Feed is one of the largest running costs in any kennel. If you keep a pack of working dogs, gundogs, or a breeding line, the difference between one food and another adds up across a season. Here is how to keep that bill down while feeding for the work your dogs do.
Why working dog food is VAT free
HMRC zero-rates food that is formulated and sold for working dogs. Standard pet food carries VAT at 20 percent. Working dog food does not. A bag priced at £30 stays at £30, where the equivalent pet food would cost £36 once VAT is added.
Across a kennel, that 20 percent adds up. Feed ten dogs on two bags a week and the VAT you avoid over a year runs into hundreds of pounds. Every Alpha food is formulated and sold as working dog food, so you get vat free dog food rather than paying tax on a product sold for pets. HMRC sets the conditions for zero-rating, so check that it applies to your circumstances.
Projected Annual VAT Savings
Estimated savings from zero-rated working dog food versus the equivalent cost with 20% VAT. Based on Alpha Performance (£42 per 15 kg bag) in season and Working Maintenance (£29 per 15 kg bag) off season.
| Dogs | Performance bags | Maintenance bags | Total bags | Annual cost (zero-rated) | With 20% VAT | Annual saving |
| 5 | 25 | 25 | 50 | £1,775 | £2,130 | £355 |
| 10 | 50 | 50 | 100 | £3,550 | £4,260 | £710 |
| 15 | 75 | 75 | 150 | £5,325 | £6,390 | £1,065 |
Assumptions: average 25 kg working gundog. In season (5 months, approx. 153 days): 450 g/day Alpha Performance, rounding to 5 bags per dog per season. Off season (7 months, approx. 212 days): 350 g/day Working Maintenance, rounding to 5 bags per dog. The saving figure represents the 20% VAT not charged on zero-rated working dog food. Actual bag consumption will vary with breed weight and workload.
Affordable does not mean poor quality
Searching for cheap dog food usually turns up products with lower protein and more filler. A dog fed on a low-protein food tends to eat more to hold condition, so the cost per day can climb even when the bag looks cheap on the shelf. You can also see the difference in the dog: condition, coat, and how much it has left at the end of a long day.
Value for money is about cost per feed, not the lowest number on the bag. Alpha ranges carry protein and fat levels set for the work:
Performance runs at 30 percent protein and 16 percent fat, with poultry meal as the main ingredient at 35 percent. It is formulated for dogs working hard through the season.
Sporting Puppy sits at 29 percent protein and 17 percent fat. It contains salmon oil and fish meal, natural sources of DHA, to support normal brain and eye development in growing dogs.
Junior and Sporting holds 24 percent protein and 11 percent fat on a white rice base, a highly digestible recipe for younger and active dogs.
Grain Free Chicken and Sensitive Extra both give 25 percent protein and 12 percent fat. Sensitive Extra uses duck, as an alternative protein for dogs that react to the usual sources.
Working Maintenance Beef sits at 19 percent protein and 8 percent fat, priced for less active dogs and the off season when the workload drops.
Because these foods hold condition on a sensible daily amount, your cost per feed stays low even where the bag price is not the cheapest going.
Buying in bulk
If you feed more than a couple of dogs, buy in bulk. Larger bags bring the cost per kilo down and cut the number of deliveries you handle through the year. Order bulk dog food to a schedule that matches your feeding rate, keep it somewhere dry and off the floor, and rotate stock so the oldest bag opens first. That keeps the food in good order and stops waste eating into the saving.
Match the food to the dog
Paying the right price starts with feeding the right food. A dog on hard work needs the energy in Performance. A dog resting through summer does not, and Working Maintenance Beef or Chicken will hold it in condition for less. For dogs with dietary sensitivities, Sensitive Extra uses duck, and Sensitive Chicken and Rice keeps the recipe simple. Feed each dog for the work in front of it and you avoid paying for energy it does not use.
Get these three things right, VAT free pricing, the correct food for the workload, and bulk ordering, and you bring your feed bill down while keeping your dogs fit for work.
