Feeding Your Large Breed Dog: Our Top Food Picks and Tips

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Any responsible dog owner knows that all dog foods are not created equal, but do you need to buy dog food formulated for a specific breed? Not necessarily.

Breed-specific diets lead dog owners to believe that different breeds have disparate nutritional requirements. While there may be some slight differences between large and small breeds, all dogs have the same basic needs for protein, fat, and essential nutrients.

Read on to learn more about the dietary requirements of large dogs and what to look for in a high-quality dog food for large breeds.

Do Large Breed Dogs Have Different Dietary Needs?

A golden retriever doesn’t need a completely different diet than a German shepherd because they’re both large, active breeds with similar health concerns. If you instead take a closer look at the ideal diet for a golden retriever versus that of a Yorkshire terrier, however, the differences are more noticeable.

According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, an adult dog’s minimum protein and fat requirements are 18% and 5%, respectively. Generally speaking, higher protein content is good for dogs to build and sustain lean muscle mass, while more fat means more calories, which are used as energy.

Biologically speaking, large breeds have slower metabolisms than smaller breeds. The average adult dog needs about 30 calories per pound of body weight per day while small breeds may need as many as 40 calories per pound; some large breeds may use as little as 20 calories per pound. Your dog’s activity level certainly comes into play, but this is the biggest difference in large versus small dog nutrition.

In addition to requiring fewer calories than smaller dogs, large breeds have a higher risk for certain health problems, including bone and joint issues, obesity, and bloat.

Though a large-breed adult dog may do just fine on an all-breed formula, a size-specific recipe is best for puppies. These formulas meet the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) guidelines for calcium and phosphorus, nutrients that need to be controlled in large breeds to prevent bone and joint issues later in life. They also tend to have higher protein content for muscle development and lower amounts of fat and calories to prevent rapid growth.

What About Grain-Free and BEG Diets?

In July 2018, the FDA began investigating reports of a link between canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and certain pet foods containing lentils, peas, legumes, and potatoes as main ingredients.

This investigation sparked a panic in the pet community, leading to a great deal of confusion and misinformation about foods from boutique companies, containing exotic ingredients, and/or billed as grain-free. Lisa M. Freeman, DVM, Ph.D., DACVN refers to these collectively as BEG diets.

In February 2019, and then again in June 2019, the FDA released an update summarizing the results of an in-depth study of these reports. Here are some of the results of that study:

A total of 524 reports of DCM were reported, the majority of which were reported after the notification of the FDA’s investigation.
The reports spanned a wide range of breeds, not only large and giant breeds that are known to have a genetic predisposition to DCM. (It also included a handful of cats.)
In cases where dogs ate a single primary diet, 90% of cases were fed a grain-free diet, and a large proportion contained peas and/or lentils as main ingredients.

Though the FDA has yet to issue an official statement regarding the safety of grain-free diets for dogs, pet experts like Freeman suggest that “the apparent link between BEG diets and DCM may be due to ingredients used to replace grains in grain-free diets but may also be due to other common ingredients such as exotic meats, vegetables, and fruits.”

However, just because grain-free diets are getting a second look these days, doesn’t mean that all diets touted as grain-free are 100% bad. Your dog might have sensitivities or preferences that make a formula that excludes grains appealing. Consult with your vet if you prefer to feed grain-free to ensure your dog is receiving a safely balanced diet.

What to Look for in a Food for Large-Breed Dogs

Dog food for large breeds tend to be lower in calories than diets for small-breed dogs but should still provide for your dog’s basic needs for protein, fat, and essential nutrients.

Here are some things to look for in a good quality large-breed dog food:

Made from whole-food ingredients without fillers, byproducts, or artificial additives
Rich in lean protein, ideally from animal sources like meat, poultry, and fish
Low to moderate fat content, depending on the dog’s activity level
Glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health, with controlled levels of calcium and phosphorus
Larger kibble size to control portions, reducing the dog’s risk of bloat

The Best Dog Food for Large Breeds

As a general rule, you should consult your veterinarian and not the internet for concerns regarding your dog’s health and nutrition. It doesn’t hurt to stay up to date on changes in the pet food industry, however, and to keep in mind the unique dietary requirements of your large-breed dog.

Here are our top picks for the best dog food for large breeds; we’ve included a few grain-free options in our list as well:

Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula for Large-Breed Puppies

This protein-rich recipe is supplemented with antioxidant-rich ingredients that include DHA (docosahexaenoic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid) and other omegas, vitamins, and minerals to support brain development and healthy skin and coat.

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Holistic Select Large- and Giant-Breed Puppy Food

Formulated for puppies that will grow to more than 50 pounds, this recipe contains optimal levels of protein and fat for healthy growth and development without going overboard on calories.

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Nutro Ultra Dry Food for Large-Breed Puppies

This “superfood” formula packs in a trio of proteins: chicken (the first ingredient), lamb, and salmon, along with nutrients such as glucosamine and chondroitin, sunflower oil, taurine and more, to ensure complete and balanced nutrition for your puppy.

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Merrick Backcountry Raw Infused Large-Breed Adult Recipe

A rich blend of high-protein kibble and freeze-dried raw pieces of real chicken, this recipe is formulated to help your large-breed dog maintain lean muscle while also meeting their energy needs.

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American Journey Large-Breed Dog Food

A high-protein diet is the key to helping your large-breed dog maintain lean mass and a healthy body weight. This salmon and brown rice combo has it in spades while still keeping fat and calories limited.

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Holistic Select Large- and Giant-Breed Dry Food

Large and giant breeds have unique requirements for protein, calories, and joint-supporting nutrients. This holistic, natural chicken and oatmeal recipe provides for those needs, with ingredients including pumpkin, papaya, and probiotics for digestive health and glucosamine for healthy hips and joints.

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Blackwood Whitefish Meal and Oatmeal Large-Breed Adult Food

Slow cooked in small batches to ensure optimal nutrition and maximum flavor, this recipe for large-breed dogs features whitefish, duck, and whole grains in a highly digestible meal that’s fortified with probiotics and leaves out fillers like corn, wheat, and soy.

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Adirondack Large-Breed Adult Dog Recipe

A premium-quality, all-natural food formulated for large-breed adult dogs, this recipe offers 23% protein for lean muscle maintenance with limited fat and calories to support a healthy body weight for your dog.

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Nutro Large-Breed Lamb and Rice Recipe

Lamb is the main ingredient in this recipe; Nutro touts a “feed clean” philosophy and uses non-GMO ingredients in all of its nutrient-rich mixtures.

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Now Fresh Grain-Free Large-Breed Senior Recipe

Designed to support healthy weight management in senior large-breed dogs, this recipe features a protein-rich blend of turkey, salmon, and duck with fresh fruits and vegetables.

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Wellness Complete Health Chicken and Barley Senior Recipe

Formulated to support your large-breed dog’s digestion, skin and coat health, and hip and joint function during his senior years, this chicken and barley recipe blends lean protein and whole-grain carbohydrates, including fibrous and nutritious apples, spinach, blueberries, and carrots in the mix.

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Talk to Your Vet Before Choosing Any New Food for Your Dog

We’ve selected some great dog food options for your large-breed dog. But before introducing any new foods into your dog’s diet, we suggest consulting with your vet. Your veterinarian can help you understand any health issues your dog may be experiencing, and can recommend dog food that’s going to best support their specific health needs.