Ok, first of all a lot of you need to do your research before blabbing away at how bad this dog food is. AAFCO has certain criteria on what has to be on dog food bag labels, but the dog food companies have sneaky little ways of getting around these standards. Yes, ingredients are listed by DRY weight on the bag in descending order. But look carefully at some of the ingredients lists on other dog food brands. Some will have a meat listed at the very top of the ingredients list, but check out the other ingredients too. In order to conform to the demands of consumers who want a meat at the top of the list, the dog food companies will break down ingredients such as rice into subcategories and list it several times to hide the fact that the food contains more rice than meat (i.e. "brown rice, white rice" etc.). So many of the dog foods that you will rave about having meat as their first ingredient are in fact still lying to the consumer because in fact their dog food contains more rice than anything. (Check any food that says anything like "Chicken & Rice" or "Lamb & Rice" and you'll see what I mean.) So just because meat is at the top of the ingredients list does not mean that is what is mostly in your dog food.

Secondly, corn in your dog food is not all bad. A lot of people are scared that corn in their dog food will lead to food allergies, and if their dog begins itching coincidentally as they switch dog foods they believe it is the corn in the food. However, how many of these people actually took their dog to get an allergy test? Probably not very many of them due to the high cost of the test and the fact that rumors stating that corn is bad for their dog make them believe that this is the cause of their dog's allergy. The funny thing is that if you go and get your dog checked for corn allergies, it is likely that your dog is allergic to corn! Less than 2% of dogs with food allergies are actually allergic to corn!!! The most common food allergies in dogs are caused by BEEF (one of the key ingredients that you all are searching for) and WHEAT, not corn. And for those who argue that corn is not digestable, think again. It depends on how the corn is processed. Cooked, dried, and ground corn is 95% digestable.

And another thing, for all you high protein seekers: the only dogs who will need a high-protein diet are puppies and working dogs who metabolize quickly enough to use the high protein in their dog food. Once your dog hits maturity at around a year, they will need to be switched to a lower protein adult dog food because over time, the high protein diets that many people seek out will lead to kidney failure, which is why prescription Science Diet K/D formula is one of the best selling dog foods on the market today. Too many people thinking that a high protein diet will be good for their dog, when in fact they are causing kidney failure in the dogs that they "care so much about." Dogs get their energy from protein, carbohydrates, and fat. However, in order to get energy the healthiest way, these three must be pretty close to equal. Otherwise you get too much of one and not enough of the others which is in turn unhealthy for your dog.

Another thing to look for on your dog food labels is under the guaranteed analysis (required by AAFCO) is the guarantee that the dog food manufacturer must put on the label. Science Diet is one of the only dog foods (Evo has this as well) to have "animal tests have proven" on their guarantee. Most others will have "is formulated to" on their guarantee meaning that they have not done research as to the effects their food has on dogs before putting it out on the market. And many of your beloved dog foods will have that their food is "formulated" for "all life stages." Meaning that in fact the food is essentially a puppy food and will have a high protein, high fat content suitable for feeding puppies. But as I mentioned before, this high protein diet is not suitable for mature dogs. One of the leading brands that has this on their label is Nutro. So all of you who swear by Nutro as being better than Royal Canin, read your labels. If you have been feeding this to your dogs, you've been giving them puppy food without realizing it. AAFCO's standards require that any dog food with protein and fat content that is suitable for feeding puppies be labeled as and "all life stages" food. So consumers beware!

Lots of dog food manufacturers will try to trick consumers into thinking their food is the best out there, which is why consumers need to do their research before making assumptions.

I've been feeding Royal Canin to my dogs and they're doing great on it!

My dogs love Royal Canin Chihuahua 28 mini dog food. I only gave it four stars out of five because I buy the Chihuha food and the kibble is just too big for my little ones. My Chihuahua's are in the three pound range. I have NEVER come across a twenty pound Chihuahua and that is what it says on the bag... for dogs up to twenty pounds.
PLEASE make the kibble smaller.

Yeah, RC definitly just put a picture of a german shepherd on the bag for marketing. But it's a good thing the food just happens to have added protein and higher calories for the increased demand of working dogs. Also the glucosamine chondroitin must have fell in the batch of food but I don't mind, because my dog's breed is at very high risk for hip displasia. The cross shaped kibbles were probably not designed on purpose to encourage gobblers like my german shepherd to actually chew before he swallows. And they paid so little attention to the sensitive digestive system of my dog that they put in chicken meal and beef pulp (in a patented formula that makes it 95% more digestable and prevents the infamouse dog-diahrea commen with eating a bowl of chicken or turkey or steak).

And for those of you who are experts on dog food and still not conviced that RC dog food is 100 times better than anything remotely close to what people eat, check the recall this week on natural dog food. The preservatives are in most dog foods because of mold issues. If your dog eats moldy food, he's going the shit like a goose no matter what brand it is.

If anyone knows of a food out there that will provide better nutrition, more antioxidents, better protein digestion, more mental focus, better cell repair, cardiac health, and overall energy, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!! I spare no expense when it comes to my search K-9, if there is something better out there I'd like to know so he can do his job better, recover faster, and have a longer career.

I have to laugh at what some of these posts say. My gosh, skin allergies couldn't possible be environmental changes and it has to be the food!!!! Barfing 10 times sounds like parvo or renal failure to me, not dog food. If my dogs barf more that 2 times, i am off to the emergency clinic. I love RC. I have used it with wonderful results on many breeds of dogs. I breed biewers, chihuahuas and own 2 rescue yorkies. My Biewers and Chis have never had any health issues with RC, plus I get large litters due to the optimal health of my dogs. I had to switch to Iams because of finances and ended up with a litter of 8 puppies, 6 of them were born dead, that was the only change I had made. I will never use anything but RC EVER again. My 2 yorkies were rescued from a puppy mill where they were being fed Puppy Chow. They were missing hair all over and were covered in sores!!! Two weeks of RC and they looked great and have been eating it since. People need to realize that any ingredient has value when combined with other compounds. Chicken meal,Brewers rice and rice meal have the same nutritional value as that boiled chicken and rice people rave about cooking and feeding to their dogs. As for dogs being carnivores....Wolves, coyotes and foxes are and always will be opportunistic feeders. Meaning if they come across it and it is edible, they eat it. I have seem coyotes in my mom's garden eating the vegetables. So noone can tell me that dogs shouldn't have veggies. If you deprive your dog of veggies, then you are depriving them of important vitamins and minerals they can't get from meat. Think about it!!!! Wolves don't often make live kills, so what does that leave??? Carrion and plants, easy food and 85% of a wild canine diet. If you want to feed your dog like a wolf, throw them a rotten rabbit carcass, some blackberries, some grass and water from a runoff. But I'll stick with ROYAL CANIN.

Lot's of opinions on both sides of the fence! Well, my Siberian Huskies and Bulldogs have been on RC for years with absolutely no problems whatsoever. Notice the plural on both - that means MANY. These two breeds have some of the most sensitive digestive systems in the canine world. These are quality foods by quality research. The RC company was founded by veterinary professors, and they make many varieties especially for sick dogs. One might also note that RC was one of the few foods NOT affected by the menu foods recall a couple of years ago. I'm also dumbfounded why so-o-o-o-o many vets carry RC in their offices for purchase if it is anything less than a high quality food? Two-cents from Naperville ...

Have 2 dogs, 1 pure-bred rough collie 10 years old, another large mix-breed 12 years old. I fed them Innova up until 2 years ago. Innova is not bad food but you better watch how much you give them, same with RC. My collie developed limpomas under Innova, had to have a large one removed. Switched to RC maxi-care and they are both doing fantastic. The way they make their kibble actually helps promote clean teeth, which I like. My vet recommended this dog food also and glad she did.

For those who say RC is crap, you don't know what you're talking about. Not ALL "meal", and some "by-products" are not entirely bad, depending on where their gotten from and how they're combined with other ingredients. RC has done something right with the food I'm giving my dogs because my next dogs will also be on it from puppies on.

When I got my puppy she was on the mini puppy and for the cost (15.99 for a small bag) I thought it would be great. But then I did some research at sites like this and www.dogfoodanalysis.com and others and found out this was an expensive bag of cheap filler, mostly. Though my baby was doing ok on it, I have switched her to a much higher quality food that was almost the same price! Here's some advice, just because your dog looks alright doesn't mean junk food like this is good for them. Research is invalueable! Really? They label their foods as for different breeds and sized dogs and that makes it better that they still have inferior ingredients? I don't think so.

Our first Siberian puppy was on R.C. from the Breeder and we then had our second Sibe on it and I thought it was a decent food but after reading the ingredients and studying the true contents of dry dog foods on the market we've decided not to feed this anymore, the cancer causing preservatives and poor quality ingredients don't do it justice as far as price goes and what it could do to our dogs who deserve much better, have them on Orijen now and won't go back

High quality food and very digestable for my dogs

I actually think RC is great food. I have a 5yr old min pin, and when I first got her I was feeding her Pedigree which I now know is terrible food! (I worked at Petco for about 2yrs and my sister is also an assistant manager there.) Her coat was dry and dull. After working there a bit, and getting informed I changed her to RC Mini Adult. Within a couples of weeks I noticed a huge difference! Her coat was beautiful. Shiny and soft. I am now feeding her Natural Balance because RC is too expensive plus Natural Balance is great food and fairly priced. However, I do feed my kitty RC kitten formula and she loves it! Also, my sister recently changed her cat's food from RC Indoor/Outdoor Adult, to RC Adult Light. (one of her kitties is a fatty!) Her overweight kitty has now lost some weight and is as happy as ever. I recommend this food to anyone that can afford it lol!

And, for the people that say the RC specific formulas are bullshit and just a marketing gimmick and saying "Its like if white people and black people eating different types of food.". Shame on you. How can you compare an animal to a human? different dogs have different needs and have atleast one, if not many health related issues that they are prone to depending on the breed. (and this is a fact. just look it up.) For ex, Dachshunds are prone to spinal disc problems and heart disease. Boxers are prone to cardiomyopathy and thyroid and so on and so on. The special formulas are made to insure that your dog(s) (no matter the breed) live a long and healthy life. So please for the people reading this, dont base your judgement on other peoples ignorance!

The first ingredient in any dog food should always be a human-grade "named" meat (chicken, beef, lamb, etc.). Not  meat by-products and especially not grains. A "named" MEAT!!   

I was kindly given a bag of Royal Canin Adult 27 and thought I was getting a high quality product.  Then I read the list of ingredients. The first ingredient listed is "brewer's rice". That means that brewer's rice is the main ingredient contained in this food. It is a low-to-no nutrient filler used in many dog foods. If it had been listed as the 12th, or even the 10th, ingredient then I might have considered using it since it was a free bag. But on second thought, I love my dog too much to compromise his health on a product that uses such low quality ingredients. As I read the ingredient list even further  I realized that this food is actually one of the worst ones to feed any dog.

I know that not all Royal Canin dog foods have the same ingredients in the same order, but it's obvious that all of their formulas are substandard.   And considering what a bag of Royal Canin costs, I know there are far better foods available.  Some that come to mind are:

Innova--A nutrient-dense food that is quite possibly the healthiest dog food on the market. Though alittle pricey at about $13 for a 6.6 pound bag,  you pay around the same for about 3 1/2  to 5 pounds of Royal Canin.  Yet the quality of food is vastly different.  By comparing  the amount needed to feed Innova per day with Royal Canin (suggested feeding for a 25 pound dog--Royal Canin is approximately 2 cups, Innova approximately 1 cup),  it's obvious that this is a far more cost-effective choice.

Wellness Chicken Super5Mix or Lamb Super5Mix--A good food at about $11 for 6 pounds.

Merrick Turducken--About $10 for 5 pounds.

If you really love your pet you will do some research on dog foods. Read the ingredients list on the bag, know what the ingredients are, and know what should and should not be in foods (those affected by Menu Foods are learning about wheat gluten).  Then you will be able to make the best possible choice to benefit not only your dog but yourself as well.  After all, keeping your dog healthy means fewer trips to the vets. And that is the best money-saver of all. 

 The following websites are a great place for information.

dogfoodanalysis.com

4dogma.com

dogaware.com

dogfoodproject.com

Get educated and be informed so that you can make the right choices. Your "best friend" is counting on you!

I have two Golden Retrievers. Female is 5 and the male is 3 years old. Different breeders/litters. Both dog have been on this food for the last two and a half years. They get annual check-ups along with their vaccinations. Thier lab work results and vitals have always been excellent. They have an abundance of energy, shiny coats, white teeth and eyes are clear and bright. I will admit that on occasion I have changed them over to a new fad diet, but always come back to the Royal Canin 25 for GR. They are strong and healthy and eat it up wanting more. Can't speak for others, but while this food is on the expensive side it has worked for them.

On another note, my former boss has a 13 year old chocolate lab named Peanut. He has been on Pedigree most of his life and is still active and healthy (as can be expected for a dog his age). His vet, a very well respected vet in the San Antonio, TX area advised his owner that if Pedigree has kept him healthy this long, why change it. I have taken care of him while she has been out of town and must admit that he is a happy and healthy dog. He is old of course and starting to lose his eyesight and hearing, but overall is a good strong pup. So, don't knock food you know nothing about. I do, of course recommend RC, but often times for family and friends who can't afford it, I suggest they use Pedigree based on what I have seen in Peanut's case. I have always thought that if the time comes when I can no longer afford Royal Canin, I will feed my dogs Pedigree.

We've fed our bulldog Royal Canin for a year. It was recommended by our Veterinarian and Samson did well on it. 2 weeks ago he started gnawing on his legs and about a week ago he started to scratch his face to the point of mutilation. We took him to the Vet 2 days ago and they gave him a shot of antibiotics and some pills to take for the inflammation in his skin.

The vet suggested he might be allergic to something. I purchased a new bag of Royal Canin 2 weeks ago. After reading the recent posts I'm certain that the Royal Canin is causing this. Samsons been on a boiled chicken and rice diet since the visit with the Vet and starting tomorrow we’re going to switch his food to Orijen(same as our other dog).

I’ll make a follow up post in a couple of weeks.

Your dog deserves much better than this horrible excuse for puppy food! My puppy, a 2 month old Shih Tzu, was fed this food and now has been throwing up about 10 times in the past 40 minutes. He is also experiencing diarrhea, seizures, and he is very weak now, lying down on the floor. (Don't worry, if it doesn't improve, I'm taking him to the vet.)
This is absolutely cruel food. I will NEVER buy this product EVER again.
Beneful puppy food is great for him. I recommend that you try that.

I show and breed Cavaliers and have fed all of them RC for several years. All of a sudden, early this spring, ALL of our dogs started scratching all the time. They were driving themselves crazy! My wife called RC and asked if they had changed ingredients, changed raw material suppliers, changed manufacturing tecniques, etc. They said absolutely nothing had changed. So we changed foods and within 2 weeks the scratching stopped. I don't believe for a minute it was all coincidence, RC had to have changed something. Too bad, up until our dogs started scratching, I would have rated it a 5.

My Chow/Lab mix has severe allergies. We put her on Royal Canine Venison & Sweet Potato Dry Dog food for over a year. She was doing great. All of a sudden, she started losing her hair, scratching until she was bleeding, ear infections, and bleeding paws. I called Royal Canine and asked if they added anchovy oil (excessive salt). She said no, until I explained I had an old print out of the original formula. I also questioned where the Coprah Oil (Coconut) came from. She explained everything to me. I asked if they changed anything else and she stated no. I trusted them and thought maybe my dogs issues were due to the season (April) which is the peak of allergy season. I continued to use their new so-called improved formula. My dog continued to get worse, so I had a blood analysis including thyroid test done on her. It showed her liver enzymes are elevated, she has lost muscle tone, and her fur feels like wire. I began to research the ingredients and realized they added Soya Oil (soybean), which is one of the top allergens for dogs. When I called referencing this, I was given the best PR speech I heard in a long time. It is obvious to me that the dog food industry knows the loopholes and will do anything to fatten their pockets, even at the risk of our dog/cat. It is amazing how the new formulas come out in April…height of Allergy Season! Coincidence, I think not! I have gone to a new type of food...
homecooking...she is doing much better and her fur is becoming beautiful and soft again. Found this information belowat; http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com Quote:
"We note the use of soya oil in the food. Soy is a poor quality source of protein in dog food, and a common cause of allergy problems. Some believe that it is the number 1 cause of food allergies in dogs (outstripping even wheat). "

Our frenchie started out on the RC Mini Puppy 33 when she arrived home from the breeder and she really responded well to it! She had regular stools, had a shiny coat and was very healthy! However, the price of this food was a big factor in our choosing to switch over to Nutro Natural Choice. Unfortunately we should have stuck with RC because just a few weeks into Nutro, Lulu started getting hives and skin allergies. We ended up spending hundreds of dollars at the vet to find out what was going on with her and when we put her on the RC hypoallergenic (available by prescription only) we found out it was due to an allergic reaction to something in the Nutro. Since then we have gone back to RC Medium Puppy 32, a decision supported by our vet. The only downside is that it's a bit pricey, but you'll save on costs if you buy the large 30# bags. Lulu loves it and her skin allergies have really cleared up! While we were putting her on the restricted diet to see what she was allergic to specifically, Lulu wasn't allowed any treats but we used the kibble from RC as rewards and she loved it! I highly recommend RC for any dog owner!

Sad - I was really hoping to like this brand since they have a bag specifically for bulldogs. My bully has had the worst coat being on this dog food. His hair is shedding more than any, it's wiry, completely dull, and it hasn't fixed the tearing around his eyes like I thought it would. The only plus to this, which I'm willing to forego and try another brand, is that it has completely gotten rid of the flatulence. That said, I should never have switched dog food brands from Blue Buffalo to Royal Canin. Now I'm weaning my bully off Royal Canin and switching back to Blue Buffalo. That was the best stuff he was on. The only reason I tried Royal Canin was because it they had one specifically for bulldogs. Unfortunately, the only thing I can vouch for this brand is that it did get rid of the gas.

Blue buffalo gave my bully just the most beautiful coat, full of shine, thick, no shedding. Sorry Royal Canin - back to Blue Buffalo it is.

This is the worse brand we have tried,terrible,gasses,runny stools,bad breath..well,if a dog was a pig,this would be a great stuff..corn is no1 ingredient...

I can't stand Marketing lies, as said before, but now it is worse. Their latest report about corn being good for dogs is a bunch of dog poo (literally). Anyone with knowledge about dog nutrition would know DOGS ARE CARNIVORES. If you haven't read it, here is the report, their attempt to make corn look like a good ingredient. Look up this file, Corn_in_Pet_Food.pdf.

What is worse is maybe they believe their food is good. I'm not a vet, nor a nutritionist, but a independent dog food retailer. I learn everything from my customers to holistic vets that actually know what they are talking about.

I could argue that corn is more economical, but not in this food. Their prescription diets cost more then most of my foods I sell and they are still pretty bad.

"Corn contains 80% Carbohydrates a great source of energy" - CARBS FEED CANCER PEOPLE

ASK YOURSELF THIS; WHAT DOES A WILD DOG EAT? DOES IT STOP AT THE CORN FIELD AND KNAWING ON AN EAR OF CORN?

ANOTHER THING TO WATCH OUT FOR

ASK YOUR VET WHAT NUTRITION EDUCATION HE/SHE HAS. WHY? Most I repeat Most only receive a course about nutrition paid by HILLS, PURINA, or ROYAL. A very narrow minded course.

I highly dislike Royal Canin's usage of 'breed specific" formulas. There is no such thing and they are ripping off those who believe they need Chihuahua or Dachshund food, etc. I just don't like lies. But the food seems good, nothing in it for the skin and coat but good ingredients.

This is far too expensive dog food,for so small amount of meat in it.
It caused my dog nothing but allergies,diarrhea,gastritis etc..terrible.

My 7mo boxer puppy actually does a happy dance to eat this food. She absolutely loves it. Her skin and hair are more beautiful then mine and she maintains a great weight. Don't care too much about the price because I will give her whatever she needs to be happy and healthy.

Dogs are meat eaters,not corn eaters. And I can defintely find a cheaper source of corn if I want to feed it to dogs,than to buy this overrated dog food.
Meat in this kibble takes so small part,that you can almost say your dog is a veggie..terrible.

Dog had a healthy coat, actice, and very healthy while eating royal canin. However, she became picky and didn't eat it that much. I would recomend this product to anyone looking for a good brand of food to feed their dog.

i guess it's okey

My Jack Russel is very allergic to everything. All foods that I tried made him itch himself raw. Then I tried RC skin support (recomended by vet) and his problems dissapeared. Pretty expensive and a little hard to find but well worth it!

  This food isn't awful, but I would compare it to Nutro ingredient-wise.

Also, for the ingredients and quality, it's WAY too expensive.

You can get much higher quality foods with way better ingredients for cheaper than this food.

But a lot of dogs seem to do well on it from what I have seen so far.

My 11 year old cat started eating, "royal canine indoor light 37 which is now 40", a year ago and lost a pound and she's so active and healthy according to my vet.  I am just now switching my other 11 year old cat onto indoor mature 27, we'll see how he likes it.

I have used many different types of pet food and I always come back to Royal Canin.  Both the dog and cat foods have very good for my pets.  I switch brands now and again, because I see something that looks good and I want to try it for my pets.  However,  I have always been happy with the results of RC.  I highly recommend this brand!

I've been feeding my miniature Dachshund the Royal Canin dry food since I brought her home 2 years ago as a puppy.  The breeder only uses this food and swears by its quality.  Yes, it is expensive, but my dachsie loves it!  Her coat is shiny and she has lots of energy.  Won't ever switch to another brand!

Have recently read a lot of reviews of different foods. Although RC didnt fare as well as some, its was one of the best that can be found fairly easily (i.e. in select stores, not online.) Years ago had my dogs on Iams and one of them suffered horribly in her skin and coat. When I switched to RC the improvement was immediate. Am extremly pleased with the product, however at $30.00 for a 15lb bag ($2.00 per lb) may consider switching to a product with higher quality ingredients. I may as well pay the same for better quality. 

Full of grain,causes alergies in all of my dogs,and  my friends dogs,cause of the corn,and also is too xpensive,and especially if you count in the allergy issue.

Does any one knows what's a good food for my 5 months old Min Pin, I had him on Royal canin before, then some one recomended me EVO small bites, he start getting softer poos  than before, then last sunday he got really bad with a really bad diharreha and vomit, we had to take him to the vet and he was there for 24hrs on fluids because he stop eatting, after that the vet gave me a bag of Medi-cal and thats from Royal canin too, after spending CAN$700 in this hospitalization and medicines i'm thinking in going back to Royal canin puppy 33, he was perfect with that befor I gave him that EVO crap.  Any other ideas please.......... Thanks

I am so confused about what is quality dry dog food and what is not. I have heard so many differing opinions about what I should feed my dog I am really starting to get ticked off! For example, one dog trainer told me that dog biscuits are the worst thing you could feed your dog and I should get her onto a natural diet of vegetables and raw meat, as she would eat in the wild. I took her to the vet and I was told that she really should be on a premium puppy dog food such as Royal Canin or Hills Science. Now I feed her raw mince meat, sometimes chicken wings and bones and a bowl of Royal Canin and Pedigree mixed together (which she doesn't each much of). And now I am being told that Royal Canin is bad for my dog?? it is so frustrating.

it kept my dogs full and they never went to the vet for anything. they always had energy and a great coat

I got my 5 year old Shih Tzu from a shelter about 4 months ago and had been feeding him Timberwolf, which he would eat but without any particular eagerness. Then a friend looked after my dog for a weekend and said he loved his dog's food, which turned out to be Royal Canin. I've just bought a bag of it (Adult 27) and my dog has been gobbling it up. He finishes the bowl as soon as I put it down. I'll try it for a while and see how he does, but may have to start mixing it with something else, because as everyone else points out it's not cheap. It does contain fillers, but all in all, the ingredient list isn't too bad: "chicken" is at the top

AleashaC,

Royal Canin does NOT use any by-product in any of it's diets, nor does it contain any corn meal. They use a very high grade chicken meal that does not contain any by-product. Not sure where you got your information from but is absolutely incorrect!

Royal Canin is a low quality food made with by-products and corn meal! Stay away from it if you care about your dog. It is a nasty food.

We're mostly through our first 50# bag of Royal Canin with a Lab we picked up from the shelter.  We switched from Purina One because he wasn't putting on weight (but needed it).  His stools have become mostly firm, and he's become more playful & energetic.  My only complaint is that I'm having to feed him a lot to maintain his weight, so I've begun trying some other brands.

Corn is corn, and shouldn't be in a dog food, be it Science Diet, Iams, or Alpo.  If you're wanting corn to feed your dog, then get the grocery store brand, it's as good as this garbage, and you don't pay as much for it. 

As far as vets knowing nutrition, they know what they're paid to know when it comes to food.  If Iams helps them get through med school, they support Iams, likewise for Purina.  My vet told me to use common sense and feed what a dog would eat in the wild (he's 60 years old and doesn't owe anyone anything.)  He said flat out, do you ever see a dog in a cornfield???  That's why I pay a little more for real food with meat in it.  Big bonus, no huge piles in the yard since it isn't going in one end and out the other, but that's not something most people give any thought to.  If they use what they eat, they WON'T excrete it. 

As far as different formulas for different dogs, can a Dobie handle more corn than a poodle???  Do black humans need to eat different from white humans to be healthy???  If Royal Canin had their way, blacks and whites would both be eating different grades of artificial meat.... 

And again, I find another company that attempts to "teach" vets about proper nutrition.
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Another company "teaching vets?
As a heath professional I see these "Reps" monthly. They can not "Teach us" anything except for the the program they were taught.

We know better.

My Yorkie is a finnicky little thing, he usually only eats Little Caesar Ultimate Select Prime Rib or chicken selections (yes, the dog eats better than the rest of the family). But he does like this dog food. He spits out most other dry dog foods, but he really likes this.

This food caused over 200 in vet bills. It is loaded with fillers such as corn which is NOT a healthy product for a dog, also most dogs have allergies to corn. We just switched her to WELLNESS and not only does she love it * we used to have to put gravy and such on Royal Canin to get her to eat it* but she has less stool volume and her allergies have subsided. I highly recommend Wellness over Royal Canin and it is in the same price range.

Whoever says that a dog won't starve itself is dead wrong. I have had my dog for 8 mths and tried everything. Orijen, Wellness, Merrick, TOTW... I did my research and thought I knew what she needed. Then I went to a trade show and met a wonderful sales rep for Royal Canin - she gave me a sample of the special 30 and seemed to know what she was talking about. I still wasn't sold on it.. but held onto the sample.
My dog was very lethargic and SKINNY!! I took her to the vet and bought a supplement to add to her food to get her to plump up - and that didn't even work, because she simply just would not eat. I tried a raw diet, and the dog wouldn't even eat that!
Finally, we were visiting my brother - and my dog wolfed down his dogs food. I asked what it was, and it was Royal Canin. So, I gave her the sample - again she wolfed it down.
We bought our first bag - and she has been eating regular meals - we can no longer feel her spine and hip bones... and she has a ton of energy! It's like we have a completely different dog.
I highly recommend this food - my dog is healthier than ever.

Uses low quality grains and fillers.
The first ingredient in the food is a named meat product, in meal form.
The next two ingredients are both forms of corn.
It is likely that combined, corn outweighs the chicken meal as the primary ingredient in the food.
Corn is a problematic grain that is difficult for dogs to digest and the cause of a great many allergy and yeast infection problems.
In it's gluten form, it is also a waste product for which the AAFCO definition is "the dried residue from corn after the removal of the larger part of the starch and germ" In other words the residue after all the nutrishous parts have been removed.
Barley is a decent quality grain.
Beet pulp is filler and a controversial ingredient.  It is a by-product, being dried residue from sugar beets which has been cleaned and extracted in the process of manufacturing sugar. It is claimed by some manufacturers to be a good source of fibre, and derided by others as an ingredient added to slow down the transition of rancid animal fats and causing stress to kidney and liver in the process. Beet pulp is an ingredient that commonly causes problems for dogs, including allergies and ear infections. There are less controversial products around if additional fibre is required.
This is an overly expensive food with cheap ingredients.
There are many, many other much better foods out there.
For instance...the first twenty foods on this site.

i just baught this food for my 3 year old boxer today!! i have never seen her go for a bowl of food like she did with the royal canin boxer 26 stuff! i about lost it when i was recommended this food after seeing the price. my dog is champion blood line boxer so i knew not to feed her cheap shit but all she wanted to eat was the kibbles and bits and the kibbles and chunks! thats all she would touch! well i read the reviews on this food and i decided to try it. she loves it and so far today she has not thrown up which on a average she throws up about 3-4 sometimes more a day!!!! crazy huh? well i got her a special bowl at petsmart also that makes them eat slower! and her gas was stupid crazy!! it was so bad she would run out of the room! lol! but really she loves this food and ive never seen her do that with any other food ever! and best of all i aint steam cleanin my house all day!!! oh yea not to mention we had to buy a steam cleaner because of that!! so anyone who says different about this food has problems! its helped my dog so over all it has to be a better food!! like someone said actually try the food before knocking it!!! its a great food and i am a hooked customer because if my boxer is happy im happy!! (just because i aint cleanin up throw up. yuck!!)

In general, a very high quality food. For anybody checking this site because they are thinking of giving this food to their dog, go ahead and give it a try. The vast majority of negative reviews are from people who have never used it. The totality of positive reviews are from people who have.Most of the dog food advice sites mentioned in some of those negative reviews (again, written by people who have never actually fed RC to their dogs) only look at the ingredient list to arrive at their conclusions. Additionally, they are filled with fallacies, such as the very trendy aversion to corn that is all the rage right now.One must also examine the history of the brands in question. Many of the so-called holistic brands have had some severe quality control issues. (Just Google a couple of Natura brands, like Innova and California Natural.) That is because so many of them sub-contract the actual manufacturing to others. These brands are little more than virtual entities that consist of sales and marketing departments, and pretty websites. (Diamond is probably the largest manufacturer of dry pet food in the country, after Purina. And, Diamond has a terrible track record of food safety. They also have about a half-dozen of their own brands with fancy names.)And, of many of the "higher quality" holistic brands, one can find many reviews complaining of loose and runny stools, or other digestive issues. I have almost never seen a complaint like that with RC foods. In fact, I often see the opposite,, wherein people are in awe of the way their pets' digestive systems have made 180 degree transformations, or skin and coat improvement, and personalities changed for the better almost overnight. (I can say the same thing when it comes to their Light 37 cat food.)Currently, I am feeding my Golden puppy their Large Breed Puppy 32 formula. She is growing at a very nice pace, staying lean, with plenty of muscle. She has thick, soft, lustrous fur. She is extremely playful and friendly. And, she absolutely loves the taste. I recommend it. It is the only "scientific" brand I do recommend. (Science Diet, Nutro, Iam's, and Eukanuba are all brands I would avoid.) OTOH, I am looking for a couple of "holistic" style brands to rotate it with. Breeder's Choice has a great reputation, and I am looking forward to trying their Pinnacle and AvoDerm brands.I might give Innova or Califonia Natural a shot, only because so many people swear by them. But, I wasn't particularly impressed with those brands from personal experience with my cats. (CalNat was OK, until they had that quality control issue. But, the cats got way fat while using it.)Anyway, as I said, try one of the RC formulas that seems right for your dog. If he/she doesn't like it, or you don't see the kind of positive results that actual users of the brand see over and over again, just move on to something else. But, pay no attention to negative reveiws of idiots who haven't used it. That would be like basing a decision whether or not to see a movie on a movie review by someone who hasn't seen the movie.

Royal Canin is the best product out there - hands down. Anyone that does not agree, or that buys any so-called "holistic or natural" foods does not know what they are talking about. Royal Canin uses human grade, hormone free chicken, and high-quality and very digestible grains. Corn gluten meal is 98% digestible. Any company that does not include this ingredient, due to supposed common allergy problems is tricking you. Only 2% of all dog allergies are food related. Your dog is more likely to be allergic to the cleaning chemicals you use, or the plastic dish it eats from. The amount of science that goes into each RC product is absolutely incredible. People that do not like RC just do not like science. Those supposed holistic companies have no research to back them up. Also, there is no real definition for holistic or natural in regards to dog food. Any company can claim this title and some fools will buy it.

Most of what a dog exhibits as symptoms is a result of the physiological responses to external stimuli (including food, environment, treatment of others etc.). For example, a dog will not throw up constantly (primarily) if its digestive system is working well. Its coat will not look good if it is not getting enough nutrients and if the circulation is not good. Similarly, it will not be active with good bone growth and formation if it is not getting enough nutrients. What is on the label is indicative, yes, but often too much importance is placed on the analysis of it at the expense of common sense. If your dog likes the food and it is doing "fine" - defined as, with good appetite, energy, good looking skin, coat, bones and muscle, good poop and good temperament, then that is absolutely the right dog food for you irrespective of what the labels say. It is extremely inhuman for anyone to subject their pet to a food that is not agreeable to their dog and is suffering because of its assimilation just because the "ingredients" on the label sounds right.