2026-09-03
Dog food review site Dog Food Advisor released the results of its 2025 Dog Food Advisor Survey, detailing consumer sentiments on commercial pet food, non-US sourced ingredients and purchasing behaviors.
According to Dog Food Advisor, the survey received nearly 10,000 responses, making it the biggest survey of US dog parents.
Facing rising pet food and supplies prices, US dog parents are shifting their budgets, adjusting purchasing spent on themselves in order to buy products for their pets, demonstrating the high importance consumers continue to place on their dogs. In fact, according to the survey, 86% of survey respondents reported they would cut back on their personal spending in order to afford quality dog food and 38% would cut their own food budget. Additionally, 52% would go hungry to feed their dogs and 92% would go into debt for emergency veterinary care.
Within the pet nutrition realm, specifically, dog food has become a non-discretionary purchase for most dog owners, and many are pushing for more premium options to support their pets’ overall wellness. Ninety-four percent of survey respondents believe their dog would live longer on a better diet, 53% claim to care more about their dog’s diet than their own, and 56% believe dogs should eat like humans, focusing on clean, organic and balanced meals. An additional 55% of respondents feed their dog daily supplements.
Due to the increasing critical role dog owners have placed on their dogs’ nutrition, consumers are paying more and more attention to pet food labels, with 44% reading labels more carefully than those for their own food products. When it comes to ingredients, 92% prefer pet food with ingredients sourced from the United States. Additionally, 64% would feed their dogs ingredients from Canada, 47% from the United Kingdom, 20% from Mexico and a mere 6.7% from China.
Mistrust continues to grow in commercial, store-bought pet food. Though 33% reported trusting dog food labels “a lot,” 12% of respondents claimed that they completely mistrust dog food companies. In line with this, homemade meals have gained popularity, with 50% of respondents having made their dogs’ food themselves.
Speaking of trust, the survey found that consumers are turning away from more traditional sources for pet nutrition advice. A mere 25% of respondents said they are influenced by their veterinarian. In fact, 56% said that Dog Food Advisor reviews influenced their pet food choices.
Social media has emerged as a source for pet nutrition advice, with 30% of dog owners claiming they have been influenced by social media when choosing dog food. Influencers are fueling this, with 10% of respondents saying they follow influencers on Instagram and 6.5% follow them on YouTube. An additional 23% follow dog food influencers. This embracing of social media as a trusted resource has primarily been led by younger pet owners, with 12% of 18- to 39-year-olds following dog food influencers on TikTok.
As influencers and social media continue to be tapped as a resource, pet owners are becoming increasingly overwhelmed with conflicting information, with many feeling they don’t know what’s safe to feed their pets. For example, 40% believe raw food is safe and 33% don’t know. Within grain free, 25% believe grain free is dangerous, whereas 32% are unsure. Lab-grown or cell-cultured meat also has pet owners conflicted, with 60% reporting they would not feed their pet lab-grown meat and 19% would consider it with more safety data.
Speaking of alternative proteins, insect-based dog foods still remain too novel for these dog owners. Less than 1% of respondents reported they currently feed their dogs an insect-based diet. Despite this, 21% claimed they would consider an insect-based diet for their pups, though older owners are much less open to these diets compared to younger owners.
When it comes to purchasing behavior, dog owners are embracing more convenient options, particularly e-commerce and online buying methods, with younger and more educated owners fueling this shift. The survey found 35% of dog owners purchase dog food from Chewy and 29% purchase directly from manufacturers. Within the online realm, 16% reported that they currently have a dog food subscription and 84% don’t. Despite this minimal popularity in subscriptions, 29% reported they would consider a dog food subscription.