Different breeds have different nutritional needs, but large breeds can be particularly tricky because of their rapid growth while they are puppies.
There are many different products available to provide your puppy with the nutrition it needs at this crucial stage of their life, so it can be tough to decide which one is right for you.
That is why we have put together this buyer’s guide that should help you decide on the best puppy food for large breeds, so your new best friend gets the absolute best.
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Table of Contents
The Best Puppy Foods for Large Breeds Are:
| Product | Details | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Taste of the Wild High-Prairie Puppy Food |  Top Pick |
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| 2. Iams Proactive Health Dry Dog Food |  |
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| 3. Hill’s Science Diet Large Breed Dry Dog Food |  |
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| 4. Purina Pro Plan Focus Dog Food |  |
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| 5. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Dry Puppy Food |  |
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| 6. Wellness Large Breed Complete Healthy Puppy Recipe |  |
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| 7. American Journey Salmon & Sweet Potato Grain-Free Formula |  |
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| 8. Purina Pro Plan Focus Puppy Canned Dog Food |  |
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1. Taste of the Wild High-Prairie Puppy Food — Best Dog Food for Large Breed Puppies
We’ll kick off our large breed puppy food reviews with our top pick. Taste of the Wild offers unique flavors of large breed puppy food while ensuring the nutritional content is to the levels you would expect for the healthy development of your puppy.
They talk about how the modern-day dog is related to the wolf and how, by taking inspiration from this fact, they have created the perfect blend for a healthy, happy canine.
This “High Prairie Puppy” flavor contains real meat from Buffalo, Lamb, Bison, and Venison to provide rich protein content, as well as a wide range of fruits and vegetables like sweet potatoes, peas, potatoes, tomatoes, blueberries, and raspberries to provide antioxidants that are great for maintaining a healthy immune system.
Salmon oil provides fatty acids that give your dog’s coat a glossy finish, and that is vital for the healthy development of the brain.
Calcium is added in careful quantities to strengthen bones and teeth; the kibble is shaped in easily to manage chunks that aid with oral care; and the formula is completely grain-free.
If you have a large breed puppy — like a rottweiler, German shepherd, or husky — and are looking for an all-natural dry food for them that offers unique flavors and all the nutrients they need, then this one from Taste of the Wild is a great one to consider.
Specs
- Form: Dry Food
- Life Stage: Puppy
- Special Diet: Grain-Free
Pros
- Grain-free formula
- Great for large breed puppies allergic to grains
- Uses real roasted meat
- Supports vision and brain development
Cons
- The fat content might too high for less active puppies
2. Iams Proactive Health Dry Dog Food
The main concerns in regards to large breed puppy food that you probably face as an owner are the quality, appeal, and nutrition being provided.
This dry food from Iams has been created to assure you on all of these points and is a great option for large breed puppies.
From my own experience, I have often been worried about the ingredients that are used in pet foods as you often hear stories about the substances used to increase the mass of the product.
This is not the case with Iams formulae, though, as they are made in America under strict quality control conditions.
This, for me, is the most appealing thing about this product because I know I can trust what my puppy is eating.
This dry food is enriched with the ingredients your puppy needs to grow up strong and healthy. One thing to be wary of with a large breed puppy is the speed at which they grow, and the pressure this puts on their joints and skeleton.
The two main ways that food can assist with this is by providing plenty of sustenance to maintain the growth as well as the presence of calcium and phosphorous to develop strong bones.
Iams Proactive health provides explicit guidelines about the quantity of food to provide your puppy to ensure you are feeding it enough, but not too much, and the formula has been designed to give the optimal amount of calcium and phosphorous.
Other antioxidants ensure that your puppy’s immune system develops properly, and the protein is all sourced from chicken and egg from reliable sources.
If you are looking for a trustworthy, nutritious kibble for your large breed puppy that comes at an affordable price, then this product from Iams is a great one to consider.
Specs
- Form: Dry Food
- Life Stage: Puppy
- Special Diet: Protein-rich
Pros
- Formulated with omega 3 DHA
- Enriched with antioxidants
- Supports development of joints and bones
- Protein sourced from chicken and egg
Cons
- Not ideal for puppies allergic to chicken
3. Hill’s Science Diet Large Breed Dry Dog Food
It is important that your puppy gets the perfect balance of vitamins and minerals to support their first-year growth, and this large breed puppy food from Hill’s Science Diet has been carefully created to provide just that.
This chicken meal and oats flavor, for example, uses real chicken as the source of its protein, includes a wide range of real vegetables, and has been enriched with all of the various nutrients that your puppy needs to grow up strong and healthy.
Crucially, they use no artificial colors or flavors within the recipe, nor do they use any preservatives.
Hill’s Science Diet provides precise instructions on how much food to feed your puppy every day to ensure they fully benefit from the balance of the formula.
Each piece is designed to be large enough to prevent your puppy from eating too quickly, and the inclusion of antioxidants ensures that their immune system stays strong.
Hill’s Science prides themselves for the fact that they have used a team of over 200 vets, food scientists, and technicians to develop their range of products which include wet foods that are suitable to be given alongside their dry foods, and products aimed at older dogs that make the ideal transition once puppy specific food is no longer required.
It is also a nice thought that they use some of their profits to donate to animal shelters. If you are willing to spend a bit more, this one is a great option for you.
It is made from nutritious ingredients and has been designed to provide your pooch with precisely the right balance to aid their healthy development.
Specs
- Form: Dry Food
- Life Stage: Puppy
- Special Diet: High-protein, no wheat, no corn, no soy
Pros
- No artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
- Enriched with vitamins, amino acids, and minerals
- Stringent ingredient supply chain
- Nutritionally balanced for large breed puppies
Cons
- Contains gluten
4. Purina Pro Plan Focus Dog Food
This chicken and rice flavor large breed puppy food from Purina Pro Plan is one of a wide range of products they offer that are designed to support the healthy growth of your puppy.
It uses the best quality ingredients and contains a variety of vitamins and minerals to provide everything a young dog needs.
The first ingredient of this formula, and where the majority of the protein comes from, is chicken. It is always a concern where the ingredients may come from, but Purina guarantees that all of their products contain real meats and nutrients as opposed to some brands, which use substitutes.
The addition of fish oils is great because these aid your puppy’s brain and vision development. Antioxidants ensure that the immune system is strong and healthy, and the addition of calcium, phosphorus, and other minerals are vital for the development of strong teeth and bones.
This dry food also contains sources of glucosamine, which is great for developing durable joints and cartilage.
While Purina have you covered with the nutritional requirements of your puppy, they also offer a varied range of different flavors that are easily interchangeable to give some variation.
Once your companion is no longer a puppy, they have you covered too with lots of options for you to move onto that focus on your dog’s future development while retaining a food they are familiar with.
If you want great large breed puppy food, this product is definitely one that is worth considering. It includes all of the ingredients that your puppy needs for healthy growth, and is available in a wide range of flavors.
Specs
- Form: Dry Food
- Life Stage: Puppy
- Special Diet: High-Protein
Pros
- Promotes a healthy immune system
- Supports developing joints
- Contains omega-rich fish oils
- Chicken as the number 1 ingredient
Cons
- Contains poultry by-product meals
5. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Dry Puppy Food
Blue Buffalo formed as a family company that wanted to create healthy, nutritious food to support our canine friends throughout their entire lives.
They have created a range of dry foods to achieve this that focuses on dogs during the various stages of development.
This large breed puppy food has been designed to provide them with all of the nutrients they need to sustain the rapid growth in the first year while being tasty enough for your puppy to happily eat it.
To do this they use only natural ingredients that have been enriched by the particular vitamins and minerals that are essential during this stage.
The chicken and brown rice flavor contains real chicken and no chicken by-products. This is mixed together with whole grains, vegetables, and fruit to provide all of the natural benefits, as well as “LifeSource Bits” that provide extra nutrients.
These include antioxidants from apples, blackberries, pumpkin, and spinach as well as many minerals to support an oxidative balance.
Barley and oats provide complex carbohydrates to ensure your puppy is full of energy, and vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and peas keep the immune system healthy.
Omega fish oils are added to give a shiny coat; fatty acids are added to promote brain and visual development, and the kibble is small shaped to encourage dental health and hygiene whilst eating.
Blue Buffalo has a nice range of products on offer that will provide for your dog through all stages of its life.
As with all foods, you will need to try this out with your puppy to ensure that they like it, but it is potentially a great choice to go with to ensure they are provided with all of the nutrients they need.
Specs
- Form: Dry Food
- Life Stage: Puppy
- Special Diet: No soy, no corn, no wheat
Pros
- Uses real meat
- Natural ingredients
- Blues LifeSource Bits
- Enhanced with antioxidants
Cons
- Lacks glucosamine and chondroitin
6. Wellness Large Breed Complete Healthy Puppy Recipe
Your large breed puppy needs complete, balanced nutrition to support its physical composition for its long and fast growth cycle.
With the Wellness Large Breed Complete Healthy Puppy Recipe, your puppy is going to get all the nutrition, vitamins, and minerals it needs to maintain healthy and strong growth.
This food offers balanced and complete everyday nutrition with an irresistible taste.
This large breed puppy food from Wellness is made with deboned chicken, chicken meal, peas, ground brown rice, and salmon meal.
It contains wholesome grains, which are highly digestible carbs. However, if your puppy is allergic to grains, you might want to consider another option.
This food is loaded with veggies and fruits such as blueberries, apples, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes.
These fruits and veggies are great sources of antioxidants, and they help to boost the immune health of your puppy.
With a boosted immune system, you will be able to fight off common dog infections, diseases, and illnesses.
The regulated calories and DHA in this food will help to enhance the bone, brain, and eye development of your puppy.
It is formulated for large breed puppies specifically, with protein, calorie, and fat in the right proportion. It is also rich in omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids to leave your pup with a shiny coat and healthy skin.
The protein count of this food is 29 percent while the minimum fat count is 13 percent. It contains 366 kilocalories per cup with a maximum fiber content of 5 percent.
Specs
- Form: Dry Food
- Life Stage: Puppy
- Breed: All breed sizes
- Special Diet: Wholesome grains, no corn, no soy, no wheat
Pros
- Supports healthy brain development
- Nourishes skin and coat
- Supports a healthy heart
- No additives
Cons
- Some complaints of too-hard kibble
7. American Journey Salmon & Sweet Potato Grain-Free Formula
If your large breed puppy is allergic to grains, then you might want to try the American Journey Salmon & Sweet Potato Grain-Free Formula.
This dry dog food from American Journey is 100 percent free from grains, and it is not only formulated for puppies but dogs of all breeds and sizes.
It made it to our list because the formula and recipe of this food are great for large breed puppies.
The dominant ingredients in this diet are deboned salmon, chicken meal, turkey meal, peas, and sweet potatoes.
From the list, it is evident that this food contains great protein sources, and these also contribute to the great taste of this food. These high-quality protein sources will support the growth and active muscles of your puppy.
There are also many fruits and vegetables in this diet that are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals to boost the cognitive development and immune health of your dog.
Another great thing about this food is that it is a budget-friendly option, as it comes with a reasonable price tag.
It contains salmon oil, chicken fat, flaxseed, and menhaden fish meal, which are all great sources of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. This means your pup will continually have fresh, healthy, and shiny skin and coat.
In addition to being grain-free, there are no traces of gluten, corn, soy, and wheat in this food. It does not contain any artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
This high-protein large breed dog food contains an impressive 32 percent protein while the minimum crude fat content is 14 percent.
The caloric content is 390 kilocalories per cup and the maximum crude fiber is 5 percent.
Specs
- Form: Dry Food
- Life Stage: Puppy
- Special Diet: Grain-Free, Gluten, high-protein, no corn, no soy no wheat
Pros
- Great protein count and protein sources
- Grain-free, gluten-free
- No additives and fillers
- Supports immune healthy, shiny coat, and healthy skin
Cons
- Makes dogs incredibly thirsty
8. Purina Pro Plan Focus Puppy Canned Dog Food
If your large breed puppy is fond of wet food or you should just want to try out canned dog food, you should go for the Purina Pro Plan Focus Puppy Canned Dog Food.
This food is formulated to nourish growing puppies and to provide them with all the nutrition they need.
The top ingredients of this diet are chicken, liver, meat by-products, water sufficient for processing, and rice.
It also contains DHA to enhance the brain and eye development of your puppy. This food will also leave the coat of your dog shinier and its skin healthier.
It helps with the development of strong muscles with an adequate amount of complex carbs to keep your dog active all day.
The food is easily digestible, and it is great for large breed puppies with digestive issues. The crude protein of this food is 10 percent while the crude fat content is 7 percent.
It contains a maximum crude fiber of 1.5 percent with a caloric content of 477 kilocalories per can.
Specs
- Form: Wet Food
- Life Stage: Puppy
- Special Diet: Gluten-Free
Pros
- High-quality protein source
- Ideal for puppies with digestive issues
- Leaves a beautiful shiny coat and healthy skin
- Enhances cognitive development
Cons
- Can’t be stored for long
What You Should Consider If You Want The Best Food For Large Breed Puppies
Large breed puppy food contains many added nutrients to help with their growth. While the foods are designed for all large breed dogs, it is important that you ensure it will be appropriate for your particular breed.
Also worth noting is that it will take a few days to move your dog happily over onto a new food by mixing it with what they are currently used to, and you may find that they simply don’t like the new flavor.
While nutrients, price, and various other factors will influence what we buy for our pets, it comes down to them to eat it so you may find you need to try a couple of types out before settling on the large breed puppy food for your needs.
Here are other factors to consider:
Ingredients
Considering the ingredients used to make the food is very important. Some large breed puppies have some common health issues, and you need to avoid certain types of ingredients in their meal.
Protein
You should also consider the protein sources and the amount of protein in the food. Large breed puppies need a lot of protein, and the protein should be from high-quality sources.
You should go for food with large protein counts. If the dog food does not contain or state the source of its protein, you should skip and move to the next option.
Some great protein sources to look out for include salmon, chicken, lamb, turkey, beef, bison, duck, and venison.
Omega Fatty Acids
Omega fatty acids are important in the diet of your growing large puppy. These acids help with the eye and brain development of your dog, making your dog smarter and cognitively sharp.
Omega fatty acids also help to enhance the skin health of your dog and make its coat shinier. These acids are mostly found in fish, flaxseed, canola oil, and chicken fat.
Salmon meal is also very rich in omega fatty acids. Hence, you should make sure the food contains great sources of omega fatty acids, as your growing puppy needs it.
Avoid Fillers and Artificial Ingredients
Again, you should avoid dog food that contains additives and fillers such as corn, soy, wheat, as these ingredients have very little or no health benefits.
You should also avoid food with artificial colorings, flavorings, and preservatives. These ingredients usually cause allergies and they can also cause some severe health issues for your dog.
The Final Word
The breed and size of your puppy will ultimately determine what the best type of food is. The dry foods in this guide are all designed for large breed puppies who grow particularly quickly in the first year and need calcium and antioxidant support to do so in a healthy way.
Our choice for the best puppy food for large breeds is the one by Taste of the Wild. It offers great flavors, all of the nutrients you need, and dogs simply love it.
