Hi,
Our dogs used to be on a dog food that receives mediocre reviews, but they did really well on it. After some research, I decided to put them on food with much better ratings, but my collie just isn’t doing well on them. A couple of high quality foods gave her terrible digestive problems and, whilst that aspect is sorted now, she has started developing skin problems, which she never had in the past. I don’t know if it’s related to the food, but it seems odd.
Is it possible that some dogs do better on food that is apparently not as superior as some??
Thanks for any thoughts! 
All dogs are different and there is a lot to be said for keeping on the food that they are doing well on. By ‘well’ I mean that the dog has energy, coat and skin clear, good appetite and firm stools which should be easy to pick up, leaving very little residue. They shouldn’t be malodorous in body or mouth. I’ve heard reports of better quality food not suiting some dogs. While the ratings are a useful tool it is not the be all and end all.
Over the years I’ve tried my dogs on various products and only had problems with two of them, both high in carbohydrates. However, conversely, I’ve also had problems with better quality food. Now I give them something in the middle and all is OK. It’s just not possible to say that one size fits all. Experienced and observant owners know what suits their dog.
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it is also possible that an intolerance to an ingredient, for example chicken, may not be obvious on a poorer quality food that has only 4% chicken, then switch to a food with even 40% chicken, that issue will be more obvious.
there is also a period if transition that can take some time to resolve for some dogs where the skin appears to get worse as the body adjusts internally to the transition and then improves again, sometimes to an even better level,.
these things can make it difficult to see the improvement (or not) in the early stages
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I agree with Dottie, as long as the dog looks and smells healthy, they are probably doing okay.
Dogs may all respond differently to various ingredients in foods. I know one reported issue with the higher protein foods, which are often deemed better, is an upset stomach in some dogs. They may be unused to richer foods. Sometimes this may settle and sometimes not. It is all trial and error.
Thank you for your thoughts, very useful!