A recent survey of 691 U.S. dog owners found that in the absence of marketing claims, consumers made purchasing decisions based on protein source rather than protein quantity. When information on protein quality or quantity was lacking on pet food labels, owners used pre-existing knowledge and perceptions of ingredients to determine their choice of dog food.
In an article published in the Journal of Animal Science, researchers from the University of Guelph, Canada, stated, “Interestingly, dog owners appear to evaluate protein attributes sequentially, first considering the source, then the amount of protein.”
The survey included questions on personal and pet feeding habits, ingredient preferences and perceptions of protein in dog diets. Protein quality of ingredients like beef and chicken were rated highest by respondents, while insect ingredients were perceived to have lowest quality. Researchers tested this by conducting discrete choice experiments in the survey.
The survey simulated examples of dog food that differed by price (US$85, $95 or $100), protein amount (20% or 35%) and protein source (chicken, chicken meal or peas). While higher cost reduced the likelihood of choice overall, participants were 103% more likely to pay for chicken as an ingredient compared to peas.
Protein amount in chicken and pea-based diets did not affect consumer choice, but chicken meal was more likely to be chosen if it had a higher protein level. This suggests that dog owners evaluate protein amount after considering the source of protein itself. In general, respondents reported claims such as “excellent protein source” (72.3%) and “high quality protein” (68.6%) influenced their choices more than quantity-related claims like “high protein diet” (59.2%).
Knowledge gap in consumer understanding of protein quality
While consumer demand for protein in pet diets have shaped current market trends, there is a lack of information for consumers on how to identify protein quality of ingredients or amount of protein in a diet. Currently, the pet food industry does not provide a specific amount needed to qualify a diet as “high protein”; therefore, dog owners are left to make their own conclusions about protein-related claims.
The questionnaire tested consumer knowledge by asking respondents to pick the correct definition of protein quality (“the ability of an ingredient to meet indispensable amino acid requirements of an individual”) in a multiple-choice list. Only 18% of respondents chose the correct definition, while a majority conflated protein quality with amount of protein in diet (30.8%) or did not know the definition (26.5%).
The survey went further to provide examples of ingredient labels on dog foods, asking respondents to identify which ones were supplemented with amino acids. The results found that 65% of respondents answered both questions incorrectly, in contrast to 5.3% being able to answer both.
Bridging the knowledge gap around consumer understanding of protein quality is important for the industry, given that dog owners base their purchasing choices on their own perceptions of ingredients. The survey observed that participants who could correctly identify protein quality were more likely to purchase dog food based on ingredients rather than on amount of protein. Additionally, 46.4% these pet owners were more likely to rotate brands and flavors when purchasing dog foods, compared to other consumers who did not identify the protein quality definition correctly.
In contrast, respondents who equated protein quality with the amount of protein interpreted both 20%- and 35%-protein diets as “high protein,” since the purchasing choices for these products were similar when label claims were not provided. This highlights the need for consumer education to improve pet food choices.
The survey-takers reported using online sources 57.4% more often than recommendations provided by veterinarians (51.6%). Given that, pet food companies utilizing online branding to sell products can likely achieve greater reach of consumers. As such, social media platforms can be used to educate dog owners on definitions of protein requirements, quality and quantity of diets to better inform purchasing decisions.
Re-evaluating choices in formulating protein-containing diets
This research demonstrated that higher amounts of dietary protein are not sufficient to sway purchasing decisions, indicating that pet food formulators should give further consideration toward consumer understanding of protein sources. Protein has the highest cost associated with its inclusion in diets, in addition to higher environmental impact due to agricultural land use and greenhouse gas emissions associated with animal ingredients.
According to the results of the study, 47.8% of participants were open to using legumes as an alternative protein source. However, 37.6% stated they would not use animal meat alternatives, suggesting that whole protein sources like chicken continue to be favored by dog owners.
The researchers concluded that consumer understanding of ingredient protein quality dictated dog food preference, rather than protein amount. Therefore, it is imperative to provide education on common definitions and to standardize protein claims across the industry to support purchasing decisions in owners.
Sanjana Farah Anan, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral fellow, companion animal nutrition, in the Department of Animal Biosciences at University of Guelph.
References
Cleaver, L. (2026, May 12). 5 trends driving pet food innovation in 2026. Pet Food Industry.
Phillips-Donaldson, D. (2018, May 29). Pet food protein: How much is too much? Pet Food Industry.
Singh, P., Banton, S., von Massow, M., Peng, Z., Bosch, G., Marinangeli, C. P., & Shoveller, A. K. (2026). Does quantity equal quality? Source of protein influences American dog owner purchasing decisions more than the quantity of protein in the absence of marketing claims. Journal of Animal Science, 104, skag136.
Yamka, R. (2017, June 24). Pet food nutrition: it’s not just about high protein. Pet Food Industry.
