http://dogingtonpost.com/blue-buffalo-under-fire-for-alleged-false-advertising-misleading-consumers/?fb_action_ids=10152134038443182&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_ref=.U2mtpwrwS1e.like#.U2pw5HYr41D

I trust myself. That's why I make my own dogfood. Nothing goes in it that I don't know what it is, and wouldn't eat myself.

 Quote: Tracy Collins

I trust myself. That's why I make my own dogfood. Nothing goes in it that I don't know what it is, and wouldn't eat myself.

Got that, Tracy. However, there are some that prefer the convenience and ease of prepared foods. Having many dogs in the past that lived well on table scraps and Ol'Roy, most kibbles today are a huge improvement. I'm happy with the food I use, and was surprised that such a highly esteemed brand would get busted being cheap.

This morning on local news, the subject of dog food was discussed with a veterinarian. Her advice was that, although most people would like to feed top shelf foods to their dogs, not everyone can. Her best advice, according to her, was to select the best food that fits in your price point. Having gone through the process of making that determination myself many times over the years (and most recently, two-three years ago), I think that is excellent advice.

In addition, I would Google the food that you are contemplating, looking for recalls, and I'd look for the "all U.S.A. ingredients" text on the package.

JMO!

I wasn't proselytizing--just answering the question (for me) in your post title.

I agree with the advice of the vet you heard on the news. Any dog being fed anything regularly by a person who cares about them is already luckier than most dogs in the world. Far be it for me to question the dog food choices of anybody doing what they think is best and feeding what they can afford. Convenience is important--I get that. Especially for people who have lives beyond caring for coddled house dogs.

The only problem I have is misleading marketing by pet food companies to convince people that their products are something that they aren't. With some dog foods, I'm convinced that people are paying as much for TV commercials as they are food ingredients.

 Quote: Tracy Collins

I trust myself. That's why I make my own dogfood. Nothing goes in it that I don't know what it is, and wouldn't eat myself.

DITTO

I think that sometimes my dogs eat better then I do. LOL

THe problem is no cheap protein in the USA these days. No horse slaughter. Horses were basically organic, lean meat. No cancer cows, old cows, damaged cows--- thanks to the wonderful Humane Society, you can't ship anything marginal anymore.
I feed mainly raw and when I do feed kibble, I change it up every bag hoping not to get the same
toxic ingredient more than once.

 Quote: Tracy Collins

The only problem I have is misleading marketing by pet food companies to convince people that their products are something that they aren't. With some dog foods, I'm convinced that people are paying as much for TV commercials as they are food ingredients.

THAT is the problem I have! I like kibble for the convenience, only to use some of the saved time at dogfoodadvisor.com, and second guessing myself at the market (12 minutes yesterday comparing labels, only to leave with the food that I originally went there for!). I do find, though, as long as I do my homework and due diligence, my dog stays healthy and happy.

Admittedly, part of my motivation with starting this thread was to detract from one of the brands that I think is overrated and way overpriced.

Just from my everyday experience, I believe misleading advertising is everywhere, across the board, with just about every food or non-food product you can imagine, be it for your dog or for humans. I have learned to tune out the pretty pictures, ridiculous claims, etc., and do the research myself on products I am interested in.

The story cited in the OP seems to me to be less about the quality of dog food and more about competition between pet food manufacturers. There is no FDA involvement, no AAFCO involvement, no recalls. One company hired their own independent laboratory to test another company's product, and that has now led to a lawsuit over advertising.

Maybe I'm just too jaded, but I tend to take the attitude that there are things that are out of my control, such as what goes into manufactured food products, human or canine. Don't get me wrong; I'm not saying it's okay to flaunt regulations or make false claims or use ingredients that aren't listed (and vice-versa). But if I want to eat it or feed it to my dog, there are certain chances I take, because I have no real way to know for sure.

If I fed BB, and my dog was happy and healthy on it, this wouldn't make me change brands. As others have mentioned, I guess we just each have to make decisions based on what works best in our individual circumstances.

 Quote: Duane Hull

 Quote: Tracy Collins

The only problem I have is misleading marketing by pet food companies to convince people that their products are something that they aren't. With some dog foods, I'm convinced that people are paying as much for TV commercials as they are food ingredients.

THAT is the problem I have! I like kibble for the convenience, only to use some of the saved time at dogfoodadvisor.com, and second guessing myself at the market (12 minutes yesterday comparing labels, only to leave with the food that I originally went there for!). I do find, though, as long as I do my homework and due diligence, my dog stays healthy and happy.

Admittedly, part of my motivation with starting this thread was to detract from one of the brands that I think is overrated and way overpriced.

I feel your frustration, Duane. Over the last few years, I've spent countless hours researching online and way more than 12 minutes reading labels at the stores! Boy, if we were to all start listing the products that we felt were overrated and overpriced, this could be a very long thread, indeed.