My 2 Cents
I feed my crew Merrick's kibble, and we add pumpkin, carrots, and steamed veggies (frozen) to the kibble. They do well on it, and they eat voraciously.
If your dog is a bit pudgy, it may simply be the quantity of food you're feeding (whatever brand). Do not feed the quantity suggested on the food bag label. They are always excessive (the more food you feed, the more food you buy!). Base your food amount on the size of your dog and how active it is. For example, Cedar is about 12-13 pounds and fairly active during the spring and fall (not so much in the summer and winter). So she gets about half a cup a day plus the veg and pumpkin and treats. (don't forget to consider how treats add to the calorie intake!) Willow, who is NEVER active (she's a total couch potato), and about 10-11 pounds, gets 1/3 C plus the veg and treats. Both are at good weights for their frames. More active dogs--like Holly, who weighs about the same as Willow--gets fed a bit more.
As far as the quality of pedigree goes, I agree that there are foods available that are better. Not that I'm a food snob--my girls eat much better food than I feed myself and they eat much more reasonable quantities than I do, too! Here's a story to illustrate why I pay the extra money (and whether it is more money or not, i can't say for sure; it just feels more expensive):
A friend of mine had a golden retriever. She was a BYB or miller bred dog that my friend rehomed. Anyway, their dog is 5 or 6 now, and she has hip dysplasia and severe skin allergies. They were feeding her Beneful, a grocery store kibble. Their vet was giving them heck b/c they didn't want to spend the money on the allergy tests--they felt for sure it was environmental and seasonal. So I suggested that they switch foods to something without so many grains. They thought I was being a snob, though they were nice enough not to say so to my face.
After quite a while of dealing with their dog's poor health, they talked to an owner of a pet store who introduced them to a more natural food that is supposed to be good for allergies. After just a few weeks, Missy started to scratch less, her hair is growing back, and her activity level increased dramatically. She FELT better. It wasnt until later that they learned the food they switched to is the same brand and variety I feed my dogs!
People can get very emotional about food as it is so central to our roll of care taker and provider. So I dont mean to suggest that you're a bad doggie parent for using pedigree. I just point out that there are good reasons for using other foods besides the assumed snobbery that goes with it. I'm not a food snob--I'm a Wendy's drivethru regular--but if there's even a chance that a different brand will help my dogs live longer and feel better, I want to take that chance.
