A dog covering serious ground each day — sledding, racing, hunting — needs more from a bag of food than an everyday recipe is built to give, and Dr John's Hypoallergenic Activ is pitched squarely at that harder-working end. The "hypoallergenic" name is worth reading carefully rather than assuming it means allergen-free.

The recipe is built on dehydrated poultry (40% chicken), barley, rice, chicken fat and oats, with salmon oil at 2%, New Zealand green-lipped mussel extract, and a mixed herb blend of sage, oregano, mint, rosemary, turmeric and ginger. Crude protein sits at a high 30%, with crude fat at 20%.

• Dehydrated poultry (40% chicken), barley, rice, oats
• Crude protein 30%, crude fat 20%
• Crude fibre 2.8%, crude ash 6.5%
• Salmon oil (2%) and green-lipped mussel extract included
• Suitable for racing, sledge, hunting and extreme activity

On the name. "Hypoallergenic" doesn't mean allergen-free here — this recipe contains chicken, barley and oats, all common triggers for a genuinely sensitive dog. The name likely refers to the recipe's formulation rather than a limited-ingredient, allergen-avoiding diet, so don't rely on it if you're managing a known food sensitivity.

Who it's for: owners of a genuinely high-output working dog needing an elevated protein and fat profile, not owners looking for a hypoallergenic food in the limited-ingredient sense of the word.