Taste of the Wild Dog Food Review
This page contains affiliate links. We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post through our independently chosen links, which earn us a commission. Learn More
Taste of the Wild is a grain-free dog food brand with higher protein percentages than many grain-inclusive options. It offers dog and puppy foods, kibble, canned foods, and cat and kitten foods. The brand has gained popularity due to its lower cost compared to more expensive grain-free dog foods.
Taste of the Wild has recently introduced foods with ancient grains and limited ingredient formulas. An unbiased review can provide more information about the company and its products for your dog.
Taste of the Wild Dog Food: Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Protein | kcal/Cup/Can |
| Taste of the Wild High Prairie Grain-Free | Dry | 32% | 370 kcal/cup |
| Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Grain-Free Canned Dry Dog Food | Wet | 8% | 364 kcal/13.2-oz can |
| Taste of the Wild Ancient Prairie | Dry | 32% | 422 kcal/cup |
Brand Score
[ultra_elite_rating id=10429]Our reviews are based on extensive research and years of professional knowledge of dog food brands. In order to remain objective, we do not accept gifts of free products or write sponsored posts on this site.
We have looked closely at Taste of the Wild and graded it according to the PupJunkies.com standard. Our criteria include ingredients, quality, customer experience, recall history, working with veterinary nutritionists to formulate the food, nutritional standards, research, and price.
About Taste of the Wild
Taste of the Wild foods are made by Diamond Pet Food, owned by Schell & Kampeter, Inc. Schell & Kampeter, Inc. is a family-owned, privately held company that was founded in 1970. Their headquarters are located in Meta, Missouri. At one time, Diamond had repeated pet food recalls but they didn’t appear to have affected Taste of the Wild.
Taste of the Wild is their premium product line.
Sourcing And Manufacturing
Taste of the Wild is vague about the source of its ingredients. They state on their web site and on the Diamond site that they use products from local and global suppliers, but they don’t elaborate much.
They say that they use quality ingredients and maintain close relationships with a few trusted suppliers. Both the TOTW and Diamond sites have ingredient glossaries to explain the ingredients but neither of them states the source of the ingredients.
This quote is from a customer service reply: “The lamb is from New Zealand, the lamb meal and venison are from Australia, the duck meal is from France, the potato protein is from Germany and dried chicory root is from Belgium.
There are ingredients that are critical to the formulations (i.e., folic acid and taurine) that can only be sourced out of China.”
Taste of the Wild does say that they don’t use any artificial colors, preservatives, or flavors.
Taste of the Wild is manufactured in their five state-of-the-art facilities in the U.S.: two in California and one each in Missouri, Arkansas, and South Carolina. TOTW and Diamond provide information about their quality assurance program and product testing
Taste of the Wild only performs humane feeding trials– offering dogs food to eat and observing their response to the food. These trials are non-invasive.
Recall History
Taste of the Wild has only had one recall. That recall, in 2012, was part of a larger Diamond recall, which eventually involved many brands that Diamond was co-packing (manufacturing) for other premium dog foods. A settlement was made to customers that were affected.
It is not uncommon for companies, such as Diamond, that have their own manufacturing facilities to make dog food for other brands using the proprietary recipes that belong to those brands for a fee. This is called “co-packing.”
What Kinds of Dog Food Does Taste of the Wild Offer?
Taste of the Wild is best known for making grain free kibbles that contain some unique proteins such as venison, bison, salmon, lamb, boar, and other somewhat unusual meats.
Most of these grain-free kibbles also contain peas. TOTW also makes these formulas for puppies and in cans. They even have a small-breed formula.
Taste of the Wild has also introduced several limited ingredient diet formulas that focus on four key ingredients: animal protein, lentils, tomato pomace, and sunflower oil.
These formulas use non-GMO ingredients, though TOTW says they can’t guarantee there won’t be any cross-contamination with other foods made at the same facilities.
Recently, TOTW has also introduced several ancient grain formulas. This may be a response to the recent criticism of grain-free diets and/or the reports from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about some of Taste of the Wild’s grain-free dog foods being linked to DCM.
Or, it might be a reaction to the rising popularity of other brands that have been enjoying success with ancient grain formulas.
Whatever the case, these formulas have grains, cereals, and seeds such as grain sorghum, millet, cracked pearled barley, brown rice, quinoa, and chia seed, in addition to animal proteins such as lamb, bison, venison, smoked salmon, and roasted fowl.
Taste of the Wild Dog Food: Top Three Recipes Reviewed
We’re taking a look at three of the top-selling Taste of the Wild dog foods as found on Chewy.com.
Taste of the Wild High Prairie Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Product Info
- Protein: 32% Min
- Fat: 18% Min
- Fiber: 4% Max
- Calories: 370 kcal/cup
Here are the ingredients in this formula:
Buffalo, Lamb Meal, Chicken Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Potatoes, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Egg Product, Roasted Bison, Roasted Venison, Beef, Natural Flavor, Tomato Pomace, Potato Protein, Pea Protein, Ocean Fish Meal, Salt, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Dried Chicory Root, Tomatoes, Blueberries, Raspberries, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Lactobacillus Plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Animalis Fermentation Product, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Vitamin D Supplement, Folic Acid. Contains A Source Of Live (Viable), Naturally Occurring Microorganisms.
There are lots of good sources of meat protein with three good animal proteins from the start: buffalo, lamb meal, and chicken meal. Lamb meal and chicken meal have had most of their moisture removed so they have more protein than whole lamb or whole chicken. Most dogs will like buffalo.
It’s nutritionally similar to beef. Chicken fat is an excellent source of fat for dogs. Egg product is another good source of animal protein. We do have concerns about the peas but at least they are the fifth ingredient.
The pea protein, far down the list, should not be too much of a concern. The food does appear to have a lot of potatoes and sweet potatoes in it. Not all dogs digest potatoes well.
Natural flavor can be a concern since it’s a vague term. Some sources claim that it can be a sources of a form of monosodium glutamate (MSG), the flavor enhancer, but there’s no way to know for sure. In fairness, “natural flavor” is an ingredient in many dog foods but it is something to note when you see it.
When we look at the dry matter basis (DMB) for this food, it comes out to the following: 35.6 percent protein, 20 percent fat, 4.4 percent fiber, and 32.2 percent carbohydrates. It has 370 kcal/cup.
We rate this food 4 out of 5 stars.
Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Grain-Free Canned Dry Dog Food
Product Info
- Protein: 25% Min
- Fat: 15% Min
- Fiber: 3% Max
- Calories: 3,600 kcal/kg, 360 kcal/cup
Here are the ingredients in this formula:
Salmon, Ocean Fish Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, Peas, Canola Oil, Lentils, Salmon Meal, Smoked Salmon, Potato Fiber, Natural Flavor, Salt, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Dried Chicory Root, Tomatoes, Blueberries, Raspberries, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Lactobacillus Plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Animalis Fermentation Product, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Vitamin D Supplement, Folic Acid. Contains A Source Of Live (Viable), Naturally Occurring Microorganisms.
The old formula had pea protein, dried ground peas, and peas as the sixth, seventh, and 10th ingredients. The new formula has dried ground peas as the ninth ingredient; peas as the 11th ingredient; and pea protein as the 16th ingredient. These are definite improvements.
As for animal protein, whitefish is the first ingredient. Other animal proteins include turkey, turkey liver, and salmon which are all good sources of protein for your dog.
The dry matter basis (DMB) for this food shows that it has protein and 15.0 percent fat, 3.0 percent fiber, and 11.1 percent carbohydrates. according to the guaranteed analysis. It has 360 kcal/cup.
We rate this food 3.5 out of 5.
Taste of the Wild Ancient Prairie
Product Info
- Protein: 32% Min
- Fat: 18% Min
- Fiber: 3% Max
- Calories: 3,920 kcal/kg, 422 kcal/cup
These formulas don’t contain corn, wheat, or other common grains but they do contain grains and cereals such as quinoa and sorghum, and barley.
Here are the ingredients in this formula:
Buffalo, Pork, Chicken Meal, Grain Sorghum, Millet, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Cracked Pearled Barley, Dried Yeast, Roasted Bison, Roasted Venison, Natural Flavor, Flaxseed, Beef, Quinoa, Chia Seed, Tomato Pomace, Salmon Oil (A Source Of Dha), Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Dl-Methionine, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Dried Chicory Root, Tomatoes, Blueberries, Raspberries, Yucca Schidigera Extract, L-Carnitine, Dried Lactobacillus Plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Animalis Fermentation Product, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Thiamine Mononitrate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid. Contains A Source Of Live (Viable), Naturally Occurring Microorganisms.
Buffalo, pork, and chicken meal are all considered to be good meat proteins for dogs. Chicken fat is an excellent source of fat for your dog. And grain sorghum, cracked pearled barley, and quinoa are considered to be healthy grains for dogs.
We note that TOTW’s ancient grain formulas do not contain any peas or lentils. Like other Taste of the Wild formulas, this recipe contains their proprietary probiotics and a source of live (viable) naturally occurring microorganisms to help your dog’s digestion.
Some people seem to object to dried yeast or perhaps they are unclear about it. We don’t have a problem with it. It’s rich in B vitamins and has some other nice benefits.
According to the dry matter basis for this food it has 35.6 percent protein, 20 percent fat, 3.3 percent fiber, 33.3 percent carbohydrates, and 422.2 kcal/cup.
Overall, this looks like a good food for dogs. Our score would be 4.5/5.
How Much Does the Taste of the Wild Dog Food Cost?
Taste of the Wild dog food is moderately priced compared to other premium dog foods, including other grain-free foods.
It appears to have more animal protein than some other grain-free foods.
What Do Customers Think of the Taste of the Wild Dog Food?
Many Taste of the Wild customers are happy with Taste of the Wild. With an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars, customers say they recommend this food.
Overall, is Taste of the Wild Dog Food a Good Choice?
From what we see with Taste of the Wild’s current formulas, it looks like they are responding to concerns about their grain-free foods and reducing the amount of peas in their.
This seems to be true for both their regular grain-free kibbles and their canned foods. Their new ancient grain formulas look very good if you are interested in trying them.
We do have some concerns about their limited ingredient diets since they rely heavily on four basic ingredients (along with vitamins, minerals, and probiotics). Those foods look like they contain large amounts of lentils, which, like peas, have been linked to the DCM problem.
Overall, if you are a fan of Taste of the Wild their updated formulas look good, as do their ancient grain formulas.
If you are thinking of trying this brand for the first time, we recommend the ancient grain kibbles.
Where Is Taste Of The Wild Dog Food Sold?
You can buy Taste of the Wild Dog Food online from retailers like Chewy.com and from some pet food stores.
Terry
I have been using Taste of The Wild dog food for the past two years, its an amazing brand and am not planning to switch it with any other brand any time soon!