Sport Dog Food Review

Dog Food Reviews January 11, 2024
Sport Dog Food Review

Sport Dog Food Review

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Sport Dog Food Review

Sport Dog Food is family-owned and operated, located in Long Island, New York.

The company makes dog food that is pea-free, potato-free, and flax-free, and they were making these foods before many people raised concerns about these ingredients.

Ingredients are sourced from independent ranchers and farmers, and their dog food is made in small batches to ensure freshness.

To find out if Sport Dog Food is right for your dog, read our unbiased review.

Sport Dog Food: Top 5 Recipes Reviewed

Brand Score

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’ve examined Sport Dog Food closely and graded the brand 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.

Sport Dog Food
Brand
Overall Score
Pros
  • No peas and no flax in any of Sport Dog Food’s formulas
  • No wheat, corn, soy, or gluten's
  • Most of their foods contain no white potatoes
  • Some formulas are poultry and canola-free
Cons
  • Foods are generally formulated for big dogs
  • Sport Dog Food formulas are very high in calories which is good for active dogs but can be a drawback if your dog is less active
  • Sport Dog Food comes in 30 and 40-lb bags. This is useful for people with big dogs but some people prefer smaller bags
Pros
  • No peas and no flax in any of Sport Dog Food’s formulas
  • No wheat, corn, soy, or gluten's
  • Most of their foods contain no white potatoes
  • Some formulas are poultry and canola-free
Cons
  • Foods are generally formulated for big dogs
  • Sport Dog Food formulas are very high in calories which is good for active dogs but can be a drawback if your dog is less active
  • Sport Dog Food comes in 30 and 40-lb bags. This is useful for people with big dogs but some people prefer smaller bags
Ingredients
Overall Quality
Customer Experience
Recall History
Formulation
Nutritional Standards
Research
Price

About Sport Dog Food

Sport Dog Food is a family-owned and operated business headquartered in Long Island, New York. The company appears to have begun in 2010.

They use no legumes (peas, lentils, etc.), no white potatoes, no rice, no wheat, no corn, no soy, no flax, and no chicken by-product meal in their foods.

Most of their foods are suitable for working and performance dogs that use lots of energy, though some of their foods would also be good choices for pets at home.

Sourcing And Manufacturing

Sport describes their ingredients briefly on their web site. (Potatoes are listed as one of their ingredients on this page.)

The company says that their foods are made in the United States and that they obtain their ingredients from independent ranchers and farmers, but they don’t give details.

Despite the listing on Chewy.com, Sport Dog Foods is not organic. In the United States, ingredients must be grown and certified organic in order for a food to have organic status.

Sport Dog Food is not labeled organic, and if you look at the ingredients on the label, they are clearly not listed as organic. Nowhere on the company’s web site does Sport Dog Food claim to use organic ingredients.

The company states that Muenster Milling, in Texas, makes their chicken, fish, and turkey formulas. BrightPet Nutrition, with three plants, makes their buffalo formulas. The buffalo formulas for Sport Dog Food are made in Sherborne, NY.

Recall History

We didn’t find any recalls for Sport Dog Food in the 10 years the company has been in existence.

What Kinds of Dog Food Does Sport Offer?

Sport Dog Food currently has three product lines:

  • Active Series: Most formulas are for all life stages. Includes healthy grains such as oatmeal. No peas or potatoes. There are five recipes at this time.
  • Elite 2.0: All-life-stage formulas Some of these formulas are free of potatoes. Some formulas have single-source proteins. Good for dogs with sensitive digestion. There are four recipes at this time.
  • K-9 Series: Maintenance formulas; high in calories; with added glucosamine and chondroitin to help working dogs recover faster. There are two recipes at this time.
    Meat proteins used by Sport include turkey meal, chicken meal, whitefish meal, ocean fish meal, buffalo meal, and pork meal. Grains and cereals include oatmeal, whole-ground sorghum, and whole-grain millet.

Sport Dog Food: Top Five Recipes Reviewed

Here’s a look at some of the bestselling Sport Dog Food recipes on Chewy.com to give you an idea of what’s popular and what other dog lovers are choosing for their dogs. Most sports foods are available in 30-lb bags unless otherwise noted.

1.

SPORT DOG FOOD ACTIVE SERIES CUB BUFFALO & OATMEAL FORMULA DRY DOG FOOD

Product Info

  • Protein: 30% Min
  • Fat: 20% Min
  • Fiber: 3.3% Max
  • Moisture: 9% Max
  • Caloric Content: 3845 kcal/kg, 526 kcal/cup

Ingredients:

Sport Dog Food Active Series Cub Buffalo & Oatmeal Formula Dry Dog Food is Sport’s bestselling food on Chewy.com. This is an all life stage formula.

Here’s a look at the main ingredients in this food:

Buffalo Meal, Oat Meal, Dried Sweet Potato, Coconut Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Pork Meal, Catfish Meal, Cassava Root, Yeast Culture, Salmon Oil, Calcium Propionate, Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Kelp Meal, Natural Flavors, Zinc Amino Acid Complex (Chelate), Sea Salt, Iron Amino Acid Complex (Chelate), Inulin (Chicory Root), Dried Pumpkin, Dried Carrot, Dried Blueberry, Dried Cranberry, Yucca Schidigera Extract (Probiotic), Vitamin E Supplement, [chelated vitamins and minerals, L-Carnitine], Green Tea Extract, Folic Acid, Rosemary Extract, [probiotics]

According to the dry matter basis (DMB), this food has 33 percent protein, 22 percent fat, and 3.6 percent fiber. This formula has an estimated 33.7percent carbohydrates.

It has536 kcal/cup. We have used our own calculations based on the As Fed figures from the Guaranteed Analysis. Sport gives the figure of 37.7% for carbs in this food.

Our rating for this food is 5 out of 5 stars.
2.

SPORT DOG FOOD ELITE SERIES WORKING DOG TURKEY FORMULA GRAIN-FREE DRY DOG FOOD

Product Info

  • Protein: 29% Min
  • Fat: 17% Min
  • Fiber: 3.9% Max
  • Moisture: 9% Max
  • Caloric Content: 3,548 kcal/kg, 502 kcals/cup

Ingredients:

Sport Dog Food Elite Series Working Dog Turkey Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food is an all life stage dog food. This formula is grain-inclusive and free of peas.

Here’s a look at the main ingredients in this food:

Turkey Meal, Dried Sweet Potato, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Coconut Meal, Cassava Root, Oceanfish Meal, Yeast Cultures, Salmon Oil, Calcium Propionate, Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Kelp Meal, Natural Flavors, Zinc Amino Acid Complex (Chelate), Sea Salt, Iron Amino Acid Complex (Chelate), Inulin (Chicory Root), Dried Pumpkin, Dried Carrot, Dried Blueberry, Dried Cranberry, Yucca Schidigera Extract (Probiotic), Vitamin E Supplement, [chelated vitamins and minerals, L-Carnitine], Green Tea Extract, Folic Acid, Rosemary Extract, [probiotics]

Coconut meal has been fed to some livestock and poultry with success. It is a fairly new addition to pet foods. It is high in fiber, protein, and healthy fats (think medium chain triglycerides). It is also low in sugar, carbohydrates, and calories.

Sport Dog Food Elite Series Working Dog Turkey Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food has 31.9 percent protein and 18.7 percent fat, according to the dry matter basis (DMB). It has 4.3 percent fiber.

Our estimate of the carbohydrates in the food came out to 37.5 percent DMB. Sport gives the figure of 41.1 percent carbohydrates. It contains 502 kcals/cup.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars.
3.

SPORT DOG FOOD K-9 SERIES PROJECT K-9 HERO MULTIPLE PROTEIN FORMULA FLAX-FREE DRY DOG FOOD

Product Info

  • Protein: 30% Min
  • Fat: 22% Min
  • Fiber: 2.6% Max
  • Moisture: 9% Max
  • Caloric Content: 3,830 kcal/kg, 542 kcals/cup

Ingredients:

Sport Dog Food K-9 Series Project K-9 Hero Multiple Protein Formula Flax-Free Dry Dog Food is pea-free and flax-free with no corn, wheat, or soy. This is a maintenance dog food for adult dogs. It’s available in 40-lb bags.

Here’s a look at the main ingredients in this food:

Chicken Meal, Whole Ground Sorghum, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Whole Ground Millet, Oceanfish Meal, Oatmeal, Pork Meal, Yeast Cultures, Salmon Oil, Glucosamine, Calcium Propionate, Chondroitin Sulfate, Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Kelp Meal, Natural Flavors, Zinc Amino Acid Complex (Chelate), Sea Salt, Iron Amino Acid Complex (Chelate), Inulin (Chicory Root), Dried Pumpkin, Dried Carrot, Dried Blueberry, Dried Cranberry, Yucca Schidigera Extract (Probiotic), Vitamin E Supplement, [chelated vitamins and minerals, L-Carnitine], Green Tea Extract, Folic Acid, Rosemary Extract, [probiotics]

Even though it’s a maintenance food, this formula is very high in calories. Maintenance foods are for adult dogs so some middle-aged dogs could put on weight if they aren’t very active when eating this food.

This formula has 33 percent protein and 24.2 percent fat, according to the dry matter basis (DMB). It has 2.9 percent fiber.

Our estimate of the carbohydrates in the food came out to 32.3 percent DMB. Sport gives the figure of 26.13 percent DMB for carbs.542 kcals/cup.

Our rating for this food is 5 out of 5 stars.
4.

SPORT DOG FOOD ACTIVE SERIES BIRD DOG WHITEFISH FORMULA FLAX-FREE DRY DOG FOOD

Product Info

  • Protein: 26% Min
  • Fat: 16% Min
  • Fiber: 3.2% Max
  • Moisture: 9% Max
  • Caloric Content: 3,498 kcal/kg, 495 kcals/cup

Ingredients:

Sport Dog Food Active Series Bird Dog Whitefish Formula Flax-Free Dry Dog Food is an all life stage food. This is a whitefish formula with some added ocean fish meal.

Here’s a look at the main ingredients in this food:

White Fish Meal, Whole Ground Sorghum, Dried Sweet Potato, Whole Ground Millet, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Oceanfish Meal, Yeast Cultures, Salmon Oil, Calcium Propionate, Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Kelp Meal, Natural Flavors, Zinc Amino Acid Complex (Chelate), Sea Salt, Iron Amino Acid Complex (Chelate), Inulin (Chicory Root), Dried Pumpkin, Dried Carrot, Dried Blueberry, Dried Cranberry, Yucca Schidigera Extract (Probiotic), Vitamin E Supplement, [chelated vitamins and minerals, L-Carnitine], Green Tea Extract, Folic Acid, Rosemary Extract, [probiotics]

This formula has slightly less protein and fat than many of Sport Dog Food’s other formulas, along with slightly fewer calories. However, their numbers are still higher than many other premium dog foods.

This could be a good food for a dog that might not be doing performance work or that is only working occasionally.

According to the dry matter analysis for this food, it has 28.6 percent protein, 17.6 percent fat, and 3.5 percent fiber.

Our estimate of the carbohydrates in the food came out to 42.6 percent. (No Sport figure for carbs.) It contains 495 kcal/cup.

Our rating for this food is 5 out of 5 stars.
5.

SPORT DOG FOOD ELITE SERIES HERDING DOG BUFFALO & SWEET POTATO FORMULA GRAIN-FREE DRY DOG FOOD

Product Info

  • Protein: 30% Min
  • Fat: 15% Min
  • Fiber: 3.3% Max
  • Moisture: 9% Max
  • Caloric Content: 3,595 kcal/kg 460 kcals/cup

Ingredients:

Sport Dog Food Elite Series Herding Dog Buffalo & Sweet Potato Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food is an all life stage formula. High in protein, it has slightly less fat and calories than some of the other Sport Dog recipes.

This formula does contain dried potatoes, if that is a concern for you.

Here’s a look at the main ingredients in this food:

Buffalo Meal, Dried Sweet Potato, Dried Potato, Pork Meal, Coconut Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Catfish Meal, Cassava Root, Yeast Culture, Salmon Oil, Calcium Propionate, Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Kelp Meal, Natural Flavors, Zinc Amino Acid Complex (Chelate), Sea Salt, Iron Amino Acid Complex (Chelate), Inulin (Chicory Root), Dried Pumpkin, Dried Carrot, Dried Blueberry, Dried Cranberry, Yucca Schidigera Extract (Probiotic), Vitamin E Supplement, [chelated vitamins and minerals, L-Carnitine], Green Tea Extract, Folic Acid, Rosemary Extract, [probiotics]

Potatoes (and sweet potatoes) have been largely dismissed as ingredients of concern in relation to diet-related DCM.

However, some dogs can have problems digesting them; for other dogs they are not a problem. If they bother your dog, you should avoid this food. Sport Dog Food normally avoids using white potatoes so it’s odd to see them in one of their foods.

This formula has 33 percent protein and 16.5 percent fat, according to the dry matter basis (DMB). It has 3.6 percent fiber.

Our estimate of the carbohydrates in the food came out to 39.2 percent DMB. Sport gives a figure of 42.7 percent carbs. It contains 460 kcal/cup.

Our rating for this food is 4.5 out of 5 stars.

How Much Does Sport Dog Food Cost?

Sport Dog Food is slightly more expensive than most other premium dog foods.

What Do Customers Think of Sport Dog Food?

Most customers give Sport Dog Food five stars (around 80 percent or more). More than 95 percent of customers on Chewy.com say they would recommend the food to others.

Some customers have complained in the past that the food was often out of stock.

Overall, Is Sport Dog Food a Good Choice?

We think that Sport Dog Food is a very good brand. Their foods are generally made for very active dogs, and they are very high in calories. If your dog isn’t very active, he could easily get fat eating this food.

The company says that they tend to make dog food for big dogs and active dogs, so keep this in mind when you’re looking at their foods.

Their foods are great if you have big dogs that run all day, but they might not be the best choice if you have a small dog that doesn’t get much exercise.

Where Is Sport Dog Food Sold?

You can find Sport dog food at Chewy.com and other online retailers. At this time, it is not sold in any brick-and-mortar pet food stores.

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Carlotta Cooper is a long-time contributing editor for the weekly dog show magazine DN Dog News. She's the author of The Dog Adoption Bible, a Dog Writers Association of America (DWAA) award winner. In addition, she is an American Kennel Club Gazette breed columnist and the author of several books about dogs. She has been reviewing pet foods and writing about dog food for more than 10 years.
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