There isn't one single dog food that is the overall "best" on the market for all dogs. For example, some dogs do best on grain-free diets, for others, grain-free is too rich and they need a little lower protein diet. What you want to find out is what high-quality dog food is the best food for your dog.
On choosing a dog food :
Read the ingredients on the food you buy. Go with a high quality dog food. (Or in your case, the puppy-food counterpart of the brand you choose.) A grain should not be in the first couple ingredients ingredient (corn and such are mainly fillers, dogs don't digest it well). Avoid foods that have a lot of "by products" listed.
Here is an article about byproducts:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=ingrd
And an article on what ingredients to avoid:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients
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Some GOOD foods are :
* Merrick - http://www.merrickpetcare.com/
* Solid Gold - http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/
* Canidae - http://www.canidae.com/
* Timberwolf - http://timberwolforganics.com/
* Orijen - http://www.championpetfoods.com/orijen/orijen/
* Wellness - http://www.omhpet.com/wellness/
* Chicken Soup brand - http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/
* Innova - http://www.naturapet.com/brands/innova.asp
* Innova EVO - http://www.naturapet.com/brands/evo.asp
Or check this website for good foods: http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/
(I recommend only feeding foods rated 4, 5, or 6 stars. Anything 3 stars or less, I would stay away from.)
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Stay away from grocery stores brands. They are low-quality foods chalk full of fillers, preservatives, dyes, etc.. (Grocery store foods are those like Beneful, Old Roy, Alpo, Pedigree, Purina, etc.)
Beware "premium" foods. "Premium" does not mean good nutritionally, and is not a nutritionally high quality food. It has the same types of ingredients as grocery store foods, just a bit better quality of those not-so-good ingredients. (Premium foods are those like Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, etc..)
Another thing to be wary of: A lot of vets will recommend what they sell in their office. They get profit from the brands they keep on their shelves, that's why they push it. Truth is, vet schools don't focus a lot on nutrition. It's not saying that a vet is a bad vet because he recommends those foods, a lot of vets just are told "this is good food", so they pass the message along without proper nutrition knowledge. Also, some dog food brands (like Hills) support vet schools, so vets have heard of it from the time they start college, which makes them think it's good as well.
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It may seem like the initial cost of the better food is more expensive, but it really isn't in the long run. Right now, you're feeding your dog fillers. Your dog eats more to try to get the nutrition it needs, and most of the food just passes right on through. By feeding better food, your dog will eat less (and poop less, so less cleanup for you!). Also, it will make your animals healthier, so you save money on vet bills in the long run.
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When switching foods, do it gradually. I do this over about a two week timespan:
25% food A, 75% food B
50% food A, 50% food B
75% food A, 25% food B
100% food A
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