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Burns Dog Food: Working Active, Working Alert or Large & Giant Breed?
Burns has announced that The Telegraph named the brand Best Buy dog food in its 2026 guide. If that has put Burns on your shortlist, the next step is choosing the recipe that matches your dog’s needs. Working Active, Working Alert and Original Large & Giant Breed are designed for different dogs.
Compare the Burns recipes
| Recipe | Intended use | Protein / fat | Bag sizes here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working Active Chicken & Rice | Adult working dogs with higher energy requirements | 26% / 20% | 12kg |
| Working Alert Chicken & Brown Rice | Adult and senior assistance and working dogs with lower energy demands | 20% / 8% | 6kg and 12kg |
| Working Alert Lamb & Brown Rice | An alternative Alert recipe based on lamb and brown rice | 20% / 8% | 12kg |
| Original Large & Giant Breed Chicken & Brown Rice | Adult and senior large and giant breeds; larger kibble | 23% / 11% | 12kg |
Figures are the manufacturer’s published analytical values. Check the current bag when feeding, particularly if a particular ingredient matters to your dog.
Working Active and Working Alert serve different jobs
Working Active is the more energy-dense option in this comparison. Its higher fat level is intended to help fuel demanding work. Being lively on a walk does not automatically mean a dog needs a working diet: consider the whole day’s activity, body condition and current ration.
Working Alert is the assistance-dog range, also described as Alert Assistance on listings and packaging. Burns includes green tea and blueberry extracts to support cognitive function. Compare the chicken and lamb compositions carefully; the lamb recipe also contains chicken oil and salmon oil.
What changes for a large or giant breed?
The Original Large & Giant Breed recipe has a larger kibble and a different nutritional profile from Working Active. Choose it for its intended life stage and breed size, rather than assuming that a bigger dog necessarily needs the richest food.
Check the name and the bag
Burns is introducing new branding. Working Active may also appear as Active Working, while Working Alert may be described as Alert Assistance. Compare the full recipe name, bag weight and ingredients when replacing a familiar bag.
Before changing food
Use the pack’s feeding guide as a starting point, weigh portions and include treats in the daily total. Introduce changes gradually and monitor appetite, stools and body condition. Seek individual advice if your dog has a health condition, needs a veterinary diet or has persistent digestive problems.
The Telegraph recognition is brand news, rather than a claim that every recipe in this table won the same category. Our product pages describe the individual foods so you can compare the bag you will actually receive.
Sources: Burns Working Active, Burns Alert Assistance Lamb and Burns Large & Giant Breed. Award news: Burns Pet Nutrition’s November 2026 announcement.