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When it comes to healthy dog food choices, it’s not always a cut and dry decision as to which to choose for your pup. Here we compare two high-quality options that focus on natural ingredients, Taste of the Wild vs Blue Buffalo, so you can see which food fits your dog best.
Taste of the Wild vs Blue Buffalo
Made by Diamond Pet Foods, Inc., owned by Schell and Kampeter, Inc., Taste of the Wild is a family owned, privately held business. As a relatively new brand of dog food made only since 2007, Taste of the Wild was created to meet the market’s growing demand for a natural, grain-free dog food. It offers five adult formulas, one wet and one dry of each, and two dry puppy formulas for a total of 12 high-quality food choices for your canine. All of their formulas are created to emulate what dogs would eat in the wild with unique lean meats (like bison, venison, or quail) that are certified hormone and antibiotic free, with highly digestible energy sources, antioxidants, and chelated minerals for better absorption.
Nutritional Notes
In addition to all lean meats being free from hormones and antibiotics, they’re also free from toxic the preservative ethoxyquin. Instead, all natural dog food preservatives are used by Taste of the Wild. Taste of the Wild also uses reverse osmosis water – the same quality found in your over-the-counter bottled water – to steam-dry all of their foods to be sure that they’re free of microorganisms, organic and inorganic chemicals. Every formula is grain free.
Popular Products
- Hi Prairie Canine Formula with Roasted Bison & Venison – View on Amazon
- Pacific Stream Canine Formula with Smoked Salmon – View on Amazon
- Wetlands Canine Formula with Roasted Wild Fowl – View on Amazon
Price
If ease is the name of your price game, Taste of the Wild may be the brand for you. The company keeps their offerings, and subsequently their pricing, simple with two options for dry food and one for wet:
Taste of the Wild High Prairie, Pacific Stream, Sierra Mountain, Southwest Canyon and Wetlands:
Blue Buffalo
It was ultimately Bill and Jackie Bishop’s large-breed Airedale Terrier, Blue, and his wide range of health issues, that inspired the two to make a commercially available dog food that was nutrient-rich for our canine companions. It included additional minerals to maintain oxidative balance. All BLUE foods begin with chicken, lamb, or fish, supplemented by whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruits, along with LifeSource Bits, a patented blend of nutrients and antioxidants. They offer foods in three categories – puppy, adult, and senior – with varying wet and dry options for all and a wide range of options spanning the three categories to total 118 adult food options, 20 senior options, and 19 puppy options. So, if you are looking for variety, it is safe to say that a far more diverse range is offered by Blue vs Taste of the Wild. Further, most Blue Buffalo options uses wholesome whole grains, but they do have a grain free option in their Freedom and Wilderness lines if you prefer.
Nutritional Notes
Blue Buffalo never uses chicken or poultry by-products, artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives, corn, wheat, or soy in any of their formulas. The first ingredient for all of their food is de-boned chicken, lamb or fish. Like Taste of the Wild, they use chelated minerals for easy absorption, and their patented LifeSource Bits – a precise blend of vitamins and antioxidants selected by holistic animal nutritionists and veterinarians – are cold-formed to preserve potency.
Popular Products
- Freedom Grain Free (Chicken Recipe) – View on Amazon
- Life Protection Formula (Lamb and Rice Recipe) – View on Amazon
- Wilderness Grain Free (Salmon Recipe) – View on Amazon
Price
If variety is the name of your game, Blue Buffalo may be the brand for you. But with so many available options spanning three ages (puppy, adult, and senior) and varying categories within (small breed, sensitive systems, etc.), it’s slightly harder to explain the pricing for Blue Buffalo. Blue Buffalo Freedom Grain Free (Chicken Recipe)
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula (Lamb and Rice Recipe)
- 15-Pound Bag:
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Grain-Free (In our opinion, the closest comparison to Taste of the Wild):
- 24-Pound Bag: $49.99
Natural Dog Foods Overview
While Taste of the Wild and Blue Buffalo’s Wilderness formula have many of the same qualities and are both ultimately options you can feel safe feeding your furry friend, we feel that Taste of the Wild’s clean ingredient list, lower price, use of hormone and antibiotic-free meats, grain-free guarantee, and ethoxyquin-free preservation techniques give it the slight edge over Blue Buffalo’s Wilderness formula.
Taste of the Wild vs Blue Buffalo Wilderness Comparison Table
| Taste of the Wild Southwest Canyon with Wild Boar | Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe with Bison | |
|---|---|---|
| Chelated Minerals | Yes | Yes |
| Other Antioxidants | Yes | Yes - LifeSource Bits |
| First Seven Ingredients | Beef, peas, Garbanzo beans, Lamb meal, Canola oil, egg product, Wild Boar. Fewer total ingredients. | Deboned Bison, Chicken meal, Turkey meal, Menhaden Fish meal, Tapioca starch, peas, potatoes. |
| Crude Protein % | 29% min | 30% min |
| Crude Fat % | 15% min | 15% min |
| Crude Fiber % | 15% max | 4.5% max |
| Moisture % | 10% max | 10% max |
| AAFCO Approved | Yes | Yes |
| Uses Hormone & Antibiotic-free Meats | Yes | No |
| Ethoxyquin-free | Yes | N/A |
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69 Comments on "Taste of the Wild vs Blue Buffalo: Comparison of Leading Natural Dog Foods"
My dog, 6 years old is diabetic and has been on dry food from the vet. He won’t hardly eat it if I don’t add either a little chicken broth, or sometimes a little peanut butter. I was told he does not need high protein food but all these on this list are 26-30% protein. Any suggestions?
Blue buffalo wetlands is 32% protein. Victor hero grain free is 33% and Victor nutra pro is 38%. Hope that helps!
I just watched a documentary on pet food, not 100% sure what I believe, but one thing that I took away from it is that Science Diet from the vet is one of the worst pet foods out there. I feed my dog Taste of the Wild and am not looking into supplementing with some raw brands.
Been feeding my 6 Year old GSD TOTW her whole life. She is in excellent shape and has no tummy issues unless she eats table food that she shouldn’t.
I can’t say enough about TOTW, this company stands behind their food 110% and they, although being produced by Diamond, is the best food out there. Don’t let the whole Diamond thing deter you. TOTW monitors the production and quality.
I have had my German Shepard mix on taste of wild for 3 1/2 years been good for her she is fit and lean, her coat is soft and shiny people are surprise when they pet her, she also has the sensitive stomach that is a trait of the German Shepard and doesn’t have that problem with the taste of wild. The only time she does is when she eats the neighbor dog food than she is up all night with stomach problems very satisfied with product
I just received a sample of Taste of the Wild from my Maltese Terrier’s new groomer and when I gave it to him, he seems to enjoy it more than Blue! I guess I’m switching brands now! I’m so glad I can finally feed him something he’ll enjoy.
You can try pumpkin in a can or probiotics. My girl is gassy and we use honest Kitchen goat milk with added probiotics.
I’m feeding my puppy blue buffalo wilderness, if I switch to taste of the wild what would be a good choice for my dog? She’s going to be 4 months June 12.
They have a puppy formula which is what I am feeding my 4 month old gsd.
Thank you. I’ve been using Taste of the Wild for a couple of months, since my sister introduced me to it around Thanksgiving. I ran out of food so had to buy the dogs something while I waited on my Amazon order, and so grabbed some Blue Buffalo. Due to the price, I wanted to be sure there wasn’t something I’m missing. Your article helped me. Thank you. Keeping on with my original plan. Taste of the Wild it is!
Just got a malinois puppy. Totw puppy was recommended to me. He loves it. It has all a pup needs and it is a myth that the food has to say large breed.
I adopted an elder dog black lab/boxer mix in July the family abandoned at 11 yrs old to humane society. He was so skinny, scared and I’m grateful they called me on the foster list! He loves the bison/venison blend and I’ll keep him on that through his days along with a taste of the canned food now and then! So glad to see what a high rating Taste of The Wild has. I’m sold!
I have a ten year old lab with a sensitive stomach and fatty ulcers. Which Taste of the Wild dry food would you recommend?
I would try the Pacific Stream. All Taste of the Wild (except the 2 puppy formulas) are for all life stages, so they are safe for seniors. It has a very high protein content and no beef. If his stomach is still upset, you can buy a packet of Weruva’s Pumpkin Patchup to mix in with the food. That should help calm the troubled tummy. Good luck!
I’d recommend the salmon formula, personally I had a blue heeler/black lab that died at age 16 with fatty tumors that had been kept at bay given the grain-free diet yet stomach sensitivities that Blue caused so TOTW or Fromm are the foods I use from here on out. Hope that’s helpful.
I would call your vet and ask. Your vet will know your dog’s specific medical needs best and will have a better understanding of what dog food is best for the lab.
When my mixed lab starting having stomach problems at 7 years old, my vet wanted to put him on Science diet for sensitive stomachs, I refused to do it and put him on Lamb and Rice TOTW. Problem solved, when he went in for his annual check up, she said “Wow, he looks great! What are you feeding him?” He was a little over weight and had slimmed down a little bit. Loves the food!
There’s a chance it could’ve been something with the new dog food. Try switching her back to a dog food you know she does ok with and see if the symptoms return. If they do, schedule a visit with your vet immediately to find the cause.
It’s always taste of the wild, so I just thought it was odd that she’s having issues with just simply changing the flavor. She’s still having loose stools, so I’ll be taking her in… just in case 😉
That’s a great plan Tara! Hope everything turns out ok and your pup gets to feeling better soon!
She’s doing much better now. Found the culprit… Japanese Lady Bugs! I found her eating them, and the vet said that most likely contributed to the issue, especially since she’s had the flavor before and had no issues. I’ve swept up all the Japanese beetles from the patio and sidewalks in their pen, and her stools are back to good! 🙂 Good to know… those little yellow/orange lady bugs=sick fur baby!
Wow, I would’ve never guessed that was the cause! So glad your dog is better now and that you found the cause!
I see alot of preferences for Taste of the Wild. I have a 6 lb. yorkie who has been eating Ultra small breed food. Which variety of Taste of the Wild are you yorkie parents giving your little ones?
The great thing about Taste of the Wild is that the kibble is all the same, small size, so there isn’t a specific one for small breed dogs. If you have a healthy eater with no allergies or issues, you could go with any of the formulas that your pup likes, salmon, bison, venison & legumes, etc. The most popular formula will be the Pacific Stream. If you have a picky eater, go for the lamb, it’s the richest- which means it tastes the best, but could also cause an upset tummy. Good luck!
I switched from grain free Blue Buffalo Puppy dry food (lamb/oat) to the Taste of Wild bison puppy dry food. ACD Puppy Dog liked both. But, Blue came out the other end in a wrong way. Taste of the Wild corrected that. Less expensive/get a bit more.
Greg, how is the pit? I have a blue bully and we have tried everything except the allergy shots, which sounds like doesn’t work. I have just bought some TOTW Pacific Stream today. We have done the steroid treatment along with prednisone. We have medicated shampoo and nothing has seemed to help. We are trying also the detergent we wash her blankets in, maybe some of the ingredients in that can cause allergies. She gets nothing except her food. No table food nothing. Please let me know what has helped your dog. Thanks.
My senior Shih tzu was going to the vet every month or two with skin issues from licking and chewing. She also had ear infection after ear infection. I highly recommend TOTW, any flavor. She loves it and her coat is beautiful. She hasn’t had an ear infection in over a year.
Johnsons baby shampoo is great for puppies and adult dogs it does not burn in their eyes and it has lanolin which makes my dogs hair soft. My older dog stopped itching when we used this. GENTLE AND SAFE
Have you tried Apoquel to relieve the itching! I have personally seen it work for so many pets including my own! The bonus is no side effects like steroids! The downside is it is sometimes hard to get. Vet hospitals never have enough!
Try omega 3 gel caps, the same one humans use. I have a chocolate lab with all kinds of skin issues and that cleared it right up. Works great and pretty cheap! Two gel caps with every meal works great, hope this helps!
Thanks so much for this comparison. I have a German Shepard who needs to lose weight and Blue Buffalo was highly recommended. The pet store I visited yesterday told me that there is currently a recall on Blue Buffalo products and strongly recommended Taste of the Wild. I appreciate the comparison and wondering if you have any information on the Blue Buffalo recall and whether it is true. Thanks!
My vet wanted to put my mixed lab on that stuff, he was having skin problems, throwing up, over weight. I refused, put him on TOTW, Lamb & Rice. Problem solved, 3 years in a row he has come down in weight, and is doing great. The vet was amazed at the change in my dog!
Maria, so glad to hear that this article was helpful and thanks for sharing your story! We were not aware of the Blue Buffalo recall, but will definitely look into it more and see what we can find. If we come across anything, we’ll be sure to update the article and our readers so they can stay informed with the latest. Good luck with the weight loss for your pup!
I used Blue Buffalo for about 2 years and then got to comparing it to the Taste of the Wild and decided to switch about a year ago. I have 4 Dachshunds and a Shiba Inu and they love it. It is about $5 cheaper and I get 6 lbs more per bag. By reading your article, I’m very pleased to see my decision to switch was a good one.
We have 1 dachshund and 1 dachshund mix – what bag of Taste of the Wild do you give them? Their current food changed recipes and I’ve never seen either of them have so many issues!
Thank you!!
Sorry just saw this but I give them the yellow bag it’s bison .
Taste of the Wild is the only brand I’ve fed my Boxer. She does great on it and I constantly get compliments from other Boxer owners on how fit she is and how soft and shiny her coat is. I’m getting a Yorkie and have been wondering if I should research other brands with small breed specific formulas. Does anyone have any opinions?
Taste of the wild still. I work at a pet department and I know the dog food pretty well. It’s one of the best foods for any doggie.
Yes, you can feed your new yorkie Taste of the Wild. I do it myself and I’m the mum of 4 yorkies! They have healthy skin and a shiny coat as well as much more energy. I used to feed them Chicken soup for the dog lovers soul and they had loose stools and itchy skin and dull fur. I hope this helps.
Janelle, which flavor taste of the wild do you give your yorkie? I have a yorkie with “sinus” issues and was giving her nutro ultra. I wanted to see if a different food would clear up some of her issues.
I use pacific stream and bison. Sorry I’m so late responding.
Thanks, he’s been on the Taste of the Wild puppy food and likes it. I was worried it’d be too big for him, but I softened the pieces with water. Now that he’s a little bigger he seems to prefer the drier pieces and has no problem eating the adult formula when he steals bits from my big dog’s bowl.
Wow, that is a great story of your food switch, Pam. Thanks for sharing with our readers!
We just got a puppy and she came with a bag of Purina Puppy Show. And yeah. She doesn’t sit to eat – just grabs a bite when I think she is starving. So my wife ordered Taste of the Wild for her. Will post how she does once it comes. She is a German Shepherd/Pit Bull mix and is 10 wks old.
My dogs love Taste of The Wild. They are over 3 years old and have the energy of puppies. Their coats are healthy and teeth/gums are great.
Thank you for the information. We have used Taste of the Wild for a year to year and a half and the issue we are finding right now is the wet food is on “back order” and per TOW they state the demand has them looking into 2015 to eliminate the shortage. Makes me wonder how fast they will produce if they are not in a hurry to sell to people like us whom are in need of the product.
Dogs eating their food all at once or in one sitting as you said isn’t a sign of healthiness, http://www.quora.com/Is-it-normal-for-a-dog-to-eat-its-food-gradually
You're welcome, Michele! Thank you for reading 🙂
Thanks so much for your thoughtful comments, Linda and for reading Canine Journal! We'll definitely look into doing a review on Chicken Soup for Dog Lovers.