When you get a new dog, one of the first decisions that you'll need to make is what type of dog food to feed your latest family member. It's important to do some online research about this topic, as well as to talk to your veterinarian and a knowledgeable employee of your local pet store. While some dog owners strongly advocate for wet dog food, there's a lot of value in providing your dog with dry food. Any pet store has an extensive selection of dry food, including varieties that are specifically tailored to puppies, older dogs, and everything in between. Here are three positive things about choosing dry dog food.

It's Convenient To Store

A big benefit of dry pet food is that it doesn't need to be refrigerated. This means that you can store it anywhere in your home without it taking up prime space in your fridge. One option is to store one or more large bags in your basement or garage, but keep a mid-sized tub in your kitchen. You'll fill the tub from the bags, and this means that you won't have the hassle of opening the big bag each time that you feed your pet. While it's true that wet, canned dog food doesn't have to be refrigerated, this is only true when the can isn't open. After opening the can, you need to keep it in your fridge — where its strong smell can be off-putting.

It's Quick To Serve

If you have children, it's ideal if you can get them involved in various tasks related to the care of your dog — including helping to feed the pet. Dry dog food is handy because it's quick and easy to serve. For example, you might keep a measuring cup in the tub of dog food and scoop out one full cup of food into the dog's dish. You and your children can perform this task within seconds. Feeding a dog wet dog food is a little more involved, as it includes opening the can, measuring the food, and the washing off the spoon that you use to serve the food.

It's Widely Enjoyed

Most dogs quickly gravitate toward dry dog food, which means that you won't likely have to face the issue of your dog not wanting to eat when you fill its dish. A lot of dogs have significant appetites, which means that as soon as you fill the dish with the dry dog food, the dog will clean out the dish — often in just a handful of seconds.