A large, active dog working through daily exercise needs a food built around that activity level rather than a standard adult recipe stretched to a bigger bag, which is the gap Pro Plan's Athletic line is aimed at. It uses chicken as the lead named ingredient, backed by a longer list of specific nutrients rather than a plain "meat and cereals" recipe.

Chicken, including back and chest cuts, makes up 19% of the recipe, with rice at 8%, alongside dried poultry protein, corn, wheat, soya meal, dried beet pulp, dried salmon protein, dried egg and fish oil. Protein comes out at 28%, fat at 18%, crude ash at 7.5%, crude fibre at 2.5% and taurine at 0.1%, with an energy value of 400 kcal per 100g. Purina supply a feeding table by body weight and activity level.

• Complete dry food for large breed athletic adult dogs
• Chicken (including back and chest) 19%, rice 8%
• Protein 28%, fat 18%, crude ash 7.5%, crude fibre 2.5%
• Taurine 0.1%
• Energy 400 kcal per 100g
• 14kg bag

On matching the food to the dog. This is a higher protein and fat recipe than a standard adult food, built for genuine daily activity rather than an occasional walk. A large-breed dog that is mostly sedentary could gain weight on the same portion size, so the feeding guide should be read against your own dog's actual activity, not just its breed and weight.

Who it's for: owners of a large, genuinely active adult dog - working, sporting or simply high-energy - who want a food matched to that activity level rather than a standard maintenance recipe.