Leader Puppy Medium Breed Dog Food
Dry Extruded complete High meat
Is Leader Puppy Medium Breed Dog Food a good dog food?
We score it 63/100 (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 63 out of 100 based on several key factors. The meat content contributed +4.9 points, and the overall quality of the ingredient list added +8 points. However, the processing format reduced the score by -7 points. Additionally, ingredients without printed percentages resulted in a deduction of -8.4 points.
64% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.
- Recipe63
- Nutritionalmedium100
- Transparency60
- 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 dry food for medium breed puppies, with dehydrated chicken and rice as the main ingredients.
Estimated composition
Typical analysis (as fed)
- Protein
- 28%
- Fat
- 15%
- Fibre
- 2%
- Ash
- 6.50%
- Moisture
- 10%
Energy: 405 kcal/100g
Additives & feeding info
Nutritional additives
Vitamin A 24,000 iu/kg; Vitamin D3 2,000 iu/kg; Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol) 250 iu/kg; Copper Sulphate Pentahydrate 28.0 mg/kg; Sodium Selenite 0.3 mg/kg; Iron Sulphate Monohydrate 250.0 mg/kg; Manganese Oxide 65.0 mg/kg; Zinc Oxide 97.2 mg/kg; Zinc Chelate of Amino Acid Hydrate 200.0 mg/kg; Calcium Iodate Anhydrous 2.4 mg/kg
Technological additives
Preserved with tocopherol-rich extracts of natural origin
Storage
Store in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight.
Feeding guide
Feed puppies from 6 weeks onwards, 3 times per day until the age of 6 months, then reduce to twice per day. Feed the recommended daily amount according to puppy age and body weight, adjusting as needed. Leader may be fed wet or dry; if feeding wet, use 1 part water to 2 parts feed and feed within 30 minutes of preparation. Ensure fresh drinking water is available at all times.
Reviews
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for puppies
- Labelling or feeding guide is aimed at medium dogs
- Single named protein: chicken
- Doesn't list beef, turkey, lamb, fish, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids grain: the label lists rice - brown / whole grain
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 (19)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dehydrated Chicken (36%) | Dried chicken protein | meat | good | 36 | 36.0 |
| 2 | Brown Rice | Rice - brown / whole grain | carb | medium | - | 4.7 |
| 3 | White Rice | Rice - white | carb | medium | - | 4.5 |
| 4 | Chicken Fat | Chicken Oil and Fat | oil | good | - | 4.4 |
| 5 | Dehulled Oats | Oats | carb | medium | - | 4.3 |
| 6 | Whole Linseed | Linseed | veg | good | - | 4.1 |
| 7 | Minerals | Vitamins and minerals | supplement | medium | - | 4.0 |
| 8 | Alfalfa | Alfalfa | veg | good | - | 3.9 |
| 9 | Hydrolysed Liver Protein | Liver | meat | good | - | 3.7 |
| 10 | Yeast Extract | Yeast | supplement | good | - | 3.6 |
| 11 | Chicory Inulin | Inulin | fibre | good | - | 3.5 |
| 12 | Dried Cranberries | Cranberries | veg | good | - | 3.4 |
| 13 | Dried Beetroot | Beetroot | veg | good | - | 3.2 |
| 14 | Rosemary | Rosemary | veg | good | - | 3.1 |
| 15 | Ginger | Ginger | veg | good | - | 3.0 |
| 16 | Turmeric | Turmeric | veg | good | - | 2.8 |
| 17 | Glucosamine Hydrochloride | Glucosamine | supplement | good | - | 2.7 |
| 18 | Yucca schidigera | Yucca Schidigera | supplement | good | - | 2.6 |
| 19 | Chondroitin Sulphate. | Chondroitin | supplement | good | - | 2.5 |
Brand
- Website
- https://redmillsstore.co.uk/
Trust and provenance
- Recall history
- No recalls recorded in our database
- Label data last checked
- 2026-09-13
- Scored with
- Model v2 (methodology)
- Product page
- redmillsstore.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 | 0.8 | 9.915 | +8.03 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 42.5% | 0.116 | +4.93 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 13.8% | -0.113 | -1.55 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 5.1% | -0.088 | -0.45 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 18.5% | -0.002 | -0.03 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 16.5% | -0.009 | -0.15 |
| Undeclared quantities | 64.0% | -0.131 | -8.38 |
| Complete diet | yes | 1.703 | +1.70 |
| High meat (30%+ of dry matter) | yes | -0.506 | -0.51 |
| 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 | 0.8 | 9.915 | +8.03 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 42.5% | 0.116 | +4.93 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 13.8% | -0.113 | -1.55 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 5.1% | -0.088 | -0.45 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 18.5% | -0.002 | -0.03 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.177 | +0.00 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 16.5% | -0.009 | -0.15 |
| 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 | 64.0% | -0.131 | -8.38 |
| Prints ingredient percentages | no | 3.194 | +0.00 |
| 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 | 0.0 | -0.073 | +0.00 |
| 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
- Additives declared on label
- +2 transparency bonus
- Subtotal
- 63.3
- Final score
- 63/100
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 | 63/100 | current |
| v1 | 61/100 | |
| v1.9 | 61/100 |
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.
| Nutrient | As fed (label) | Dry matter (scored) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 28 | 31.1 | 100 |
| Fat | 15 | 16.7 | 100 |
| Energy (kcal/100g) | 405 | 450 | 100 |
Scored over 3 declared nutrients (combined weight 50); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score.
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 (36% of the recipe mass) (voluntary) | 7.2/20 |
| 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) | 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 (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 |
|---|---|---|
| Supports healthy growth (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| The Leader Puppy chicken and rice formulation is perfectly balanced and provides all the nutritional requirements for the growing puppy. (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| highly digestible chicken protein (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| help to promote a radiant and shiny coat (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Chicken number one ingredient (on page) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| excellent amino acid profile (on page) | Nutrient | Manufacturer assertion |
| Ideal for Medium Breed Puppy (on page) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| 100% natural (on page) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| enriched with omega-3 oils (on page) | Nutrient | Manufacturer assertion |
| Blended with botanicals (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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