Once your pup reaches about a year you should startto switch from the puppy chow into the adult food. What kind of adult food should you chose? Well, there are three main types of dog food;dry, semi-moist or canned.

Dry foods are usually the more popular choice and they go through a lengthy production process. Most companiesbegin out with raw materials such as grain, meat and fat. These are then ground down to help increase the availability of the nutrients and mix the ingredients. Next is a process that’s called extrusion which uses an appropriately named device called an “extruder”. An extruder is a machine that looks like screw inside a barrel. The food cooks as it goes through the barrel and changes the screw’s turning speed. This is how the dog food is cooked and the end results are a spongy dough. It is then send through what is known as a die where it is cut with a knife. The new “kibbles” now go into a dryer where the moisture is removed. Finally, the last step in the process is called “enrobing” and involves the addition of either liquids or powders to the outer part of the kibble. This is where the fat and flavor enhancements are added.

Semi-moist foods are made nearly just like dry foods but when they’re going through the extruder the temperature is lower and dryer than it would be for dry dog food. Semi-moist foods are obviously higher in moisture and have an increased risk of spoilage from mold and bacteria. To help prevent this, manufacturers formulated the semi-moist foods with mold and bacterial inhibitors and place them in special moisture proof bags.

Canned foods have been around since the 1800s. Canned dog food (or soft dog food) is food sealed in a can and then heat sterilized. Raw ingredients are used as they’re in dry food and semi-moist food. These are then added into a mixer and are cooked. After it is cooked but still hot, it moves into the filler/seamer. This is when it is placed in the cans, vacuumed sealed and then sterilized.

Now that who know how each food is made, how do you decide which one is best for your dog if you’re feeding them store bought food?

You might want to stay away from semi-moist food. Just as you did for puppy-hood. They are quiet high is salt and sugar. Sugar can contribute to gingivitis which can lead to tooth loss. Salt of course can lead to dehydration in some dogs. If you really want semi-moist food for your dog, you can do ahead and add some water to his kibble already. Be careful though you don’t add to much. Kibble tends to swell when it is wet and it could cause bloating in your dog. Try to stick with dry or canned.

To come to an even betterdecision on your dog’s dietary requirements, you should look at the breed of your dog to help decide if you should go with the dry or canned. Is your dog aBigbreed dog? Large breed dogs tend to eat more than the smaller breeds and you might guess and benefit more from dry food which is sold in bulk.

Canned foods aresuperior for the smaller breeds of dog, but be careful with this because sometimes with canned food you can see a faster build up of tartar and plaque on your dog.

As you’ll find out, in the end it is going to be your dog that makes the final decision for what type of food you feed it. You may try all sorts of dog foods for your dog before finally deciding on which one is best for him.