Best Dog Food For Puppies And Adult Goldendoodles

As crossbreed dogs, Goldendoodles have a few special dietary needs you must respect if you want your canine companion to remain happy and healthy.

Take a look at our Goldendoodle food chart or puppy feeding chart, and you’ll see that your dog’s nutritional requirements vary depending on your pet’s life stage.

Read this guide to learn the best dog food for Goldendoodles, including the best wet food for a Goldendoodle puppy and the best affordable food for standard Goldendoodles.

6 Best Dog Foods For Goldendoodles

Now, here are our reviews of the best dog foods for Goldendoodles of all ages!

Best Food For Goldendoodle Puppies

Choosing the proper diet for your Goldendoodle puppy is just as important as picking a great name for the little guy! Goldendoodle puppies need a diet that contains lots of protein to fulfill their energy requirements and support healthy growth.

If your puppy’s diet lacks calcium, that can cause problems with bone development and can result in painful bone spurs.

So, you should check that the puppy food you choose contains the correct phosphorus-to-calcium ratio of approximately 1.2 parts calcium to 1 part phosphorus. That ensures essential good bone health for your pup.

1. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Turkey & Chicken Grain-Free Puppy Food

This excellent high-quality dog food from Blue Wilderness is full of meaty protein, including real chicken and turkey, which Goldendoodle puppies love!

The food contains no grains but nutritious fruits and vegetables, essential vitamins, and minerals to encourage healthy growth. The formula includes DHA, a fatty acid found naturally in your puppy’s mother’s milk and necessary for healthy brain function and eye development.

This food contains only the finest natural ingredients, and there are no artificial preservatives, by-products, or fillers in this puppy food. Your puppy will have a beautiful, shiny coat and healthy skin thanks to the formula’s carefully balanced Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids.

2. Hill’s Science Diet Puppy

Hill’s produces high-quality foods that provide an excellent source of protein for your puppy. In fact, many veterinary practices, including the one I once worked for, recommend Hill’s special diet food brand to many of their clients.

This dry kibble is created especially for small-breed puppies, including Mini Goldendoodles. These can be pricey pups, so you want to offer your canine companion the best food and meat proteins you can find!

The food contains no artificial flavors, colors, by-products, or preservatives and has a meat meal as the first ingredient. Amino acids, vitamins, and minerals are all included to ensure healthy development and support your puppy’s activity levels. There’s also DHA for healthy eye development and brain development.

Best Food For Adult Goldendoodles

3. happy bond

Happy Bond is a new producer of high-quality adult dog foods and currently offers just a limited range of foods.

That said, if you want your dog to enjoy good joint health throughout his life, Happy Bond is an excellent dog food choice for you. The manufacturer offers a range of collagen food supplements and delicious treats, as well as a range of exclusive, super-healthy, power foods.

Happy Bond also makes “Elixirs” that are formulated to promote healthy skin and shiny coats, prevent tummy upsets, and provide a holistic wellness boost.

4. Chippin Pet Wild-Caught Silver Carp Dog Food

Chippin Pet Wild-Caught Silver Carp dog food contains all the essential nutrients your dog needs for a healthy diet.

Active adult dogs, senior pups, and growing puppies can also benefit from this naturally-sourced, affordable dog food packed with all the essential nutrients your Goldendoodle needs to thrive.

Chippin’s food contains plenty of fiber for healthy digestion and high-quality protein and fats to provide your dog with a valuable source of energy and for healthy muscle development.

This food is made using wild-caught, human-grade silver carp as its primary ingredient. Unlike many cheaper adult dog foods, this food has no artificial flavors, fake colors, preservatives, or grains that could upset your furry friend’s tummy.

The Great Lakes are massively overpopulated by silver carp, so using the fish to create this dog food Chippin Pet is doing its bit to protect the ecology of this beautiful environment and preserve other overfished native food fish species. Even the product packaging is recycled and eco-friendly!

5. PetPlatE Barkin’ Beef entree

If you want your dog to enjoy a diet containing all the essential nutrients he needs for optimum health and vitality, PetPlate could be the ideal choice for you.

PetPlate is a subscription service where you choose a customized diet to fit your dog’s needs perfectly. That makes catering to dogs with sensitive tummies or food allergies a breeze since you get to pick exactly what ingredients go into the food.

All the recipes offered by PetPlate are created using human-grade meats, vegetables, and fruits and are fortified with additional essential minerals and vitamins. The food has absolutely no artificial preservatives, flavors, colors, or fillers.

All the meals are prepared and cooked in PetPlate’s USDA kitchens in only small batches. The cooked food is then flash-frozen and shipped directly to your home. You store the meals in your freezer until you need one, and then either defrost the food overnight in the fridge or warm it up in your microwave. 

Choose from Topper or Full Meal plan subscriptions, and cancel or suspend your subscription whenever you want to without obligation or financial penalties.

6. We Feed Raw

We Feed Raw makes all-natural, raw dog food that contains human-grade meat and some offal and bones for overall nutrition. Although a raw diet is not for everyone’s taste, many hunters prefer to feed this food to their working dogs.

The company prides itself on producing recipes formulated and designed by a Ph.D. animal nutritionist with extensive experience in pet nutrition and raw diets. The food has no artificial fillers, flavors, colors, preservatives, by-products, grains, or legumes. All your dog will receive are meat proteins at an affordable price.

The product packaging uses biodegradable, compostable packaging to ship its foods, and foods are frozen and packed with dry ice for excellent freshness. To dispose of the packaging, all you need to do is put the materials under running water and watch them disappear before your eyes!

What Are the Nutritional Needs of Goldendoodles?

Goldendoodles of all life stages have the same basic nutritional needs. It’s merely the nutritional balance that changes from your furry friend’s puppyhood, maturity, and senior years.

When food shopping for your Goldendoodle, it’s helpful to know that ingredients are typically listed in order of how much of each is included in the food.

So, what essential nutrients does your pet’s food need to contain?

Protein

Protein in your dog’s diet is critical for healthy growth and development in puppies and muscle health in adult dogs. If your dog’s diet is deficient in protein, he will suffer from poor growth and other health issues. So, choosing a high-protein dog food is critical.

The best dog foods contain two or three sources of protein derived from whole fish and meat, including real chicken or meat meal, and those should be shown in the first couple of ingredients on the food’s packaging.

Some dog foods include vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, as a form of protein. However, the food should ideally contain more meat than plant protein.

Fiber

Goldendoodles often suffer from sensitive digestion, with diarrhea and loose stools being common problems for these dogs.

One of my dogs was a mixed breed, and she suffered terribly from tummy upsets if I didn’t ensure she received plenty of fiber in her food. So, you need to pick dog foods that include brown rice or vegetables to add bulk to the food.

However, avoid choosing foods that contain lots of cereals. Cereal is generally very low in nutritional value and is typically used by manufacturers to make the food go further.

Fat

Most of your dog’s energy requirements are met by the fats in their diet. So, to ensure your dog’s energy levels are kept to the max, his food needs to contain some fat.

Good sources of fat that are often included in dog foods include chicken fat, canola oil, and flaxseed.

If the food is of good quality, it will probably include Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids, both of which are vital for good eye and brain development, as well as for healthy skin and a shiny coat.

Carbohydrates

Dogs do not need a diet containing high levels of carbs, as that can cause blood sugar level imbalances. That said, you can include a few low-glycemic carbs, such as sweet potatoes, if your furry friend has a sweet tooth.

Vitamins and Minerals

High-quality, commercially produced dog food typically contains added vitamins and minerals to help your dog thrive. That can save you a fortune in additional vitamin supplements, so foods already containing vitamins and minerals are worth looking out for.

Ingredients to Avoid

So, now you know what nutrients your dog’s food must contain. You’ll need to know what nasties should be avoided at all costs.

Fillers

Many cheaper dog foods contain fillers, including cereals.

Fillers are only there to pad out the food, make it go further, and contain no nutritional value. So, to make maximum profit from minimum production costs, manufacturers use cheap ingredients, such as cereals, to add bulk to their foods.

Preservatives

Try to avoid foods that contain chemical preservatives. These substances can cause tummy upsets in dogs with food allergies.

Artificial Colors and Flavors

Fake flavors and colors are created using chemicals that can trigger allergic reactions in dogs with food sensitivities.

If the food is made using real meat proteins and whole meat such as roasted bison, or deboned beef, no artificial flavorings or colors will be necessary, as your dog will quickly scoff the lot!

Starchy Grains

Larger breeds of Goldendoodles can be prone to a serious health condition called bloat.

It’s thought that dog foods containing starchy grains can cause bloat; therefore, we recommend you avoid feeding those foods to your dog.

Dairy Products

Dogs don’t need milk, cheese, butter, or other dairy products in their diet since many are lactose intolerant.

So, to avoid triggering vomiting or loose stool attacks, we advise you not to give your Goldendoodle milk.

FAQs

In this part of our guide, we answer some of the most frequently asked questions by Goldendoodle pet parents about their pet’s diet.

Q: Do puppies like dry or wet dog food?

A: Young puppies still teething tend to find wet food easier and more comfortable to eat. In addition, breeders generally find that wet food makes for a smoother transition from a milk-based diet for their puppies.

However, once your puppy has finished teething, we recommend gradually switching his diet to dry food or kibble only. Crunching pieces of this type of food helps to remove bacteria and plaque from your puppy’s teeth, preventing gingivitis and canine periodontal disease.

Q: What foods are toxic to Goldendoodles?

A: Some human foods are toxic to dogs and should never be fed to your Doodle:

• Chocolate
• Grapes and raisins
• Onions and garlic
• Macadamia nuts
• Xylitol (an artificial sweetener contained in many human foods)
• Uncooked bread dough
• Alcoholic drinks

If your Goldendoodle gets hold of any of these things, contact your vet immediately. Do not attempt to make your dog vomit!

It’s easy for your dog to get hold of something he shouldn’t, so you must be vigilant. One time, my friend left her college bag in the hallway of my home while we were chatting in the lounge. Unknown to us, my Cockapoo puppy raided the bag and gobbled up some tiffin snacks packed with chocolate and raisins.

The poor pup ended up in the veterinary hospital for a week and very nearly died. Luckily, she was fine in the end. To make matters worse, my friend was a veterinary student at the time!

Q: What protein is best for Goldendoodles?

A: Meat or fish is easily digestible and should be your Goldendoodle’s main protein source. Meat should appear as the first ingredient in Goldendoodle dog food and is essential for these lively dogs throughout their life.

Look for foods that contain whole meat or fish rather than meat meal, which could mean almost anything!

Q: Should Goldendoodles eat grain/rice?

A: Yes, your Goldendoodle can eat rice grain.

Brown rice is often included in dog foods but should only form part of a varied diet for your pet, not the main event. Doodles can be prone to sensitive stomachs, and adding rice to their diet can help to prevent tummy upsets. 

Q: Are eggs good for Goldendoodles?

A: Yes, eggs are an excellent source of nutrition for your Goldendoodle. Eggs contain protein, fatty acids, and vitamins.

Q: What is the healthiest food for Goldendoodles?

A: Any of the foods listed above are excellent for your Goldendoodle! Choose food that contains everything your dog needs for a balanced diet.

Q: Can a Goldendoodle eat bananas?

A: Yes, bananas are safe for your dog to eat. However, although a bit of banana is ideal as an occasional treat, the fruit should not be fed as a regular part of your pet’s diet.

Q: How do I know if my Goldendoodle is allergic to food?

A: Food allergies can be a common health problem for Goldendoodles and other Doodle crossbreeds. That’s one of the disadvantages of owning one of these gorgeous dogs.

Ask your vet for advice if you think your dog has a food allergy.

Q: How many times should a Goldendoodle eat a day?

A: Larger standard Goldendoodles can be prone to a serious condition called bloat. Bloat can be prevented by feeding your dog several small meals daily rather than one large one.

However, smaller Doodles can do well on two daily feeds, ideally one meal in the morning and one in the late afternoon.

Q: Is milk good for Goldendoodles?

Many dogs are lactose intolerant, meaning that drinking milk in any quantity causes stomach upsets, including vomiting, loose stools, and diarrhea. For that reason, we don’t recommend giving your Goldendoodle milk.

Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed our guide to the best dog food for adult Goldendoodles and puppies. If you did, please share the article with other Doodle fans!

Of the foods we reviewed, our favorite is PetPlate’s product meals. PetPlates’ fully customizable meal plans enable you to choose exactly what your dog eats and are perfect for dogs with food allergies and fussy eaters.

Every PetPlate recipe is created with human-grade meats, vegetables, and fruits and contains all the essential minerals and vitamins your Goldendoodle needs. Even better, these meals contain absolutely no artificial preservatives, flavors, colors, or fillers.

What do you feed your dog? Tell us in the comments box below!