Picking dry dog foods....

Elizabeth I don't know enough about Merrick to make a judgement but you might want to look into Fromm pet foods.I am feeding the gold formula to my Aussies but they have a four star line that includes some grain free formulas.They are a Wisconsin company that has a good reputation.It doesn't bother me if a company has a recall so much as why it's recalled and how the company handles the whole situation.

                                                 Tena

 The best advice I can give you is to 'listen to your dog.'  Is he happy? clean, non-smelly ears? not licking his feet? Not rubbing face or scratching? Coat shiny?

Of the brands you listed, I would try either the Innova or the TOTW and see how your dog does.  I did not have good luck with TOTW at all, major goopy ear infection on all my girls, Darby (my super sensitive bichon) started to tear herself to bits after 2 weeks on it.

I also think homecooking is good!  I use the recipe from Monica Segal's Enhancing Commercial Diets.  Basically, for every 3.5 oz meat, you add in 250mg calcium.  And can add in a bit of ground veggies as well.    

Believe me, I have tried everything from full raw diet, raw diet premixes, homecooking (several different recipes) canned, kibble, and combinations.  To tell you the truth, I've noticed VERY little differences in my dogs' overall condition.  Keep in mind the brands of canned/kibble were all the super premium brands... Natura brands, PetGuard, Fromm, Now, Acana, etc.  

I just recently found California Natural Chicken grain free dry food and it's an absolute miracle for Darby. FIrst food she's ever been completely clear of skin yeast infections over the last 10 years.

So again, it's about listening to your dog.

Hope this helps!