10 of the Best Dry Dog Foods for Puppies
1. Recommended by Veterinarians: Hill’s Science Diet Dry Puppy Dog Food
2. Highly digestible formula: Purina Pro Plan
3. Premium High Protein Puppy Food: Wellness CORE Grain-Free Dry Puppy Food
4. Farm-raised chicken: Iams Puppy Dry Dog Food
5. With Roasted Bison & Roasted Venison: Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy Recipe
6. The Superfood Puppy Food: Nutro Ultra Dry puppy Food
7. Health Nutrition from the Specialists: Royal Canin Medium Puppy Dry Food
8. Healthy and Holistic: Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula
9. Biologically appropriate diet: Orijen Dry Puppy Food
10. With ancient grains, like quinoa: Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Puppy Recipe
Full Dry Food Reviews
1. Hill's Science Diet Dry Dog Food – Puppy
#1 Veterinarian recommended
Hill’sTM is a well-known brand that develops both prescription diet and science based daily diet dog food for both puppies and adult dogs.
- First five ingredients: Chicken Meal, Whole Grain Wheat, Cracked Pearled Barley, Whole Grain Sorghum, Whole Grain Corn
- Designed for: Puppies (all breeds/sizes)
- Cost: $ 58 / 30lb (1,93lb) **
- Available bags sizes: 30lb, 15.5lb, 4.5lb
- Other puppy dry foods available: Small Paws; No Corn; Large Breed; Small Bites (six in total).
** Approximates based on largest bag available on Amazon.com in January 2022.
What is the manufacturer states:
“Hill’s® Science Diet® Puppy dry food is rich in flavor & carefully formulated for the developmental needs of puppies, so they get the best start in life & grow to their full potential.”
2. PURINA PRO PLAN Puppy
Highly digestible formula for optimal nutrient delivery
Specially targeted puppy nutrition and chicken meat as the #1 ingredient.
- First five ingredients: Chicken, rice, poultry by-product meal, corn gluten meal, beef fat preserved with mixed tocopherols
- Designed for: Puppies (all breeds/sizes)
- Cost: $ 52 / 34lb (1,54 / lb)**
- Available bags sizes: 34lb, 18lb, 6lb
- Other puppy dry foods available: for different breed sizes; sport development formulas; sensitive stomach formulas (twelve in total).
** Approximates based on largest bag available on Amazon.com in January 2022.
What is the manufacturer states:
“Purina Pro Plan is the most advanced nutrition for your pet’s best life. That’s why we’re proud to offer a full spectrum of performance and specialized nutrition formulas […].”
3. Wellness CORE Grain Free Dry Puppy Food
Premium High Protein Puppy Food
Climate Pledge Friendly
CORE follows the nutritional philosophy that dogs thrive on a natural diet mainly comprised of meat.
- First five ingredients: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Lentils, Peas
- Designed for: Puppies (all breeds/sizes)
- Cost: $ 69 / 26lb (2,69 / lb)**
- Available bags sizes: 26lb, 12lb, 4lb
- Other puppy dry foods available: CORE with grains; CORE for large breeds; Wellness Complete Health Dry Dog Food for Puppy (all-round puppy food that costs less)
** Approximates based on largest bag available on Amazon.com in January 2022.
What the manufacturer states:
“At Wellness, we’re committed to your pet’s overall wellness, which is why we’re passionately pursuing new ways to bring love, joy and nutrition to a lifetime of mealtimes.”
4. Iams Puppy Dry Dog Food, Chicken
Smart Puppy
Dry puppy food with real, farm-raised chicken as the first ingredient, with 22 nutrients like those found in mother’s milk.
- First five ingredients: Chicken, Ground Whole Grain Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Dried Plain Beet Pulp
- Designed for: Puppies (all breeds/sizes)
- Cost: $ 20 / 15lb (1,32 / lb)**
- Available bags sizes: 15lb, 7lb, 3.3lb
Other puppy dry foods available: IamsTM Puppy Large Breed (with larger bag sizes); IamsTM Puppy Small Breed
** Approximates based on largest bag available on Amazon.com in January 2022.
What the manufacturer states:
“We deliver Tailored Nutrition to keep your pet healthy and happy for life.”
5. Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy Recipe
With Roasted Bison & Roasted Venison
With added proprietary “K9 Strain Probiotics” and dried chicory root.
- First five ingredients: Water buffalo, lamb meal, sweet potatoes, egg product, pea protein
- Designed for: All life stages
- Cost: $ 53 / 28lb (1,89 / lb)**
- Available bags sizes: 28lb, 14lb, 5lb
Other puppy dry foods available: Variety of over 10 puppy foods, e.g. smoked salmon, venison / legumes, added ancient grains; etc.
** Approximates based on largest bag available on Amazon.com in January 2022.
What the manufacturer states:
“Taste of the Wild and Taste of the Wild PREY are quality, affordable dog and cat foods with protein sources that are based on your pet’s natural diet.”
6. NUTRO ULTRA Puppy Dry Dog Food
The Superfood Puppy Plate
Contains a blend of 15 superfoods.
- First five ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Brown Rice, Brewers Rice, Rice Bran
- Designed for: Puppies (all breeds/sizes)
- Cost: $ 60 / 30 lb (2,00 / lb)**
- Available bags sizes: 30 lb, 15 lb, 4 lb
Other puppy dry foods available: Large breed versions.
** Approximates based on largest bag available on Amazon.com in January 2022.
What the manufacturer states:
“We believe in food that’s rich in nutrients, full of flavor, and made with high-quality, non-GMO ingredients† sourced from our trusted network of farmers and suppliers.”
7. Royal Canin Medium Puppy Dry Dog Food
Health Nutrition from the Specialists
Optimized energy density as well as optimized with highly digestible proteins and probiotics.
- First five ingredients: Chicken by-product meal, chicken fat, brewers rice, corn, wheat
- Designed for: Puppies
- Cost: ($ 2,80 / lb) **
- Available bags sizes: 30 lb, 17 lb, 6 lb
Other puppy dry foods available: Extensive variety for different size breeds and for specific breeds.
** Approximates based on largest bag available on Amazon.com in January 2022.
What the manufacturer states:
“We craft the ideal recipe to meet each pet’s health needs so they can enjoy the best health possible.”
8. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Dry Puppy Food
Healthy and Holistic
Contains real chicken as first ingredient with no chicken/poultry by-product-meals.
- First five ingredients: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Barley
- Designed for: Puppies (all breeds/sizes)
- Cost: $ 60 / 30 lb (2,00 / lb)**
- Available bags sizes: 34 lb, 30 lb, 15 lb, 6 lb
Other puppy dry foods available: For specific breed sizes; other ingredients formulas
** Approximates based on largest bag available on Amazon.com in January 2022.
What the manufacturer states:
“High-quality ingredients, a robust testing and research program, and state-of-the art facilities allow us to deliver the superior quality products that pets deserve.”
9. Orijen Dry Dog Food for Puppies
Biologically Appropriate diet
Packed with quality animal ingredients, both farm and from the wild.
- First five ingredients: Chicken, turkey, turkey giblets (liver, heart, gizzard), flounder, whole mackerel
- Designed for: Puppies (all breeds/sizes)
- Cost: $ 94 / 25 lb (3,72 / lb)**
- Available bags sizes: 25 lb, 13 lb, 4.5
Other puppy dry foods available: Version for large breeds.
** Approximates based on largest bag available on Amazon.com in January 2022.
What the manufacturer states:
“Inspired by your pet’s ancestral diet, ORIJEN® is packed with ingredients that reflect the diet nature and evolution intended dogs and cats to eat.”
10. Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Puppy Recipe
Quality protein and healthy fats
Made with high-quality protein, whole grains, vegetables and fruits nutrients to support the overall health of your puppy.
- First five ingredients: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Barley, Oatmeal
- Designed for: Puppies (all breeds/sizes)
- Cost: $ 94 / 25 lb (3,72 / lb)**
- Available bags sizes: 22 lb, 12 lb, 4 lb
Other puppy dry foods available: Variety of formulas, such as “grain free beef”.
** Approximates based on largest bag available on Amazon.com in January 2022.
What the manufacturer states:
“OUR FIVE STAR PROMISE: Merrick’s commitment to work hard, deliver superior nutrition and improve the lives of pets and their parents.”
How to Make an Informed Choice for Puppy Food
Choosing a dog food for your puppy can be somewhat overwhelming, especially when you are getting a puppy for the first time. The number of seemingly different options can be confusing.
The good news is: if you orientate yourself along with the top brands of good quality dog puppy food, there is not much you can do wrong. The big players in dog food know what they are doing and you can rest assured that all dog food will generally provide complete and balanced nutrition. Check for the statement of nutritional adequacy, which in the US are regulated by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).
Many different high-quality puppy foods are actually similar, even if manufacturers try to come up with some unique selling point to differentiate themselves from their competitors.
There are however a couple of topics around what your dog can eat that you should familiarize yourself with in order to be able to make an informed decision about what brand of puppy food to get for your puppy:
The “first five ingredients”...
Food law requires manufacturers to list the ingredients according to the relative weight share of the whole product, from biggest to smallest. Therefore, dog food companies will often highlight the quality of these main ingredients in their products.
The promoted “key benefits” of dry puppy food
Most quality brands promote (1) eye and brain development by means of DHA (an Omega-3 fatty acid), (2) a good protein source for muscle growth. (3) calcium and other minerals for strong bones and teeth; and (4) the development of a healthy immune system.
Brands may also highlight some other unique property of their puppy food, but don’t be too impressed, this is a “Marketing 101” tool of using what is called a “unique selling point” (USP). We believe that, from a nutritional point of view, no one chosen product is uniquely better than another.
Feeding guide
All featured products have good feeding guides printed on the packaging.
Grain or no grain… does it really matter?
A real grain allergy is very uncommon.
From a purely nutritional point of view, it does not really matter. Products that do not contain grains will instead contain carbohydrate-rich ingredients such as peas and potatoes.
See what your puppy likes and check how your puppy’s digestion likes the food. You can always change from “grains” to “grain-free” for other reasons than a real grain allergy.
Fortification with micronutrients
High-quality dog foods are generally fortified with vitamins, minerals, and trace elements to ensure that the puppy gets all the micronutrients it needs. Don’t be impressed or unsettled by ingredients like “Pyridoxine Hydrochloride” (that’s just Vitamin B6) or d-Calcium Pantothenate (that’s Vitamin B5, not Calcium as such).
Must it be puppy food? The balance of protein, fat, carbohydrates, and fiber.
According to Purina, a puppy has special nutritional needs during its tremendous growth period. When compared to AAFCO standards for adult dog food, a puppy will need 25% more protein, 40% more fat, and 140% more calcium. Puppies also need to add DHA and other fatty acids for brain and vision growth and antioxidants for immune system development.
In other words, it is generally not a good idea to feed adult dog food to your puppy. However, there are a few dog foods available that are formulated for all life stages.
The cost of dry puppy food
Not all dry puppy foods cost the same. As a guideline – but not as a rule –, the higher the cost, the better is the quality of ingredients.
When buying dry food, you will get the best value for money if you choose the largest bag available (as is the case with most things).
Also have a look at our reviewed wet puppy foods.
