Editorial policy.
How we review dog food, how our scoring model works, and how we protect editorial independence. Published in full, with nothing hidden.
Reviewed by the Dog Food Reviews editorial team
Independent scoring · Updated June 2026 · Not veterinary advice
How we review.
Dog Food Reviews is an independent editorial review and comparison platform for Australian pet owners. We score pet food brands, retailers and products using a published 100-point methodology applied identically to every brand in our index.
Every score is based on publicly available product information: ingredient panels, published nutritional analysis, retail pricing across Australian stockists, manufacturer ownership disclosures, country of manufacture, and publicly known recall history. We do not conduct laboratory testing or chemical analysis, and we do not give veterinary advice.
Where we accept product samples to assist with editorial assessment, we disclose this on the relevant review page. Accepting a sample does not guarantee coverage, does not guarantee a positive score, and does not change the weighting applied by our methodology.
All scores are illustrative editorial estimates based on information available at the time of scoring. Prices are illustrative and change frequently. Rankings represent our editorial view at a point in time, not a permanent or guaranteed assessment.
How scoring works.
Our scoring model gives every brand a single score out of 100 across six weighted pillars:
- Value: Price per kg and estimated cost per day for an average adult dog. This is the heaviest-weighted pillar because real feeding cost is what matters most to owners.
- Ingredient quality: Presence of named meat proteins, reliance on fillers, use of artificial additives and preservatives, and overall ingredient panel integrity.
- Nutritional completeness: Whether the product meets AAFCO or equivalent standards for the stated life stage, and the quality of macronutrient balance.
- Transparency: Ownership disclosure, country of manufacture, recall history, and labelling clarity. Brands that make like-for-like comparison difficult score lower.
- Availability: Whether the product is readily available across multiple Australian retailers, and the breadth of online and physical stockists.
- Owner sentiment: Aggregated real-world feedback from Australian dog and cat owners, weighted toward long-term feeding outcomes.
Low scores always indicate poor value or weaker transparency — never that a product is unsafe or harmful. We do not use language like “dangerous” or “toxic” in our editorial scoring.
Independence & no pay-to-play.
Dog Food Reviews is not owned by, funded by, or in an undisclosed commercial arrangement with any pet food manufacturer, retailer, or veterinary business.
Scores and rankings cannot be purchased. No brand can pay to appear higher in our index, receive a better score, or be included in our rankings faster. Sponsored placements, where they appear on this site, are clearly labelled and exist entirely outside the scoring model — a sponsored placement has no connection to a brand's editorial score.
Some outbound links to brands and retailers may earn Dog Food Reviews a commission if a purchase is made (affiliate links). These relationships are fully disclosed in our affiliate disclosure. The presence or absence of an affiliate relationship has no effect on a brand's score or its position in our rankings.
Where retailer-owned or exclusive brands appear in our index, their relationship to the retailer is disclosed on their review page. These brands are scored on the same criteria as all other brands.
Dog Food Reviews editorial declaration
No brand has paid to appear in, or improve its position in, any Dog Food Reviews ranking or editorial feature. All scores are produced by our editorial team using our published methodology, independent of any commercial relationship.
Sourcing & data accuracy.
All product data — ingredient panels, nutritional analysis, weights, retail prices and stockist information — is sourced from publicly available product pages, manufacturer websites, and Australian pet retailer listings at the time of scoring.
Retail prices change frequently. The prices shown on Dog Food Reviews are illustrative and may not reflect current pricing. We recommend checking the retailer directly before making a purchase decision.
Where we reference recall information, we rely on publicly available data from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), manufacturer announcements, and Australian Veterinary Association communications.
We do not conduct laboratory testing or commission independent nutritional analysis. Our scores are based on stated product information and published data — not on verified chemical composition.
Corrections policy.
We are committed to accuracy. If you believe a score, a product fact, or a statement on Dog Food Reviews is incorrect, please contact our editorial team at editorial@dogfoodreviews.com.au with the page URL, the specific claim, and supporting evidence.
We commit to reviewing all corrections requests within 10 business days. If we determine a material correction is warranted, we will:
- Update the page with corrected information.
- Add a visible correction note at the top of the affected review or article.
- Update the page's last-modified date.
- Recalculate the score if the corrected information affects scoring.
Brands may submit corrections through the same process. Corrections are addressed on editorial merit — not on the basis of commercial pressure.
The editorial team.
Dog Food Reviews content is produced by our editorial team — analysts who apply our published methodology to publicly available product data. All editorial content is reviewed before publication.
We are not veterinarians. Dog Food Reviews is a value and comparison resource, not veterinary advice. Nothing on this site should be taken as professional veterinary guidance. Always speak to a registered veterinarian before making changes to your pet's diet, particularly for animals with existing health conditions.
Our editorial team does not include employees of pet food manufacturers or major pet retailers. Conflicts of interest are assessed before assigning reviews.
Conflict of interest.
Dog Food Reviews maintains a conflict-of-interest policy for all editorial staff and contributors. Any person with a direct financial interest in a brand being reviewed — including equity, employment, or a material undisclosed affiliate relationship — is excluded from scoring that brand.
Affiliate relationships are not considered a conflict of interest where they are fully disclosed and apply equally across all brands in a category. The same affiliate structure applies to every brand in the index.
If a conflict of interest is identified after publication, the affected review will be reassigned and re-evaluated. A correction note will be published if the score changes as a result.
Editorial policy, answered.
No. Scores and rankings are based entirely on our published 100-point methodology. No payment, sponsorship, or commercial arrangement can improve a brand's score or position in our rankings.
Some outbound links to brands and retailers may earn Dog Food Reviews a commission if a purchase is made. These relationships are disclosed in our affiliate disclosure and on individual review pages. They have no bearing on scoring or editorial recommendations.
Email our editorial team at editorial@dogfoodreviews.com.au. Include the page URL, the specific claim you believe is incorrect, and supporting evidence. We commit to reviewing corrections within 10 business days and publishing a note if a material change is made.
Scores are reviewed when we are alerted to a material change — for example, a recipe reformulation, a recall, a significant price shift, or updated manufacturer disclosure. Scores are also reviewed as part of an annual audit each June.
Content is written and reviewed by the Dog Food Reviews editorial team — analysts who apply our published methodology to publicly available product data. We are not veterinarians and do not give veterinary advice. We recommend speaking to your vet before changing your pet's diet.
Dog Food Reviews is not owned by, funded by, or in an undisclosed commercial arrangement with any pet food brand or retailer. Affiliate links, where they exist, are disclosed. We may occasionally receive product samples to assist with editorial assessment — these are always disclosed and do not affect scores.
Reviewed by the Dog Food Reviews editorial team
Independent scoring · Updated June 2026 · Not veterinary advice