Have you ever wondered, "what's the best dog food for my dog?" While there are a lot of dog food options out there, the best diet for your dog really depends on your dog's individual nutritional needs.

That's why we created the Basic Nutrition Channel for you here on Dogly. Dog food nutrition is hard to figure out on your own. To make it easier, we brought together Dogly Nutrition Advocates, all who are canine nutritionists, to help you learn about your dog's individual nutritional needs and how to choose the best dog food for your dog through 15 easy-to-understand and actionable step-by-step guides.

In these 15 guides from canine nutritionists, you'll learn how to ensure your dog is getting all of his/her nutritional requirements through his/her dog food, whether that's dry dog food, wet food, a raw diet, or you're making your own dog food at home.

Here's an overview of the 15 step-by-step guides from canine nutritionists in the Basic Nutrition Channel here on Dogly.

• Guide 1: Why Vitamin A Matters for Your Dog's Health & Where to Find It in Foods
• Guide 2: Why Vitamin D Matters for Your Dog's Health & Where to Find It in Foods
• Guide 3: Why Vitamin E Matters for Your Dog's Health & Where to Find It in Foods
• Guide 4: Why Vitamin K Matters for Your Dog's Health & Where to Find It in Foods
• Guide 5: Why the B Vitamins Matter for Your Dog's Health & Where to Find It in Foods
• Guide 6: Why Vitamin B1 Matters for Your Dog & Where to Find It in Foods
• Guide 7: Why Vitamin B2 Matters for Your Dog & Where to Find It in Foods
• Guide 8: Why Vitamin B3 Matters for Your Dog & Where to Find It in Foods
• Guide 9: Why Vitamin B5 Matters for Your Dog & Where to Find It in Foods
• Guide 10: Why Vitamin B6 Matters for Your Dog & Where to Find It in Foods
• Guide 11: The Nutrient Requirements that Could be Missing in Your Dog's Diet
• Guide 12: Why Dogs Need Protein and How to Feed it
• Guide 13: Why (some) Dogs Need (some) Carbohydrates in their Food
• Guide 14: The Important Vitamins and Minerals to Look for in Dog Food
• Guide 15: Why Dogs Need Fats and Fatty Acids

Check out each guide directly above or you can see all of the guides in the Basic Nutrition Channel here on Dogly as well as activities to improve your dog's diet, and you can ask questions in the Community discussion.

Let's get into a short overview of each guide below...

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Basic Nutrition Guide 1: Why Vitamin A Matters for Your Dog's Health & Where to Find It in Foods

We often think of vitamin A for keeping skin healthy, but it also plays an important role in your dog's strong eyesight and immune system... and more. In the first of 10 guides in this series on key vitamins, certified canine nutritionist and Dogly Advocate Savannah Welna explains what you need to know about vitamin A and how you can be sure to include it in your dog's food.

You'll learn how vitamin A works to benefit our dogs' healthy bodies, how much your pup needs, and where to find it in plant foods as well as in meat and fish. For everything you need to know about vitamin A to keep your dog healthy plus easy ways to make it part of your dog's bowl, get started with the full guide here.

Basic Nutrition Guide 2: Why Vitamin D Matters for Your Dog's Health & Where to Find It in Foods

Most dog parents have a lot of questions about vitamin D since it's an often talked-about vitamin for both humans and dogs. Are we giving our dogs enough of it? How much is the right amount? Can dogs get "the sunshine vitamin" from sunlight or does it all have to come in foods? And what kind of foods?

In this guide, you'll get all those answers - plus how vitamin D works and what it does in our dogs' bodies, why it's so vital to our dogs' health, and where you'll find the most absorbable vitamin D in foods. Jump into the full guide here for what you need to know about vitamin D to help your dog stay healthy.

Basic Nutrition Guide 3: Why Vitamin E Matters for Your Dog's Health & Where to Find It in Foods

Vitamin E is a crucial antioxidant working throughout your dog's body to keep your pup well. Savannah explains what that actually means (even though we all tend to toss around "antioxidant" frequently even in talking about our own nutrition). Literally it is anti-oxidation, fighting against oxidative stress and the damaging effects of oxidation on nutrients and cells. As an antioxidant, vitamin E neutralizes free radicals in your dog's body that contribute to aging and disease.

You'll learn what you need to know about vitamin E for your individual dog, where to find it in foods, and how to enhance your dog's food for vitamin E if you're feeding kibble, raw food, or wet food. Get started here with the full guide on vitamin E from a canine nutritionist perspective.

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Basic Nutrition Guide 4: Why Vitamin K Matters for Your Dog's Health & Where to Find It in Foods

Vitamin K is usually thought of as supporting proper blood clotting to prevent excessive bleeding in the case of a wound or injury - if it's thought of at all. Did you know that 17 proteins are dependent on vitamin K for their viability to do their jobs in our dogs' bodies? And we all know how absolutely central a solid protein base is for our dogs from puppies to seniors.

You'll learn how vitamin K supports your dog's bones, teeth, joints, and how it interacts with other vitamins and nutrients to make them more effective. Savannah also shares her personal experience with vitamin K and dental health in her own dog (a great dog mom/pro tip for all of us who worry about our brushing-averse dog's teeth). Get started here for all about vitamin K, and of course, where to find it in foods from blueberries to fresh meats.

Basic Nutrition Guide 5: Why the B Vitamins Matter for Your Dog's Health & Where to Find Them in Foods

As a group, the B vitamins are a vital engine for metabolizing a range of nutrients and generating energy to fuel important body functions - and each B vitamin separately has its own unique role in supporting specific needs for your dog.

Get started here with the B group, why it matters for your dog, what makes it often deficient in diets, and how to be sure you're getting the right amounts of each in your dog's diet. Next, in the following five guides, Savannah focuses on specific B vitamins that bring uniquely important support to your dog's diet.

Basic Nutrition Guide 6: Why Vitamin B1 Matters for Your Dog & Where to Find It in Foods

B1 (Thiamine) like all the B vitamins is a water soluble vitamin and isn't stored in the body, so dogs need their required amounts daily. You'll learn why B1 matters - how it metabolizes energy and protects brain health and how you can make sure there's enough B1 in your dog's bowl (to avoid risking a deficiency contributing to disease such as diabetes). Savannah shares which foods are thiamine-rich and how to include them in your dog's diet either as part of recipes or in simple toppers for kibble or wet food.

You can get to know B1, what it does, and why it matters here in the full guide.

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Basic Nutrition Guide 7: Why Vitamin B2 Matters for Your Dog & Where to Find It in Foods

Vitamin B2/ riboflavin plays a key role in metabolizing carbs, fat, and protein with a specific focus on metabolizing fat. It's critically important for all dogs but especially overweight, high-exercise, and high-fat or high-carb diet dogs. Vitamin B is another vitamin that's often underdelivered in dog's diets, so Savannah shares where to find it in foods and how to make sure your dog is getting enough.

For the complete story on B2/riboflavin and your dog's nutrition, find the full guide here.

Basic Nutrition Guide 8: Why Vitamin B3 Matters for Your Dog & Where to Find It in Foods

Vitamin B3/ niacin like other B vitamins plays an important role in your dog's metabolism, turning food into energy to power key functions in the body. Niacin impacts everything from your dog's digestive system to cognitive function. Since it's water soluble (like all the B vitamins), B3 needs to be part of your dog's food every day.

Savannah shares how to do that, and in the right amounts, easily in the full guide here along with everything you need to know about B3 for your dog.

Basic Nutrition Guide 9: Why Vitamin B5 Matters for Your Dog & Where to Find It in Foods

The list of critical ways B5 impacts our dogs' health seems almost endless. Vitamin B5 is a key element for your dog to be able to metabolize all macronutrients, neurotransmitters, hormones, and hemoglobin.

Savannah explains how to know how much your dog needs, which foods are the best source for absorbable, accessible vitamin B5, and how to easily make it part of your dog's daily food. And you'll learn what studies are showing about how B5 helps with arthritis.

Get started here for everything you need to know about vitamin B5 for your dog.

Basic Nutrition Guide 10: Why Vitamin B6 Matters for Your Dog & Where to Find It in Foods

Among the family of B vitamins that all support the brain and a healthy nervous system, vitamin B6/pyridoxine uniquely focuses on regulating mood and preventing mental fatigue. (Did you know that B6 is necessary to produce the feel-good neurotransmitter Serotonin - in both dogs and humans?)

Vitamin B6 is also an anti-inflammatory throughout the body (think arthritis and joint health). These are just a few of the reasons B6 matters to our dogs' health and happiness that you'll learn about in this guide.

Savannah shares everything you need to know about vitamin B6 and how to include it in your pup's food in the full guide here.

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Basic Dog Nutrition Guide 11: The nutrient requirements that could be missing in your dog's diet

Dogs require six essential nutrients in their diet. If your dog's diet is missing even one of these essential nutrients, it can lead to potential health risks. That's why it's so important to feed your dog a complete and balanced diet that contains all of the nutrients he or she needs.

This guide in the Basic Nutrition Channel here on Dogly will teach you about all six of the essential nutrients dogs need and where to find them, including:

• The six essential nutrients dogs need
• Why essential nutrients in dog food matter
• 3 steps to help you match the right food for your dog with your dog's nutrient needs
• Tools you can use to calculate essential nutrients for your dog's diet
• How to understand what dog food labels tell you about nutrients

Visit the full guide here to make sure your dog's food contains all of the essential nutrients he or she needs. Or continue on to the next guide overview where you'll learn why dogs need a high-quality protein source in their diet and how to either find it or add it to your dog's meals.

Basic Nutrition Guide 12: Why dogs need protein and how to feed it

Protein is an essential nutrient for dogs. It's important for their muscles, organs, coat, and skin. Without enough protein in their diet, dogs can suffer from malnutrition, which can lead to a number of health problems.

The next guide in the Basic Nutrition Channel here on Dogly will teach you how much and which protein to feed your dog. You'll also learn about the different types of protein and how to find high-quality protein sources for your dog's diet.

In this step-by-step guide from canine nutritionist and Dogly Nutrition Advocate Alicia Boemi you'll learn:

• What proteins are in our dogs' bodies and a healthy pet's diet
• Why and which essential amino acids dogs need
• Which foods are a healthy source for these essential amino acids
• If protein and its nutritional benefits are more accessible in some dog foods vs others
• If you should be feeding more or less protein to a senior dog than an active adult dog
• Why protein is important for your dog
• If you can overfeed or underfeed protein
• Plant protein for dogs vs animal protein

Jump to the full guide here to learn everything you need to know about feeding your dog protein. Or continue on to the next guide overview where you'll learn about why some dogs need some carbohydrates in their dog food.

Basic Nutrition Guide 13:  Why (some) dogs need (some) carbohydrates in their food

Carbohydrates are a type of nutrient that can be found in many different dog foods. Some people believe that carbohydrates aren't necessary for dogs and that they should only be fed protein and fat. However, carbohydrates can actually be beneficial for some dogs, depending on their life stage and activity level.

This guide will teach you everything you need to know about feeding carbohydrates to your dog. You'll learn:

• Which carbohydrates are "good carbs" for your dog
• The key nutrients in "good carbs"
• Carbs that a canine nutritionist feeds her dog
• Benefits of some carbohydrates' fiber to your pet's health
• Which carbs you should avoid in your dog's food
• Which carbs are more readily digestible to help meet the nutritional requirement for balanced dog food for your dog

Go to this guide here to learn everything you need to know about feeding carbohydrates to your dog. Or continue on to the next guide overview where you'll learn about the different types of vitamins and minerals dogs need in pet food.

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Basic Nutrition Guide 14: The important vitamins and minerals to look for in dog food

There are many different vitamins and minerals dogs need in their diet. Some of these vitamins and minerals are essential, meaning they must be provided by your dog's diet because your dog's body can't make them on its own. These nutrients play many different roles in your dog's body, such as helping to build strong bones, teeth, and muscles; keeping the immune system functioning properly; and producing energy.

This guide will teach you about the different types of vitamins and minerals that are important for dogs and which foods are good sources of these nutrients. You'll learn:

• The required essential minerals in a dog's diet
• The required essential vitamins in a dog's diet
• How vitamins can support your dog's body
• How your dog's life stage impacts vitamin and mineral needs
• How to target missing vitamins and minerals in your dog's food

Check out this guide here to learn everything you need to know about the different vitamins and minerals dogs need in their diet. Or continue to the next and last guide overview in this channel where you'll learn more about fats and fatty acids in pet food.

Basic Nutrition Guide 15: Why dogs need fats and fatty acids

Fats and fatty acids are an important part of a dog's diet. Fats provide dogs with energy, help absorb fat-soluble vitamins, and play a role in maintaining healthy skin and coat. Fatty acids are a type of fat that are essential to dogs because they can't be produced by the body and must be provided by the diet.

This guide will teach you everything you need to know about feeding fats and fatty acids to your dog.

In this guide from canine nutritionist and Dogly Nutrition Advocate Alicia Boemi you'll learn:

• Why fat isn't bad and actually can be important for dogs
• Which fats & fatty acids are needed by your dog & where to find them
• Which fats & fatty acids to feed if you feed dry food or processed food
• Which fats & fatty acids to feed if you feed raw food, fresh food, or a cooked homemade diet
• How to balance the fats for your dog's health
• Foods & their omega-6 to omega-3 ratios

Go to the full guide here to learn everything you need to know about feeding fats and fatty acids to your dog. And that's it for the Basic Nutrition Channel here on Dogly! If you have any questions about nutrition for your dog, please ask in the Dogly Community discussion or continue on to more guides in other channels!

That's the Basic Nutrition Channel here on Dogly

If you've gone through each guide in the Basic Nutrition Channel, you should have a great understanding of how to feed your dog the best food for his/her individual nutritional requirements. Congrats! If you're just getting started, that's ok too! Start with understanding why vitamin A matters for your dog's health & where to find it in foods, continue on through all the other important vitamins and why and how to be sure they're in your dog's bowl, and then get into which nutrients could be missing in your dog's diet.

Basic Nutrition is just one of many channels here on Dogly. Be sure to check out the other channels like Dental Health in Wellness or Manners in Training to learn everything you need to know about your dog's nutrition, training, and overall wellness.

And, as always, you can speak with or work with any of the Advocates on Dogly if you ever need more personalized help. Don't go through stuff alone with your dog, we're here for you!