1st Choice Puppy Medium and Large Breeds Chicken

Dry Extruded complete

50out of 100

Average

our rating

Is 1st Choice Puppy Medium and Large Breeds Chicken a good dog food?

We score it 50/100 (Average). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.

How we score

Why this score?

This recipe achieves an overall rating of 50 out of 100. The inclusion of ingredients without printed percentages contributed -10.6 points, and the processing format adjusted the score by -6.7. Conversely, the overall quality of the ingredient list added +6.6 points, while being labelled nutritionally complete contributed +2.3 points to the final evaluation.

100% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.

Recipe
50
Nutritionalmedium
92
Transparency
60
Safety
100
Evidence
Not recorded

The Recipe score measures how attractive and transparent the declared ingredient list is. It is not, by itself, proof that the food is nutritionally appropriate for long-term feeding. The Nutritional and Evidence scores measure what we can verify towards that stronger claim.

Why you might choose it

Declares energy content, which most labels omit.
Nutritionally complete: formulated to be fed as the whole diet.

Why you might not

Meat makes up an estimated 3% of the dry matter (2% as fed); carbohydrates dominate.
100% of the recipe mass has no printed percentage, so the exact split cannot be verified.
Its additive load costs about 2 points in the rating.

View the source page

Estimated composition

supplement52.2%

veg17.3%

fibre8.7%

additive8.6%

carb4.8%

meat2.4%

oil2.2%

mineral2.1%

other1.7%

Typical analysis (as fed)

Protein: 28%
Fat: 14%
Fibre: 6%
Ash: 9.50%
Moisture: 10%
Omega-3 fatty acids: 0.03%
Calcium: 1.20%
Phosphorus: 1%
Sodium: 0.30%

Energy: 351 kcal/100g

Additives & feeding info

Nutritional additives

Vitamin A 18,000 IU/kg minimum; Vitamin D3 1,700 IU/kg minimum; Vitamin E 100 IU/kg minimum; Ferrous sulfate; Zinc oxide; Manganous oxide; Niacin; d-calcium pantothenate; Thiamine mononitrate; Biotin; Riboflavin; Pyridoxine hydrochloride; Vitamin B12 supplement; Zinc proteinate; Manganese proteinate; Calcium iodate; Copper proteinate; Folic acid; Ascorbic acid (vitamin C); alpha-tocopherol acetate (vitamin E)

Technological additives

Chicken fat preserved with mixed tocopherols; Yucca schidigera extract

Feeding guide

Daily feeding guidelines by age (2-4, 5-9, 10-12 months) and puppy weight in kg/lb, with grams and cups per day. A standard 250 ml (8 oz) measuring cup = 115 g.

Reviews

Trustpilot: 4.9/5 · 2,373 reviews

Who is this food for?

Suits

Labelled by the manufacturer for puppies
Labelling or feeding guide is aimed at medium and large dogs
Doesn't list beef, turkey, lamb, venison, pork, duck as ingredients

Consider something else if:

Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists dried chicken protein
Your dog avoids fish: the label lists salmon oil
Your dog avoids grain: the label lists barley
You want a single-protein recipe: this one lists more than one animal protein

These points are derived from declared ingredients and analysis, not a substitute for veterinary advice. If your dog has a diagnosed condition, food choice is a medical nutrition decision: speak to your vet. Use the homepage filter to find foods that fit your dog.

Ingredients (55)

#	As declared	Matched	Category	Tier	Declared %	Est. %
1	Chicken meal	Dried chicken protein	meat	good	-	2.4
2	barley	Barley	carb	medium	-	2.4
3	oats	Oats	carb	medium	-	2.4
4	peas	Peas	veg	medium	-	2.3
5	chicken fat preserved with mixed tocopherols	Tocopherols	additive	good	-	2.3
6	natural flavor	Flavor	additive	poor	-	2.3
7	flaxseed	Linseed	veg	good	-	2.3
8	pea fiber	Pea Fibre	fibre	medium	-	2.3
9	suncured alfalfa meal	Alfalfa Meal	fibre	medium	-	2.2
10	dried citrus pulp	Citrus Pulp	fibre	medium	-	2.2
11	salmon oil	Salmon Oil	oil	good	-	2.2
12	salt	Salt	additive	medium	-	2.2
13	yeast extract	Yeast	supplement	good	-	2.1
14	L-threonine	Threonine	supplement	medium	-	2.1
15	monosodium phosphate	Sodium phosphate	additive	poor	-	2.1
16	DL-methionine	Methionine	supplement	good	-	2.1
17	L-lysine	Lysine	supplement	medium	-	2.1
18	chicory extract	Chicory Root Extract	fibre	good	-	2.0
19	calcium carbonate	Calcium Carbonate	supplement	medium	-	2.0
20	taurine	Taurine	supplement	good	-	2.0
21	choline chloride	Choline	supplement	good	-	2.0
22	potassium chloride	Potassium Chloride	supplement	medium	-	1.9
23	ascorbic acid (vitamin C)	Vitamin C	supplement	good	-	1.9
24	glucosamine hydrochloride	Glucosamine	supplement	good	-	1.9
25	ferrous sulfate	Iron sulfate	supplement	good	-	1.9
26	alpha-tocopherol acetate (a source of vitamin E)	Vitamin E	supplement	good	-	1.9
27	sodium hexametaphosphate	Sodium hexametaphosphate	additive	medium	-	1.8
28	zinc oxide	Zinc Oxide	supplement	good	-	1.8
29	turmeric	Turmeric	veg	good	-	1.8
30	dried rosemary	Rosemary	veg	good	-	1.8
31	cloves	Cloves	veg	good	-	1.8
32	yucca schidigera extract	Yucca Schidigera	supplement	good	-	1.7
33	dried whey	Sweet whey powder	other	medium	-	1.7
34	L-carnitine	L-Carnitine	supplement	medium	-	1.7
35	manganous oxide	Manganese (II) Oxide	supplement	good	-	1.7
36	niacin	Niacin	supplement	good	-	1.6
37	d-calcium pantothenate	Calcium pantothenate	supplement	good	-	1.6
38	vitamin A supplement	Vitamin A	supplement	good	-	1.6
39	cholecalciferol (a source of vitamin D3)	Vitamin D3 supplement	supplement	good	-	1.6
40	thiamine mononitrate	Thiamine mononitrate	supplement	good	-	1.6
41	grapefruit extract	Grapefruit	veg	medium	-	1.5
42	biotin	Biotin	supplement	good	-	1.5
43	dried spearmint	Spearmint	veg	good	-	1.5
44	dried parsley	Parsley	veg	good	-	1.5
45	green tea extract	Green Tea	veg	good	-	1.4
46	dried ginger	Ginger	veg	good	-	1.4
47	sodium selenite	Sodium selenite	supplement	poor	-	1.4
48	zinc proteinate	Zinc Proteinate	supplement	good	-	1.4
49	riboflavin	Riboflavin	supplement	good	-	1.4
50	pyridoxine hydrochloride	Pyridoxine hydrochloride	supplement	good	-	1.3
51	vitamin B12 supplement	Vitamin B12	supplement	good	-	1.3
52	manganese proteinate	Manganese proteinate	supplement	good	-	1.3
53	calcium iodate	Calcium iodate	supplement	medium	-	1.3
54	copper proteinate	Copper proteinate	supplement	good	-	1.2
55	folic acid.	Folic acid	supplement	good	-	1.2

Brand

Website: https://www.1stchoice.ca/
Phone: 1 866 752-7378
Address: 1361, Graham Bell Street, Boucherville, Quebec, J4B 6A1, Canada
Contact page: www.1stchoice.ca

Trust and provenance

Recall history: No recalls recorded in our database
Label data last checked: 2026-09-19
Scored with: Model v3 (methodology)
Product page: www.1stchoice.ca

Recall history is presentation-only and never affects the score. Dates are when we recorded the data, not when the manufacturer last changed the recipe.

Spotted a mistake in this listing? Report it here and we'll take a look.

Recipe: how the 1-100 score is calculated

Scored with model v3 on 2026-09-26. Each component is the feature value for this product multiplied by the model's published coefficient.

Component	Input	Coefficient	Contribution
Base score	-	30.909	+30.91
Average ingredient quality	0.7	9.191	+6.63
Carb share of dry matter	4.8%	-0.115	-0.56
Oil share of dry matter	2.5%	-0.092	-0.23
Vegetable share of dry matter	13.4%	-0.005	-0.07
Additive share of dry matter	9.0%	0.163	+1.46
Supplement share of dry matter	55.4%	-0.012	-0.68
Other share of dry matter	1.0%	-0.375	-0.37
Recipe graded poor	3.7%	-0.065	-0.24
Number of poor ingredients	2	-0.876	-1.75
Largest single poor ingredient	2.3%	0.060	+0.14
Undeclared quantities	100.0%	-0.106	-10.56
Complete diet	yes	2.294	+2.29
Low meat (under 10% of dry matter)	yes	-3.158	-3.16
Additive penalty	-10.40	0.222	-2.31
Processing multiplier	0.98	33.786	+33.11
Processing: Dry Extruded	yes	-6.713	-6.71

Show all 40 components

Component	Input	Coefficient	Contribution
Base score	-	30.909	+30.91
Average ingredient quality	0.7	9.191	+6.63
Meat share of dry matter	0.0%	0.096	+0.00
Carb share of dry matter	4.8%	-0.115	-0.56
Oil share of dry matter	2.5%	-0.092	-0.23
Vegetable share of dry matter	13.4%	-0.005	-0.07
Additive share of dry matter	9.0%	0.163	+1.46
Supplement share of dry matter	55.4%	-0.012	-0.68
Other share of dry matter	1.0%	-0.375	-0.37
Unrecognised share of dry matter	0.0%	-0.027	+0.00
Recipe graded poor	3.7%	-0.065	-0.24
Poor-quality meat in recipe	0.0%	-0.179	+0.00
Number of poor ingredients	2	-0.876	-1.75
Largest single poor ingredient	2.3%	0.060	+0.14
Undeclared quantities	100.0%	-0.106	-10.56
Prints ingredient percentages	no	0.000	+0.00
Complete diet	yes	2.294	+2.29
Frozen or chilled fresh	no	0.000	+0.00
High meat (30%+ of dry matter)	no	0.707	+0.00
Low meat (under 10% of dry matter)	yes	-3.158	-3.16
High carb and low meat	no	-1.180	+0.00
Meat share × printed percentages	0.0	0.000	+0.00
Meat share × fresh	0.0	0.000	+0.00
Fresh × high meat	0.0	11.084	+0.00
Additive penalty	-10.40	0.222	-2.31
Processing multiplier	0.98	33.786	+33.11
Processing: Raw	no	-0.054	+0.00
Processing: Fresh Chilled	no	-2.354	+0.00
Processing: Fresh Frozen	no	-2.354	+0.00
Processing: Fresh Refrigerated	no	0.000	+0.00
Processing: Fresh Shelf	no	-0.672	+0.00
Processing: Dry Freeze Dried	no	6.629	+0.00
Processing: Dry Air Dried	no	6.331	+0.00
Processing: Dry Cold Pressed	no	-6.713	+0.00
Processing: Dry Baked	no	-6.713	+0.00
Processing: Dry Extruded	yes	-6.713	-6.71
Processing: Dry Semi Moist	no	-6.174	+0.00
Processing: Dry Muesli	no	-10.146	+0.00
Processing: Wet Pate	no	-0.672	+0.00
Processing: Wet Chunks	no	-0.672	+0.00

Processing-type offset: +0.02
Additives declared on label: +2 transparency bonus
Subtotal: 49.9
Final score: 50/100

Contributions are rounded to two decimals, so they may not sum exactly to the subtotal. The full coefficient table is published on the methodology page.

Nutritional: declared analysis vs reference ranges

How the declared analysis compares with FEDIAF reference ranges for puppies and growth. The label prints as-fed values; we convert to a dry-matter basis before scoring, and the bands are dry-matter ranges. Scores rise to 100 at the band midpoint: the reference is adequacy, not maximisation. Nutrients with a published upper limit taper again above it; fat is policed through calorie density rather than a direct penalty.

Scored against FEDIAF growth minima; puppy scoring is under review; Guaranteed-analysis FEDIAF score: crude minimums and maximums are bounds, not typical values; moisture (a maximum) uses the processing median where available; experimental US score.

Nutrient	As fed (label)	Dry matter (scored)	Score
Protein	28	30.9	100
Fat	14	15.5	100
Calcium	1.2	1.3	100
Phosphorus	1	1.1	100
Calcium:phosphorus ratio	1.2	1.2	100
Omega fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3)	-	-	29
Energy (kcal/100g)	351	387.8	100

Omega fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3): scored as the mean of its declared components (omega-3 29). The FEDIAF minimum for omega-6 is linoleic acid specifically.

Scored over 7 declared nutrients (combined weight 90); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score. Moisture was not declared and was estimated at 9.5% from the food type.

Medium confidence: the full five-part analysis is on file; where moisture was not declared it was estimated from the food type.

This measures agreement with published reference ranges, not suitability for an individual dog. For medical conditions, follow veterinary guidance.

Transparency: what the label discloses

How much the manufacturer discloses, measured against the FEDIAF Code of Good Labelling Practice and Regulation 767/2009. Mandatory items dominate the weighting.

Item	Points
✓ Ingredient list on the label (mandatory)	10/10
✗ Printed percentages on the label (voluntary) - not on file	0/20
✓ Analytical constituents declared (mandatory)	15/15
✓ Additives declared (mandatory)	10/10
✓ Energy value declared (voluntary)	5/5
✓ Complete/complementary designation (mandatory)	5/5
✓ Feeding guidance given (mandatory)	10/10
✓ Manufacturer identity and address (mandatory)	10/10
✓ Country of manufacture stated (voluntary)	10/10
✗ Batch and date labelling (mandatory) - not on file	0/5

Capped at 60: mandatory items missing (Batch and date labelling).

Safety: recall history

Recall and safety-notice history, time-decayed. This dimension is shown alongside the score and never feeds the headline number.

No recalls recorded in our database.

Evidence: what the brand claims, and what supports it

The claims made on the pack and product page, checked against the declared label. We record claims as stated; "consistent" means our stored label data supports the claim, "contradicted" means it conflicts with it. Functional claims are recorded but never scored.

Claims on file; none we can check against the label

Claim	Type	Check	Substantiation
Antioxidants+ (on page)	Functional	not checkable	Manufacturer assertion
DHA, calcium and phosphorus are meticulously balanced to support bone growth and promote brain development and vital functions. (on page)	Functional	not checkable	Manufacturer assertion
Comfort+ Offer an exceptionally high digestibility rate. In addition, prebiotic fibers nourish the intestinal microbiota to promote bowel function and stool quality. (on page)	Functional	not checkable	Manufacturer assertion
Chicken 28% (on page)	Content	not checkable	Manufacturer assertion
Protein 14% (on page)	Content	not checkable	Manufacturer assertion

The full scoring method is published. See the methodology for exactly how the headline score and each dimension are calculated.

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