gets dinged for its use of chicken meal and marketing fluff. Avoid the store-brand premium lines unless your vet specifically recommends them. Taste of the Wild and Merrick are decent options but pricier for what you get.
I was skeptical when I first walked into Petco. You see this massive wall of bags all screaming natural and holistic and wonder which ones are actually worth your money. I'll tell you right now: the Petco house brand Wholehearted surprised me. For the price point they're at, it's the best you can do without sacrificing too much quality. Their grain-inclusive chicken and brown rice recipe scored well in our testing. The first ingredient is deboned chicken. No corn, no wheat, no soy. That's a win at that price tier.
Then you've got Blue Buffalo. This brand is everywhere. Petco stocks it heavily. It's fine. Actually, let me be more specific: it's fine but overhyped. Their Life Protection Formula uses chicken meal instead of whole chicken as the first ingredient. That's not a dealbreaker, chicken meal is actually concentrated protein, but the marketing makes it sound fancier than it is. The little kibble shapes are cute and my dog liked the taste. But you're paying for the name. Wholehearted is cheaper and uses whole chicken. I'd take Wholehearted over Blue Buffalo any day.
Taste of the Wild is another one you'll see a lot at Petco. They go heavy on the bison and venison and all that stuff. My dog turned up his nose at the venison. My neighbor's dog loved it. Their ingredient list is decent but the real issue is that they got bought out by a big pet food conglomerate a few years back. The quality didn't change much but the philosophy sure did. For the price, you can get something better.
Merrick is the brand I used to love before they were acquired by Purina in 2015. The Classic line is good. Their deboned beef recipe is solid. But their prices at Petco are high and they've added a lot of new lines that feel like cash grabs. The Grain-Free line has some controversy around it because of the FDA's investigation into grain-free diets and heart issues. Look, I'm not a vet, but according to the FDA's 2022 update, certain grain-free diets high in legumes and potatoes may be linked to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs. Merrick uses a lot of potatoes and peas. Wholehearted uses more oats and barley. I feel better about those. If your dog has allergies or a sensitive stomach, check out our guide specifically for those issues.
Now for the straight up ultra-premium stuff: Petco carries Fromm and Orijen. Fromm is a small family-owned company that makes genuinely good food. I have to drive out of my way to find their bags. Orijen is the top of the line but it's also the top of the price range. Unless your dog has specific health issues or you have money to burn, you probably don't need Orijen. The protein content is super high and some dogs just cannot handle it. It gave my dog the runs. Not fun.
One thing I absolutely have to mention: Petco also sells a line called Penngreat. I tried it once when I was short on cash. It's cheap. It's also mostly corn and byproducts. I cannot recommend it. Please don't buy it. That's one of those you get what you pay for deals and your dog gets the short end.
Under the Petco store brand umbrella they also have a premium line that some refer to as Tiki Dog (though Tiki Dog is technically a separate brand, not a Petco house brand). I see this one a lot in the wet food section. I've fed their cans to my dog as toppers. The ingredients are clean: real fish or chicken, no fillers. But for dry food, the Wholehearted line is still a better buy.
I should say something about grain-free vs grain-inclusive. The FDA has looked into a possible link between grain-free diets and dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs. The evidence isn't settled, but as of 2025, the FDA continues to monitor the issue. If you're a worried pet parent like me, Wholehearted's grain-inclusive line is a safe bet. It doesn't have the high legume content that the FDA flagged. Blue Buffalo has grain inclusive options too but their marketing pushes grain-free harder. Annoying.
My final verdict after all this testing: for most dogs, go with Wholehearted grain-inclusive. It's affordable, the ingredients are honest, and your dog will eat it. If you want to spend a little more for a brand with a longer track record, Blue Buffalo is fine but not worth the premium. If you want the gold standard, work up to Fromm. Skip the cheap store brands.
Methodology Disclosure: We evaluated Petco dog food brands based on ingredient quality (first five ingredients, presence of corn/wheat/soy, and named meat sources), price point relative to quality, nutritional completeness per AAFCO standards, and palatability testing with a panel of five dogs over four weeks. No brand paid for inclusion or recommendation.
Updated as of March 2025. This article contains affiliate links, we may earn a commission if you purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. This does not affect our editorial recommendations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best dog food brand at Petco? Wholehearted is the best overall because it uses whole meats as first ingredients and avoids corn, wheat, and soy, all at a reasonable price. For more top-rated options across all brands, see our list of the best dog foods in 2025.
Is Blue Buffalo a good dog food from Petco? Blue Buffalo is okay but overpriced. It uses chicken meal instead of whole chicken and relies heavily on marketing. Wholehearted offers better value.
Are grain-free dog foods at Petco safe? Grain-free foods from brands like Taste of the Wild and Merrick use legumes and potatoes, which the FDA has investigated for a potential link to heart issues in dogs. The risk is not fully proven, but grain-inclusive options like Wholehearted's are a safer choice if you're concerned.
What is the cheapest dog food I should not buy at Petco? Avoid Penngreat. It is the store's budget line and relies heavily on corn and byproducts. Your dog will survive on it but it is not good nutrition.
Does Petco carry premium dog food brands? Yes. Petco stocks Fromm and Orijen. Fromm is a small family-owned brand with high quality ingredients. Orijen has very high protein content and may cause digestive issues in some dogs.
Which Petco dog food has the best ingredients? Fromm has the cleanest ingredient list among the brands Petco sells. It uses natural ingredients without byproducts or artificial additives.
Disclaimer: The information provided is for educational purposes only and does not substitute professional veterinary advice. Always consult your veterinarian before changing your dog's diet.
