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The short answer: Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy wins B/78 to Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain Puppy’s B/76 — a 2-point gap under the KibbleIQ Dry Kibble Rubric. Both are produced at Diamond Pet Foods’ manufacturing facilities, so the underlying quality-control infrastructure is the same, and both are AAFCO-substantiated for growth and reproduction (including large-size growth). The two differ on ingredient architecture and price: Kirkland leads with chicken plus chicken meal (two animal-protein positions in the top two slots); TOTW leads with water buffalo and lamb meal for novel-protein variety. Kirkland costs roughly half as much per pound but requires a Costco membership.

The scores

Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain Puppy Chicken & Pea: B/76 — Good. Chicken and chicken meal lead, grain-free with legumes, chicken fat preserved with mixed tocopherols, probiotics, salmon oil for DHA. Diamond-manufactured, Costco-exclusive. AAFCO-substantiated for growth and reproduction including large-size growth (≥70 lb adult weight) — relevant for large-breed puppy buyers.

Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy Grain-Free with Roasted Bison & Venison: B/78 — Good. Water buffalo first, lamb meal second, with roasted bison and roasted venison further down for novel-protein variety. Same Diamond probiotic blend. Also AAFCO-substantiated for growth and reproduction.

How the ingredients compare

The top five ingredients:

Kirkland Signature Puppy: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Pea, Garbanzo Bean, Lentil

Taste of the Wild Puppy: Water Buffalo, Lamb Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Egg Product, Garbanzo Beans

Kirkland commits positions one and two to chicken in two forms — whole and meal — then hits legumes. TOTW leads with water buffalo (whole, water-in, so by dry weight less protein than the meal form), then lamb meal at position two, then a sweet potato carbohydrate. By dry weight, Kirkland carries more animal protein in the first two positions.

TOTW’s differentiator sits in the middle of the list: roasted bison, roasted venison, and beef arrive at positions ten, eleven, and twelve. These novel proteins are rarely seen in mainstream puppy foods and add amino-acid variety that Kirkland doesn’t match. For owners who specifically want their puppy eating a non-chicken, non-beef protein source for rotational feeding or sensitivities, TOTW Puppy offers something Kirkland doesn’t.

Both formulas carry the Diamond probiotic blend (Lactobacillus plantarum, Bacillus subtilis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Enterococcus faecium, Bifidobacterium animalis fermentation products). Both use chelated mineral proteinates for better bioavailability than standard sulfates alone. Both avoid grains, both avoid artificial colors, both use mixed tocopherols for preservation. The Diamond-manufacturing DNA shows through on both.

Where Kirkland Signature Puppy holds its own

Chicken plus chicken meal in positions one and two. Two animal-protein ingredients in the top two slots is a premium puppy-food architecture. Kirkland hitting it at the Costco price point is the real value story here. Whole chicken brings water-in muscle meat, chicken meal brings dry-weight protein concentration — they complement each other.

Roughly half the per-pound price. Kirkland Signature Puppy runs about $1.25 per pound at Costco on a 20-lb bag. TOTW High Prairie Puppy runs about $2.30 per pound at Chewy on a 14-lb bag. For owners with a Costco membership and a puppy-sized appetite, Kirkland saves meaningful money over a puppyhood of bag after bag.

Chicken & pea primary formula works for more dogs. Chicken is the most common non-allergen protein for puppies. TOTW’s water-buffalo-lamb-bison-venison mix is novel but unnecessary for puppies without known protein sensitivities. Kirkland’s straightforward chicken-first profile matches the typical first-puppy owner’s needs. Shop on Amazon →

Where Taste of the Wild Puppy pulls ahead

Novel-protein variety. Four distinct proteins — water buffalo, lamb meal, roasted bison, roasted venison — plus beef and fish meal at positions twelve and fifteen. That’s the broadest amino-acid profile in the mainstream puppy food market. For puppies with chicken sensitivities or owners committed to rotational feeding philosophies, TOTW is a purposeful choice.

Retail ubiquity. TOTW Puppy is available at PetSmart, Petco, Chewy, Amazon, and most independent pet stores. Kirkland requires a Costco membership and is not sold online through Amazon or most standard retailers. For owners who don’t want to commit to a Costco membership, TOTW is the accessible alternative.

Brand equity as a grain-free pioneer. TOTW was one of the first mainstream brands to commit to grain-free across an entire lineup. Two decades of formulation refinement show in the ingredient list. The brand is a known quantity for owners who research before they buy; Kirkland’s Nature’s Domain line is newer and less recognized outside Costco. Shop on Amazon →

The bottom line

TOTW High Prairie Puppy wins B/78 to Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain Puppy’s B/76 under the KibbleIQ Dry Kibble Rubric — a 2-point gap. Both are Diamond Pet Foods–manufactured and AAFCO-substantiated for growth and reproduction, including large-size growth substantiation. If you have a Costco membership, Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain Puppy is the price-per-quality leader at roughly $1.25/lb. If you don’t shop Costco, or you specifically want novel-protein variety (water buffalo, bison, venison) for a puppy with chicken sensitivity, Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy at B/78 is the right pick. See our best puppy food guide for A-tier alternatives.

Corrected 2026-10-19: we removed study and guideline citations we could not verify; we corrected grades and score comparisons that did not match our current scores.