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Who doesn’t love puppies, right? They’re cute, bouncy, and cuddly, and they love to eat. There’s nothing more satisfying than watching your pup bounce over to their food bowl with a grin on their face, ready to chow down on the delicious…wait a minute…you bought the discount brand, didn’t you?
When it comes to puppy food, quality really does matter. The formative years in a dog’s life are important when it comes to proper nutrition and getting your doggo the best food can make things a lot easier down the line. You’ll be able to avoid certain complications that arise from a poor diet if you’re careful about which brands you support.
In this guide, we’ll talk about the 14 best dog foods for puppies, including information on pricing, availability, ingredients, and more. Your best friend loves you unconditionally—show them you feel the same with the best dog food for their growing bodies!
What Puppies Need
Puppies are much like human children in that they need high-quality, nutrient-dense foods in order to support optimal growth and development. Puppies are highly active and use up a lot of energy, so you’ll need food that can replenish that energy in a clean and efficient way. That’s where buying the best comes in. The best dog foods don’t contain fillers or harmful ingredients like MSG, which can potentially stunt your puppy’s growth or cause further health complications later on.
Things To Stay Away From
Many cheaper dog foods use something called “meat meal”. It’s also called “meat protein” in some cases. What is it? Simply put, it’s the scraps from the slaughterhouse. This sounds gross, and it is—especially because there’s no way of knowing what’s actually in it. Such scraps don’t offer optimal nutritional value, especially to puppies, so avoid this ingredient at all costs! You’ll also want to avoid things like corn syrup, MSG, and other fillers, artificial flavors, or colors. You want your pup to grow up to be a full-sized best friend, so give them the best!
The Best Dog Food Brands For Puppies
The market might be loaded with thousands of choices, but we’ve narrowed it down to just 14 for this guide. You’ll find everything from price to ingredients to availability on this list, and we’ve brought you nothing but the best for those pups. Here are the best 14 dog foods for puppies.
1. Pupper Beef Blend
Ingredients: When you need the best possible wholesome ingredients in a tasty, effective blend, you need Pupper’s beef blend. Filled with high-quality ingredients like beef heart, premium beef, and more, it’s a great buy for puppies of all sizes.
Price/Where To Buy: Pupper’s premium dog food is available at www.pawandbone.com. A 1-lb bag costs just $59.99.
The Difference: What makes Pupper so special? Aside from the fact that the brand loves its pets, it’s also committed to providing high-quality ingredients in every one of its pet products. Our pets deserve the best, so why not give them Pupper?
2. Pupper Chicken Blend
Ingredients: You didn’t think Pupper was done, did you? The brand also offers a tasty, potent chicken blend that’s great for dogs of all ages, sizes, and breeds. This blend contains premium chicken and is loaded with the right vitamins and nutrients to keep your pup healthy through adulthood.
Price/Where To Buy: This product is available at www.pawandbone.com, and a 1-lb. bag costs just $59.99.
The Difference: Pupper is made by people who care about pets, and we’re pretty sure that makes a huge difference in not only the ingredients, but the quality of service you’ll get from the brand as well.
3. American Journey Active Life Chicken and Brown Rice Puppy Recipe
Ingredients: Puppies lead pretty active lives and need lots of energy to keep up. With this premium blend from American Journey, your puppy will have all the energy it needs to run, jump, and be adorable. Loaded with premium ingredients like deboned chicken, fish oil, and brown rice, it’s great for all breeds.
Price/Where To Buy: This product is available from Chewy.com. A 28-lb. bag costs $39.99. This item is currently out of stock on Chewy, but you can find it on other pet outlet sites.
The Difference: American Journey is American-made, premium dog food crafted from only the highest-quality ingredients for dogs of all ages.
4. Merrick Grain-Free Puppy Dry Food
Ingredients: Merrick is a name you can trust when it comes to dog food, and this premium dry food puppy blend is a testament to that. The blend is formulated with wholesome ingredients like real chicken, sweet potato, and all the vitamins and minerals your pupper needs to keep up.
Price/Where To Buy: This product is available from Petco and other retail outlets. You can get it online for $59.99 for a 22-lb. bag.
The Difference: Merrick is a brand that’s been serving dog owners for years and is trusted across the country for its commitment to quality and love for pets of all shapes and sizes.
5. Evolve Classic Deboned Chicken Puppy Recipe Dry Dog Food
Ingredients: A grain-free diet can help your puppy grow up strong and healthy, but you need premium ingredients like whole vegetables and high-quality meats to make up the difference. That’s where Evolve’s classic deboned chicken puppy recipe comes in, with premium chicken, sweet potatoes, and berries.
Price/Where To Buy: This blend is available from Chewy.com, and is not eligible for free shipping. A 14-lb. bag costs about $26.
The Difference: Evolve is a brand dedicated to helping dogs grow up happy and healthy with premium grain-free options like this tasty chicken blend. Your puppy will love it, and your wallet will, too.
6. Solid Gold Wolf Pup Blend
Ingredients: Your pup is descended from the mighty wolves of the wilderness, so why not feed the pup like one? This ancestral blend contains bison, oatmeal, and pearled barley for maximum holistic health and a diet that’s as close to natural as possible. Let your pup unleash their inner wolf with this holistic blend.
Price/Where To Buy: Solid Gold’s wolf pup blend is available on Chewy.com for $59 + free shipping. You’ll get either a 4-lb. or 24-lb. bag. The 4-lb. bag is just $19.99.
The Difference: When it comes to diet, dogs need natural, ancestral blends that mimic the nutrient-dense foods their wolf ancestors would have consumed. Solid Gold aims to mimic that as closely as possible for a happy, healthy, wild pup.
7. Holistic Select Grain Free Puppy Food Blend (For Large And Giant Breeds)
Ingredients: If you’re a St. Bernard owner, you already know you’re in for some unique health challenges with your pup—not to mention the cost of feeding such a huge animal! But don’t worry, because Holistic Select understands the concern and is here with this grain-free puppy food for giant breeds. Featuring premium lamb and chicken, probiotics, and natural fiber for optimal digestion.
Price/Where To Buy: A 24-lb. is available on Chewy.com for just $62, and anything over $50 qualifies for free shipping with Chewy.
The Difference: Large breeds require special care, and Holistic Select wants to make sure your puppy makes it to adulthood happy and healthy with premium blend dog foods for larger breeds.
8. Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost Puppy Blend
Ingredients: Raw Boost is a premium blend with high-protein kibble and real, raw, freeze-dried meat ingredients to lock in nutrients and keep your puppy growing healthily. You’ll find all of the nutrients you need, with a raw taste puppies love.
Price/Where To Buy: You can purchase a bag of Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost Puppy Blend for $39.99 on Chewy.com. You can buy either a 4-lb. or 10-lb. bag.
The Difference: Nature’s Variety blends premium ingredients with a commitment to pet health and making a difference in the pet food industry. It’s safe to say we can all get behind a cause like that!
9. Fromm Gold Puppy Dry Food
Ingredients: What are you feeding your puppy? If it’s not Fromm Gold, you’re making a serious mistake. This premium blend contains delicious ingredients like chicken, barley, and fish that your pupper will love. It’s loaded with vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to help him or her grow into a healthy adult.
Price/Where To Buy: You can buy this premium puppy food blend for just $56 for a 33-lb. bag, making it one of the more affordable options on this list. You can find it on petflow.com.
The Difference: With premium ingredients and a low-price tag, this is your best option for budget-friendly, high-quality puppy food you can trust.
10. Earthborn Holistic Vantage Puppy Food
Ingredients: Puppy Vantage is aimed at creating healthy, happy puppies without breaking the bank. Each bag contains premium ingredients like chicken, apples, carrots, fish oil, and more, for all-around health that you can see. Your puppy will love the taste, too.
Price/Where To Buy: You can get a 28-lb. bag of this great dog food on Chewy.com for just $51. Since this item falls in the greater than $50 range, you’ll get free shipping, too.
The Difference: Earthborn takes a more natural approach to puppy food, mimicking the natural diet that your puppy’s ancestors likely had in the wild. That makes for happy, healthier puppies, and a healthy wallet for the humans.
11. Black Gold Explorer Dog Food Puppy Formula
Ingredients: Black Gold brings you this premium puppy formula with chicken, premium brown rice, oatmeal, sweet potato, and more. It’s designed to give puppies everything they need to grow up big and strong, and to bring you peace of mind as a pet owner.
Price/Where To Buy: This product is available on Amazon with free Prime shipping. A 40-lb. bag only costs about $70, and with free shipping from Prime, this is a great value.
The Difference: Black Gold’s premium puppy blend gives your puppy everything it needs to reach old age with healthy joints, digestive tract, coat, and teeth. It tastes great, too, but don’t try it—your puppy might get jealous!
12. Go! Solutions Turkey and Duck Puppy Recipe
Ingredients: Go! Solutions wants to keep your puppy healthy and on-the-move with this premium turkey and duck recipe. Featuring delicious and sustainable 100% fresh duck and turkey meat, your puppy will love the taste, and you’ll love the noticeable improvement in their health.
Price/Where To Buy: You can buy this product on Chewy.com, with free shipping. A 22-lb. is about $61.
The Difference: Go! Solutions creates premium dog foods for all breeds and ages, and this is one of the best options out there for puppy food made with fresh meat. It makes a huge difference and taste and quality when the meat is fresh!
13. Joy Dry Puppy Food
Ingredients: Puppies love premium dog food because it tastes better! You love it, too, because you know your puppy is getting high-quality nutrients and you’re getting your money’s worth. Joy offers a premium puppy blend with chicken and important vitamins and minerals.
Price/Where To Buy: This product is available on Chewy.com. You can get a 35-lb. bag for about $60, and it qualifies for free shipping!
The Difference: Joy wants to bring joy into your puppy’s life with this premium, natural dry food blend. It contains everything your dog needs to grow into a full-sized pup that you’ll love for years to come.
14. Wellness CORE Grain-Free Puppy Food
Ingredients: This 100% grain-free, DHA-rich premium puppy food blend will help your puppy’s entire body grow naturally and healthily, addressing everything from dental to digestive health and beyond. This premium blend comes from a brand you know you can trust, with thousands of good reviews from millions of happy customers.
Price/Where To Buy: You can buy this product on Amazon with free Prime shipping. A 26-lb. bag comes in at just $67.99 on Amazon.
The Difference: Wellness CORE series is designed to provide dogs of all sizes, breeds, and needs with core nutrition. Using only premium ingredients, you’ll notice a huge difference in your dog’s health and how much you’re spending on food.
