Barking Heads Little Paws - Fuss Pot Duck Dry Dog Food
Dry Extruded complete High meat Clear label
Is Barking Heads Little Paws - Fuss Pot Duck Dry Dog Food a good dog food?
We score it 69/100 (Average). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.
Why this score?
This product scored 69 out of 100. The processing format contributed -6.7 points, holding the score back. On the positive side, the overall quality of the ingredient list added +6.1 points, the meat content contributed +5.5 points, and being labelled nutritionally complete added +2.3 points.
Only part of the analytical constituents are declared, so the nutritional picture is incomplete.
- Recipe69
- Nutritionallow98
- Transparency57
- Safety100
- Evidencemoderate100
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 adult dogs, with duck, poultry fat and sweet potatoes as the main ingredients.
Why you might choose it
- Scores 69, in the top quarter of dry foods we track.
- Meat makes up an estimated 57% of the dry matter (48% as fed).
- Prints ingredient percentages on the label.
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
- 19%
- Fibre
- 3.50%
- Ash
- 8.50%
Energy: 388 kcal/100g
Additives & feeding info
Nutritional additives
Vitamin A 17,000 IU; Vitamin D3 1,000 IU; Vitamin E 100mg; Iron (Iron (II) Sulphate Monohydrate) 60mg; Zinc (Zinc Sulphate Monohydrate) 50mg; Manganese (Manganous Sulphate Monohydrate) 50mg; Zinc (Zinc Chelate of Glycine Hydrate) 15mg; Copper (Copper (II) Sulphate Pentahydrate) 5mg; Iodine (Calcium Iodate Anhydrous) 1.5mg; Selenium (Sodium Selenite) 0.05mg
Reviews
84 reviews on this product · 4.3/5
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for adult dogs
- Grain-free: no grain ingredients listed
- Doesn't list beef, lamb, fish, venison, pork as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists poultry fat
- Your dog avoids turkey: the label lists poultry fat
- Your dog avoids duck: the label lists duck
- 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 (17)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Freshly Prepared Free Run Duck (27%) | Duck | meat | medium | 27 | 27.0 |
| 2 | Dried Duck (19%) | Duck | meat | medium | 19 | 19.0 |
| 3 | Duck Fat (2%) | Poultry Fat | oil | medium | 2 | 2.0 |
| 4 | Duck Gravy (2%) | Duck | meat | medium | 2 | 2.0 |
| 5 | Sweet Potato (24%) | Sweet Potatoes | carb | good | 24 | 24.0 |
| 6 | Peas (12%) | Peas | veg | medium | 12 | 12.0 |
| 7 | Potato | Potatoes | carb | medium | - | 1.6 |
| 8 | Lucerne | Alfalfa | veg | good | - | 1.6 |
| 9 | Linseed | Linseed | veg | good | - | 1.5 |
| 10 | Minerals | Vitamins and minerals | supplement | medium | - | 1.4 |
| 11 | Yeast Products | Yeast | supplement | good | - | 1.3 |
| 12 | Chicory Root Extract | Chicory Root Extract | fibre | good | - | 1.3 |
| 13 | Seaweed | Seaweed | veg | good | - | 1.2 |
| 14 | Dried Carrot | Carrots | veg | good | - | 1.1 |
| 15 | Peppermint | Peppermint | veg | good | - | 1.0 |
| 16 | Rosemary | Rosemary | veg | good | - | 1.0 |
| 17 | Beta Glucans. | Beta-Glucans | supplement | good | - | 0.9 |
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
- 2026-09-19
- Scored with
- Model v3 (methodology)
- Product page
- www.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 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 | +6.05 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 57.4% | 0.096 | +5.51 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 14.6% | -0.115 | -1.68 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 4.5% | -0.092 | -0.42 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 13.2% | -0.005 | -0.07 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 7.7% | -0.012 | -0.09 |
| Undeclared quantities | 14.0% | -0.106 | -1.48 |
| Complete diet | yes | 2.294 | +2.29 |
| High meat (30%+ of dry matter) | yes | 0.707 | +0.71 |
| 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 | +6.05 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 57.4% | 0.096 | +5.51 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 14.6% | -0.115 | -1.68 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 4.5% | -0.092 | -0.42 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 13.2% | -0.005 | -0.07 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.163 | +0.00 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 7.7% | -0.012 | -0.09 |
| Other share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.375 | +0.00 |
| Unrecognised share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.027 | +0.00 |
| Recipe graded poor | 0.0% | -0.065 | +0.00 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 0.0% | -0.179 | +0.00 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 0 | -0.876 | +0.00 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 0.0% | 0.060 | +0.00 |
| Undeclared quantities | 14.0% | -0.106 | -1.48 |
| 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) | yes | 0.707 | +0.71 |
| Low meat (under 10% of dry matter) | no | -3.158 | +0.00 |
| 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 | 0.00 | 0.222 | +0.00 |
| 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
- +1 transparency bonus
- Subtotal
- 69.2
- Final score
- 69/100
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 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 | 27.6 (band 18 to 40%) | 96.2 |
| Fat | 19 | 21 (band 5.5 to 20%) | 100 |
| Fibre | 3.5 | 3.9 (band 0.5 to 5%) | 100 |
| Energy (kcal/100g) | 388 | 428.7 | 100 |
Scored over 4 declared nutrients (combined weight 60); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score. Moisture was not declared and was estimated at 9.5% 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 (86% of the recipe mass) (voluntary) | 17.2/20 |
| Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) - not on file | 0/15 |
| Additives declared (mandatory) | 5/10 |
| Energy value declared (voluntary) | 5/5 |
| 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, 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 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.
100/100 · moderate — 1 checkable claim: 1 consistent, 0 contradicted.
Consistent with the label
- "Gentle on sensitive stomachs; grain‑free recipe crafted for easy digestion" — supported by the declared grain-free data.
7 further claims on file that we cannot check against the label.
Moderate: every checkable claim is consistent with the declared label.
| Claim | Type | Check | Substantiation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tempts picky eaters with novel‑protein duck and a tasty homemade duck gravy (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Small, bite‑sized kibbles perfect for little mouths (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Duck fat and linseed to support healthy skin and a shiny coat (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Vet‑approved (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Gentle on sensitive stomachs; grain‑free recipe crafted for easy digestion (on page) | Free-from | consistent | Manufacturer assertion |
| FREE FROM ARTIFICIAL COLOURS, FLAVOURS & PRESERVATIVES (on pack) | Free-from | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Made with natural ingredients only, no nasties or fillers (on page) | Free-from | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| 50% freshly prepared free‑run duck blended with nutritious veggies including sweet potato, peas, and carrots (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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