Best Puppy Foods

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Puppies Peering Over BannerBy popular demand, the Dog Food Advisor has now created lists of its best puppy foods. For quick access to these reports, click one of the following links…

How to Find the Best Puppy Foods

Choosing the best puppy food for your new baby dog can be a daunting task. After all, today there are thousands of commercial dog foods on the market.

So, where do you start?

When searching for puppy food, the best place to start is simply knowing what an ideal dog food might look like. And what a puppy needs for proper growth.

It’s no secret, we tend to favor puppy foods that are…

  1. Higher in meat-based protein
  2. Higher in natural fats and oils
  3. Lower in carbohydrates
  4. Formulated from a named (non-generic) animal source
  5. Free of animal or vegetable by-products
  6. Free of artificial flavoring, coloring or preservatives
  7. Complete in all essential vitamins and minerals
  8. Not excessive in calcium content (large breeds)

But Doesn’t Higher Protein Content
Cause Hip and Joint Problems?

No, but overfeeding does.

Contrary to popular belief, hip dysplasia and skeletal diseases in dogs are not related to dietary protein1. They’re much more likely the result of genetics2, excessive dietary calcium3 or overfeeding during growth4.

Studies have clearly demonstrated the greatest risk of developing skeletal problems later in life is directly linked to overfeeding — allowing a puppy to eat all day on demand (free feeding).

To greatly decrease the risk of your dog suffering the ill effects of serious growth problems, avoid leaving your puppy’s food in the bowl all day long.

Serve measured amounts… on a regular schedule.

The Challenge of Proper Nutrient Content

Unfortunately, when feeding puppies, you need to pay attention to protein minimums and fiber maximums. And fat content, too.

Too little (or too much) calcium can cause bone problems. And the same for phosphorus and magnesium, too.

Getting everything right can seem frustrating.

But there’s an easier way.

How to Be Sure a Puppy Food
Is Complete and Balanced

To ensure a puppy food is nutritionally complete and balanced, the Association of American Feed Control Officials has established a special nutrient profile optimized for growing dogs.

This AAFCO profile details no less than 37 nutrients that must be present in a puppy food including…

  • 10 amino acids
  • 12 minerals
  • 11 vitamins

To save you tons of time scrutinizing every pet food label, simply look for the AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement on every package of dog food.

This simple statement assures buyers a product meets nutritional requirements for growing puppies…

  • Growth
  • All life stages
  • Growth and maintenance

Look on the label for a statement like…

Product formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles for growth

Is It Safe to Feed
Adult Dog Food to a Puppy?

Puppy foods contain more of certain nutrients… and less of others.

For this reason, and even though it’s safe to feed your adult dog a puppy food…

Never feed any puppy a food designed for adult maintenance only. Adult foods can be deficient in certain puppy nutrients.

How We Selected the Foods

If you’re looking for an above-average puppy food, we’ve prepared four different lists for you to consider.

Suggested products must meet two requirements. They must be rated at least either four stars or five stars by the Advisor.

And they must meet AAFCO nutritional profiles for either growth or all life stages or they must be recommended for puppies by the manufacturer.

Best Puppy Foods

Footnotes

  1. M Straus, Commercial dog foods, DogAware.com ↩
  2. A Hedhammar, Canine hip dysplasia as influenced by genetic and environmental factors, EJCAP, Oct 2007, 17:2 (pp 141-143) ↩
  3. Richardson, Skeletal diseases of the growing dog: Nutritional influences and the role of diet, Canine Hip Dysplasia: A Symposium Held at Western Veterinary Conference, 1995 ↩
  4. RD Kealy et al, Effects of limited food consumption on the incidence of hip dysplasia in growing dogs, JAVMA, Sep 1992, 201:6 (pp 857-863) ↩
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  • Equiuga

    I contacted Fromms today and requested ca/p information on their Gold LB puppy formula. I was very impressed with the young lady I spoke to as she was very nice and enthusiastically answered all my questions. I actually got an in depth spreadsheet on this food. Here were the levels of Ca and P.
                       Ca%        P%
    As is:           1.13%     0.97
    DM basis:      1.21       1.04
    g/100 kcal:    0.29       0.25
    I have been researching foods that would be good for a lab puppy that I am getting next month and it has been a real pain finding foods that have appropriate levels of nutrients for what large breed pups need! I had looked at Innova LBP which looked very good, but the buy out has made me wary of using that food. Fromms looks like it will fit the bill and I have heard rave reviews. I am also considering Solid Gold’s wolfcub and am awaiting a return email to see if their food may also fit the bill. The breeder is feeding Native 3p puppy food. I checked into it and it has a Ca level of 1.79 and P of 1.08.  The Native, which is a good food, levels are way to high in my opinion for a LBP. Does anyone have advice, one way or the other?

  • Casey H

    Thanks Bob K. :-)

    Yeah I did not think he was a large breed originally, but some of the other pups from his litter were put on large breed by their owners/vet. So I researched and there seems to be quite a bit of controversy/differnce of opinion over what constitutes a large breed. I agree that a 50 pound dog does not seem like a large breed, to me anyway.

    Thanks for the extra advice. Eli has had all his puppy shots now and is on interceptor monthly for heartworm prevention. We have done some basic puppy training/socializing and he goes to doggy daycare two to three weekday mornings. Which he LOVES (as do I, it makes him a tired puppy!) :-) I am currently saving up to have him (and me ;-) ) meet with a personal trainer for some one on one pointers.

  • Bob K

    Casey – A 50lb dog is not considered a large breed.  It sounds like you are doing everything great.  Don’t forget all puppy shots, puppy school and lots of exercise.  You can rarely overtrain and socialize your dog and a tired dog from lots of exercise is a happy owner. 

  • Casey H

    Hello everyone. I posted this under one of the dog foods I like, but thought it would be noticed better here. :-)

    Since I brought my new puppy home in October I have been researching foods and probably visit this site at least once a day and often more! Thank you Mike. :-)

    My Eli is almost 5 months old now, he is a Goldendoodle. I have tried a handful of 4 & 5 star foods and have found a couple he really seems to like. I am very interested in the rotation feeding idea and will be doing that with him. I plan to try many more of the 4 and 5 star foods as well.

    My main concern now is wether I should maybe be feeding him a large breed puppy food? He weighs 26 pounds now at almost 5 months old and was just neutered. His mother is a 50 pound rather tall standard poodle and his father is a 35 pound smaller built Goldendoodle. My vet said since he should probably be around 50 lbs as an adult I did not need to but could if I wanted. I am curious what everyone else’s opinion here is on this?

    I am not a very experienced dog owner. Especially when it comes to nutrition, but I am learning more everyday. I do have a soon to be 11 year old boxer/border collie/pit mix and have had her since she was a baby. I did not know her food was so bad for her until I started researching for the new puppy. I was even buying her a premium and expensive food and was assured by the petstore staff it was a great food. I will be doing my own research from now on.

  • Jan_Mom2Cavs

    Claudia, imho there are many great 5 star LB puppy foods.  I think you just have to review this site and select a few to try.  To me the “best” dog food, puppy or adult, is what works for your dog.  By that I mean, do they eat it readily, have a nice, shiny, soft coat with no itching or dry skin issues or hotspots, do they have good stool and not too many, do they have no tear stains and decent breath, are they behaving normally (active and healthy), do they drink an adequate amount on the food (not too little or too much), does their urine output seem normal….these are some of the things I look at.  It may also take around 3 months or more to tell if a food is working for your dog, at least in my experience.  Sometimes, though, you can tell if a food is not gonna work right away, but most of the time, at first, it’s a detoxing from whatever they ate previously.  Hope this helped and I didn’t ramble too much :) !

  • Claudia

    What is the best 5 star LARGE BREED Puppy food…

  • melissa

    Alice-

    You do not necessarily need to switch them. I use all life stage for pups to seniors and that is throughout their lifetime. If you want to move them to an adult maintenance product only, I typically use the very arbitrary number of 12 mths : ) It all depends on your dog and what you are comfortable with-check your intended bag of food, and you may be surprised to see it has an all life stage rating, including “for growth and reproduction”-ie puppy food : )

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    HI Alice… You may wish to check my FAQ page and look for the topic, “How to Feed a Dog”. Hope this helps.

  • Alice

    When would you move small to medium sized mixed breed dogs to adult food? I see recommendations for when various pure-breeds reach maturity and can transition to adult food, but what about the mutts? We adopted two puppies from the pound who are now about 8-9 and 10-11 months old. The smaller 9 month old is about 12-14 lbs and 14in at the shoulder, the older is about 27lbs and 17 in. Both have a lot of terrier in their mix.

  • http://www.facebook.com/Toxed2loss Toxed2loss

    Brianna and Jennifer, you basically are asking the same question, so here’s my answer:

    My breeder started feeding raw to all her standard poodle puppies from the time they started on “solid” food. By the time I got my girl, at 8 weeks, she’d been eating raw wings and necks for ome time. Now just tossing raw out there isn’t enough. You have to balance their nutrition. Dr. Becker and Beth Taylor wrote a book, “Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats”. you can get on Healthypets.mercola.com or amazon. It’s makes it pretty straight forward. Hope that helps. :-)

  • Jennifer

    Is it okay to feed a 5 month old Retriever raw diet?

  • Brianna

    Is feeding a puppy a raw diet not a good idea?

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Testing post

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Stephanie… AAFCO recommends only minimums for protein for growing dogs. But the amount of meat-based protein for dogs of any age can always be controversial. It is my personal belief that restricting protein and replacing it with carbohydrates is completely unnatural for a dog. So, I’m shamelessly in favor of dog foods made with meat-rich recipes.

    One caveat for puppies is mineral content, especially calcium and phosphorus. And of course, overfeeding. These issues can cause skeletal abnormalities in large breeds.

    To learn more about this subject, please visit our FAQ page and look for the topic, “Dog Food Protein”. Be sure to follow the links you’ll find there. And also check out my article at the beginning of “Best Puppy Foods, too. Hope this helps.

  • Stefanie Norton

    How much protein does a puppy need? Does it depend on their breed/activity level or is there a standard range for a growing puppy?

  • Stefanie Norton

    Angel, what kind of food are your pups on now? Is that Solid Gold? Is it a puppy formula? I also have a Shih Tzu puppy (4 1/2 months) so I am interested in which food is working for you? Thanks!

  • Ashley

    We have a 8 week old Shiba Inu puppy who we are bringing home next Friday. I’m hoping to create an optimum food plan for his health. I was planning on feeding him Nature Variety’s Instinct Raw frozen food, slowly transitioning him from the dry food he is currently eating. Does this sound like a good plan, to feed him solely raw food? Or would it be optimal to add kibble as well to this diet? Or maybe even instead give him kibble mixed with can? It seems the raw food diet is preferred to kibble mixed with can according to Dr.Beckers ‘Best and Worst Foods” video? Also, should I switch up the flavor of raw food I buy (beef, chicken etc.) each time I buy it, to add variety to his diet? And I read that Natures Variety does HHP to their raw food? What is this and does it make it less preferred to other raw foods?
    Thank you

  • Angel

    Hi Guys,

    Thanks for all your helpful insights!

    Bob – I took him to the vet and she told me he’s probably “sensitive” to chicken and suggested I switch him to lamb and rice. I’m giving him Hundchen Flocken and he seems to be thriving on this. The red muzzle is gone and the flaking ears stopped.

    Mike – I’m obviously a great fan of “grain-free” so I’m considering switching all of them to Instinct..Thanks!

    Melissa – They are shih tzu pups. I’m not really a breeder and I intend to keep all of them. They will be spayed and neutered in time. It’s also my first time to have pups so I’m really keen on giving them the best quality dog food that I can afford..:)

    Again, thank you all!!

  • melissa

    Angel-

    I have fed pups “puppy food” and all life stages with great results. Only once did I have pups not thrive and believe it or not, it was on “puppy formula” Since not all foods and brands are equal, it depends more so(Imo) on the brand rather than ALS or puppy. You did not say what kind of pups, so if large breed, do some research on calcium/phosphorus levels etc.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Angel… Technically speaking, there is no real nutritional difference between dog foods recommended by their manufacturers for “all life stages” or “puppies”. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) only recognizes two nutritional profiles:

    1. Growth and reproduction (for puppies and pregnant or lactating females)

    2. Adult maintenance

    Dog foods meeting the AAFCO requirements for growth and reproduction also meet the nutritional minimums for adults, too. So, they can sometimes be labeled “for all life stages”.

    For more information, please visit our FAQ page and look for the topic, “AAFCO Nutrient Profiles”. Hope this helps.

  • Bob K

    Angel – Since cost seems to be no issue, why not try it and see how it works out, remember to transition slowly. How was this allergy diagnosed? Most people guess and do not really properly diagnose pet allergies, they guess and try all sorts of foods, remedies, supplements, shampoos etc…….

  • Angel

    Which is better? Puppy food or All life stages dog food for puppies? I have three 6-week old pups. I’m giving them Orijen Puppy and unfortunately, one of them had allergies (probably from the chicken) so I switched that one to Solid Gold Hundchen Flocken. I’m giving their Mom NV Instinct and Before Grain (Wet) with no problems so I’m thinking of switching all of the puppies to Instinct Grain-Free or LID formula (kibble) but this is “all life stages”.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Stephanie… RMB stands for “raw meaty bones”.

  • Stefanie Norton

    This may be a dumb question….but what are RMB’s?

  • Gordon

    Of course, also forgot to mention, that as its been suggested above, exercise your pup every day. Even if it is daily walks which dogs just can’t get enough of, and is a highlight of their day, that rivals eating, so that they can burn the energy they intake from their food. Choose foods highest in meat proteins and lowest in carbs (as natural for dogs as possible), and if your hesitant to start feeding RMB’s then at least choose a 5 star all life stages food. Have a look at any of the 5 star kibble ot canned foods here if not raw (Raw is the best), and check this site’s dash board for the protein to carb levels to make sure you choose the ones with higher protein levels, as so intended for dogs and cats for that matter, by Mother Nature, herself.

    However, whatever you choose, do not overfeed your pup to an extreme level (better to overfeed than underfeed is why I stress ‘extreme’) as you could cause later hip and elbow dysplasia or any type of skeletal overgrowth problems in your pup when it grows of age.

    As its been suggested, do follow the directions of the food you buy on how much to feed pups, and monitor things like stool, coat, energy, vibrancy, state of mind….happiness, body shape etc.

  • Gordon

    Ashley – Why are you feeding your pup 5 times a day? Your pup will keep eating as much as you put a bowl of food out for it. At least in most pups this would be the case. Growing pups are meant to eat a little more than adults, but for the love of your pup, stop feeding it poison (Beneful).

    Start feeding it some RMB’s every evening as its last snack of the day. This is extremely important to promote healthy teeth from an early age, not to mention the all important protein and calcium to phosphorus natural ratio intake. Chicken cartilage in feeding chicken frames is one of the best RMB’s to feed dogs of any age after maternal weening and which is also rich in glucosamine – great for joint health and never too early to feed.

    Alternate RMB’s with chicken necks, wings, backs, frames, turkey same, marrow bones, soup bones, lamb briskets, beef briskets, whole raw fish with head intact, etc etc. I can’t stress enough just how RMB’s are important to feed on a rotation basis.

  • melissa

    Ashley-

    Most people feed 10 wk old medium-large size puppies three times a day-(toy breeds are often fed more often and smaller amounts to prevent hypoglycemia) 5 times a day seems excessive, unless you are feeding such tiny amounts? I personally would revisit the choice to feed Beneful-

  • Bob K

    Shirley – Life Abundance is a 4 star food. Remember to transition to a new food slowly, perhaps over 2 – 3 weeks. There are many 4 and 5 star foods listed on this website.

    Start exercise for both you and your dog, walks, balls, etc……

  • shirley

    what is the best food for my 3 year old shitzu she has been on percription dog food for 2 years and now found out after tests taken she can go on regular food she weighs 21 pounds but her percription dog food was awful it had almost all corn for 2 years thatw why i think she is a little over weight please tell me if you think the life abundance would be a wise choice please help me thank you shirley

  • Bob K

    Ashley – Why are you feeding him so much? I suspect you are over feeding him. Please read the dog food bag for feeding instructions. Have you read the review obout Beneful on this website? Please scroll up and look at the 4 and 5 star puppy foods above as a starting point.

    Do you have a budget for dog food? When does he start Puppy class? What brands are available in your area? Do you have a Petco? Petssmart? Menards? Farm & Fleet? Costco? Tractor Supply (TSC), or local pet food shop?

    Remember to transition your dog slowly to a new food. There are many excellents puppy foods rated on this website.

  • Ashley

    Hey i have a 10 week old austrilian hepard mixed ith lab . What is the best food to give him ? I have him on beneful but hes getting sick on it . He eats at least 5 times a day . Why is he eating that much .

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Stefanie… AAFCO only recognizes two nutritional profiles: growth and reproduction and adult maintenance. Technically speaking, there’s really no such thing as “all life stages”. Foods rated for all life stages are actually the same as foods meeting requirements for growth. So, they are appropriate (as the name suggests) for puppies.

    For more information, please visit our FAQ page and look for the topic, “AAFCO Nutrient Profiles”. Hope this helps.

  • Stefanie

    When a food says “all life stages” is it sufficient for puppy needs?
    Should I get a puppy food made specifically for puppies instead?

  • Stefanie

    I have a 4 month old Shih Tzu. I was wondering if any of you with Shih Tzus could tell me which food works best for your dog? I tried Simply Nourish Puppy (chicken and brown rice). He acts like he doesn’t like it and it is causing diahrrea. I’m trying to decide which type of food to try next. Thanks!

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi David Phillips… Switching prematurely to an adult (commercial) food could be nutritionally inappropriate for an animal still considered a puppy. For more details, you wish to visit my FAQ page and look for the topic, “How to Feed a Dog”. Hope this helps.

  • David Phillips

    Hi, I have two labs one is 8 mos. the other is 4 mos. We are feeding them the 4health puppy kibbles. They seem to like it and it has good reviews – the problem is lately the older one poops 5 or 6 times a day. That doesn’t seem normal to me. We are feeding them two times a day and giving them the serving size listed on the bag. The 4mo. old still does well -I don’t notice any problems with him. Would switching the older one to adult formula solve this problem? Thanks

  • Gordon

    Yeah, looks like Earthborn distribute to many corners of the globe. Bit like Artemis, Canidae, Orijen & Acana (Except Australia for the last 2).

    That’s a win win for Earthborn and the dogs who get to eat it, if they have to eat kibble in the first place.

  • Michelle

    ana rivera, Yes. Definitely Earthborn!

  • Gordon

    Oh in that case, out of those, definitely Earthborn, ana rivera!

  • ana rivera

    I have a Maltesse-Poodle dog. He is 9 months old. He is very picky with dry food… i’ve tried many brands, but he’s not happy with any of those. I live in El Salvador, Central America, so, i don’t have many options of premium dry foods. Which one do you suggest between: Earthborn Holistic Puppy Vantage, Eukanuba Small Breed Puppy, Science Diet, Royal Canin or Nutra Gold for Puppy?
    I need and advice… i’m lost with all comments.
    Thanks in advance

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