About Royal Canin Dog Food

Royal Canin dog food is a brand of pet food which covers a wide range of varieties for dog owners. The brand is more well-known in Europe than in the United States due to being sold in Europe for almost 50 years before coming to America. Because of the focus of the company you won't find the brand along side Alpo or Purina in stores. Still, Royal Canin is a favorite brand for many dog owners.

  1. Identification

    • Royal Canin is a brand of dog food sold globally. The company focus is on the nutritional needs of specific breeds of dogs with a various mix of dog food available. This dog food is one of many products produced by the Royal Canin company and is considered a specialty pet product because of its cost, availability and marketing. Ongoing research since the beginning of the company has been on nutritional value rather than ingredients, which has helped the brand adapt to meet the needs of a range of dog breeds. The Royal Canin brand has become well-known among veterinarian and breeding practices worldwide because of this approach.

    History

    • In 1966 a veterinarian, Dr. Jean Cathary, creates his own dog food in response to what he sees as a nutritional deficiency in his patients. By 1968 he starts Royal Canin to market the dog food, and incorporates the company in 1970. The brand is acquired, with the parent company, by Guyomarc'h in 1972 which allows the brand to expand into international markets. The brand is joined by other dog food products, Cynotechnical and AGR in 1980 and RCCI and RCFI in 1990. By 2000 Royal Canin dog food is introduced into the U.S. Marketplace.

    Geography

    • Most of the Royal Canin dog food market is outside of France where the company is based with international sales making up 70 percent of the income. The brand is sold in 90 countries and is produced in France, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, Russia and the United States as of 2009. The brand is a leader in European markets and with breeders.

    Research

    • The Royal Canin dog food brand is tested for nutritional value and quality by a focus group made up entirely of dogs from many breeds. The research includes "blind" tests where the dogs are given two samples to choose from. There are three research centers based in France, Brazil and the UK.

    Types

    • Royal Canin sells over 40 types of dry dog food. This brand is developed for a range of ages, weight, size, breed and other factors. Each of the varieties available is set to certain nutritional needs and focuses on an anti-anthropomorphic approach meaning a focus more on animal tastes than human tastes.