Superior sources of Protein.  This would include either whole, fresh meats or a single source meat meal (for example chicken meal rather than poultry meal - the poultry meal indicates a mixture).

One of the first two ingredients should be a whole-meat source (for example chicken or chicken meal).  Two meat sources in the first three ingredients would be even better - like chicken and chicken meal.  Whole, fresh meat is great for dogs but on the flip side contains a large quantity of water.  That water will cause the fresh meat ingredient to be listed at the top (which, by law, are listed in order of their weight contribution to the food).  Another word of caution, if the list of ingredients begins with whole chicken and is followed by three or more grains and no other proteins, it is more than likely that the food contains a lot more grain than meat.  One drawback that limits our ability to know for sure is that the makers of dog food are not required to specify the amounts or percentages of each ingredient contained within.  (Another point to keep in mind is that dry foods cannot contain more than about 50% meat or animal products because if there were any more than that the meat products would gum up the machinery that mixes and kibbles it.)  Meat is the most natural source of protein for dogs and also contains essential amino acids that are important to your dogs health.  A good mix of proteins, for instance fish and beef, will help round out the amino acid profile of the protein sources included in the food.

Vegetable, whole, unprocessed grains and other foods.  As you well know from your own nutritional needs, a previously unprocessed food source has an excellent chance of keeping its nutrients intact while it goes through the food-making process. 

Food fragments - should only be contained in very small, minimal quantities.  Fragments are by-products of another food manufacturing process that can be obtained at a lower cost.  Examples of food fragments would include but are not limited to brewer's rice (a waste product of the alcohol industry) and wheat bran (the fibrous hull removed from the nutritious wheat kernel).  Almost all foods contain at least on fragment because it allows manufacturers to keep the food more affordable.  BUT, be aware of dog food that contains several fragments of a single food - some manufacturers are doing this to disguise an excess of low-value and low-quality ingredients.  Again - remember that the law dictates that each ingredient is listed separately by weight, so when you see a list of ingredients that begins with "lamb, rice flour, rice bran, brewer's rice..." it should tip you off that there is far more rice in the product that lamb.

Meat by-products - again, should only be contained in very small, minimal quantities.  Fresh by-products may offer more nutrient value than a rendered meat meal.  But using an animal by-product, or more than one animal by-product, for a food's main protein source indicates a lower-quality food product.  These product should only play a supporting role to rounding out the whole meat or meat meals.  They should also appear somewhere below the top five ingredients.

Ingredients that indicate a low-quality dry food product:

Generic fats or proteins.  "Animal fat", for example can include just about anything from recycled grease from restaurants or even an unwholesome mystery mix of various fats.  A preferable ingredient to this would be "beef fat" or "chicken fat".  "Animal protein" and "poultry protein" are by far more inferior to "beef protein" or chicken protein".

Artificial preservatives including but not limited to BHA, BHT or Ethoxyquin.

Artificial colors.  Do you think your dog really cares that his kibble are red, green, yellow and brown?  He doesn't need a daily (which equates into a lifetime) exposure to these unnecessary chemicals.

Propylene glycol.  Again, another unnecessary chemical that is added to your dogs food to keep it moist.  Crunchy foods promote teeth health!

Sweeteners.  Did you know that your dog has a sweet tooth just like you?  Corn syrup, sucrose, ammoniated glycyrrhizin and other sweeteners are often added to low-quality foods to increase their palatability and appeal to dogs.  This additional dietary sugar has the ability to aggravate health problems in dogs including diabetes and obesity.

Take the label test.  How does your current dry food compare to Canidae?

Canidae Dry Food Ingredient List>:  Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Brown Rice, White Rice, Lamb Meal, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Ascorbic Acid), Menhaden Fish Meal, Flax Seed, Sun Cured Alfalfa Meal, Sunflower Oil, Lecithin, Brewer's Yeast, Natural Flavors, Monosodium Phosphate, Choline, Linoleic Acid, Rosemary Extract, Sage Extract, Ferrous Sulfate, Mixed Tocopherols (Source of Vitamin E), Zinc Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Manganous Oxide, Riboflavin Supplement (Source of B2), Yeast Culture, Dried Aspergillus Niger Fermentation Extract, Dried Aspergillus Oryzae Fermentation Extract, Dried Lactobacillus, Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Streptococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Cobalt Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Niacin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, D-Biotin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Calcium, Iodate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Papain, Bacillus Subtilis, Aspergillus Niger, Yucca Schidigera Extract.