Happy Dog Sensible Mini Puppy Lamb & Rice

Dry Extruded · completeClear label

Sensible Mini Puppy Lamb & Rice
Average
our rating

Our verdict

Is Happy Dog Sensible Mini Puppy Lamb & Rice a good dog food?

We score it 47/100 (Average). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.

How we score

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

56% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.

Who is this food for?

Suits

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

Consider something else if:

  • Your dog avoids lamb: the label lists dried lamb protein
  • Your dog avoids fish: the label lists mussel meat meal
  • 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. Find foods that fit your dog.

Nutrition and feedingProtein 30% · Fat 16%

Typical analysis (as fed)

NutrientAs fed
Protein30%
Fat16%
Fibre2.50%
Ash8.50%
Omega-3 fatty acids0.20%
Omega-6 fatty acids2%
Calcium1.45%
Phosphorus1.05%
Sodium0.50%

Additives & feeding info

Additives declared on the label

Nutritional additives

Vitamin A (3a672a) 17000 IU/kg; Vitamin D3 (3a671) 900 IU/kg; Vitamin E (as 3a700) 120 mg/kg; Vitamin C (as 3a312) 30 mg/kg; Iron (as 3b103) 65 mg/kg; Copper (as 3b405) 14 mg/kg; Zinc (as 3b603, 3b606) 125 mg/kg; Manganese (as 3b502) 30 mg/kg; Iodine (calcium iodate, anhydrous 3b202) 2.5 mg/kg; Selenium (Sodium Selenite 3b801) 0.2 mg/kg; L-tryptophan (3c440) 1000 mg/kg

Technological additives

Tocopherol extracts from vegetable oils 1b306(i)

Ingredients (32)56% of the recipe is estimated

Estimated composition

  • carb 31.6%
  • veg 22.6%
  • meat 22.1%
  • supplement 9.8%
  • fibre 6.7%
  • oil 2.6%
  • other 2.5%
  • additive 2.2%
#As declaredMatchedLabel readingDeclared %Est. %
1Lamb protein (19.5%)Dried Lamb Proteinmeat · good19.519.5
2rice (19%)Rice - whitecarb · medium1919.0
3corn flourCorn flourcarb · medium-2.7
4greavesGreavesmeat · poor-2.7
5oils and fatsOils and Fatsoil · poor-2.6
6cornMaize / Corncarb · medium-2.6
7rice protein (5%)Rice Proteincarb · medium55.0
8hydrolysed proteinProtein Hydrolysateother · poor-2.5
9beet molasses pulpBlackstrap molassescarb · medium-2.5
10celluloseCellulosefibre · medium-2.4
11apple pomaceApple Fibrefibre · medium-2.4
12potassium chloridePotassium Chloridesupplement · medium-2.3
13yeastYeastsupplement · good-2.3
14sodium chlorideSaltadditive · poor-2.2
15seaweedSeaweedveg · good-2.2
16linseedLinseedveg · good-2.1
17psyllium huskPsyllium fibrefibre · good-2.1
18yucca schidigeraYucca Schidigerasupplement · good-2.0
19mussel meat (0.04%)Mussel Meat Mealmeat · medium0.040.04
20milk thistleMilk Thistleveg · good-2.0
21yeastYeastsupplement · good-1.9
22artichokeArtichokeveg · good-1.9
23dandelionDandelion Rootveg · good-1.8
24gingerGingerveg · good-1.8
25birch leavesBirch Leavesveg · medium-1.7
26nettleNettlesveg · good-1.7
27chamomileChamomileveg · good-1.6
28corianderCorianderveg · good-1.6
29rosemaryRosemaryveg · good-1.5
30sageSageveg · good-1.5
31liquorice rootLicorice Rootsupplement · medium-1.4
32thyme (0.15%)Thymeveg · good0.150.1
  1. 1. Lamb protein (19.5%)19.5% declared19.5% estimated
    Dried Lamb Protein · meat · good
  2. 2. rice (19%)19% declared19.0% estimated
    Rice - white · carb · medium
  3. 3. corn flour2.7% estimated
    Corn flour · carb · medium
  4. 4. greaves2.7% estimated
    Greaves · meat · poor
  5. 5. oils and fats2.6% estimated
    Oils and Fats · oil · poor
  6. 6. corn2.6% estimated
    Maize / Corn · carb · medium
  7. 7. rice protein (5%)5% declared5.0% estimated
    Rice Protein · carb · medium
  8. 8. hydrolysed protein2.5% estimated
    Protein Hydrolysate · other · poor
  9. 9. beet molasses pulp2.5% estimated
    Blackstrap molasses · carb · medium
  10. 10. cellulose2.4% estimated
    Cellulose · fibre · medium
  11. 11. apple pomace2.4% estimated
    Apple Fibre · fibre · medium
  12. 12. potassium chloride2.3% estimated
    Potassium Chloride · supplement · medium
  13. 13. yeast2.3% estimated
    Yeast · supplement · good
  14. 14. sodium chloride2.2% estimated
    Salt · additive · poor
  15. 15. seaweed2.2% estimated
    Seaweed · veg · good
  16. 16. linseed2.1% estimated
    Linseed · veg · good
  17. 17. psyllium husk2.1% estimated
    Psyllium fibre · fibre · good
  18. 18. yucca schidigera2.0% estimated
    Yucca Schidigera · supplement · good
  19. 19. mussel meat (0.04%)0.04% declared0.04% estimated
    Mussel Meat Meal · meat · medium
  20. 20. milk thistle2.0% estimated
    Milk Thistle · veg · good
  21. 21. yeast1.9% estimated
    Yeast · supplement · good
  22. 22. artichoke1.9% estimated
    Artichoke · veg · good
  23. 23. dandelion1.8% estimated
    Dandelion Root · veg · good
  24. 24. ginger1.8% estimated
    Ginger · veg · good
  25. 25. birch leaves1.7% estimated
    Birch Leaves · veg · medium
  26. 26. nettle1.7% estimated
    Nettles · veg · good
  27. 27. chamomile1.6% estimated
    Chamomile · veg · good
  28. 28. coriander1.6% estimated
    Coriander · veg · good
  29. 29. rosemary1.5% estimated
    Rosemary · veg · good
  30. 30. sage1.5% estimated
    Sage · veg · good
  31. 31. liquorice root1.4% estimated
    Licorice Root · supplement · medium
  32. 32. thyme (0.15%)0.15% declared0.1% estimated
    Thyme · veg · good

Trust and sourceNo recalls recorded in our database · checked 2026-09-12

Brand and contact: Happy Dog
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
2026-09-12
Scored with
Model v3 (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.

External platform ratings are not scores for this individual recipe.

4 reviews on this product

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

Score details and methodologyCalculations, history and evidence

Recipe: how the 1-100 score is calculated

Why this score?

This recipe achieves a total score of 47 out of 100 based on several key factors. The overall quality of the ingredient list contributed +4.2 points to the score. However, the processing format reduced the score by -6.7. Furthermore, ingredients without printed percentages subtracted -5.9, and the carbohydrate content contributed -5.1 to the calculation.

Scored with model v3 on 2026-10-25. Each component is the feature value for this product multiplied by the model's published coefficient.

ComponentInputCoefficientContribution
Base score-30.909+30.91
Average ingredient quality0.59.191+4.22
Meat share of dry matter8.7%0.096+0.84
Carb share of dry matter44.4%-0.115-5.11
Oil share of dry matter4.0%-0.092-0.37
Vegetable share of dry matter12.5%-0.005-0.06
Additive share of dry matter3.1%0.163+0.51
Supplement share of dry matter14.4%-0.012-0.18
Other share of dry matter2.0%-0.375-0.74
Recipe graded poor9.8%-0.065-0.64
Poor-quality meat in recipe2.6%-0.179-0.47
Number of poor ingredients4-0.876-3.50
Largest single poor ingredient2.6%0.060+0.16
Undeclared quantities56.3%-0.106-5.95
Complete dietyes2.294+2.29
Low meat (under 10% of dry matter)yes-3.158-3.16
Additive penalty-2.660.222-0.59
Processing multiplier0.9833.786+33.11
Processing: Dry Extrudedyes-6.713-6.71
Show all 40 components
ComponentInputCoefficientContribution
Base score-30.909+30.91
Average ingredient quality0.59.191+4.22
Meat share of dry matter8.7%0.096+0.84
Carb share of dry matter44.4%-0.115-5.11
Oil share of dry matter4.0%-0.092-0.37
Vegetable share of dry matter12.5%-0.005-0.06
Additive share of dry matter3.1%0.163+0.51
Supplement share of dry matter14.4%-0.012-0.18
Other share of dry matter2.0%-0.375-0.74
Unrecognised share of dry matter0.0%-0.027+0.00
Recipe graded poor9.8%-0.065-0.64
Poor-quality meat in recipe2.6%-0.179-0.47
Number of poor ingredients4-0.876-3.50
Largest single poor ingredient2.6%0.060+0.16
Undeclared quantities56.3%-0.106-5.95
Prints ingredient percentagesno0.000+0.00
Complete dietyes2.294+2.29
Frozen or chilled freshno0.000+0.00
High meat (30%+ of dry matter)no0.707+0.00
Low meat (under 10% of dry matter)yes-3.158-3.16
High carb and low meatno-1.180+0.00
Meat share × printed percentages0.00.000+0.00
Meat share × fresh0.00.000+0.00
Fresh × high meat0.011.084+0.00
Additive penalty-2.660.222-0.59
Processing multiplier0.9833.786+33.11
Processing: Rawno-0.054+0.00
Processing: Fresh Chilledno-2.354+0.00
Processing: Fresh Frozenno-2.354+0.00
Processing: Fresh Refrigeratedno0.000+0.00
Processing: Fresh Shelfno-0.672+0.00
Processing: Dry Freeze Driedno6.629+0.00
Processing: Dry Air Driedno6.331+0.00
Processing: Dry Cold Pressedno-6.713+0.00
Processing: Dry Bakedno-6.713+0.00
Processing: Dry Extrudedyes-6.713-6.71
Processing: Dry Semi Moistno-6.174+0.00
Processing: Dry Mueslino-10.146+0.00
Processing: Wet Pateno-0.672+0.00
Processing: Wet Chunksno-0.672+0.00
Processing-type offset
+0.02
Additives declared on label
+2 transparency bonus
Subtotal
46.6
Final score
47/100

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.

ModelScore
v347/100current
v249/100
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
Protein3033.1100
Fat1617.7100
Calcium1.451.699.9
Phosphorus1.051.2100
Sodium0.50.6 (band 0.22+%)100
Calcium:phosphorus ratio1.41.4100
Omega fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3)--100

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 85); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score. Moisture was not declared and was estimated at 9.5% from the food type.

Declared fortification: 11 nutritional additives on the label
  • Vitamin A (3a672a) 17000 IU/kg
  • Vitamin D3 (3a671) 900 IU/kg
  • Vitamin E (as 3a700) 120 mg/kg
  • Vitamin C (as 3a312) 30 mg/kg
  • Iron (as 3b103) 65 mg/kg
  • Copper (as 3b405) 14 mg/kg
  • Zinc (as 3b603, 3b606) 125 mg/kg
  • Manganese (as 3b502) 30 mg/kg
  • Iodine (calcium iodate, anhydrous 3b202) 2.5 mg/kg
  • Selenium (Sodium Selenite 3b801) 0.2 mg/kg
  • L-tryptophan (3c440) 1000 mg/kg

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.

ItemPoints
✓ Ingredient list on the label (mandatory)10/10
✓ Printed percentages on the label (43.7% of the recipe mass) (voluntary)8.7/20
✗ Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) - not on file0/15
✓ Additives declared (mandatory)10/10
✗ Energy value declared (voluntary) - not on file0/5
✓ Complete/complementary designation (mandatory)5/5
✗ Feeding guidance given (mandatory) - not on file0/10
✓ 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, 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.

0/100 · limited — 1 checkable claim: 0 consistent, 1 contradicted.

Contradicted by the label

  • "grain-free" — the declared label says otherwise on grain-free.

7 further claims on file that we cannot check against the label.

Limited: at least one claim contradicts the declared label, or a recent upheld ASA ruling applies.

ClaimTypeCheckSubstantiation
100% animal protein (on page)Contentnot checkableManufacturer assertion
soy-free (on page)Free-fromnot checkableManufacturer assertion
With easy-to-digest lamb and rice, it's kind on young tummies while supporting steady growth and strong joints (on page)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
balanced, and delicious meal (on page)Contentnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Outstanding Price/Performance award (on page)Contentnot checkableManufacturer assertion
no added sugar (on page)Free-fromnot checkableManufacturer assertion
grain-free (on page)Free-fromcontradictedManufacturer assertion
crafted for small breed puppies who need gentle nutrition without poultry (on page)Contentnot checkableManufacturer 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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