Barking Heads Golden Years
Dry Extruded complete High meat Clear label
Is Barking Heads Golden Years a good dog food?
We score it 64/100 (Average). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.
Why this score?
This recipe achieves a total score of 64 out of 100. The processing format contributed -7 to the overall score, while the carbohydrate content added -5.1. On the positive side, the overall quality of the ingredient list contributed +6.4, and the meat content added +5.1.
Only part of the analytical constituents are declared, so the nutritional picture is incomplete.
- Recipe64
- Nutritionallow95
- Transparency48
- Safety100
- Evidencelimited33
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.
Complete extruded dry food for senior dogs, with chicken, dried chicken protein and rice as the main ingredients.
Why you might choose it
- Meat makes up an estimated 44% of the dry matter (50% as fed).
- Prints ingredient percentages on the label.
- Nutritionally complete: formulated to be fed as the whole diet.
Why you might not
We found no significant drawbacks in the data we hold for this product.
Estimated composition
Typical analysis (as fed)
- Protein
- 25%
- Fat
- 10%
- Fibre
- 3.50%
- Ash
- 7%
Additives & feeding info
No additives recorded yet.
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for senior dogs
- Doesn't list beef, turkey, lamb, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists chicken
- Your dog avoids fish: the label lists salmon oil
- Your dog avoids grain: the label lists rice - white
- 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 (21)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23% Freshly Prepared Free Run Chicken | Chicken | meat | medium | 23 | 23.0 |
| 2 | 23% Dried Chicken | Dried chicken protein | meat | good | 23 | 23.0 |
| 3 | 4% Chicken Gravy | Chicken | meat | medium | 4 | 4.0 |
| 4 | Rice (26%) | Rice - white | carb | medium | 26 | 26.0 |
| 5 | Barley | Barley | carb | medium | - | 0.8 |
| 6 | Potato | Potatoes | carb | medium | - | 0.8 |
| 7 | Peas (8%) | Peas | veg | good | 8 | 8.0 |
| 8 | Oats (6%) | Oats | carb | medium | 6 | 6.0 |
| 9 | Lucerne | Alfalfa | veg | good | - | 0.8 |
| 10 | Minerals | Vitamins and minerals | supplement | medium | - | 0.7 |
| 11 | Salmon Oil (1%) | Salmon Oil | oil | good | 1 | 1.0 |
| 12 | Yeast Products | Yeast | supplement | good | - | 0.7 |
| 13 | Chicory Root Extract | Chicory Root Extract | fibre | good | - | 0.7 |
| 14 | Seaweed | Seaweed | veg | good | - | 0.7 |
| 15 | Glucosamine | Glucosamine | supplement | good | - | 0.6 |
| 16 | Dried Carrot | Carrots | veg | good | - | 0.6 |
| 17 | Peppermint | Peppermint | veg | good | - | 0.6 |
| 18 | Rosemary | Rosemary | veg | good | - | 0.5 |
| 19 | Oregano | Oregano | veg | good | - | 0.5 |
| 20 | Beta Glucans | Beta-Glucans | supplement | good | - | 0.5 |
| 21 | Chondroitin Sulphate | Chondroitin | supplement | good | - | 0.4 |
Brand
- Website
- https://barkingheads.co.uk/
- [email protected]
- Phone
- 01344 596325
Trust and provenance
- Recall history
- No recalls recorded in our database
- Label data last checked
- 2026-09-14
- Scored with
- Model v2 (methodology)
- Product page
- barkingheads.co.uk
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 v2 on 2026-09-22. Each component is the feature value for this product multiplied by the model's published coefficient.
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 32.336 | +32.34 |
| Average ingredient quality | 0.6 | 9.915 | +6.43 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 43.6% | 0.116 | +5.05 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 45.4% | -0.113 | -5.11 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 1.5% | -0.088 | -0.14 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 4.2% | -0.002 | -0.01 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 4.3% | -0.009 | -0.04 |
| Undeclared quantities | 9.0% | -0.131 | -1.18 |
| Prints ingredient percentages | yes | 3.194 | +3.19 |
| Complete diet | yes | 1.703 | +1.70 |
| High meat (30%+ of dry matter) | yes | -0.506 | -0.51 |
| Meat share × printed percentages | 43.6 | -0.073 | -3.19 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.00 | 32.336 | +32.34 |
| Processing: Dry Extruded | yes | -6.996 | -7.00 |
Show all 40 components
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 32.336 | +32.34 |
| Average ingredient quality | 0.6 | 9.915 | +6.43 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 43.6% | 0.116 | +5.05 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 45.4% | -0.113 | -5.11 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 1.5% | -0.088 | -0.14 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 4.2% | -0.002 | -0.01 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.177 | +0.00 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 4.3% | -0.009 | -0.04 |
| Other share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.371 | +0.00 |
| Unrecognised share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.022 | +0.00 |
| Recipe graded poor | 0.0% | -0.045 | +0.00 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 0.0% | -0.182 | +0.00 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 0 | -0.868 | +0.00 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 0.0% | 0.056 | +0.00 |
| Undeclared quantities | 9.0% | -0.131 | -1.18 |
| Prints ingredient percentages | yes | 3.194 | +3.19 |
| Complete diet | yes | 1.703 | +1.70 |
| Frozen or chilled fresh | no | 11.440 | +0.00 |
| High meat (30%+ of dry matter) | yes | -0.506 | -0.51 |
| Low meat (under 10% of dry matter) | no | -1.988 | +0.00 |
| High carb and low meat | no | -1.250 | +0.00 |
| Meat share × printed percentages | 43.6 | -0.073 | -3.19 |
| Meat share × fresh | 0.0 | -0.339 | +0.00 |
| Fresh × high meat | 0.0 | 16.475 | +0.00 |
| Additive penalty | 0.00 | 0.236 | +0.00 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.00 | 32.336 | +32.34 |
| Processing: Raw | no | 13.322 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Chilled | no | 7.712 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Frozen | no | 6.583 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Refrigerated | no | 4.857 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Shelf | no | 0.072 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Freeze Dried | no | 11.127 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Air Dried | no | 9.320 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Cold Pressed | no | 4.569 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Baked | no | -2.321 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Extruded | yes | -6.996 | -7.00 |
| Processing: Dry Semi Moist | no | -6.833 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Muesli | no | -10.711 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Wet Pate | no | 2.935 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Wet Chunks | no | 2.292 | +0.00 |
- Processing-type offset
- -0.01
- Subtotal
- 63.9
- Final score
- 64/100
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.
Score history across model versions
The score shown above is always computed with the latest published model. Earlier scores are kept for the record and are never edited or deleted; a scoring change ships as a new model version with a public write-up on the methodology page.
| Model | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| v2 | 64/100 | current |
| v1 | 63/100 | |
| v1.9 | 64/100 |
Nutritional: declared analysis vs reference ranges
How the declared analysis compares with FEDIAF reference ranges for adult dogs. 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.
| Nutrient | As fed (label) | Dry matter (scored) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 25 | 27.2 (band 18 to 40%) | 95 |
| Fat | 10 | 10.9 (band 5.5 to 20%) | 92.2 |
| Fibre | 3.5 | 3.8 (band 0.5 to 5%) | 100 |
Scored over 3 declared nutrients (combined weight 50); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score. Moisture was not declared and was estimated at 8% from the food type.
Low confidence: partial analysis or moisture 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 (91% of the recipe mass) (voluntary) | 18.2/20 |
| Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) - not on file | 0/15 |
| Additives declared (mandatory) - not on file | 0/10 |
| Energy value declared (voluntary) - not on file | 0/5 |
| Complete/complementary designation (mandatory) | 5/5 |
| Feeding guidance given (mandatory) - not on file | 0/10 |
| Manufacturer identity and address (mandatory) | 5/10 |
| Country of manufacture stated (voluntary) | 10/10 |
| Batch and date labelling (mandatory) - not on file | 0/5 |
Capped at 60: mandatory items missing (Analytical constituents declared, Additives declared, Feeding guidance given, 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.
See all current recalls we track.
Evidence: what the brand claims, and what supports it
The marketing claims made on the pack and product page, and how much evidence sits behind them. We record the claims as stated; we do not assess whether they are true.
| Claim | Type | Substantiation |
|---|---|---|
| It helps keep joints strong & healthy, maintains a tip-top body condition, and promotes a healthy weight for your mature dog. (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| It fuels their energy needs and supports immune defense and vital organ functions as they age gracefully. (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| FREE FROM ARTIFICIAL COLOURS, FLAVOURS & PRESERVATIVES (on page) | Free-from | Manufacturer assertion |
| 50% Free Run Chicken (on page) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| 25% less fat with L-carnitine (on page) | High/low level | Manufacturer assertion |
| Made with tasty freshly prepared chicken, blended at least 5 healthy & nutritious fruits & veggies, like sweet potato, peas & carrots (on page) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| 8% Veggies (on page) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| absolutely no nasties & no fillers (on page) | Free-from | Manufacturer assertion |
| 26% Rice (on page) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
Limited: at least one claim rests on manufacturer assertion alone.
The full scoring method is published. See the methodology for exactly how the headline score and each dimension are calculated.
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