- 1). Establish a rating system. Use something easy to remember, such as "5 bones." A value of 1 to 5 bones is next assigned to each criterion, with 5 being the best.
- 2). Check the list of ingredients on the label. Determine the main ingredients and assign them a rating. Give clearly defined meats the highest rating, unless you prefer vegetarian dog food.
- 3). Rate any low-quality main ingredients such as generic byproducts and corn gluten with the lowest ratings. Note any fats, preservatives, or artificial ingredients, and rate these according to desirability and health benefits. Next, check for carbohydrates, noting the type (rice, wheat, potato, etc.) and determining if it is something your dog tolerates, then rate it accordingly.
- 4). Do a visual assessment of the dog food. Check for bright, unnatural coloring and texture that isn't too crumbly or too hard, oily or dry. Note the size of kibble and rate the visual assessment.
- 5). Rate the smell of the dog food for its appropriateness. Finish with rating any remaining factors such as the manufacturer, if this is important to you, or anything else that you might like to include. Packaging might even be one of these.
- 6). Add all your bones, and divide the total by the number of criteria you've rated to determine the final overall quality rating. Here's an example:
A set of 8 criteria with a total of 32 bones is 32/8=4, making the final rating of the overall product 4 out of 5 bones.
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