Trying to find the best food for puppies can feel like a daunting task. It’s really hard to know who to trust any more when it comes to dog food.

That’s why it's a good idea to do a little research BEFORE you buy so you know the facts and can make a wise choice.

Two of the most important things to know are what SHOULD and what SHOULD NOT be in a dog food. That’s pretty simple right?

So how do we go about doing this? By reading the ingredient list very carefully on the bag of dog food. It will tell you an awful lot about the quality of the food.

What Should Be in a Puppy Food

The ingredient list will never lie. You will be able to see what is in the food you'd like to buy.

Unfortunately, many of pet parents never read the ingredient list. What causes many people to buy food are the cute dogs displayed on the bag of food and the colorful packaging that it comes in.

The truth is, the marketing of dog food has become quite good, and many pet owners get caught up in it unknowingly.

So what should be in a puppy food? Well for starters plenty of quality protein as this is the basic building block to help your puppy grow big and strong.

Ingredients like chicken meal (which by the way has much more protein than regular chicken), eggs and catfish meal are highly regarded as excellent sources of protein.

And, make sure that the protein is listed in the first ingredients on the list.

Also look for healthy ingredients like fruits and vegetables, omega 3 fatty acids and probiotics (like what is found in yogurt). All this makes for a healthy puppy food.

What Should NOT Be in a Puppy Food

There are many things that should not be in your puppy food including, corn, wheat, soy, and wheat gluten to name a few. These can cause allergies in a puppy down the road.

Also stay away from anything that says BY-PRODUCTS!

If you looked at some bags of dog food at the grocery store right this minute and read the ingredient list, you would more than likely see the word "by product" on it. Doesn't sound too bad, does it?

But the truth is that it is!

A by-product is what is left over AFTER the meat for human consumption has been taken out. That could be anything from chicken heads, to blood, to feathers, to even feces!

Usually it will be listed on the bag as some kind of a “by product”. So the best rule of thumb, if you see the word “by product” in the ingredient list is, don’t buy it!

Finding the best food for puppies can be a little easier when you know what to look for in a food.Your puppy needs quality nutrition and is depending on you to find the right food for them.

So remember, read the ingredient list so you will know if you're really getting the most nutritious puppy food!!