Boxers have been described as “clownish” and “the best antidepressant on the market” because they are energetic, affectionate and can brighten the mood in any room, that is until they start destroying the furniture.
Boxers have a cult following of owners who can not get enough of the energetic balls of fur. As such, they are very picky about what they feed their boxers.
The dog foods featured here are considered the best dog food for boxers because they contain the healthy proteins, fats, fruits, and vegetables that boxers need to sustain a healthy lifestyle.
Unlike low-quality dog food products, these products contain zero filler and animal byproduct so you can be sure your boxer is eating nothing but what his body needs to remain healthy and happy.
Whichever dog food you decide is right for your boxer be sure to buy a mop and a broom; boxers are infamously messy eaters, and they drool a lot.
Boxers need a lot of attention, but boxer owners would agree that rescuing one is well worth the cost of a little furniture repair.
Fast Facts
The breed that would become the modern boxer (Molosser) originated in Assyria more than 2000 years ago where they were used as guard dogs and as war dogs in battle. Another breed derived from the molosser is the terrior, a cousin of the boxer.
The Molosser category of dog breed became popular in Germany around the sixteenth century for its strength and agility. The boxer as it is known today was bred from the Bullenbeisser, a now extinct breed of German bulldog.
Because the Bullenbeisser is an extinct breed, the genetic code for the boxer is extinct as well.
Boxers make great guard dogs because they are so affectionate toward their family but also because of their imposing, muscular demeanor, speed, agility, and intimidating bark.
The name “boxer” is derived from a playful characteristic of the breed. When boxers play, they tend to rear onto their hind legs and bat at other dogs, similar to a boxer.
The boxer breed has a higher-than-average IQ for a dog and has won Best in Show at the Westminster Dog Show four times, proving the breed to be one of the world's most intelligent and athletic breeds.
Boxers are an affectionate, excitable breed and they love human attention. They are incredibly friendly toward people and, with a little training, make excellent service dogs.
The affectionate nature of the boxer makes them a fantastic breed for families with young children. Just like children, boxers are known to be sloppy eaters and drool. They even have one of the longest tongues of any dog breed, which also makes them excessive droolers.
Ollie is a brand of pet food that uses high-quality, human-grade ingredients to create nutritious and delicious meals for dogs. One of their popular flavors is the beef dish with sweet potatoes, which is made with real beef as the main protein source.
Unlike many commercial dog foods that use low-quality meat byproducts, this one is made with whole cuts of beef meat that are slow-cooked to retain as much of the natural nutrients and flavor as possible. The recipe also includes a blend of vegetables and fruits for added vitamins and minerals, as well as salmon oil for a healthy coat.
One of the benefits of feeding your pooch this meal is that it is highly digestible and easy on the stomach. It is also free from common allergens such as corn, wheat, and soy, making it a great choice for dogs with food sensitivities.
Overall, this is a healthy and tasty option for dogs of all sizes and breeds. It provides all of the nutrients that your furry friend needs to stay happy and healthy, while also satisfying their taste buds.
Pros
Exceeds AAFCO quality standards
USFDA registered
Simple packaging (pre-portioned)
All meals are delivered fresh, not frozen, and are kept ice-cold with dry ice
Free delivery
Cons
More expensive than traditional pet food
2. PetPlate Human Grade Grateful Gut Venison Entree
First 5 ingredients:
Ground Venison, Potatoes, Apples, Green Beans, Sweet Potatoes
A grateful gut is exactly what your boxer will taste when it wharfs down a bowl of this scrumptious meal.
This is a premium dog food crafted to support digestive health while providing a balanced, nutrient-dense meal. Made with human-grade venison as the primary protein source, this entrée is ideal for dogs with sensitive stomachs or allergies to common proteins.
The recipe includes a thoughtful blend of wholesome ingredients like butternut squash, kale, and carrots, offering essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber to aid in digestion and boost immunity.
Additionally, this formula incorporates prebiotic fiber and probiotics, supporting a healthy gut microbiome and enhancing nutrient absorption.
Free from artificial preservatives, colors, or fillers, PetPlate ensures each meal is fresh, nutritionally complete, and tasty enough to appeal to even the pickiest eaters.
Carefully portioned and flash-frozen for convenience, this venison entrée is designed for pet parents who want to provide their dogs with a nutritious, easily digestible, and restaurant-quality meal that’s as close to homemade as it gets.
Pros
Grain-free recipe
Seamless delivery system
Human-grade dog food
Zero fillers or additives
Better nutrient absorption
Cons
Finicky eaters are not a fan
3. Lucy Pet Grain-Free Salmon, Pumpkin & Quinoa Formula
First 5 ingredients:
Salmon, Menhaden Fish Meal Dried Chickpeas, Dried Peas, Pea Starch, Canola Oil
Protein: 25.0% min
Fat: 14.0% min
Fiber: 6.0% max
Moisture: 10.0% max
Food Type: Dry
Best for: All Lifestages, Adult
Special Diet: Grain-Free, Gluten Free, No Corn No Wheat No Soy
This is a top-tier, grain-free formula crafted to support optimal health for dogs of all breeds and life stages. It centers around high-quality salmon, providing a rich source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids to promote a healthy coat and skin while supporting brain function and heart health.
Complemented by pumpkin, this formula delivers natural fiber to aid in digestion and help maintain regularity. The inclusion of quinoa, a superfood known for its protein and nutrient content, ensures balanced nutrition and sustained energy.
Enhanced with carefully selected prebiotics and probiotics, this formula nurtures a healthy gut microbiome and supports a strong immune system.
The brand didn’t just stop at protein. They also added nourishing ingredients such as omega fatty acids for healthy coat and skin, calcium for strong bones, zinc for thyroid and immune function, Vitamin E for healthy muscles, and a whole lot more nutrients and minerals for a complete and balanced diet.
Free from corn, wheat, soy, and artificial preservatives, it’s a clean, nutritious choice designed to meet the needs of sensitive dogs while delivering a delicious, balanced meal.
Ideal for pet parents seeking high-quality, responsibly sourced ingredients, this wonderful blend provides a well-rounded, nourishing diet for a happy, healthy dog.
Pros
Has a special prebiotic blend
High-quality animal proteins
Zero corn, wheat, soy, poultry by-product
Contains nourishing omega fatty acids
Cons
A bit pricey
4. CANIDAE All Life Stages Real Chicken & Ancient Grains Recipe
This vet-formulated diet is designed to meet the nutritional needs of dogs at every stage of life, from puppies to seniors.
It features real chicken as the primary ingredient, providing high-quality protein to support strong muscles and healthy growth.
The inclusion of ancient grains like barley, brown rice, and sorghum adds a nutritious blend of fiber, vitamins, and minerals for sustained energy and digestive support.
Developed with CANIDAE's HealthPLUS blend of probiotics, antioxidants, and omega fatty acids, each bite promotes a healthy immune system, shiny coat, and balanced digestion.
This multi-dog formula is ideal for households with dogs of various ages, allowing pet parents to feed all their dogs from one nutrient-packed, convenient recipe.
Free from corn, wheat, and soy, and made without artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives, it provides a wholesome, delicious meal that dogs love and that owners can trust.
Pros
Made in USA
With glucosamine and chondroitin
Rich in antioxidants for overall health
With taurine for better heart health
Loaded with Omegas for pretty fur & skin
Cons
Has Peas (may trigger sensitive dogs)
5. Freshpet Vital Benefits Joint Health & Mobility Fresh Food
This product is crafted to provide targeted nutrition for dogs needing joint support and improved mobility.
Made with fresh, high-quality chicken as the primary ingredient, this refrigerated dog food offers a natural source of lean protein to support muscle maintenance and overall health.
To enhance joint function, it includes glucosamine and chondroitin, two essential compounds known for promoting cartilage health and easing joint discomfort, making it ideal for active, aging, or larger dogs with higher joint demands.
Additionally, this formula features antioxidant-rich spinach and cranberries to boost immune support and combat inflammation.
With gently cooked, whole ingredients and no artificial preservatives, fillers, or by-products, this dog food delivers fresh, balanced nutrition that’s easy to digest and appealing to picky eaters.
Each batch is minimally processed to retain nutrient quality, providing pet parents with a convenient, wholesome option that contributes to a happier, more mobile life for their dogs.
Pros
A non-GMO fresh food
Protein-rich and tasty
Gently cooked using natural ingredients
Anti-oxidant and Omega rich formula
Cons
A bit pricey
6. The Pets Table Freshly-Made Human-Grade Beef Stew
First 5 ingredients:
Beef, Chickpeas, Eggs, Green Beans, Sweet Potatoes
Protein: 13.0% min
Fat: 10.0% min
Fiber: .75% max
Moisture: 72.0% max
Food Type: Fresh Food, Frozen
Best for: All Lifestages, All Breeds
Special Diet: Human-Grade, Grain-Free, No Corn No Wheat No Soy
This is a premium, wholesome meal designed to deliver balanced nutrition in a form as tasty as it is nutritious. Crafted with human-grade beef as the primary ingredient, this stew provides a high-quality source of protein to support muscle health and energy levels.
The recipe also includes an array of nutrient-dense vegetables like carrots, green beans, and sweet potatoes, delivering essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants for immune health, digestion, and a radiant coat.
Each ingredient is carefully selected, minimally processed, and gently cooked to retain its natural flavors and nutritional integrity, then frozen for convenience and freshness.
Free from fillers, artificial additives, and by-products, this beef stew is designed to appeal to the taste buds of even the pickiest dogs, while offering complete and balanced nutrition for all life stages.
Ideal for pet parents looking to provide their dog with a meal that meets the highest standards in pet food quality, this beef stew is a convenient, restaurant-quality option that supports your dog’s health and happiness.
Your boxer will thrive with this dry kibble as the source of its diet. It is the healthy choice for Boxer owners. The nutrient-rich recipe contains zero grains and no artificial colors or preservatives.
This is packed with chicken, duck, salmon, apples, spinach, blueberries and pumpkin, everything their body needs to sustain a healthy development.
It also contains “life-source-bits” that consist of vitamins and minerals that support healthy muscle development, strong bones and teeth and a healthy coat.
High-quality protein promotes strong muscles and high-energy while calcium, phosphorus, and essential vitamins ensure your boxers teeth and bones remain healthy for the extent of their life.
Most of their product lines have meat or meat meal as top ingredients. As a natural recipe, this is very crucial Our pets need healthy names animal proteins.
The #1 ingredient of this dog food variety is Salmon. It is an excellent source of protein and omega rich fatty acids. The next ingredient is garbanzo bean (aka chickpeas), these are also excellent source of carbohydrates. These beans are naturally rich in dietary fiber and protein.
It also contains pumpkin and sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are common gluten free source of carbohydrates in pet foods. Furthermore, it is also a wonderful source for beta carotene which is beneficiary for your canine companion.
Then we have the pumpkin. Like the sweet potato, it is also a nice source of carbohydrates, fiber and other essential minerals.
Also this brand is affordable compared to others in the market today. This is a big deciding factors for pet owners.
Pros
Contains antioxidants, vitamins and trace nutrients.
Contains no corn, wheat, soy or artificial colors, flavors or preservatives
This freeze-dried food is formulated with 88% high-quality pork, 10% nutrient-rich vegetables, and 2% essential supplements, delivering a balanced meal that supports your dog’s overall well-being.
Made from whole muscle cuts of pork, free from hormones and antibiotics, this food offers a premium, highly digestible protein source to help maintain strong muscles, optimal energy levels, and healthy joints.
The inclusion of organic, root-vegetable-free, non-GMO produce provides natural fiber, phytonutrients, and antioxidants to support digestive health and promote a balanced gut microbiome.
Each ingredient is selected with care to ensure it meets rigorous standards for quality and nutrition, and there are no synthetic additives, making this food as natural as possible.
Designed for convenience, these freeze-dried Pork Sliders are perfect for traveling, as a tasty treat, or as a nutritious addition to your dog’s regular diet.
Just add water to rehydrate, and it’s ready to serve as a complete, balanced meal. Made in small batches in the USA, this product is crafted without grains, corn, wheat, soy, or gluten, making it suitable for dogs with sensitivities or specific dietary needs.
A formula that is designed for Boxers over 15 months and delivers the nutrition an adolescent boxer needs more than anything else.
Adolescent boxers are notoriously high-spirited and require a diet that can support their high energy and rapid development.
Boxers are prone to cardiomyopathy which is why this recipe contains taurine, EPA and DHA to support a heart and cellular health and well-developed muscles.
What’s more, this product is engineered with crescent-shaped kibble bits which makes it easier for your boxer to eat and chew. The crescent shape also encourages your boxer to chew, thus discouraging them from chewing your furniture
Pros
Includes Taurine, EPA, and DHA
Supports cellular health
Encourages healthy chewing
Cons
Contains grain & oat filler
Boxer Attributes & Appearance
The boxer breed is easily distinguishable from other dog breeds due to their athletic build. Boxers are sturdy and muscular with a barrel-chest. Boxers are also tall, lithe and have a characteristically adorable face.
Boxers have wrinkles jowls and a snout that occupies half the length of their skull, a feature that enables them to breathe while holding onto prey.
The boxer coat comes in several different colors, including, tan, black, brindle and white.
Interestingly, boxers with a white coat are not considered albino, or to suffer from a genetic defect as in other white coated dogs. Boxers with a white coat are simply white, though they are prone to deafness.
It was historically common to crop and dock a boxer's ears and tail. Thankfully the practice has fallen out of style.
Boxer Caloric Needs
Boxers are very high-spirited. They are excited for most of the waking hours of the day, and as such, they burn a lot of calories.
Four factors contribute to how many calories your boxer needs.
Age & Weight- Younger and lighter boxers, especially puppies, don’t require as much food as older, heavier boxers, but they do require more food per pound. For example, a boxer puppy that weighs 10 pounds requires at least 550 calories to sustain its weight. On the hand, an adult boxer that weighs 55 pounds requires between 1,400 and 1,950 calories per day.
Health & Activity- Boxers that receive a lot of activity burn more calories than sedentary dogs, though boxers are typically far from sedentary.
Boxer Nutritional Needs
If the energy level of a dog breed was measured on a scale of 1-10 boxers would score a 9. Boxers have been described as hyper and, at times, annoying.
That much energy requires a diet that is high in nutritional value and low in filler. Foods that contains ingredients such as peanut hulls, modified corn starch, meat by-products, and artificial ingredients is not only low in nutrition but potentially damaging to the health of your boxer.
To provide your boxer with optimal nutrition avoid dog foods that contain:
Corn and wheat gluten (grain)
Meat and grain meals and by-products.
BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole)
BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene)
Ethoxyquin.
Food Dyes (Blue 2, Red 40, Yellow 5 and 6, 4-MIE)
PG (Propylene Glycol)
Rendered fat.
Starches (potatoes)
Puppies- Boxer puppies are exceptionally cute and affectionate. Boxers, like most breeds, experience growth spurts as puppies and often reach adolescent size before their puppy brains mature.
Adolescent- Adolescent boxers have more energy than there is time to play in a single day. The adolescent stage in the boxer breed begins immediately after the puppy stage (12-18 months), with the adolescent temperament lasting well into the adult stage of development. Fluctuations in body weight characterize the adolescent stage of development in the boxer breed. The body weight fluctuations are due to the high energy and near ceaseless activity of an adolescent boxer which burns calories at a rapid rate. Adolescent boxers need to intake enough calories to offset the rapid rate at which their growing body consumes them. The rule of thumb for how much food your boxer needs is 30-55 calories per pound of body weight.
Adult & Senior- Boxers keep their energetic temperament well into adulthood. In fact, adult boxers are so energetic it is often difficult to distinguish them from your boxers. Adult and senior boxers who receive the proper amount of exercise and activity (2 walks per day + play time) generally require less food than adolescent boxers. Like most older dogs, senior boxers are susceptible to arthritis and benefit from foods that supports bone and joint health.
Boxers and just about every other dog breed need protein, fat, and fiber in their diet. If it can’t be classified as one of those nutritional categories, it shouldn't be in your dog's diet.
The best dog foods for boxers contains ingredients that are rich in fatty proteins and healthy sugars like; muscle protein (no animal byproducts like hooves and tendons) and fresh fruits and veggies, such as:
Green peppers
Blueberries
Raspberries
Carrots
Green Beans
Cantaloupe
Watermelon
Turkey
Chicken
Beef
Salmon
Tuna
The best foods for the boxer breed mimic what a boxer would eat in the wild, which is living prey. Prey animals consist of 70% water. High-quality food contains a high level of moisture and minimal, to zero grain and filler content.
Boxers, like all dogs, are carnivores. They do not require any starch or complex carbohydrates like grains and wheat.
Unique Needs of Boxers
Boxer dogs, being highly active and muscular breeds, have unique dietary needs that require careful attention. Here are some key points to consider when it comes to the dietary requirements of boxer dogs.
High-quality protein: Protein is essential for maintaining the muscle mass and energy levels of boxers. Look for dog food that has high-quality protein sources such as lean meats (chicken, beef, fish) listed as the main ingredient. Avoid low-quality fillers and by-products.
Adequate calories: Boxers have high energy levels and require a calorie-dense diet to sustain their active lifestyle. Ensure that the dog food you choose provides the right amount of calories based on your boxer's age, weight, and activity level. Avoid overfeeding to prevent weight gain and obesity.
Balanced nutrients: Boxers need a well-balanced diet that includes carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Look for dog food that meets the standards set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) for complete and balanced nutrition.
Joint health support: Boxers are prone to joint issues, such as hip dysplasia, as they age. Look for dog food that contains glucosamine and chondroitin, which are known to support joint health and prevent joint problems.
Digestive health: Boxers may have sensitive stomachs, so choose dog food that is easy to digest and does not contain common allergens like soy, corn, or wheat. Consider feeding smaller, frequent meals to prevent bloating, a condition that boxers are susceptible to.
Hydration: Boxers are active dogs and need access to clean, fresh water at all times to stay hydrated, especially during exercise and hot weather.
It’s important not to forget heart health when shopping for kibbles as boxers are prone to cardiomyopathy, which is defined as: “a disease of the heart muscle that makes it harder for your heart to pump blood to the rest of your body. Cardiomyopathy can lead to heart failure.”
Boxers are also prone to certain types of cancers such as mast cell tumors and lymphomas associated with skin tags, mange, and other skin conditions. Low-quality foods that contain processed sugars, grains and preservatives have been linked to cancer in dogs and should be avoided by boxer owners.
Consult with your veterinarian to determine the specific dietary needs of your boxer dog and select a high-quality, balanced dog food that meets those requirements to keep your furry friend healthy and happy.
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An individual with a profound affection for animals, who was brought up in an environment surrounded by dogs, cats, and chickens. A self-taught enthusiast in the realm of pet care. At present, the proud caretaker of two rescued felines and two lovely mixed-breed canines.
