Happy Dog Mini Puppy Fit & Vital

Dry Extruded complete High meat Clear label

Mini Puppy Fit & Vital
Average
our rating

Is Happy Dog Mini Puppy Fit & Vital a good dog food?

We score it 54/100 (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 54 out of 100. The meat content contributed +3.5 points, while the overall quality of the ingredient list added +4.2 points to the total. However, the processing format reduced the score by -7 and ingredients without printed percentages decreased it by -9.

Only part of the analytical constituents are declared, so the nutritional picture is incomplete.

69% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.

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.

Estimated composition

meat37.5%
veg24.2%
fibre10.8%
supplement9.9%
carb9.2%
oil3.1%
other2.8%
additive2.5%

Typical analysis (as fed)

Protein
30%
Fat
16%
Fibre
2.50%
Ash
7.50%
Omega-3 fatty acids
0.40%
Omega-6 fatty acids
3.50%
Calcium
1.45%
Phosphorus
1.10%
Sodium
0.35%

Energy: 383 kcal/100g

Additives & feeding info

Nutritional additives

Vitamin A (3a672a) 12000 IU/kg; Vitamin D3 (3a671) 1200 IU/kg; Vitamin E (all rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate 3a700) 75 mg/kg; Vitamin B1 (thiamine mononitrate 3a821) 4 mg/kg; Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) 6 mg/kg; Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride 3a831) 4 mg/kg; Biotin (D (+)-biotin 3a880) 575 mcg/kg; Pantothenic acid (calcium D-pantothenate 3a841) 10 mg/kg; Niacin (3a314) 40 mg/kg; Vitamin B12 70 mcg/kg; Choline chloride (3a890) 60 mg/kg; Iron (E1, iron (II) sulfate monohydrate 3b103) 105 mg/kg; Copper (E4, copper (II) sulfate pentahydrate 3b405) 10 mg/kg; Zinc (zinc oxide 3b603 100 mg/kg + amino acid zinc chelate hydrate 3b606 25 mg/kg) 125 mg/kg; Manganese (manganese (II) oxide 3b502) 25 mg/kg; Iodine (calcium iodate, anhydrous 3b202) 2 mg/kg; Selenium (E8, sodium selenite) 0.15 mg/kg

Technological additives

Antioxidants: tocopherol extracts from vegetable oils 1b306(i)

Feeding guide

See our portion guide based on weight and activity (view feeding guide on page)

Who is this food for?

Suits

  • Labelled by the manufacturer for puppies
  • Labelling or feeding guide is aimed at small dogs
  • Doesn't list beef, venison, pork, duck as ingredients

Consider something else if:

  • Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists poultry
  • Your dog avoids turkey: the label lists poultry
  • Your dog avoids lamb: the label lists lamb
  • Your dog avoids fish: the label lists salmon protein
  • Your dog avoids grain: the label lists corn flour
  • 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 (35)

#As declaredMatchedCategoryTierDeclared %Est. %
1Animal proteinsDigest / Hydrolysed Animal Proteinsmeatpoor-3.2
2poultry 21 %Poultrymeatmedium2121.0
3lamb 5 %Lambmeatmedium55.0
4maize flourCorn flourcarbmedium-3.2
5riceRice - whitecarbmedium-3.1
6oils and fatsOils and Fatsoilpoor-3.1
7meat mealMeat Mealmeatmedium-3.0
8maizeMaize / Corncarbpoor-2.9
95% salmon mealSalmon Proteinmeatgood55.0
10beet pulpBeet Pulpfibremedium-2.9
11hydrolysed proteinProtein Hydrolysateotherpoor-2.8
12apple pomaceApple Fibrefibremedium-2.8
13celluloseCellulosefibremedium-2.7
14potassium chloridePotassium Chloridesupplementmedium-2.7
15yeastsYeastsupplementgood-2.6
16sodium chlorideSaltadditivepoor-2.5
17dried whole egg (0.2 %)Dried Whole Eggmeatgood0.20.2
18seaweedSeaweedveggood-2.5
19linseed (0.15 %)Linseedveggood0.150.1
20psyllium husksPsylliumfibregood-2.4
21yeasts (extract)Yeastsupplementgood-2.4
22mussel meat (0.04 %)Mussel Meat Mealmeatmedium0.040.04
23yucca schidigeraYucca Schidigerasupplementgood-2.3
24milk thistleMilk Thistleveggood-2.2
25artichokeArtichokeveggood-2.2
26dandelionDandelion Rootveggood-2.1
27ginger (0.015 %)Gingerveggood0.0150.01
28birch leavesBirch Leavesvegmedium-2.1
29stinging nettleNettlesveggood-2.0
30camomileChamomileveggood-2.0
31corianderCorianderveggood-1.9
32rosemaryRosemaryveggood-1.8
33sageSageveggood-1.8
34liquorice rootLiquoricevegmedium-1.7
35thyme (total dried herbs: 0.15 %) *driedThymeveggood-1.7

Brand

Happy Dog logo
Phone
(530) 267-6262
Address
300 Salem Street Chico,CA 95928
Contact page
www.happydog.com

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
www.happydoguk.com

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.

ComponentInputCoefficientContribution
Base score-32.336+32.34
Average ingredient quality0.49.915+4.16
Meat share of dry matter30.5%0.116+3.54
Carb share of dry matter14.0%-0.113-1.58
Oil share of dry matter5.2%-0.088-0.46
Vegetable share of dry matter11.7%-0.002-0.02
Additive share of dry matter3.9%0.177+0.69
Supplement share of dry matter15.6%-0.009-0.14
Other share of dry matter2.4%-0.371-0.90
Recipe graded poor11.4%-0.045-0.51
Number of poor ingredients4-0.868-3.47
Largest single poor ingredient3.1%0.056+0.17
Undeclared quantities68.6%-0.131-8.98
Prints ingredient percentagesyes3.194+3.19
Complete dietyes1.703+1.70
High meat (30%+ of dry matter)yes-0.506-0.51
Meat share × printed percentages30.5-0.073-2.24
Additive penalty-3.090.236-0.73
Processing multiplier1.0032.336+32.34
Processing: Dry Extrudedyes-6.996-7.00
Show all 40 components
ComponentInputCoefficientContribution
Base score-32.336+32.34
Average ingredient quality0.49.915+4.16
Meat share of dry matter30.5%0.116+3.54
Carb share of dry matter14.0%-0.113-1.58
Oil share of dry matter5.2%-0.088-0.46
Vegetable share of dry matter11.7%-0.002-0.02
Additive share of dry matter3.9%0.177+0.69
Supplement share of dry matter15.6%-0.009-0.14
Other share of dry matter2.4%-0.371-0.90
Unrecognised share of dry matter0.0%-0.022+0.00
Recipe graded poor11.4%-0.045-0.51
Poor-quality meat in recipe0.0%-0.182+0.00
Number of poor ingredients4-0.868-3.47
Largest single poor ingredient3.1%0.056+0.17
Undeclared quantities68.6%-0.131-8.98
Prints ingredient percentagesyes3.194+3.19
Complete dietyes1.703+1.70
Frozen or chilled freshno11.440+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 meatno-1.250+0.00
Meat share × printed percentages30.5-0.073-2.24
Meat share × fresh0.0-0.339+0.00
Fresh × high meat0.016.475+0.00
Additive penalty-3.090.236-0.73
Processing multiplier1.0032.336+32.34
Processing: Rawno13.322+0.00
Processing: Fresh Chilledno7.712+0.00
Processing: Fresh Frozenno6.583+0.00
Processing: Fresh Refrigeratedno4.857+0.00
Processing: Fresh Shelfno0.072+0.00
Processing: Dry Freeze Driedno11.127+0.00
Processing: Dry Air Driedno9.320+0.00
Processing: Dry Cold Pressedno4.569+0.00
Processing: Dry Bakedno-2.321+0.00
Processing: Dry Extrudedyes-6.996-7.00
Processing: Dry Semi Moistno-6.833+0.00
Processing: Dry Mueslino-10.711+0.00
Processing: Wet Pateno2.935+0.00
Processing: Wet Chunksno2.292+0.00
Processing-type offset
-0.01
Additives declared on label
+2 transparency bonus
Subtotal
53.6
Final score
54/100

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.

NutrientAs fed (label)Dry matter (scored)Score
Protein3032.6100
Fat1617.4100
Calcium1.451.6100
Phosphorus1.11.2100
Calcium:phosphorus ratio1.31.3100
Omega fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3)--100
Energy (kcal/100g)383416.3100

Omega fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3): scored as the mean of its declared components (omega-6 100, omega-3 100). 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 8% 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.

ItemPoints
Ingredient list on the label (mandatory)10/10
Printed percentages on the label (31.4% of the recipe mass) (voluntary)6.3/20
Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) - not on file0/15
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 file0/5

Capped at 60: mandatory items missing (Analytical constituents declared, 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.

ClaimTypeSubstantiation
Gluten-free ingredients (on page)Free-fromManufacturer assertion
With 29% protein and five animal sources (on page)ContentManufacturer assertion
A gentle, gluten-free recipe made with poultry, salmon, and New Zealand mussels (on page)ContentManufacturer assertion
complete puppy food (on pack)ContentManufacturer assertion
Small biscuits for small dogs up to 10 kg (on page)ContentManufacturer assertion
Supports healthy growth, strong joints, and balanced development from the 4th week of life (on page)FunctionalManufacturer assertion
Even for sensitive puppies (on page)FunctionalManufacturer assertion
Made in Germany under the strictest quality control (on page)ContentManufacturer 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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