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If you've ever seen your dog excitedly wagging his tail at mealtime, you know how much he depends on you to keep his bowl full. But what happens when you open the pantry and realize you're out of his favorite food? While a quick trip to the store might seem like an easy fix, what if you're short on time or the local pet shop doesn't carry the specific brand or formula your pet needs? That's where the oh-so-amazing convenience of buying dog food online comes in.
Shopping for dog food online has transformed the way pet owners meet their furry friends' nutritional needs. Whether you have a picky eater who prefers a gourmet recipe or a dog with special dietary restrictions, you'll find that online stores typically offer a wider variety than the grocery store (or even compared with your local mom-and-pop pet store).
Sunday, October 6th
Chewy is the quintessential online retailer of pet products. In dog food alone, you'll have over 7,000 choices - all of which can likely reach your doorstep in just 1-3 days, no matter where you live. Pricing is competitive here, and the perks are abundant; you won't find rivals providing 24/7 customer service, free consultations with vets and vet techs, a 365-day satisfaction guarantee, and compassionate concern when a beloved pet passes away. Chewy is our #1 place to buy dog food, and you're going to love this company too.
PetFlow is a fantastic place to buy dog food. There are over 1,700 options to choose from, spanning both well-known and niche brands, all with a 10% discount if you decide to auto-ship your deliveries and free shipping when your order is over $49. PetFlow has earned ample praise from happy customers - to the tune of 50,000+ 5-star reviews. Pet owners say that this retailer goes above and beyond to keep them and their four-legged friends happy and healthy. PetFlow is one of our top picks when ordering dog food online.
Nom Nom is about as far removed from kibble as dog food gets. They make all of your pet's meals fresh, customized to his weight, breed, and dietary needs, with recipes that sound like something you could easily serve at your own table. You can either jump in with a deeply-discounted one-month trial or buy a $20 sampler pack; just make sure you have room in your freezer to store these meals. Although not everyone is looking to feed their furry friends in this way, it's a great way to keep them healthy and active for a long time, and customers say that Nom Nom meals are absolutely devoured by their dogs.
If your dog needs a restock of food ASAP but you can't get to the store, put Amazon to work. There are over 4,000 options for dog food there, with plenty available for same-day or next-day delivery at no extra cost if you've got Prime. While pricing and availability aren't always super-competitive, and we're not big fans of the mostly non-existent refund policy on pet food, Amazon performs very well on selection and shipping. If you find what you need, go right ahead and use Amazon to deliver your dog food.
You'll already know by the name that Only Natural Pet carries dog food that's made with better ingredients and is designed to be nutritionally superior to the average off-the-shelf kibble and cans. In business since 2002, this Certified B-Corp has a range of well-known organic brands, along with their own proprietary wet and dry food (including some novel freeze-dried and dehydrated options). As you'd expect, prices are higher than what you'd pay for more traditional dog food, but customers are typically happy with the quality (and their pets are too). However, the smaller inventory plus some complaints about the store itself have dropped Only Natural Pet in our ratings: still well above average, but not quite landing among our top dog food stores.
Walmart is a solid place to get your dog's food, if he typically eats one of the 20 brands they carry. You've got over a thousand choices here, and because Walmart is such a big retailer, you'll often have just as many customer reviews to help guide your decision. Getting your dog food is easy-breezy with Walmart, from in-store pickup of online orders to same-day delivery, in addition to traditional shipping options. While you won't find any specialty dog food brands at Walmart, and the return/refund policy isn't the most generous, there's no big reason not to get your dog food here if you find the kind you need.
If your doggo tends to eat the typical grocery store-type brands of food, Target is a solid place to shop. You'll find over 500 options from makers like Pedigree and IAMS, all with Target's easy-peasy delivery or in-store pickup possibilities and those frequent category sales that make us all add just one more thing to our carts. However, you won't find as many all-natural/healthy brands here as rival stores offer, and the return policy on opened dog food isn't as generous as you'll see elsewhere. Overall, Target's a decent place to buy a wide variety of dog food, but those limitations we mentioned keep it at an average score from us.
Wysong wants to give you the ability to feed your dog (or cat... or ferret) a diet that most closely mimics what he was made to eat: high-protein dog food with quality ingredients that support his growth and health at every stage of life. You've got options for dry, canned, and freeze-dried dog food here - with the corresponding high price tag you'd expect. But, many options were out of stock during our evaluation, and there's no return policy if your pet doesn't like his new Wysong food. With mixed feedback for both the dog food and the company itself, Wysong earns a lower score from us.
If you own a dog, chances are good that you've shopped at PetSmart. With over 1,600 brick-and-mortar stores across the continent, and more than 1,600 dog food options to choose from, it makes sense. However, despite some fun perks with the complimentary Treats reward program, PetSmart comes up short in a lot of ways - brand selection and return policy, to name a few. Our advice? Check out the higher-ranked options on our list and save PetSmart as a backup plan.
There's a long list of reasons you might consider buying your dog food at Petco, from easy-peasy in-store pickup or same-day delivery of online orders, to thousands of options for almost every brand and format of kibble, wet food, and more. Petco has also expanded its hassle-free return policy to 60 days, and you can still take advantage of the Vital Care rewards program. However, Petco earns a below-average rating due to its reputation: an "F” from the Better Business Bureau and thousands of complaints, many of which are specifically about poor fulfillment and service with online orders. We recommend checking out Petco's rivals instead.
From organic, grain-free, or limited ingredient options to tried-and-true mainstream brands, the selection available online can meet every imaginable dietary need and picky pet preference. Plus, if you're ready to branch out and try something new for your favorite four-legged friend, you can take your time to compare brands, read ingredient lists, and even explore customer reviews, all from the comfort of your home.
Perhaps one of the biggest perks of ordering dog food online is the ability to schedule deliveries. Many retailers offer subscription services - your dog food arrives right when you need it, without you having to remember to place an order. This autoship option is perfect if you love the idea of having one less thing to worry about. Not only do you get to avoid last-minute trips to the store, but you may also benefit from discounts and free shipping, which can save you money in the long run.
There's just no beating the convenience of online dog food retailers. You can shop at any time of day, no matter your schedule. Whether you realize late at night that you're running low on food or you're too busy to squeeze in a trip to the pet store during the day, online ordering is always an option. And if you need your dog's food fast, many sites offer same-day or next-day delivery services - so that Rover never has to miss a meal (though he may be disappointed not to get that can of tuna or other "people food” when you don't have his kibble on hand).
Is your dog a little particular? Several online retailers offer flexible return policies, allowing you to exchange or return a product if it doesn't pass the sniff test. Some even provide trial sizes so you can test out a new formula before committing to a full-size bag or case of cans. This kind of hassle-free shopping experience can be a lifesaver when you're trying to find the perfect food for your pet's unique tastes or dietary needs.
You've got a lot of options for where to buy your dog food online. Which store should get your dollars? Use these criteria to pick the right one for you:
To help you find the right dog food store for your furry best friend, the canine-loving experts at Top Consumer Reviews have researched and ranked some of today's most popular options. So, the next time your dog looks at you with those eager, hungry eyes, you can rest easy knowing that a quick click online will have his bowl filled in no time.
Select any 2 Dog Food Stores to compare them head to head