The Best Dog Food for Australian Shepherds: 9 Reviews and Buyers Guide

Fondly nicknamed ‘the Aussie’ the popular Australian Shepherd dog is a particular medium-sized dog breed renowned for both its exceptional herding ability and unmatched intelligence.

The adorable herder dogs are among the most outstandingly beautiful and popular dogs around!

Besides their popularity as herder dogs, the Aussies are highly versatile, primarily due to their readiness to please and trainability.

But due to their hearty appetite and energetic lifestyle, Australian Shepherd dogs need to get high-quality, and nutrient-rich foods to not only satisfy their appetite, but also help sustain their energy levels and keep them healthy.

Nonetheless, determining the best dog food for Australian Shepherds is no easy endeavor, but fortunately, you’ll have.

Below, we have compiled a detailed list of the best foods for Australian Shepherds, to help you make an informed choice on the ideal formula both for your Aussie and your pocket.

Better yet, we have also included a detailed Buyers Guide & FAQ for more information.

Ready? Let’s get started.

The Best Dog Food for Australian Shepherds Are…

Product	Details
1. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula	Top Pick	Suitable for all breed sizes (Small, Medium, Large) Dry Food No wheat, corn, or soy	Check Current Price
2. Taste of the Wild Grain-Free Dog Food		High protein formula Dry Food Grain-Free and Gluten-Free	Check Current Price
3. Earthborn Holistic Grain-Free Dry Dog Food		Dry food For all breeds Grain-free, gluten-free, high-protein	Check Current Price
4. Canidae Premium Dry Dog Food		For all breeds For all life stages Dry Food No corn, wheat, or soy	Check Current Price
5. American Journey Grain-Free Dog Food		Dry food For all breed sizes (small, medium, large) Grain-free, gluten-free No corn, wheat, or soy	Check Current Price
6. Royal Canin Medium Puppy Dry Dog Food		Features Taurine and L-carnitine Medium puppy formula Packed with essential minerals and vitamins	Check Current Price
7. Dr Tim's Pursuit Active Formula Food		86% animal protein Dry food For all breeds Pea-free	Check Current Price
8. Purina Pro Savor Plan Wet Dog Food		Wet food, pate For all breeds First three ingredients: liver, beef, water necessary for processing	Check Current Price
9. Go! Fit+ Free Senior Dog Food Recipe		Dry food Senior recipe 32% protein content	Check Current Price

1. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula — Best Food for Australian Shepherds

Naturally, besides their highly active ad energetic traits, Australian shepherds are also known for their remarkably massive appetite. So, you must feed them foods that not only support their enormous energy requirements, but also maintains a healthy weight.

Luckily, with this remarkable formula, you can help ensure this and much more. Made with top-grade whole grains, protein, supplements, fruits, and veggies, this dog food is among the best options for Aussies. This is because it is not only nutritious, but it is highly palatable, albeit being low in calories.

The primary ingredient and significant protein source in this formula is deboned chicken. Nonetheless, it is packed with a wide array of healthy ingredients, including sweet potatoes, apples, brown rice, spinach, carrots, and blueberries, among others.

This premium dog formula is well-enriched with minerals, vitamins, as well as beneficial supplements like L-Carnitine that promotes better fat burning in dogs.

What’s more, being low in calories, this formula is hugely beneficial for Australian Shepherds, especially since they are more likely to get obese. We also love that this product is free from soy, by-product meals, wheat, or any artificial preservatives and flavors.

Ratings – 4.9/ 5

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2. Taste of the Wild Grain-Free Dog Food — Best Value Dog Food for Australian Shepherds

A premium dog food, this formula comprises all the elements necessary for the proper growth of your pet including high-quality protein from various animal sources like fish, beef, lamb, buffalo, venison, and even bison.

What is perhaps the most significant feature of this product is that it is grain-free. Usually, many dogs are allergic to grain, which makes this food a remarkable option to help avoid grain allergies.

Better yet, this classic dog food features an incredible 32% protein content and high-quality carbohydrates sourced from sweet potato, yucca, in addition to numerous different vegetables and fruits like tomatoes, berries, and peas.

With this TOTW formula, you adequately feed your Aussie with appropriate minerals and vitamins, meaning you need not give them supplements anymore! You will also like that this dry dog food is free of artificial flavors and preservatives, making it significantly safe for your furry friend to ingest and digest.

We also liked that this Taste of the Wild formula offers your Australian Shepherd with a dose of probiotics and antioxidants which boost immunity and promote healthy digestion. All these factors combined, together with its reasonably affordable price, makes this dog food the best formula for great value for money.

Ratings – 4.8 / 5

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3. Earthborn Holistic Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

Does your Aussie have persistent skin/coat issues or a highly sensitive stomach? Well, while this is normal with Australian dogs, it mandates for a specially formulated diet to help cope with the issues.

Ideally, the best approach is eliminating coarse grains from your pet’s diet and feeding her with foods containing wholesome ingredients.

If you want a quality dog food that is free of coarse grains and packed with wholesome ingredients, then you need to go for the Earthborn Holistic formula.

It is a high-protein and grain-free dog formula that boasts adequate amounts of minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins that help boost the well-being of your canine pet. This is a remarkable option for Aussies, particularly those struggling with persistent digestive problems.

This formula also includes salmon, herring, and even whitefish meals as the primary sources of protein. This renders it a rich-product in healthy fats which are beneficial for coat and skin health.

Also, it contains several veggies and fruits such as blueberries, peas, apples, spinach, carrots, and cranberries, among others. Similarly, it is enriched with vitamins, supplements, and minerals, such as L-Carnitine that helps to support the growth of lean muscle.

Ratings – 4.7/5

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4. Canidae Premium Dry Dog Food — Best for Aussies with Allergies

Ideally, this is a premium dog food that is designed for severely sensitive canines and contains simple recipes featuring simple, but healthy and essential ingredients featuring just eight vital whole foods and ingredients for mild digestion.

This Pure Sky, grain-free product features fresh duck as the primary source of protein, with sweet potatoes, turkey, chicken fat, peas, and alfalfa also part of the limited ingredient list. It also contains added supplements like vitamins, minerals, and a remarkable probiotics blend.

This fantastic high-protein dog food assists highly active Aussies to grow and sustain healthy muscle mass while stimulating healthy digestion. More importantly, this limited ingredient recipe is both nutritious and tasty, making it ideal for your pooch, whether or not he is grain-sensitive.

Ratings – 4.6/5

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5. American Journey Grain-Free Dog Food

Currently, while there are numerous dog food manufacturers worldwide, only a few rank match the American Journey, primarily when it comes to quality.

This brand is renowned for packing their products with multiple wholesome ingredients in addition to adequate healthy fats and proteins to offer active dog breeds the fuel necessary for them to thrive.

Most of the proteins in this grain-free sweet potato and lamb recipe come from turkey, lamb, and chicken, although some come from pea protein and Menhaden fish meal.

The salmon oil and chicken fat present provides texture, flavor, and essential fat for your dog’s optimal growth and thriving. Moreover, the blueberries, carrots, and sweet potatoes offer your canine friend the necessary complex carbs for maintaining high energy levels.

This formula is also packed with antioxidants that help in preventing oxidative stress (which majorly contributes to joint damage) as well as DHA that promotes proper vision and brain functions.

Also, it features chondroitin and glucosamine that supports healthy joints as well as kelp that helps your Australian Shepherd maintain a beautiful, healthy, and shiny coat/skin.

Ratings – 4.6/5

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6. Royal Canin Medium Puppy Dry Dog Food — Best Food for Australian Shepherd Puppy

As you would expect, Aussie Shepherd pups are adorable, and highly-active little creatures that eventually grow into the medium-sized Aussies we are accustomed to.

To grow to this size though, these pups require you to meet their rather demanding nutritional needs for optimal growth and development. So, if you have an Aussie dog or puppies, you need to feed them the appropriate foods to help them grow and develop to their full-scale sizes.

Usually, Australian puppies require nutrient-rich, healthy foods to support their remarkably high energy requirements and the Royal Canin Size Health Nutrition formula for medium breed puppies is arguably the best.

Boasting plenty of healthy fats and proteins packed into tiny kibble sizes, only a few if any dog foods beat this formula as the best dog food for your mini Aussie. 

This product features grains, chicken meat, chicken fat, and fish oil as the primary ingredients in the otherwise nutrient-packed dog formula. Essentially, this highly palatable Australian shepherd puppy food is sure to satisfy your little pup’s big appetite.

It is packed with a healthy blend of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals purposed to help promote a healthy immune system. Taurine and L-Carnitine are among the numerous supplements in this product, all components known to improve heart health and fat metabolism.

Ratings – 4.5/5

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7. Dr Tim’s Pursuit Active Formula Food

Purposely made to suit working and athletic dogs with highly lively lifestyles, Dr Tim’s premium formula is an all-natural dog food, and one of the best foods for Australian Shepherds around.

It is an exclusive blend of essential nutrients and protein designed to fuel every move of your furry friend to support his animated routine adequately.

This slow-cooked recipe features ample healthy proteins (87% of the protein sourced from animal sources: fish and chicken) that afford your Aussie dog with the most bioavailable and useful protein content.

Besides this, this product incorporates more than 500 calories/cup making it among the most energy-packed Aussie dog foods around. It is the most effective option if you are looking to maintain your dog’s energetic routine.

The Active Dr. Tim Pursuit Formula also boasts high healthy fat content to offer not only fantastic texture and flavor for your beloved canine friend, but also promote beautiful, healthy, and lustrous skin and coat.

Additionally, we love its unique probiotic blend that helps offer your dog with proper immune and gastrointestinal health and support,

Compared to the other foods on this list though, this formula is fairly more pricey, but remarkable worth the effort if you want your Australian dog to sustain his highly energetic personality continually.

Ratings – 4.5/5

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8. Purina Pro Savor Plan Wet Dog Food

Are you in the market for a highly palatable, healthy wet Aussie dog food at an affordable price? Search no more as the Pro Plan Purina wet formula is just that and so much more!

The Purina Pro Savor formula is a wet, canned dog formula for adult Aussies made with rice, beef, and chicken for a delicious, healthy diet.

This combined with the multiple added supplements render this adult canned dog food a nutritionally complete option, especially for the rather picky Australian Shepherd dogs who like wet foods, or prefer it mixed with their usual kibble.

Unlike other wet foods, the presence of real beef as the first ingredient means that this formula is reasonably high in protein. It comprises meat products like chicken, as well as rice and liver as part of the elements.

Additionally, this formula also packs various essential minerals and vitamins, including zinc, manganese, calcium, potassium, and vitamins A, D, B, and E, among others.

For optimal results, it is best if you mixed this nutritious wet Aussie dog food with your pet’s favorite kibble or used it as a standalone meal, although this is dependent on your furry friend’s current dietary needs.

Ratings – 4.4/5

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9. Go! Fit+ Free Senior Dog Food Recipe — Best Food for Older Aussies

Ideally, blended with essential ingredients in appropriate amounts, this is a formula you cannot afford not to get for your pet.

The Go Fit formula features healthy fats in abundant amounts to help promote lustrous, healthy coat and skin accordingly. It also comprises complex carbs in the form of vegetables and fruits such as carrots, pumpkin, broccoli, bananas, sweet potatoes, blueberries, spinach, and cranberries, among others.

Besides, the nutrient and vitamin composition as found in the vegetables and fruits, this nutritious recipe also features protein content sourced from various animal sources.

This is in addition to the herring, duck, deboned salmon, and deboned duck meals making up for 32% protein. We also love that the product includes chondroitin and glucosamine, essential elements in supporting healthy joint function.

Overall, this formula works well in effectively addressing all the individual and unique nutritional requirements of senior Australian Shepherd dogs, all while affording the fuel necessary for your furry friend to sustain an active and healthy lifestyle.

Ratings – 4.4/5

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Best Food For Aussies Buying Guide

Factors To Consider When Choosing Aussie Dog Food

Even though specific dog breeds and at times dogs in general, can have specific dietary requirements, canines usually have the same nutritional needs.

What this means is that whether you own a German or Australian shepherd, you will need to purchase foods with the following nutrients:

High-Quality Protein

Dogs are omnivores, but above all, they grow well by feeding on quality meats. Thus, ensure that the food you buy contains quality meat as the main or second ingredient.

Among the ideal sources are beef, pork, poultry or different fish. Furthermore, you can go for whole meats or meat by-products which are ideal for your healthy Australian Shepherd. On the other hand, these meals should be purchased from well-known brands.

Complex Carbohydrates

Carbs are an essential inclusion in your pet’s meals. You can give them foods with ingredients like veggies and fruits, or you can also go for grains which will offer energy together with other vital antioxidants, minerals as well as vitamins. Moreover, include some fiber for your pooch in case she has any digestive problems.

Plus, you can buy dog food that contains grains. Whole grains usually are packed with beneficial nutrients, and they should be included in any healthy dog’s diet.

Healthy Fats

Also known as vital fatty acids, omega 3 and 6, can be very beneficial when included in your Australian Shepherd’s meals. These fats and oils are essential since canines are not capable of making them in their body.

Fish oil comes with benefits such as nourishing your pet’s skin and coat, which leaves it looking healthy. Other oil options are flaxseed and canola oils which are also good for your Aussie.

Nutritional Needs for Your Australian Shepherd

Even though Australia shepherds have specific traits and tendencies to develop health issues, their nutritional requirements are not very different from any dog’s dietary recommendations.

Therefore, make sure you include complex carbohydrates, quality proteins, as well as healthy fats. Then again, since Aussies are susceptible to obesity if they do not work out regularly, and consume healthy meals, it is best to go for dog food which does not have a lot of calories.

Your Aussie should exercise for 30 to 60 minutes to avoid being obese. Generally, your pet should get approximately 30 calories per pound on a daily basis; however, this will depend on various factors such as the activity level of your pet and its present state of health.

What Not To Feed Your Australian Shepherd

Similar to all dog breeds, you should not feed your Australian Shepherd the following:

Chocolate

Chocolate has theobromine, which can lead to digestive problems, heart problems, and at times, death in dogs. You must not feed it to your pet, mostly dark chocolate.

Alcohol

Alcohol affects dogs the same way it affects human beings, although your pet will be affected by consuming a lot less. Some alcoholic drinks can cause breathing issues, diarrhea, vomiting, and even death.

Onions and garlic

Your pet should only consume a minimal amount since plenty of them can lead to food poisoning. What’s more, they kill your Aussie’s red blood cells which might lead to anemia.

Caffeine

Any food that contains caffeine must never be given to dogs. Even the smallest amounts can result in restlessness, vomiting, and digestive problems. Huge amounts, on the other hand, will cause seizures, fast heart rate, and death.

Xylitol

This is a sweetener typically found on some baked goods, candies, toothpastes, and chewing gum. It can lead to a severe drop in your pet’s blood sugar and at times, result in liver failure.

Common Health Issues Facing Australian Shepherds

Australian shepherds are usually healthy, active, and smart. On the other hand, similar to all dogs, they are susceptible to some health issues. Below is a list of the most common ones;

Obesity

Since Aussies are very active dogs, they have vigorous appetites. If this appetite is not channeled correctly, it can get out of control.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy

This defines a progressive eye disorder which results in blindness. The loss of photoreceptors causes blindness. It can be detected a few years before your Aussie displays any blindness signs. Therefore, take your pet for regular ophthalmologist evaluations. 

Hip Dysplasia

A genetic condition where the femur does not correctly fit inside the pelvic socket in the hip joint. 

Elbow Dysplasia

This is another genetic condition brought about by the unalike growth rate of your pet’s bones that form the elbow. You should regularly take your Aussie for elbow evaluation. 

FAQs

Is there a specific amount of food that I should feed my Aussie?

You can feed your adult Aussie approximately 30 calories per pound every day. However, this is contingent on various factors such as his activity level, state of health and age. More active dogs should be fed much more, while younger ones should eat much more food than the older ones.

How many times should I feed my Aussie?

If your Aussie is very young, you can feed him three to four times every day. As he grows, you can reduce the feeding to three times. You should ensure you feed him or her at similar times after every four to five hours.

Final Thoughts

Now that you understand the fundamentals of your Aussie’s dietary needs, nothing is stopping you from dog food shopping. Whatever Australian Shepherd formula you pick from our nine reviewed products, we are confident you will be satisfied.

Just remember to go for dog foods made with natural, high-quality ingredients for proper digestibility as well as tons of fats and animal proteins.

However, if you can’t decide on a single product, you can stick with our top pick, the Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Dry Dog Food since it comprises everything a high-quality Aussie dog food must-have.

This product includes an assortment of essential and healthy ingredients and is available at an affordable price. It is enriched with essential minerals and vitamins, L-Carnitine for proper fat burning and optimal growth, and is free of any harmful chemicals. You can never go wrong with Blue Buffalo!