Beta, Pedigree or Skinners? Choosing Puppy Dry Food
By Gladwells Pet & Country Stores Online Shop | Published: 2026-11-03
Category: Buying Guides
Compare Beta Puppy Turkey & Lamb, Beta Puppy Chicken, Pedigree Complete Puppy and Skinners Field & Trial Puppy & Junior to pick the right dry food for your puppy's size, appetite and budget.
Quick answer
Start with Beta Puppy Turkey & Lamb 14kg if you want a DHA-enriched complete food with a turkey-and-lamb recipe; choose Pedigree Complete Puppy Chicken & Rice 12kg if budget and a familiar chicken-and-rice formula matter most; pick Skinners Field & Trial Puppy & Junior Lamb & Rice 15kg for a larger bag aimed at puppies and young working dogs. Beta Puppy Chicken 14kg is the alternative when you prefer a chicken-only recipe with the same DHA claim.
Why bag size changes the real cost
The four options come in 12kg, 14kg and 15kg bags, so the headline price is not the whole story. A 15kg bag of Skinners Field & Trial Puppy & Junior Lamb & Rice gives you 3kg more food than the 12kg Pedigree Complete Puppy Chicken & Rice, which matters if you have a medium or large puppy that will eat through a bag quickly. For a small-breed puppy, the smaller 12kg bag may be easier to store and use before the food goes stale.
Check the price per kilogram at the till rather than assuming the biggest bag is cheapest. The catalog prices shown here are a snapshot; they can change, and the comparison price is not a promise of future pricing.
Protein choice: chicken, turkey, lamb or a mix
Pedigree Complete Puppy Chicken & Rice and Beta Puppy Chicken 14kg both put chicken at the centre of the recipe, which suits owners who want a single familiar protein. Beta Puppy Turkey & Lamb 14kg combines two proteins, so it is a sensible step if you want to rotate away from chicken without changing brand. Skinners Field & Trial Puppy & Junior Lamb & Rice uses lamb and rice, a combination often chosen by owners of sensitive puppies, though the catalog does not make a sensitivity claim for this product.
If your puppy has already done well on one protein, changing only because of a promotion is rarely worth the disruption. Pick the recipe your puppy has tolerated and adjust the bag size instead.
Size and life stage: where each food fits
Skinners Field & Trial Puppy & Junior is described for puppies and young working dogs from weaning through to adulthood, which makes it the most flexible option if you have a dog that will keep growing for 12–18 months. Beta Puppy Turkey & Lamb and Beta Puppy Chicken are complete puppy foods with DHA for brain and vision development, a useful checkpoint during the rapid growth phase. Pedigree Complete Puppy is a balanced puppy meal with chicken, rice, vitamins and minerals, but the catalog does not specify a breed-size range, so treat it as a general puppy food rather than a large-breed formula.
For a large-breed puppy, the absence of a size-specific claim on these bags is a real limitation: none of the four is marketed as large-breed or giant-breed food. If your vet has recommended a large-breed formula, choose that instead of stretching one of these.
Decision rules for choosing puppy dry food
- If your puppy is a small breed: Choose the 12kg Pedigree Complete Puppy Chicken & Rice or a 14kg Beta bag. Smaller bags are easier to store and finish before the food loses freshness, and small breeds eat less per day. Weigh the bag monthly; if it lasts more than about six weeks after opening, buy the smaller size next time.
- If your puppy is a medium or large breed: Choose Skinners Field & Trial Puppy & Junior Lamb & Rice 15kg for the largest bag and the junior-to-adult range, or Beta Puppy Turkey & Lamb 14kg if you want the DHA claim. Neither is a large-breed-specific formula, so confirm with your vet if your breed has known joint or growth concerns. Large-breed owners should check the feeding guide on the bag against their puppy's expected adult weight, not its current weight alone.
- If your puppy has a sensitive stomach: Start with the protein your puppy has already tolerated. Skinners Field & Trial Puppy & Junior Lamb & Rice is a lamb-based option, while Beta Puppy Turkey & Lamb combines two proteins; Pedigree and Beta Puppy Chicken are chicken-based. Introduce any new food gradually over several days rather than switching overnight. Keep a simple food diary for the first two weeks so you can link any loose stools to a specific change.
- If budget is the deciding factor: Compare price per kilogram, not just the bag price. Pedigree Complete Puppy Chicken & Rice 12kg has the lowest catalog price of the four, but the 14kg and 15kg bags may work out cheaper per kilogram. Check the current price on each product page before ordering. Set a monthly food budget based on your puppy's expected adult size, then choose the bag that fits it.
Product facts at a glance
- Pedigree Complete Puppy Dry Dog Food Chicken & Rice 12kg: Pedigree Complete Puppy Dry Dog Food Chicken & Rice 12kg is a balanced puppy meal with natural ingredients, chicken, rice, vitamins and minerals. A straightforward chicken-and-rice option in a smaller 12kg bag, which suits owners who want to try a formula before committing to a larger sack.
Pedigree Complete Puppy Dry Dog Food Chicken & Rice 12kg - Skinners Field & Trial Puppy & Junior Lamb & Rice 15kg: Skinners Field & Trial Puppy & Junior Lamb & Rice 15kg is a dry food for puppies and young working dogs from weaning through to adulthood. The 15kg bag and junior-to-adult range make it the longest-running choice if you want one food to carry your puppy through its growth period.
Skinners Field & Trial Puppy & Junior Lamb & Rice 15kg - Beta Puppy Turkey & Lamb Dry Dog Food 14kg: Beta Puppy Turkey & Lamb Dry Dog Food 14kg is a complete food with DHA to aid brain and vision development. The DHA claim gives you a specific developmental reason to choose this bag during the early puppy months, and the turkey-and-lamb recipe offers an alternative to chicken.
- Beta Puppy Chicken Dry Dog Food 14kg: Beta Puppy Chicken Dry Dog Food 14kg is a complete food with DHA to aid brain and vision development. If your puppy does well on chicken, this gives you the same DHA benefit as the turkey-and-lamb version without changing protein.
Who should choose which
Best for
- Owners of small-breed puppies who want a smaller 12kg bag and a familiar chicken-and-rice recipe (Pedigree Complete Puppy).
- Owners who want a lamb-based option and a 15kg bag that covers puppy through junior (Skinners Field & Trial Puppy & Junior).
- Owners who want a DHA-enriched complete puppy food and prefer turkey and lamb over chicken (Beta Puppy Turkey & Lamb).
- Owners who want a DHA-enriched chicken recipe in a 14kg bag (Beta Puppy Chicken).
Not for
- Large-breed or giant-breed puppies whose vet has recommended a size-specific formula; none of these four is marketed as large-breed food.
- Puppies with a diagnosed allergy to chicken, turkey or lamb; check the ingredient list with your vet before choosing.
- Owners who need a specific bag size or option type not listed on the product page; the catalog does not show available option types for these products.
