The Idea
This can come from a number of sources. It may be a new manufacturing technique found in the laboratory, a market research department concept or a nutritional improvement. This idea will be tested with consumers to see if customers like the idea and/or would buy the food if it were made.

Product Prototype
From these sessions the most promising ideas are selected for further development. Product prototypes are then produced either by machine or by hand if equipment does not exist for the new type of product. Initially, these can vary in regard to ingredients, nutritional content, color, texture, shape and other physical characteristics.

Feeding Tests
After the prototype selection, a series of studies begins. The number and type of studies conducted depends upon the product being developed and the claims it will carry. For example, claims of "complete and balanced nutrition for maintenance of the adult dog" does not require the reproduction and growth tests needed for claims of "complete and balanced nutrition for all life stages."

• Palatability: Palatability studies determine which food is most acceptable to the dog or cat. This is critical because an animal must eat the product in order to obtain the necessary nutrition. Palatability of the food is influenced by the formula, ingredient quality and the mouth feel (including the size, texture and shape) of the food.
• Digestion Studies: Digestion testing addresses two important factors in the nutritional value of a food: the amount of nutrients in the product and the availability of those nutrients for the animal's use. The nutrient level together with the digestibility determine the actual amount of the nutrient the dog or cat puts to use. As an example, a dog food that contains 21 percent protein with 85 percent digestibility would provide nearly the same amount of protein to the animal as a diet containing 23 percent protein with a 77.6 percent digestibility.
• Nutritional Studies: Various tests determine the calorie content of the food as well as the "Guaranteed Analysis," a declaration of the measurement of the amount of certain important vitamins, minerals, protein, fat, fiber and other nutrients the food contains.
• Reproduction Studies: The purpose of reproduction or breeding studies is to determine if the food has the correct amount and balance of nutrients dogs/cats need during the nutritionally demanding periods of gestation and lactation.
• Growth Tests: Puppies are growing rapidly during their first year of life. This growth requires adequate nutrients and energy to occur normally. The purpose of a growth test, therefore, is to determine whether the food will support the normal growth of puppies after weaning. If the results from both the reproduction and growth studies are positive, the food can be labeled "complete and balanced nutrition for all life stages."
• Maintenance Tests: A maintenance study determines if the food will maintain normal health and body condition in adult dogs. Adult dogs with normal activity do not require as high a level, per pound of body weight, of protein, energy, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients as does a growing puppy or pregnant or lactating bitch. Consequently, if a diet is designed solely for maintenance, the nutrient levels can be lower than in food labeled for all life stages.

Product Development
During the time the animal tests are being conducted, many other activities necessary for product development occurs. New equipment for products and packaging, if needed, are being designed and developed, at least on a pilot scale. Package size, design, and copy, as well as product name, are being developed.

Only after all of this will a new dog food reach the market. And that’s the real test of whether a food meets the needs of dogs and their owners.