# How Do They Know What Dog Food Tastes Like? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 25, 2021, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-know-what-dog-food-tastes-like/949471 "2021-08-25T05:34:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-know-what-dog-food-tastes-like/949471/1 "2021-08-25T05:34:25Z")
We don’t have a dog but do frequently look after a neighbor’s beagle-Jack Russell terrier mix. She’s a sweet little dog, 13-1/2 years old. Her owner gives us the food to feed her, and the flavors vary. Chicken, bacon, beef, steak etc. But it sure does not smell like chicken, bacon, beef, steak etc. How do the makers of dog food know this is what the dog tastes? I can tell you that when given a choice between, say chicken-flavored dog food and real chicken, she will opt for the real stuff every time. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-know-what-dog-food-tastes-like/949471/2 "2021-08-25T05:50:13Z")
They don’t need to know. They could put chicken stock or chicken bits in it and then confidently say it was “chicken flavoured”, and maybe they do, but at the end day the dogs will eat pretty much anything and all the owners care about is that it _says_ “chicken flavoured”. They’re not about to taste it to find out. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-know-what-dog-food-tastes-like/949471/3 "2021-08-25T06:04:32Z")
There are human tasters for pet food. Mary Roach discusses this in _Gulp._ ---
**Author:** ![tofor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tofor/32/13727_2.png) [@tofor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofor)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-know-what-dog-food-tastes-like/949471/4 "2021-08-25T10:55:05Z")
It needs to taste as advertised because some humans taste their pet’s food. It is often flavored with chemicals the way much human food is. It’s flavor science! ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-know-what-dog-food-tastes-like/949471/5 "2021-08-25T11:24:47Z")
> [@susan](#): > > There are human tasters for pet food. Mary Roach discusses this in _Gulp._ One can only ask, “Why?!” 🤢 ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-know-what-dog-food-tastes-like/949471/6 "2021-08-25T11:37:19Z")
My dog will eat the little tootsie rolls in the litter box if she gets to them - I’m pretty sure the taste of her food isn’t a consideration… But what do I know? ---
**Author:** ![Keith1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6de8d8/32.png) [@Keith1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keith1)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-know-what-dog-food-tastes-like/949471/7 "2021-08-25T12:12:45Z")
One of my dogs refused to eat peas. If anything he was given contained a single pea, that pea remained uneaten while the rest of the bowl was licked clean. Same for pills. Capsules are easy but not so much tablet pills. I generally disguise by wrapping it in lunch meat. But if the meat is too loose or otherwise comes unwrapped to the point that exposes the pill to the taste sensors, the pill gets spit out to the floor. The way most dogs inhale food you’d swear they taste nothing and care little about what they do taste. But they apparently do. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-know-what-dog-food-tastes-like/949471/8 "2021-08-25T12:37:15Z")
> [@tofor](#): > > It needs to taste as advertised because some humans taste their pet’s food. Guilty! Hey, the way they snarf down those Milk Bones, I thought I might be missing a good thing. I wasn’t. But they aren’t terrible either. When I was a kid, I tried my Peke’s Gaines Burgers, because they looked really cool. Once was enough. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-know-what-dog-food-tastes-like/949471/9 "2021-08-25T12:40:24Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > the way they snarf down those Milk Bones Our dogs will not touch a milk bone brand biscuit. They prefer the expensive ones. Makes it embarrassing at the bank drive through. As for pet foods, read the label! [[Album] imgur.com ![](https://i.imgur.com/6oYni3l.jpeg?fb "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/a/hfS38Fn) ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-know-what-dog-food-tastes-like/949471/10 "2021-08-25T12:43:34Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > > [@susan](#): > > > > There are human tasters for pet food. Mary Roach discusses this in _Gulp._ > > One can only ask, “Why?!” 🤢 Maybe they pay little boys to dare each other. I know of one who tried cat food on a dare. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-know-what-dog-food-tastes-like/949471/11 "2021-08-25T12:53:43Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > As for pet foods, read the label! And to think I’m feeding my husband hot dogs. 😔 ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-know-what-dog-food-tastes-like/949471/12 "2021-08-25T13:29:50Z")
> [@Keith1](#): > > The way most dogs inhale food you’d swear they taste nothing and care little about what they do taste. But they apparently do. Our spaniel hesitates with new foods and treats and tentatively tastes before accepting them. This is contrary to the Labrador Creed - gulp now, ask questions later. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-know-what-dog-food-tastes-like/949471/13 "2021-08-25T13:35:08Z")
I was given a free sample 20 pound bag of [sardine & herring dog food.](https://www.chewy.com/lotus-oven-baked-grain-free-sardine/dp/110079) Our dogs loved it, but the smell was off putting. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-know-what-dog-food-tastes-like/949471/14 "2021-08-25T13:44:49Z")
Once, I tried a kibble of dry cat food, just to see what it tasted like. It was not good. At all. The thing is, once I decided to try it, I was amazed how hard it was to actually bring the little bitty nugget up into my mouth. I had to force myself, and it took a few tries just for the one taste. It’s amazing how strong food taboos are. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-know-what-dog-food-tastes-like/949471/15 "2021-08-25T13:48:44Z")
Kevin O’Leary, of Shark Tank game, says in his book his first post-MBA job was giving fanciful flavour names to cat food products all made from the same “putrid” meat and fish pastes. To get the job he had to eat the cat food in front of the executives while smiling and “licking his fingers for effect”. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-know-what-dog-food-tastes-like/949471/16 "2021-08-25T14:04:55Z")
Which is odd to me - it is a variety of food, after all. Just because it is created for dogs doesn’t _automatically_ make it poison for humans. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-know-what-dog-food-tastes-like/949471/17 "2021-08-25T14:07:48Z")
For cats, actually, and that’s the thing I had to tell myself over and over to be able to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-know-what-dog-food-tastes-like/949471/18 "2021-08-25T14:16:22Z")
> [@Keith1](#): > > Same for pills. Capsules are easy but not so much tablet pills. I generally disguise by wrapping it in lunch meat. I put the pill in my hand along with a half-dozen of those small training treats. My big goofy lab mix snarfs it all up. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-know-what-dog-food-tastes-like/949471/19 "2021-08-25T15:25:32Z")
IIRC from Roach, cats don’t care much about most flavors like turkey, but they go mad for taurine. Dog food doesn’t have enough taurine for cats’ health. If you’re wondering whether your cats will feast upon you when you are dead, taurine is found in large amounts in the brain, retina, heart, and blood. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-know-what-dog-food-tastes-like/949471/20 "2021-08-25T15:59:20Z")
My theory is that I would not feed anything to an animal that is plainly inedible (not talking about mere flavour profile preferences, or a hint of taurine or B vitamins). I tried a tiny morsel of the “good” cat food supposedly made from freeze-dried meat and it tasted like… a piece of chicken. Similar for the frozen dog food. Obviously there were no spices, salt, etc. On the other hand, a piece of cheap dry cat food indeed tasted like ass. And I saw someone feed a free sample of “beef”-flavoured “supplementary” food to a street cat and she was gobbling that stuff up, so there must have been salt or taurine or whatever in there because there was only 4% beef; same principle as human junk food. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-know-what-dog-food-tastes-like/949471.md?page=2)