Best Food For German Shepherd Puppy

Puppies need a specific formula of food to meet their nutritional requirements. The best for German Shepherd puppy means allowing your pet to grow into a healthy young adult.

This detail means taking care of your pet on every level, including feeding it the best dog food for a German Shepherd puppy.

Take care of your puppy from a nutrition aspect, love, nurture it with companionship, and give it the exercise and training necessary for complete health.

Browse through the five best foods for German Shepherd puppies in our mini product reviews for nutritious meals.

Look through the FAQs section for more nutritional information to start your pet off on the best foot. For example, discover whether raw foods are beneficial and how much to feed your puppy during its growth phases.

Best Overall: ACANA Feast Formula

When you’re particular about what you feed your pet, ACANA is the best dog food for a German Shepherd puppy.

ACANA provides a complete list of puppy food ingredients so you know that you’re making an excellent choice for your pet’s health.

ACANA comes up as the best overall winner in this mini-review due to its quality. It also provides the best dry food for German Shepherd puppy because of all the delicious flavors available.

Package sizes also ensure that you can cater to your pet’s tastebuds by allowing your pup to test various flavors in small 4.5 oz. sizes.

In this way, you can quickly discover what is the best food for my German Shepherd puppy.

SPECS

• Size: 4.5 oz., 12 oz., 13 lbs., 25 lbs.
• Flavor: Duck, Fruits & Berries, Pumpkin, Turkey, Veggie
• Dry/Wet: Dry Food

PROS

• Contains real meat for poultry-loving puppies, including duck and turkey.
• Natural vegetable and fruit formulas ensure great taste and nutrition.
• The food is fresh despite being in a dry form.
• ACANA ensures a high protein diet in every packet of the best dog food for a German Shepherd puppy.
• ACANA uses fresh, refrigerated animal and vegetable products in its formulas and raw meats from trusted local suppliers.
• All products that go into making ACANA are devoid of GMOs, hormones, or antibiotics.
• Raw meat products are also whole meats that include muscle, organs, cartilage, and others so that your carnivorous pet receives a wholesome diet.
• Only natural products go into making ACANA, which helps prevents disease. No synthetic foodstuff is in this manufacturer’s best food for puppy German Shepherd.
• You won’t find any filler products to clog your pup’s digestive system, such as gluten, potatoes, or grains.
• ACANA makes one of the best products in the U.S. for any pets that are sensitive or prone to developing allergies, which makes this product the best for puppy German Shepherds.
• ACANA food comes from its kitchens in Kentucky, which were built to produce only the highest-quality food for cats and dogs.
• This product is suitable for all dog breeds and all dog sizes.

CONS

• The one drawback of this ACANA product is that it is only available in poultry flavors.
• This product is quite expensive because it has no fillers or additives that can cause harm to pets with sensitive digestive systems.

Runner Up: ACANA Premium Chunks

You can ask yourself, “what is the best food for my German Shepherd puppy” and the answer is probably raw food.

But most pet owners don’t want to be bothered with the best raw food for German Shepherd puppy because it is not always convenient.

The next best option is to feed wet food to your pet. In fact, a combination of dry and wet food is palatable.

It gives your puppy the chance to savor different food types. Wet food is also good for your pet’s digestive system.

However, when feeding your pet any new food, introduce this slowly to their diet as new foods can have an adverse effect on their digestive systems.

Fortunately, ACANA also makes the best food for German Shepherd puppies–including all-natural wet food.

SPECS

• Size: 12.8 oz. for a container of 12 cans.
• Flavor: Duck, Fish, Liver, Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, Turkey, Veggie
• Dry/Wet: Wet Food

PROS

• The ACANA Premium Chunks Duck Recipe in Bone Broth is delicious and contains 85% of fresh animal products. This best wet food for German Shepherd puppies consists of salmon, turkey liver, duck meat, duck broth, and turkey bone broth.
• Because the whole bird and fish go into making the best puppy food for the German Shepherd, you can confidently feed this product to your growing pet.
• A selection of fresh vegetables that are rich in fiber adds to the health of your pet’s digestion. The fruits and berries in ACANA’s duck and bone broth wet food recipe include blueberries, carrots, cranberries, spinach, pumpkin, and fresh potatoes.
• When you need nutritious food for your growing pet, the best puppy food for the German Shepherd contains 8% crude protein, a minimum of 4% crude fat, 1% crude fiber, and a maximum of 82% moisture. This balance ensures your puppy receives all its dietary requirements in every serving.
• This best puppy food for German Shepherds is suitable for dogs in all life stages, which is an excellent indication of how natural and nutritious this food truly is.
• Also, like ACANA’s dry food, this wet food is free of unhealthy filler grains and gluten. There is also no corn, soy, or wheat in this wholesome wet food.

CONS

• Unfortunately, you won’t find any animal meat in ACANA products such as beef, mutton, or lamb, but the natural poultry, fish, and vegetables make up for this drawback.
• This product is quite pricey but worth every mouthful, especially if it means you get to feed your pet with the best puppy food for German Shepherds.

Alternative: Against The Grain Pulled Chicken

Another best dog food for a German Shepherd puppy regarding wet food is this first alternative on our buying guide list.

ACANA excels in making all-natural (up to 85%) wet and dry foods. In addition, the company maintains high-level regulations and quality checks in the making of its pet foods.

Against The Grain Hand Pulled, Chicken Dog Food is the best food for German Shepherd puppy due to the delicate balance between protein, fat, and fiber.

In addition, German Shepherd dogs typically have sensitive digestive systems and skins, so feeding them natural wet food without chemical additives ensures their health.

SPECS

• Size: 13 oz. case of 12 cans.
• Flavor: Chicken, Sweet Potato
• Dry/Wet: Wet Food

PROS

• The best puppy food for German Shepherd is nutritious and provides variety. This first alternative on the list does not disappoint, so be sure to mix your German Shepherd puppy food with other products here to cater to its need for diverse food flavors.
• This wet, canned food is full of vitamins and minerals from fresh farm products that include peas, carrots, apples, sweet potatoes, and hand-pulled chicken. The chicken that goes into this best food for the German Shepherd puppy mix is suitable for human consumption, so you know you’re giving your pet the highest possible quality food.
• Against The Grain makes this food for pets in all stages of life growth, which is another positive indicator that it is the best dog food for a German Shepherd Puppy.
• Again, pet owners can be comfortable knowing that this brand does not comprise unnecessary fillers like corn, grains, wheat, or soy and minimum protein.
• All products are natural up to 85%, ensuring an ideal distribution of whole poultry protein (10%), fats (2%), fiber (1.5%), and moisture (82%).
• A long list of healthy ingredients includes olive oil, zinc proteinate, taurine, folic acid, peas, apples, sweet potatoes, chicken broth, and numerous others to make delicious wet food, which is also nutritious.

CONS

• Depending on your German Shepherd puppy’s weight, it can become quite expensive to feed this to it every day as you need at least a half or three-quarters of the can for a puppy that weighs 10 pounds.
• This food only stays fresh for 36 hours in the refrigerator after opening, so be sure to feed all of it to your puppy to avoid wastage.

Alternative: ACANA Freeze-Dried Food

The second alternative in this buying guide covers the pros and cons of the best dry food for German Shepherd puppy.

When you’re in a hurry, this dry food option is easy to measure and serve to satisfy your pet’s appetite and dietary needs until the next meal.

If you want to know the best food for my German Shepherd puppy, this is an excellent alternative to its current food.

If you don’t have a purebred GSD, consider this among the best puppy food for German Shepherd mix.

ACANA makes natural pet foods ideal for sensitive animals like the GSD, so add this one to your following shopping list.

SPECS

• Size: 8 oz Morsels, 14 oz Patties
• Flavor: Chicken, Fish, Fruits & Berries, Liver, Pumpkin, Seafood, Veggie
• Dry/Wet: Dry Food

PROS

• This best food for German Shepherd puppy is available in patties and morsels to switch up the texture experience for your pet.
• When you provide your pet with the best puppy food for German Shepherd from ACANA, you know that you’re giving it 83% of whole chicken protein. This protein includes chicken liver, heart, and bone broth for extra calcium for growing dogs.
• Additionally, your pet gets to savor up to 7% of wild salmon, increasing its intake of healthy omega-three fatty acids. Omega-three fatty acids are excellent for skin, coat, and brain health.
• Ultimately, your pet is eating 90% of animal proteins which is an excellent dietary choice to cover all its nutritional requirements.
• Besides 90% of animal protein and fat, your pet will be eating a fiber-rich diet that comprises vegetables and berries such as kelp, organically grown pears, pumpkin, and more, which contributes to healthy digestion.
• Freeze-drying also means that you can conveniently provide raw food for German Shepherd puppy, which is also hassle-free.
• Add water to this freeze-dried food, and you have the best food for German Shepherd puppies, allowing your dog’s health to thrive.
• Another way of using this food is to sprinkle it over other pet foods, which is one more benefit of this third alternative in our buying guide.

CONS

• There are no customer complaints about this pet food, making it difficult to list any cons. If there are any disadvantages to this raw food for German Shepherd puppy, they may be related to individual animals that don’t like the freeze-dried version.
• Another possible con here is that the food is quite costly for small packages. But then again, quality does come at a price, and most GSD lovers won’t hesitate to purchase if they realize it is for their pet’s health. 

Alternative: ACANA Rescue Care

Another excellent alternative to the best dry food for German Shepherd puppy is this Rescue Care, Free-Run Poultry, Liver, and Whole Oats recipe.

All the products from ACANA are natural, so you cannot go wrong with this product when searching for the best food for puppy German Shepherd.

Add this product to your pet’s diet or mix and match all the puppy foods on this list to vary its dietary intake for the best results.

Even if your dog is an adult or in its senior years, this food is suitable for all ages.

You can even try adding the freeze-dried raw food recipe to this one for additional nutrition or flavor.

Alternatively, mix one of the wet foods with this dry food for a diverse diet that captures all the vitamins and minerals your puppy requires.

SPECS

• Size: ACANA Rescue Care, Free-Run Poultry, Liver Whole Oats Recipe Dry Dog Food – 4 lbs. and 22.5 lbs.
• Flavor: Chicken, Fruits & Berries, Liver, Pumpkin, Turkey, Veggie
• Dry/Wet: Dry Food

PROS

• Whether your GSD is purebred or you have a mongrel, this is another of the best puppy foods for a German Shepherd mix.
• If you got your pet from a shelter, they will typically not receive all their dietary requirements from their food. You can change this situation by providing them with transitional dietary food with this ACANA rescue care product. In addition, your new pet will get the benefit of high-quality chicken fit for human consumption. This best food for German Shepherd puppy also contains authentic chicken meal.
• Between the actual chicken and natural vegetables such as green and yellow peas, collard greens, apples, pears, pumpkin, and whole oats, your pet should easily be able to transition from shelter to quality food.
• Another benefit of this food is that it will help your shelter pet to digest its food easier with prebiotics.
• Add whole oats to the mixture, and your pet will have a healthier digestive system in no time.
• The inclusion of omega three and six fatty acids and antioxidants are two other careful considerations in the dietary benefits for your shelter pup’s skin and coat health and immune system.
• Purchase this product, and you are also giving to charity as a percentage of the price goes towards helping other shelter dogs with a free, nutritious meal.

CONS

• Again, it is difficult to come up with cons for an all-natural pet food product. Suffice to say that the product is not cheap, but you wouldn’t expect anything else when all the ingredients are natural and fit for human consumption.
• Perhaps one other possible con is that your pet may prefer the flavor of beef, pork, or mutton at times, but you won’t find those in any of ACANA’s best dog food for a German Shepherd puppy.

Food For German Shepherd Puppy FAQs

What is the best food for my German Shepherd puppy? Of course, any avid dog lover will want to know the answer to this question.

So, besides the mini-reviews above, which answer this question, pet-lovers are curious about other issues such as what else they can feed their puppies.

Other vital questions encompass how much to feed their puppies daily during different growth phases.

Yet other important questions include what raw meats you can give your GSD puppy and what foods are harmful to them.

What German Shepherd puppies eat?

Pet owners will typically go to the store and search for the best food for German Shepherd puppies.

This approach is convenient as all the best dog food for a German Shepherd puppy comes with a list of ingredients.

Vets often create puppy food formulas that the manufacturer then makes and follow essential protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, and mineral content guidelines.

You can feed your puppy store-bought food but ensure it is high-quality to cater to all its growing needs.

The list of the best puppy food for German Shepherd in this buying guide comprises top-quality natural foods.

The more natural the food is that your pet would eat in the wild, the healthier it is for each growth phase.

How much should a German shepherd puppy eat a day?

Every purchase of store-bought or online dog food comes with instructions for how much to feed your pet. How much food you feed your pet and how often depends on its age.

Most ACANA food products provide details of how much food to give your puppy, adult, or senior dog.

These suggestions depend on the weight of your pet and typically look like this:

• Adult: 3/4 to 1 can of wet food daily for every 10 lbs.
• Puppy: Feed your puppy as much as twice that of adults.
• Gestation and Lactation: Give the mother at least three times more wet canned food than you give to adults.

Alternatively, a simpler method for feeding the best puppy food for German Shepherd when in a can is:

• 10 lbs.: 1/2 to 3/4 can daily
• 20 lbs.:3/4 to 1-1/2 cans daily
• 30 lbs.: 1.5 to 2 cans daily

Access the feeding guide for the best dry food for German Shepherd puppy here.

What foods are bad for German shepherds?

All pet owners should do their research before giving their dogs human food. Some people food is acceptable to give your pet.

Then, there are human foods that are dangerous for your puppy. For a list of the best food for my German Shepherd puppy, read about what is suitable and harmful for your pet.

As a very general rule, the best food for German Shepherd puppy is store-bought or purchased online.

However, if you want to go deeper into learning about the best puppy food for German Shepherds, you can also explore raw meats.

But remember too that not all people’s food suitable for adult German Shepherds will necessarily agree with your puppy’s delicate digestive system.

What raw meat is best for German Shepherd?

Some of the best raw meat for your German Shepherd is white meat, present in chicken, turkey, duck, and other waterfowl.

Fish is also a healthy source of protein for your pet, which is why manufacturers frequently include fish in processed foods for pets.

White meat is preferable for your pet these days as you can never be sure of the fat content of red meat, although your pet will probably never say “no” to beef or mutton.

A list of some of the best raw food for German Shepherd puppy consists of:

• Beef liver
• Chicken organs and the necks
• Raw chicken such as the thighs and legs
• Beef bone broth
• Chicken broth

If you want to feed your pet raw meat, then instead opt for store-bought products that have undergone high-pressure pasteurization (HPP). HPP kills all harmful bacteria which cause disease.

This cleaning process also eliminates possible parasites, whether in raw meat, fish, or poultry.

If you decide to feed raw meat to your pet, ensure that it is thoroughly cleaned and sterilized to eradicate the disease.

Conclusion

The best food for a German Shepherd puppy is one that meets all its nutritional requirements.

Another factor in puppy food is to vary its diet to find out which food it prefers.

When choosing the best food for a puppy German Shepherd, always look at high-quality foods with a significant percentage of natural proteins, fats, minerals, and vitamins to ensure healthy growth.

Resources:

• MyHumbleKitchen.com

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Ruth

Ruth Thompson owns four German shepherds, and in the past, she’s worked for animal shelters and specifically felt a connection with the German shepherds that came through those doors. She made it her mission to help every cat and dog get adopted, but she ended up adopting some of those German shepherds for herself, and here she is: ready to teach you everything that you need to know about owning a German shepherd, the ups, the downs, and everything in between. If you’re planning on getting a German shepherd anytime soon, she’s the woman you need to know.