As a nation of dog owners, naturally we want to feed them the best diet possible within our budget. You’re scrolling the pages of online pet stores or browsing the shelves at your local pet store, and suddenly you see a bag of food with your dog’s face on it. You think, ‘Gee, that’s Mr Puddles on the bag, it must be good for Poodles!‘

But how do you know? Is a breed diet really better than say another premium dog food? Or is it just pet food marketing to the extreme?

Our delightful doggo’s come in a whole array of different shapes and sizes and, if you’re familiar with Doggo Lingo, you’ll agree that no two floofs are the same. From experience we know they differ considerably in terms of their unique personalities (although we think they’re all good boys and girls!), exercise and grooming requirements as well as individual health concerns. While they all belong to the classification Canis familiaris lupus, you’re probably not surprised to hear that the ideal diet for a 4 kilogram Toy Poodle is very different to that of an 80 kilogram Irish Wolfhound. Not only are their jaw structures and dentition very different, but they also have their own unique health predispositions. For instance, small breed dogs tend to suffer more from dental disease, bladder stones and finicky appetites while large breed dogs can develop osteoarthritis and joint issues much earlier on in life.

Similarly there can be considerable variation in the nutritional needs of our cats depending on their breed. Larger breeds like Maine Coon’s can be more prone to joint problems, exotic breeds like the Siamese have their own unique health concerns and the Devon Rex has skin and coat care requirements that all vary from that of your domestic moggy. It’s easy to see how diet variations are required to suit the unique needs of each breed.

If you do a quick search for breed diets you’ll quickly find that Royal Canin were the first to pioneer the development of a diet for the Persian cat, and today have gone on to develop more than 20 breed formulas for a variety of breeds including Boxers, Bulldogs and the Ragdoll cat. We’ve also seen the development of breed diets for puppies such as Royal Canin Rottweiler Junior and French Bulldog Junior.

Now, recognising the breed groups that are a staple of Aussie households, Advance have launched a range of breed group diets to support their individual health needs such as – Small Terriers, Retrievers and Shepherds.

These diets focus on the breed’s individual health and conformation requirements. The nutraceuticals added to these diets are chosen based on the intended breed’s common ailments and they choose inclusions that have proven preventative effects backed with feeding trials, often in the target breed. For example, the Royal Canin French Bulldog diet uses a tailored combination of highly digestible ingredients, fibre blends and probiotics to aid with the reduction of stool odour and pungent flatulence the breed can be known for. The Advance Retriever’s diet contains added L-carnitine, an amino acid that helps to burn fat while maintaining lean muscle mass, alongside an adapted calorie content to encourage weight management.

Breed diets are formulated by premium manufacturers with extensive research and quality control processes in place. This means they also use high quality ingredients and back their nutritional inclusions with evidence of their benefit and proven feeding trials.

Most of these diets have a unique kibble shape and texture designed to suit the unique jaw structure of their intended breed. This makes picking up the food and chewing it easier and can provide additional benefit for dental health.

Despite being marketed for a particular breed or breed group, breed diets can be safely fed to other breeds as they are all nutritionally complete and balanced according to AAFCO standards. It’s important to evaluate the individual benefits offered by each breed diet for your individual dog.

What Are The Drawbacks of Feeding a Breed Diet?

Breed specific diets are often more expensive than all breed diets.

These are not therapeutic diets that are capable of treating health conditions like prescription diets. If your pet has a diagnosed health condition, be sure to follow your veterinarian’s dietary recommendations.

Marketing of breed diets may lead you to believe that they are the “best and only” diet you should be feeding. In reality, there are other great options which may prove just as beneficial for your pet.

By far the most diverse breed range offered by ADVANCE is the Advance Oodles range. This range includes options for large, small, puppy oodles and wet food. We have a great article already unpacking the unique characteristics of this popular breed group and detailing the benefits of each of the diets in this range: The Ultimate Oodle Breed Guide.

Advance Terriers Toy And Small Breed Turkey:

Ingredients: Turkey Meal, Rice, Sorghum, Rice Flour, Maize Gluten, Chicken Fat, Natural Flavour (Chicken), Chicken Meal, Dried Beet Pulp, Vitamins and Minerals, Salt, Fish Oil, Inulin, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Antioxidants, Amino Acid (incl. Methionine).
Protein: 25%
Protein source: Turkey meal
Fat: 15%
Suitable for: Adult toy and small breed dogs, particularly those prone to skin sensitivity.
What we like:

Advance Terriers Medium Breed Turkey:

Ingredients: Turkey Meal, Rice, Sorghum, Rice Flour, Maize Gluten, Chicken Fat, Chicken Meal, Natural Flavour (Chicken), Dried Beet Pulp, Vitamins and Minerals, Sunflower Oil, Salt, Fish Oil, Inulin, Green Lipped Mussel Powder, Antioxidants, Amino Acids (incl. Methionine, Arginine and Taurine).
Protein: 25%
Protein source: Turkey meal
Fat: 15%
Suitable for: Medium breeds adults, especially those with sensitive skin or joint problems like terriers.
What we like:

Advance Retrievers Chicken And Salmon:

Ingredients: Chicken Meal, Rice, Sorghum, Rice Flour, Chicken Fat, Salmon Meal, Natural Flavour (Chicken), Dried Beet Pulp, Sunflower Oil, Turkey Meal, Vitamins and Minerals, Salt, Inulin, Green Lipped Mussel Powder, Antioxidants, Amino Acids (incl. Methionine), L-Carnitine.
Protein: 24%
Protein source: Chicken meal, Salmon meal
Fat: 13%
Suitable for: Adult large and giant breed dogs, particularly those prone to weight gain or joint problems.
What we like:

Advance Adult Shepherds Turkey:

Ingredients: Turkey Meal, Rice, Sorghum, Rice Flour, Chicken Fat, Natural Flavour (Chicken), Sunflower Oil, Dried Beet Pulp, Vitamins and Minerals, Salt, Inulin, Green Lipped Mussel Powder, Antioxidants, Amino Acids (incl. Methionine), Colostrum.
Protein: 24%
Protein source: Turkey meal
Fat: 17%
Suitable for: Adult large and giant breed dogs, particularly those prone to sensitive digestion, sensitive skin and joint problems.
What we like:

Advance Adult Maltese Cross Turkey:

Ingredients: Turkey Meal, Rice, Sorghum, Chicken Fat, Rice Flour, Dried Beet Pulp, Natural Flavour (Chicken), Fructo-oligosaccharides, Vitamins and Minerals, Salt, Fish Oil, Inulin, Amino Acid (incl. Methionine), Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Antioxidants, Plant Extract (Source of Catechins).
Protein: 25%
Protein source: Turkey meal
Fat: 17%
Suitable for: Adult small breeds, particularly those with a long coat and prone to dental disease.
What we like:

If you can’t find a breed diet with your Whippet’s face on the bag, don’t despair! Many of the breed diets are also suitable to feed to other breed groups. As a general guide, stick with a breed diet that is similar in size to your dog and assess the individual benefits and nutrients provided by the diet. For example, the Advance Terriers Small and Toy Breed diet, while marketed specifically for Terriers, can be fed to any small or toy breed dog. See our comparison table below for more information.

Source: https://www.petcircle.com.au/discover/breed-specific-dog-food-guide