I wouldn't be too hard on your dad - there are a LOT of people who have no clue what's good and what's not when it comes to dog food - and the marketing folks at the worst companies are VERY creative in getting us to buy their brands! Anyway, the best place I've found to learn the basics about dog food is dogfoodproject.com. There's a "short guide to choosing better products" that might help in convincing your dad to buy better food - and help him choose what kind! Personally, I buy California Natural or Taste of the Wild. Neither is cheap, but they're not too terribly expensive either, especially if you buy a large bag. Wellness is great food but too expensive for what you get. The grain-free high protein foods are great, but not necessarily needed for all dogs, especially if the dogs are sedate and have no problems with allergies.
If someone can't get behind a good food or can't afford it, if there's a Costco nearby, their Kirkland brands are decent and inexpensive. To me, Beneful is the absolute bottom of the bunch. Oh, and the poorer quality the food is, the more poop there is, so that's another small plus for buying good food! It's funny, I'm a petsitter, and I can almost guess whether the dogs I take care of are eating good or bad food by the size of their poop! Oh well, back to the question of what's good kibble: I say something with 25-30% "named" protein sources, low or no grain, no fillers, plus for one of my dogs, no yeast, grain or probiotics (lactobacillus, etc.) because of allergies.