Is Realdogfood Puppy a good dog food?
We score it 42/100 (Poor). The main reasons are set out in "Why you might not" below, and every step of the calculation is shown under "How we calculated this score".
Why this score?
This recipe achieves an overall rating of 42 out of 100 based on several key factors. The overall quality of the ingredient list contributed +4.9 points to the total. However, ingredients without printed percentages reduced the score by -10.6, the processing format subtracted -6.7, and the additive load contributed -3.8 points.
100% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.
- Recipe42
- NutritionalNot recorded
- Transparency40
- Safety100
- EvidenceNot recorded
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.
Why you might choose it
- Meat makes up an estimated 32% of the dry matter (28% as fed).
- Nutritionally complete: formulated to be fed as the whole diet.
Why you might not
- No analytical breakdown is published.
- 100% of the recipe mass has no printed percentage, so the exact split cannot be verified.
- Its additive load costs about 4 points in the rating.
Estimated composition
Typical analysis (as fed)
No analysis recorded yet.
Additives & feeding info
No additives recorded yet.
Storage
Store in a cool dry place to guarantee a 12 month shelf life.
Feeding guide
1 cup / 100g of Real Dog Food per 10kg body weight. Small-medium dog ~9kg per 30 days; medium-large dog ~18kg per 30 days.
Reviews
25 reviews on this product · 4.6/5
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for puppies
- Labelling or feeding guide is aimed at medium and large dogs
- Doesn't list chicken, turkey, lamb, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids beef: the label lists beef
- Your dog avoids fish: the label lists fish meal
- Your dog avoids grain: the label lists maize / corn
- 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 (13)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NZ grass fed Beef meal | Beef | meat | medium | - | 10.0 |
| 2 | ground Maize | Maize / Corn | carb | medium | - | 9.6 |
| 3 | Wild caught Fish Meal (natural source of glucosamine) | Fish Meal | meat | medium | - | 9.2 |
| 4 | Blood Meal | Blood Meal | meat | poor | - | 8.8 |
| 5 | NZ Tallow (stabilised with Rosemary | Rosemary | veg | good | - | 8.5 |
| 6 | citric acid and vitamins C and E) | Citric Acid | additive | medium | - | 8.1 |
| 7 | Flaxseed | Linseed | veg | good | - | 7.7 |
| 8 | NZ Fish oil (for correct balance of omega 3 and 60 | Fish Oil | oil | good | - | 7.3 |
| 9 | NZ Kelp (a natural source of chelated minerals) | Kelp | veg | good | - | 6.9 |
| 10 | Garlic (beneficial to the immune system and to boost liver function) | Garlic | veg | medium | - | 6.5 |
| 11 | Salt | Salt | additive | medium | - | 6.2 |
| 12 | added vitamins | Vitamin | supplement | good | - | 5.8 |
| 13 | Prebiotics (fuel for beneficial gut bacteria) and Chelated minerals (designed to improve nutrient absorption). | Prebiotics | supplement | good | - | 5.4 |
Brand
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
- realdogfood.co.nz
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 | 0.5 | 9.191 | +4.90 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 10.6% | -0.115 | -1.22 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 9.0% | -0.092 | -0.83 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 19.3% | -0.005 | -0.10 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 16.0% | 0.163 | +2.61 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 12.8% | -0.012 | -0.16 |
| Recipe graded poor | 8.8% | -0.065 | -0.57 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 8.8% | -0.179 | -1.58 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 1 | -0.876 | -0.88 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 8.8% | 0.060 | +0.53 |
| Undeclared quantities | 100.0% | -0.106 | -10.56 |
| Low meat (under 10% of dry matter) | yes | -3.158 | -3.16 |
| Additive penalty | -17.20 | 0.222 | -3.82 |
| 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 | 0.5 | 9.191 | +4.90 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.096 | +0.00 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 10.6% | -0.115 | -1.22 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 9.0% | -0.092 | -0.83 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 19.3% | -0.005 | -0.10 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 16.0% | 0.163 | +2.61 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 12.8% | -0.012 | -0.16 |
| 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 | 8.8% | -0.065 | -0.57 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 8.8% | -0.179 | -1.58 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 1 | -0.876 | -0.88 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 8.8% | 0.060 | +0.53 |
| Undeclared quantities | 100.0% | -0.106 | -10.56 |
| Prints ingredient percentages | no | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| Complete diet | no | 2.294 | +0.00 |
| Frozen or chilled fresh | no | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| High meat (30%+ of dry matter) | no | 0.707 | +0.00 |
| Low meat (under 10% of dry matter) | yes | -3.158 | -3.16 |
| 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 | -17.20 | 0.222 | -3.82 |
| 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
- Subtotal
- 42.5
- Final score
- 42/100
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
Analytical constituents not declared
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 (voluntary) - not on file | 0/20 |
| 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) | 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 (Analytical constituents declared, Additives 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.
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.
Claims on file; none we can check against the label
| Claim | Type | Check | Substantiation |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZ grass fed beef (on page) | provenance | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Made in NZ (on page) | provenance | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| NZ wild caught fish (on page) | provenance | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Supports strong bones & joints (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Brain development (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Shiny coat from day one (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| 100% money-back guarantee (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Natural prebiotics (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Brain-boosting Omega 3 and 6 (on page) | Nutrient | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Improved Dog Health (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Independently Tested to Exceed AFFCO Standard (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Human grade ingredients (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Zero artificial nasties (on page) | Free-from | 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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Foods in our database that are similar on ingredients, protein, format or price. Scores and figures are from the same deterministic model used everywhere on the site.
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