Working Dog Food vs Normal Dog Food

We are often asked – what’s the difference between ‘working dog food’ and ‘normal’ dog food?

If you have ever had a look at the labels on dog foods, you may have noticed that some are labelled as ‘working dog food’ whilst those that aren’t labelled in this way would fall into the category of normal dog food… or just dog food!

The common misconception is that working dog food is higher in proteins and fats thus giving the working dog more energy throughout the day. However, whilst some working dog food may be higher in calories, there is no strict guide or definition as to what a working dog food must contain.

In fact, on comparing the ingredients and nutritional values of the two, you will find that there is no real nutritional difference between them either.

So why the difference in the name?

Dog foods that come in large 15kg bags are often labelled as ‘working foods’ purely for VAT purposes.

By labelling the food as ‘working dog food’ it means that there is no added VAT and therefore works out cheaper per kg. The nutritional benefits of both are pretty much the same, give or take a little bit between different brands and ingredients.

The other difference is in how much you feed your dog.

Normal dogs may eat once or twice per day, depending on their size, breed and level of activity. Working dogs, however, may eat more often and have slightly bigger portions to sustain them through their working day.

So, on a ‘working dog’ food the feeding guide may recommend more meals and/or bigger portions.

We’ll cover ‘Feeding Guides’ in more detail in the coming weeks to help you decide the optimum quantity of food for your breed of dog and their lifestyle.

In the meantime, a good guide would be to monitor how often they go to the toilet (Poop) – if they do this once or twice a day you’re probably in the right region, however, if they are going three of four times per day then it may be time to reduce the portion size or the number of meals.

If you have any questions relating to your dog’s diet, or if you would like to discuss how our food could potentially help your dog, please get in touch.