Highly Recommended
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Our Verdict
TimberWolf Legends dry product range is made up of six recipes which each receive the Dog Food Advisor’s rating, 5 stars.
The table below shows each recipe in this range including our rating and the AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
| Product line | Rating | AAFCO |
|---|---|---|
| TimberWolf Legends Black Forest | 5 | A |
| TimberWolf Legends Wild and Natural | 5 | A |
| Timberwolf Legends Dakota | 5 | A |
| Timberwolf Legends Wilderness | 5 | A |
| TimberWolf Legends Ocean Blue | 5 | A |
| TimberWolf Legends Mediterranean | 5 | A |
Recipe and Label Analysis
TimberWolf Legends Wild and Natural was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Timberwolf Legends Wild and Natural
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Chicken meal, chicken, chicken fat (preserved with tocopherols and citric acid), herring meal, whitefish meal, peas, chicken liver, plain dried beet pulp, red lentils, flaxseed, herbs (coriander, turmeric, basil, ginger, fenugreek, peppermint, thyme), natural flavor, dehydrated alfalfa meal, brewers dried yeast, dried vegetable pomace (carrot, celery, beets, parsley, lettuce, watercress, spinach), salmon oil (preserved with tocopherols), sweet potato, dried kelp meal, dried egg product, dried whey, minerals (zinc sulfate, iron proteinate, ferrous sulfate, copper proteinate, copper sulfate, manganese proteinate, sodium selenite, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, ethylenediamine dihydroiodide), vitamins (vitamin E supplement, niacin supplement, thiamine mononitrate, d-calcium pantothenate, vitamin A supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, folic acid), salt, choline chloride, potassium chloride, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, dried carrots, dl-methionine, taurine, dried chicory root, lecithin, l-carnitine, lactic acid, yucca schidigera extract, rosemary extract
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 40% | 18% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 44% | 20% | 28% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 37% | 40% | 23% |
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The second ingredient is chicken. Although it is a quality item, raw chicken contains up to 73% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost, reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.
After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.
The third ingredient is chicken fat. This item is obtained from rendering chicken, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.
The next two items are herring meal and whitefish meal, additional protein-rich meat concentrates.
Fish meal is typically obtained from the “clean, dried, ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish and fish cuttings” of commercial fish operations.1
The sixth ingredient lists peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. And like all legumes, they’re rich in natural fiber.
However, peas contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.
The seventh ingredient is chicken liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.
The eighth ingredient includes beet pulp. Beet pulp is a controversial ingredient, a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.
Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits.
We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most dog foods is entirely acceptable.
The ninth ingredient lists lentils. Lentils are a quality source of carbohydrates. Plus (like all legumes) they’re rich in natural fiber.
However, lentils contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.
But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.
With six notable exceptions…
First, flaxseed is one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.
However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.
Next, we find alfalfa meal. Although alfalfa meal is high in plant protein (about 18%) and fiber (25%), it can be less common to find it in a dog food recipe.
In addition, brewers yeast can be a controversial item. Although it’s a by-product of the beer making process, this ingredient is rich in minerals and other healthy nutrients.
Fans believe yeast repels fleas and supports the immune system.
Critics argue yeast ingredients can be linked to allergies. This may be true, but (like all allergies) only if your particular dog is allergic to the yeast itself.
In addition, a vocal minority insists yeast can increase the risk of developing the life-threatening condition known as bloat. However, this is a claim we’ve not been able to scientifically verify.
In any case, unless your dog is specifically allergic to it, yeast can still be considered a nutritious additive.
What’s more noteworthy here is that brewers yeast contains about 48% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.
Next, we note the inclusion of vegetable pomace, the solid by-product of vegetables after pressing for juice or oil. This item contains the skins, pulp, seeds, and stems of the fruit.
Vegetable pomace can be a controversial ingredient. Some praise pomace for its high fiber, while others scorn it as an inexpensive pet food filler.
Just the same, there’s probably not enough vegetable pomace here to make much of a difference.
This recipe also contains sodium selenite, a controversial form of the mineral selenium. Sodium selenite appears to be nutritionally inferior to the more natural source of selenium found in selenium yeast.
And lastly, this food includes chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, TimberWolf Legends Wild and Natural dog food looks like an above-average dry product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 44%, a fat level of 20% and estimated carbohydrates of about 28%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 40% and a mean fat level of 19%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 33% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 47%.
Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the peas, lentils, flaxseed, alfalfa meal and brewers yeast, this still looks like the profile of a kibble containing a significant amount of meat.
Our Rating of TimberWolf Legends Grain Free Dog Food
TimberWolf Legends is a grain-free dry dog food using a significant amount of named meat meals as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5 stars.
Compare TimberWolf Legends Dog Food
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A Final Word
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