Best Large Breed Puppy Food (Top 10 in 2022)
Large breed puppies are known to grow at faster rates and for longer periods than their smaller-bred peers. Without proper maintenance, these growth rates can lead to excess weight gain and obesity as well as orthopedic diseases such as hip dysplasia later in life. Thus, you should make sure that your pup is getting healthy portions of food formulated to meet their specialized nutritional needs. In this review, we’ll take a look at some of the best large breed puppy foods for your growing best friend!
In a hurry? Here’s the test winner after 10 hours of research:
- High protein sourced from fresh meat
- Flaxseed and salmon oil contain essential omega fatty acids
- Superfoods provide complete nutrition
Best Large Breed Puppy Food (Top 10 in 2021) – Overview
Here are the top 4 picks (keep scrolling for more details and picks 5-9).
| Image | Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Best Overall | Wellness Natural Pet Food CORE Natural Grain Free Dry Puppy Food, Large Breed Puppy
| 10 | Check Price |
Best Grain-Free  | ORIJEN Dog Puppy Recipe High-Protein Grain-Free Dry Puppy Food, Packaging May Vary
| 9.7 | Check Price |
Superfood Blend  |
| 9.6 | Check Price |
Best Value  | Eukanuba Puppy Large Breed Dry Dog Food
| 10 | Check Price |
Best Overall
1. Wellness CORE Large Breed Puppy Dry Food
Wellness CORE combines premium protein with nutrient-rich superfoods to provide balanced, healthy puppy food.
- High protein sourced from fresh meat
- Flaxseed and salmon oil contain essential omega fatty acids
- Superfoods provide complete nutrition
This carefully tailored formula is perfect for providing large breed dogs with the nutrition that they need to grow and thrive. If your puppy has a sensitive stomach, you might want to try feeding them grain-free. With Wellness CORE, you can do just that while still maintaining optimal levels of protein, fat, and carbohydrates.
Additionally, this recipe contains a mix of prebiotics and probiotics to further assist with your dog’s post-meal digestion. It’s also packed with fish-sourced DHA for brain and eye development, calcium and phosphorus for bone development, and omega fatty acids for skin and coat health. Many customers favor this food’s ability to provide nutrition without providing extra pounds, as excess weight can be detrimental for larger dogs.
- First 5 ingredients: deboned chicken, chicken meal, peas, dried ground potatoes, turkey meal
- Type: grain-free
- Best for: large breed puppies, especially those with sensitive stomachs
Sample buyer review: “The trainer suggested this for my Labrador retriever puppy and I’m happy that she did. It’s formulated for large breed puppies to give them the nutrition they need without adding too much weight too fast. Apparently, the hip joints can be adversely affected if too much weight is on them at an early age. My puppy loves this food and her coat looks shiny and healthy. She hasn’t had any tummy problems and is full of energy.”
Best Grain-Free
2. Orijen Large Breed Puppy Dry Dog Food
Orijen focuses on providing a rich, grain-free diet that nourishes large breed puppies according to their biological needs.
- Diet rich in whole animal ingredients and cage-free eggs
- Grain-free recipe
- Packed with fresh and raw ingredients
This formula is specifically developed to support the higher muscle mass of large breed dogs while also keeping them at a healthy weight to reduce bone and joint stress. This kibble is sourced from free-run chicken and turkey, wild-caught fish, and cage-free eggs, making it a flavorful medley that your dog will love.
It’s also mixed with quality “Wholeprey” ingredients, such as organs, cartilage, and bone. Orijen includes at least 15 of these fresh or raw animal ingredients in every one of their recipes, and boasts that their brand is “the closest thing to feeding raw.” With its 38% protein and 16% fat content, this food is sure to help your puppy develop the lean muscles that they need for an active life.
- First 5 ingredients: deboned chicken, deboned turkey, flounder, eggs, whole Atlantic mackerel
- Type: grain-free
- Best for: large breed puppies, especially those with sensitive stomachs
Sample buyer review: “I have two German Shepherds. The adult is raw fed. The puppy ( 11 months old ) has been fed Origen Large Breed Puppy from day one. I didn’t want to take a chance with Calcium Phosphorus intake feeding raw while he was growing so quickly. It is expensive no doubt but well worth it considering the growth / rapid development he has gone through.”
Best Superfood Blend
3. Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy Formula Dry Food
Diamond Naturals is prepared with high-quality protein sourced from pasture-raised lamb.
- First ingredient is pasture-raised lamb
- Blueberries and oranges provide essential vitamins and minerals
- Contains proprietary probiotics for digestive health
This formula aims to provide complete, holistic nutrition to meet your growing large breed puppy’s dietary needs. This nutritious, highly-digestible recipe is packed in a smaller kibble size that your dog will love to gobble down.
It features proprietary K9 Strain probiotics and powerful antioxidants to support puppies’ digestive tracts and immune systems, as well as appropriate amounts of calcium and phosphorus to aid in bone growth. Additionally, it contains L-Carnitine to aid in fat-to-energy conversion for proper weight maintenance. All of this quality and nutrition comes at an affordable Amazon price point as well, making this an easy healthy choice for your pet.
- First 5 ingredients: lamb, lamb meal, ground white rice, peas, pea flour
- Type: grain-inclusive (rice, barley)
- Best for: large breed puppies
Sample buyer review: “I have a 7 yr old English mastiff that has grown up on diamond naturals. It is a good quality food that provides good nutrition. My vet is always talking about how fit he is and how healthy he is for a giant breed dog. I have always free-fed him which allows him to consume his 8 cups of food throughout the day instead of in one sitting. He still has a bounce to his step and is full of energy even as he has reached senior citizen status. He has never had digestive issues and I feel good feeding him a product without all the useless fillers.”
Best Value
4. Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy Food
Eukanuba’s specialized puppy formula offers complete, balanced nutrition tailored to support healthy growth in your large breed dog.
- For puppies up to 15 months old
- High levels of DHA help with brain development
- Real chicken is #1 ingredient and a high protein source
This brand places a major focus on developing its recipes to fuel smarter, more trainable puppies. High-quality chicken is the first ingredient in this kibble, and it provides an excellent protein source for your dog’s growing muscles.
You’ll also find optimized levels of calcium and phosphorus to support healthy bone growth. Additionally, a fiber and prebiotic blend are mixed in to soothe digestion, and vitamin E is included to support your puppy’s immune system. In line with the recipe’s focus, this food also contains clinically-proven levels of DHA to encourage healthy brain development. All of this makes Eukanuba a smart choice for your puppy’s food.
- First 5 ingredients: chicken, corn meal, chicken by-product meal (natural source of chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine), ground whole grain sorghum, brewers rice
- Type: grain-inclusive (corn, sorghum, rice)
- Best for: large breed puppies
Sample buyer review: “So nice to have it delivered to the door and I save money and time avoiding a special trip to the pet store. A great premium food I’ve been feeding German Shepherds. They love it, it gives them beautiful healthy coats and you feed for less than half of a cheaper food. Worth every dime.”
5. Purina Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy Food
Purina Pro Plan features highly-digestible, crunchy kibble that is formulated using AAFCO standards to support healthy growth rates in large breed puppies.
This flavorful dry dog food is sure to delight your pet while also ensuring their healthy development.
This formula includes real chicken as its first ingredient, providing your puppy with a powerful protein source to aid in muscle growth. The recipe also contains glucosamine and DHA, which are sourced from fish oil and support your puppy’s developing brain and eyes. It has appropriate levels of calcium and phosphorus to support healthy bones and teeth, as well as omega-6 fatty acids and vitamin A to nourish your dog’s skin and coat.
Additionally, this kibble is fortified with live probiotics to encourage digestive and immune health. Overall, Purina Pro Plan is a great option for maintaining your pup’s health and wellness.
- First 5 ingredients: chicken, rice, corn gluten meal, whole grain corn, poultry by-product meal (source of glucosamine)
- Type: grain-inclusive (rice, wheat, corn)
- Best for: large breed puppies
Sample buyer review: “This dog food is available for automatic reorder and comes packaged in a box to my door. Completing a lot of research, we selected this food for our German Shepherd mix puppy starting at 2 mos., she’s now a year-old frisky teenager. Many of the raw ingredient dog foods may carry higher ratings depending upon who is doing the review but for our money, our dog better tolerates this food than “raw” brands and is a bit more affordable. No gas, firm stools, happy dog, happy owners. The vet felt this food is a good choice, doesn’t subscribe to all the expensive food hype.”
6. Hill’s Science Diet Large Breed Puppy Recipe Dry Food
Hill’s Science Diet is specially formulated for bone and joint health in large breed puppies.
This formula comes highly recommended by veterinarians and is an excellent nutritious option for your dog. This kibble features optimal calcium levels and balanced minerals to help strengthen your puppy’s bones and teeth.
It also includes DHA from fish oil to support brain and eye development, and high-quality lamb protein to help your dog build and maintain lean, toned muscle. You can rely on the quality of this brand, as Hill’s Science adheres to stringent standards for all of its ingredients. Additionally, this product helps to feed pups in need, as each purchase contributes to the Hill’s Food, Shelter & Love program.
- First 5 ingredients: lamb meal, brewers rice, whole grain wheat, whole grain sorghum, corn gluten meal
- Type: grain-inclusive (rice, wheat, sorghum, corn)
- Best for: large breed puppies
Sample buyer review: “I didn’t want to take any chances with my 8-week old pup getting tummy upsets and diarrhea, making house training more difficult. My old dog is on Science Diet prescription food and whenever I try to switch her off she gets diarrhea so that is why I went with Science Diet over all the large breed puppy foods out there. Complete success! Zero gastric issues and puppy gobbles it up though that could have something to do with eating with other dogs. Anyway, I highly recommend it.”
7. IAMS ProActive Health Smart Large Breed Puppy Dry Food
IAMS ProActive Health offers protein-rich kibble packed with high-quality ingredients to promote healthy cognition and development in your large breed puppy.
This food is specially formulated to include 22 key nutrients similar to those found in mother’s milk to meet your growing dog’s needs. This formula sources protein from real farm-raised chicken to promote strong muscle growth and development.
It also contains omega-3 DHA to encourage brain development and produce more intelligent and trainable dogs, and omega-6 fatty acids to promote skin and coat health. Additionally, it’s packed with a mix of antioxidant-rich vegetables to provide your puppy with plenty of essential amino acids, fiber, and prebiotics. With no artificial preservatives, flavors, or fillers, you can feel secure feeding your dog this quality food.
- First 5 ingredients: chicken, ground whole grain corn, chicken by-product meal, ground whole grain sorghum, corn gluten meal
- Type: grain-inclusive (corn, sorghum)
- Best for: large breed puppies
Sample buyer review: “My Lab eats this food well. She appears to be digesting it better than another name brand that we tried. As far as price, we love that we can get it delivered to our front door for the same price as us picking it up at a well-known national chain store.”
8. Solid Gold Natural Large Breed Puppy Dry Food
Solid Gold focuses on preparing a balanced, nutritious diet to support proper development in your growing large breed puppy.
This formula includes high-quality limited ingredients that are sure to help your beloved pup grow and thrive. This recipe contains the brand’s proprietary blend of 20 nutrient-rich superfoods, including pumpkin to support healthy digestion, cranberries to provide powerful antioxidants, and almond oil to maintain a beautiful coat.
It also includes calcium for controlled bone growth and development, and omega-3 and 6 fatty acids packed with EPA and DHA to support your dog’s immune system, cognitive development, and heart health. Additionally, this kibble features 90 million living probiotics per pound of food to help with immune support, digestion, disease prevention, and skin maintenance.
Combined with fiber-rich prebiotics, this formula will help your dog achieve optimal digestive and gut health. With real bison, natural allergy-free ingredients, and no fillers, this non-GMO option is a wonderful choice to support your puppy’s overall health and wellness.
- First 5 ingredients: bison, ocean fish meal, brown rice, oatmeal, peas
- Type: grain-inclusive (rice, oats, barley)
- Best for: large breed puppies
Sample buyer review: “I think this is a great brand of food. I did a lot of research on the best food for my puppy. I especially wanted only the best for her growing years. Solid Gold was one of the top brands I was considering. The fact that they carried large bags of large breed puppy food put it over the top for me. Many puppy brands are only in tiny bags and if you have a large breed dog this is very inconvenient and expensive. I would go through a small bag in a week with how much my puppy needed. This bag would usually last me a month at 3-4 cups a day. It’s hard to say as I was upping her food intake as she grew. The plus is also that my puppy loved this food! I often used it for training treats because she was always so excited to get it.”
9. Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy Formula Dry Food
Taste of the Wild features smaller, protein-rich kibble that is tailored to provide growing large breed dogs with an optimal amount of amino acids and nutrients.
This grain-free recipe is ideal for puppies who may have trouble stomaching other pet food brands. This crunchy, highly-digestible kibble is flavored with a unique mix of roasted bison, vegetables, and fruits.
It mixes in superfood-sourced antioxidants and proprietary probiotics to contribute to a healthy digestive tract and immune system. Additionally, it includes omega-3 fatty acids for brain development, prebiotic fiber to fuel beneficial bacteria, and guaranteed levels of zinc, selenium, and vitamin E to feed your dog’s immune system. The brand boasts that its balanced recipe is nutritious enough to support all life stages, making it an appropriate option for your adult dogs as well as your large breed pups.
- First 5 ingredients: water buffalo, lamb meal, sweet potatoes, egg product, pea protein
- Type: grain-free
- Best for: large breed puppies, especially those with sensitive stomachs
Sample buyer review: “I switched over to this brand because my family uses it for their dog and recommended it. I’m so happy that I did because my boxer no longer had gas issues! I thought it was something I had to learn to deal with but I don’t!! She’s so healthy, her coat is so shiny, and even her breath is nice! I’m so happy with it and highly recommend it!”
10. Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy Dry Food
Nutro Natural Choice is made of high-quality non-GMO ingredients geared toward supporting your large breed pup’s needs.
This recipe excludes chicken by-product meal, corn, wheat, and soy to provide your best friend with the quality food that they deserve. As a natural source of glucosamine and chondroitin, this formula provides the all-important joint support that your large breed puppy needs.
This delicious kibble is also packed with omega-3 fatty acids and DHA to support brain and eye development. Additionally, it features high-quality protein to aid lean muscle development and plenty of essential antioxidants to ensure your dog’s overall health and wellness. With this product, you can trust that your puppy is getting a quality, nutritious meal with no harmful additives.
- First 5 ingredients: chicken, chicken meal (source of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate), whole grain sorghum, whole grain brown rice, whole grain barley
- Type: grain-inclusive (sorghum, rice, barley)
- Best for: large breed puppies
Sample buyer review: “We adopted a chocolate lab puppy in January and the breeders used Nutro puppy chow to start them off. Our puppy obviously loves it, but it also has kept him healthy, in shape, and his coat is gorgeous. Our vet can vouch for us!”
Our Winner:
- High protein sourced from fresh meat
- Flaxseed and salmon oil contain essential omega fatty acids
- Superfoods provide complete nutrition
Final Thoughts:
With all of the great options available to you, it might seem difficult to choose the best dog food for your large breed puppy. You should make sure to take this decision into careful consideration though, as your dog’s diet now will heavily affect their health in the years to come. Has your dog aged out of their puppy food? Make sure to check out our list of the best large breed dog foods to make sure their adult diet remains just as healthy as their previous one.
