Best Large Breed Puppy Food: Top 5 Brands for Fast Growing Pups

There is something uniquely awkward and adorable about large breed puppies. While your puppy may start out small, cute, and cuddly, it won’t be long before he turns into a great big adult dog.

To make sure that your puppy makes a healthy transition into adulthood, you have to be mindful of what you feed him. While all puppies have the same basic needs, there are a few dietary considerations you need to make for large-breed puppies in particular.

Keep reading our article, Best Large Breed Puppy food, to learn more about the nutritional needs of large-breed puppies and to receive some feeding tips and brand recommendations.

 

Best Large Breed Puppy Food Brands

As the proud owner of a new puppy, you are right to worry about whether or not your puppy is getting the nutrients he needs.

Choosing a high-quality pet food is never easy but it is important that you take the time to make a smart and healthy choice. If you need help getting started, consider one of the top-rated brands below that offer options for large-breed puppies.

1. Orijen Puppy Large Breed Recipe

Best Overall: The Orijen pet food company is known for producing biologically appropriate diets for dogs in all life stages – that means recipes that are designed to mimic the natural evolutionary diet of wild wolves.

All of Orijen’s products are made with high meat inclusions and whole-prey ratios which includes fresh meat, cartilage, organ meats, and raw bone for a balanced diet that doesn’t rely too heavily on synthetic supplements.

Orijen’s products are made with fresh, high-quality ingredients, many of which are regionally sourced, such as premium proteins, fresh fruits and vegetables, and natural botanicals. When it comes to their dog food products, Orijen offers an assortment of traditional dry foods as well as several freeze-dried recipes and a collection of treats.

There are two puppy-specific recipes including one formulated specifically for large-breed puppies. This recipe features 80% chicken, turkey, eggs and fish with 20% fruits, vegetables and botanicals.

It contains a whopping 38% crude protein and 16% fat to ensure that your puppy’s needs for protein and energy are met in the healthiest way possible. Furthermore, this recipe is low-glycemic, limited in calcium and phosphorus, plus supplemented with glucosamine and chondroitin for joint support.

---

2. Nutro Large Breed Puppy LID

Best Value: Nutro is the Natural Choice company and it is aptly named because this brand only uses the freshest natural ingredients in each of their products. This brand actually consists of five unique product lines for dog foods as well as a dedicated line of dental treats.

When it comes to variety, Nutro offers a large selection of products for dogs in all life stages and all breed sizes. If you are looking for a large-breed puppy recipe, Nutro has several options to choose from including one traditional recipe and one limited ingredient diet.

This is an excellent choice because it is made with premium Australian and New Zealand lamb for protein-rich nutrition as well as whole brown rice for digestible carbohydrate and dietary fiber.

This formula features both fresh lamb and lamb meal as well as nutrient-rich chicken fat, whole grain oatmeal, and chickpeas, plus an assortment of chelated minerals and other beneficial supplements.

To fuel your large-breed puppy’s growth and development, this recipe contains 26% crude protein and 15% fat with just 3% dietary fiber to ensure smooth and regular digestion. This recipe is also loaded with natural flavor your puppy is going to love.

---

3. Instinct Raw Boost Large Breed Puppy Recipe

Best Seller: With a name like Instinct, you shouldn’t expect anything but the best from this brand. Nature’s Variety is one of the top brands of premium pet food and they actually offer two product lines.

The Prairie line of all-natural diets features quality proteins and whole grains while the Instinct line features a variety of original, grain-free, protein-rich, freeze-dried, and raw foods. All of Nature’s Variety’s recipes are made with high-quality ingredients without the use of artificial additives.

If you are looking for a large-breed puppy recipe, look no further. As part of the Raw Boost line, this product consists of a grain-free and protein-rich kibble infused with freeze-dried raw pieces for a boost of nutrition and flavor.

This recipe contains balanced levels of omega fatty acids for healthy skin and coat, plus antioxidants for a strong immune system. You’ll also be glad to know that this recipe contains a balance of calcium and phosphorus for healthy bones and teeth, plus DHA for brain and eye development.

This formula features chicken meal as the primary protein with gluten- and grain-free carbohydrates like peas and chickpeas for carbohydrate energy and dietary fiber. This recipe is supplemented with chelated minerals for maximum nutrient absorption and dried fermentation products for probiotic support.

---

4. Blue Buffalo Freedom Grain-Free Puppy Recipe

Blue Buffalo has become one of the most recognizable names in the pet food industry. Not only does this company offer a wide variety of different choices, but all of their formulas are made with the highest quality ingredients that nature has to offer.

Not to mention their dog food is actually affordable. Blue Buffalo’s dog food products can be divided into four different product lines. The Life Protection Formula line of products includes all-natural recipes made with premium proteins and digestible whole grains.

The Basics line features limited ingredient diets made with novel proteins and a select few main ingredients to reduce the risk for food allergies. The Wilderness line includes protein-rich diets designed to mimic the natural evolutionary diet of wild wolves.

Finally, the Freedom line features grain-free diets for dogs in all life stages such as the Blue Buffalo Freedom Large Breed Puppy Recipe. This recipe features deboned chicken as the main ingredient with no by-products and no corn, wheat, or soy ingredients.

It is rich in protein to support your puppy’s lean muscle growth and is fortified with essential fatty acids for healthy skin and coat as well as brain and eye development.

This formula contains a precise blend of calcium and phosphorus, plus it is fortified with LifeSource Bits, a proprietary blend of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to ensure complete and balanced nutrition for a long and healthy life.

---

5. Fromm Gold Holistic Large Breed Puppy Recipe

The Fromm brand of pet food is a fifth-generation, family-owned operation known for producing artisanal pet food products. Fromm has been an innovator in the premium pet food industry for decades and their products are hard to beat when it comes to quality.

Fromm Family Foods offers three different products lines for dogs – Classic, Gold, and Four-Star. The Classic line only includes two recipes – one for adult dogs and one for mature adults. The Four-Star line includes an assortment of recipes designed specifically for a rotational diet.

The Gold line includes a dozen holistic dry food recipes for puppies, adults, and senior dogs, including size-specific formula. For large-breed puppies in particular, Fromm offers two options – the Fromm Gold Holistic Large Breed Puppy Recipe and the Fromm Heartland Gold Large Breed Recipe.

Both of these recipes are intended for puppies who will grow to more than 50 pounds and they are made with premium proteins like beef, pork, duck and chicken. Both recipes contain 26% protein and 14% fat, plus they are fortified with probiotics for digestive support.

---