With such a large number of different types of dog foods out there, which dog food should I buy to ensure my pet's good health? It is a responsible dog owner's job to select a balanced and nutritious dog food for your dog.

The simplest way to make a good determination on which dog food is best, read the label through and through. Don't just glance at it, be sure to read each and every item.

The label on a bag of dog food will list the ingredients from greatest weight to least. This is important to know because you will learn what components are present in the food in their specific amounts.

- If the first ingredient is whole meat of any kind, don't accept it as this measurement is taken before the meat is rendered.

- Animal by-products present in dog food indicate a cheap low quality alternative.

- Read the moisture level, if it is anything over 11, this indicates that the dry matter basis is of a low quality.

Things to look for:

- If Whole meat is not the first ingredient and Chicken or beef Meal is, this is good. This tells you that the amount of meat protein is a lot higher than it would be with whole meat as the listed first ingredient.

- Premier dog foods don't contain any animal by-product. This is good.

- Premier dog foods will usually contain less or equal to 10% moisture. This is ideal.

Chicken meal is simply chicken that has been baked to remove bacteria and other toxins. Chicken is simply pure chicken.

Chicken is made up mostly of water. If a label on a bag of dog food says 60% whole chicken that is quite misleading as that does not take into account how much of that 60% of chicken is left after baking it to remove unwanted substances! So beware!

When the label on the bag says 60% of chicken meal, you're getting more of the chicken because the product has already been baked to remove unwanted affects such as bacteria.

Dog food will come in so many different ways, shapes and sizes so being aware of what ingredients are used to provide your pet with proper nutrition is the only way to go.

Keep in mind that if your dog is not eating healthy, or if your choice of dog food does not carry the prescribed, needed ingredients, your dog will not be able to maintain proper health and can become sick.

A sick dog will not be playful, will be lethargic and will generally portray poor behavior. When a dog is receiving proper nutrition their coat is shiny and thick and they are happy.

You might feel happy about spending less on your dog, think you are getting a good deal but if it is not the proper nutrition, both your pet and you will pay for it in the end. Select the good, nutritious dog food and have a healthy, happy pet.