11 Best Puppy Foods 2023 (Top Overall Picks)

We have tested 11 best puppy foods of different puppy brands and found out that Hill’s Science Diet can be considered the healthiest food option for your puppy.

There are several reasons why this puppy food is considered the best. First, it consists the combination of all the necessary elements, nutrients, antioxidants, and vitamins that are important for healthy growth, development, immune system support, and prevention of different health issues.

Another reason is Hill’s Science Diet is well-known brand of dog food that has been on the market since the 1960s. It is one of the pet food companies that is focused on the unique needs of every pet for their lifelong health.

Below you will find the detailed reviews and descriptions of the best 11 puppy foods that you can find on the market today.

1. Hill’s Science Diet — Puppy Large Breed Chicken

If you are looking for food that would contribute to a healthy lifestyle of your puppy, then Hill’s Science Diet Puppy Large Breed Dry Dog Food is the right choice. The nourishing recipe of this food includes such ingredients as chicken and oats that are important for controlling bone growth and meeting your puppy’s growing needs.

It is manufactured in the United States and has excellent nutrient content by exceeding all industry standards. Its formula is among the best for large breed puppies because it controls the amount of calcium, which is especially important for large breeds. In addition, it also contains glucosamine and chondroitin – the elements that are important for strong muscles and optimum health. There are also vitamins E and C that help strengthen the immune system of growing puppies.

The top five ingredient of this food include chicken meal, whole grain wheat, whole grain oats, whole grain sorghum, and corn gluten meal.

Here is a list of its top benefits that make this puppy food one of the best on the market:

It is made from high-quality and natural ingredients and does not include any preservatives, artificial colors or flavors.
It is perfect and balanced diet that is highly recommended by veterinarians for puppies up to one year old.
It consists of all the necessary nutrients and vitamins that are needed for proper growth and development.
One of its main ingredients is chicken meat – protein that help build and maintain lean muscles.

2. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Large Breed Puppy Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food

This puppy was created for well-being and overall health of large dogs. It is delicious and protein-rich food that includes all the necessary ingredients, minerals, and antioxidants, the combination of which is important for proper growth and development of a puppy.

The recipe has the healthiest ingredients, including meat as the first ingredient, garden vegetables, whole grains, and fruits. In addition, there are glucosamine and chondroitin that help support your puppy’s development needs.

One of the best things about this dog food is that there are no artificial colors, preservatives, soy, wheat, or artificial flavors among its ingredients. It is one of the healthiest puppy foods that is available currently on the market.

It has numerous benefits and advantages over other puppy foods, including the following:

The very first ingredient is meat that is necessary for helping a puppy build strong and healthy muscles.
It contains a precise blend of minerals, vitamins, and elements that are selected and approved by nutritionists and veterinarians.
One of its main focus is to strengthen the immune system of a growing puppy.

3. Purina Pro Plan Puppy

Choosing Purina Pro Plan Puppy for your young dog is a guarantee that your pooch receives balanced and high-quality nutrition. This puppy food is known as one of the best source of animal protein that all puppies need for proper development and growth.

One of the most important things about this food is that its first ingredient is chicken that must be present in your puppy’s diet for supporting cartilage and joints.

Corn gluten meal and rice are the second and third ingredients that also provide a certain amount of protein, even though their biological value is significantly lower that the biological value of the actual meat.

The fourth ingredient of this puppy food is corn that is well known as a great source of energy. Corn is followed by poultry by-product meal that has over 300% more protein than fresh poultry.

There are also other healthy and important ingredients, such as whet, dried egg product, beef fat, pea fiber, and some others.

Numerous reviews say that this puppy food is delicious and tastes good, so dogs really love it. The main ingredients of the food include the following:

Delicious flavors of the food make it very special.
It consists high-quality ingredients only that contributes to overall physical health and wellbeing of a puppy.
There is a high ratio of fats and protein
It is a special type of nutrition that was specifically creating for growing puppies and active dogs.

4. Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy Food Formula

If you are looking for a low-pice and high-quality food for a growing dog, Taste of the Wild is exactly what you need. It has a fair amount of protein that includes two types of meat – venison and bison. With its excellent nutritional profile and unique meaty flavors that most dogs love so much, this formula can satisfy tastebuds of young pooches and their special health needs.

This dog food comes with everything a puppy needs while being absolutely free of any aggressive and dangerous ingredients that may upset sensitive stomachs of puppies and cause digestive issues. It is known and appreciated for using only the best and most quality ingredients.

The combination of venison and roasted bison is truly unique and mouthwatering combination. In addition to protein, there are also enough legumes, fruits, and vegetables that play a supportive role and enrich the formula with vitamins, antioxidants, and mineral that every growing canine would need. The purpose of this dog food is to help your puppy become healthy, strong, and active.

Another unique thing about this food is that it contains K9 Strain Probiotics that support the development of healthy immune and digestive systems. In addition, one of the healthy ingredients is dried chicory root – the probiotics that helps the digestive tract of your puppy run smoothly.

This puppy food has everything a growing canine would need and is completely free from artificial colors, preservatives, unhealthy fillers and flavors. It does not contain any wheat, grain, or corn.

Here is a list of the key benefits of Taste of the Wild puppy food:

Manufactured in the United States by a family-owned company that uses high-quality ingredients only from trustful local and global resources.
Crafted with all the necessary vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals that contribute to a healthy skin, shiny coat, and overall wellbeing of a puppy.
It does not include any unhealthy ingredients, such as artificial flavors and colors, corn, or wheat.
Protein is the first and main ingredient that makes up about 28%.

5. Nutro Ultra Large Breed Puppy Dry Dog Food

This food is specially formulated for large breed puppy by taking their specific health and growing needs into consideration. This delicious and health recipe contains chicken as the first and the main ingredient. Other protein ingredients include lamb and salmon that create an absolutely mouthwatering and healthy meal for a growing pooch.

There are only quality and non-GMO ingredients that are sourced from trusted farmers, which is a guarantee that a puppy receives a nutrient rich and balanced diet. Puppies eating this food usually have a shiny coat and healthy skin. Unlike many other dog food, this one does not contain any artificial colors, preservatives, or such unnecessary and useless ingredients as corn, wheat, or soy.

Among other useful ingredients that can be found in this formula are Linoleic Acid from Sunflower Oil for beautiful fur and taurine that has a positive impact on your pup’s hearing and eyesight.

Here are the benefits that this puppy food is known for:

It has a unique combination of 15 superfoods that include blueberries, kale, coconut, chia, and others.
All the ingredients are tested for food safety and quality and received from trusted farmers.
This food is specially formulated for large breed puppies with the purpose to provide them with all the nutrients, minerals, and vitamins for healthy growth and proper development.

6. Wellness Complete Health Puppy Deboned Chicken, Oatmeal & Salmon Meal Recipe Dry Dog Food

As the name of this puppy food suggests, Wellness Complete Health Puppy Formula provides all-round, balanced, and nutritious diet for puppies. There are three main ingredients: chicken, salmon, and oatmeal, meaning that one of the pain purposes of this recipe is to provide canines with the high and proper amount of protein.

However, there are other ingredients that play a very important role as well. They are real and fresh fruits and vegetables that deliver all the necessary vitamins, micronutrients, and omega fatty acids that are important for puppy overall health as well. These vegetables and fruits that you can find in Wellness Complete Health Puppy Formula include greens, sweet potato, apples, blueberries, and others.

In addition, this dog food is rich in glucosamine and probiotics, the mission of which is to support pup’s joint health and digestion.

Many puppy owners choose this dog food for the following benefits:

It is produced in the United States using only the most quality, finest, and healthiest ingredients. There are no artificial colors, useless fillers, or preservatives.
It is known for providing proper nutritional support for your growing puppy during his important foundation year.
Excellent nutrient digestibility through the Digestool confirmation studies.

7. Diamond Naturals Premium Large Breed Puppy

This puppy food recipe is known for a healthy combination of superfoods and probiotics that are needed for proper growth and development of large breed puppies. This puppy food provides your four-legged baby with all the necessary nutrients, minerals, and antioxidants that are necessary and required for your pup’s active and healthy lifestyle. Therefore, if you want to make sure your canine has a balanced and holistic diet, Diamond Naturals is exactly what you need.

Let’s talk about its three main ingredients in order to understand why this specific puppy food is so good. The first ingredient on the list is lamb. This quality meat provides a pooch with the right amount of protein that a good needs in order to grow and develop properly.

The second ingredient is whole grain brown rice. It is important to include rice into the diet of your canine because this ingredient provides dogs with the necessary amount of carbs. Moreover, rice is one of the ingredients that is digested slowly and does not cause any digestive issues.

The third ingredient is cracked parley barley that is also digested slowly and is known as an excellent source of energy, which is especially important for growing and active puppies.

There are other useful ingredients, including dried yeast, salmon oil, chicken fat, ground white rice, and others.

8. VICTOR Purpose Active Dog And Puppy Formula

This dog food manufactured in the United States is made to meet the nutritional levels established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). It is perfect for growing puppies, as well as for lactating and pregnant dogs and canines with special physical needs. For example, it is an excellent choice for dogs with allergies to certain types of grains and proteins.

This puppy food is known as great source of protein. The first and most important ingredient of this recipe is beef that is thoroughly cooked, dried, and then ground. In addition to providing your puppy with the necessary amount of protein, it also enriches the diet of your canine with healthy amino acids, minerals, and animal fat.

The second ingredient that is also very important are peas. It is an excellent gluten-free source of protein, fiber, and carbohydrates. Your pup’s food should contain peas because it provides your growing puppy with energy, minerals, and vitamins – all the nutrients that are required for healthy development of your puppy and its overall health.

Sweet potato is the third ingredient that provides the necessary amount of antioxidants, grain-free carbohydrates, fiber, and minerals.

Here is a list of the key benefits of VICTOR Purpose Active Dog And Puppy Formula you should about:

It has a unique blend of minerals, nutrients, and antioxidants that provide the necessary support to your puppy’s immune system.
This dog food consists of 77% of protein
Besides puppies, it is also a great choice for lactating and pregnant dogs.

9. Pedigree Complete Nutrition Puppy Dog Food

This recipe was created in order to help young and growing puppies to keep up with adult and bigger dogs. It contains minerals, nutrients, vitamins, and other elements that are necessary to help your puppy become a healthy adult dog. One of the most important ingredient of this food is DHA – a unique element that can be found in the mother’s milk. DHA is especially important for growing puppies because it helps to develop strong bones. In addition, it also contributes to the development of the healthy digestive system.

There are several reasons why canines really love this dog food. It does not only taste good, but it is also very crunchy, so puppies like chewing it. If the food feels too crunchy and hard for your puppy, you can always add some water to make it softer.

Here is a list of advantages of this puppy food that make this recipe so unique and special:

Small crunchy pieces of this food are really good for your puppy because they are easy to chew. In addition, they help clean your pup’s teeth, which is important and beneficial for your canine’s oral health and prevention of issues with their teeth.
This food provides a balanced and quality nutrition to your dog with a combination of minerals, nutrients, and vitamins, the combination of which is necessary for a healthy and active lifestyle of your four-legged friend.
It is rich in calcium and phosphorus – the elements that play an important role in development of strong bones and teeth.

10. Iams Proactive Health Puppy Dry Dog Food

This recipe is truly unique – it contains 22 important elements that can be found in the mother’s milk. Thus, by eating this food, your puppy receives all the necessary nutrients that are necessary for his physical development, health, and growth.

Protein (real chicken) is the main ingredient of this puppy food. Protein is the most important elements in dog food because it is the building material for growing strong muscles.

The second ingredient that also plays an important role is whole grain corn. It is an important type of carbohydrates that help your puppy to increase his energy level and stay active.

The third ingredient that is also beneficial for your puppy is ground whole grain sorghum. It is a gluten-free grain that is rich in nutrients, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. It is low in sugar, and it also considered a good source of fiber.

Besides puppies, Iams Proactive Health Puppy Dry Dog Food is also good for pregnant and lactating dogs.

11. Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Puppy Recipe

If you are looking for a quality dog food that would keep your puppy on his paws, then you should definitely try this food providing a holistic diet.

The first two and main ingredients are chicken and turkey that are known as excellent sources of protein. Other ingredients also include various fibrous grains, such as oatmeal, quinoa, and brown rice that are known as natural fuels providing your puppy with energy and helping him remain active.

In addition, there are also DHA and fatty acids – the elements that are vital for eyesight and brain development. The recipe also contains chondroitin and glucosamine that contribute significantly to healthy joints and skeleton.

This dog food is manufactured in the United States and is free of any processed unhealthy ingredients and preservatives.

Buying Guide: What Should You Look For When Shopping For Puppy Food?

Choosing the right and the best food for your puppy might be quite challenging because there are so many options on the market today. If you are currently shopping for puppy food and do not know which one to choose, here is a brief guide with several useful tips that will help you make the right choice.

Tip 1: Focus On High-Quality Ingredients

When you are shopping for the food for your four-legged baby, it is important to read the ingredients. Here are several top ingredients that you should look for:

Real meat. Make sure to choose puppy food that has meat as one of the main or first ingredients. It is recommended to avoid food with chicken by-products because they are not considered healthy sources of protein.
Whole foods. Besides meat, you should also make sure that the food for your puppy contains whole-food vegetables, grains, fruits because they contain all the necessary nutrients and vitamins that are also important for your puppy’s overall health.
Essential nutrients. Natural omega-3 fatty acids also should be among the ingredients. They play a crucial role in the development of your pup’s nervous system and the brain.

Next: The best Cane Corso puppy food

Tip 2: Choose One Brand Of Dog Food And Stick To It

Once you have found the brand of dog food you really like, you should stick to it. Also, make sure that you feed your puppy with this food only, and do not mix it with anything else. One of the most common mistakes that many dog owners do is mixing puppy food with their human food. It is definitely the wrong thing to do. Moreover, many veterinarians also agree that mixing dog and human food can even be dangerous for your pooch because some ingredients are toxic for dogs. For this reason, once the perfect food for your puppy is found, stick to it and keep feeding your puppy with it until it is time to switch to adult dog food.

Tip 3: Avoid Certain Ingredients

There are certain ingredients found in dog food that should be avoided. Here is a list of them:

Fillers. They are soybeans, corn and rice bran, and cereal by-products are a few examples of fillers that should be avoided. They do not add any nutritional value and are often used by brands to bulk up the product. In other words, by buying dog food with fillers you are feeding your canine with something that does not contribute to your pup’s health or development.
Food dyes. It is quite easy to detect food dyes, and you do not even have to read labels. For example, if the food look unnaturally colorful, it probably contains food dyes. The only purpose of food dyes is to make food look more appealing. Unfortunately, they do bot provide any healthy benefits or nutritional benefits. The brands with good reputation do not sell puppy food with food dyes.
Chemicals. The food for your puppy should not contain any chemicals. The ingredients should include natural ingredients only. Unfortunately, there are brands that sell puppy food with chemicals, and the most common of them are Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA), Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT), and Ethoxyquin. These chemicals are really dangerous and can even cause cancer.
Rendered fat. Rendered fat is often added to puppy food to make it taste better. However, this type of fat is also a source of dangerous microorganisms and toxins. Moreover, sometimes, rendered fat can also contain heavy metals.

Tip 4: It Is Better To Choose Hypoallergenic Food

Many dog owners have no idea whether their canines have allergies or not, especially if their dogs are still puppies. If you are not sure whether your puppy suffers from any allergy, it is better to choose hypoallergenic food to be safe. Hypoallergenic food is not harmful for those dogs that do not have any allergies, and are definitely good for puppies that do have allergies. Yes, hypoallergenic food is probably more expensive, but it is definitely worth it.

Tip 5: Learn About The Brain Of Dog Food More

If you like a certain brand of dog food, do some homework and try to find more information about it. In order to make your investigation and research process easier, here is a list of questions you should find answers to:

How many years has the company been on the market?
What do online reviews say?
Who are those people who create recipes for this company?
Does the company own its own plant, or does it cooperate with someone else?
What types of testing does the company do on its dog food?

Tip 6: Talk To Your Veterinarian

One of the best ways to start shopping for dog food is to talk to your veterinarian first. Usually, most veterinarians are able to recommended certain dog food brands that they really trust. Inquire your veterinarian about the specific brands you have found and ask what they think about it. You can also ask about specific ingredients to make sure that they are safe for your puppy.

Conclusion

We have tested 11 different best puppy foods from different companies, including Hill’s Science Diet, Blue Buffalo, Purina, Nutro Natural Choice, Victor, and Diamond Naturals.

It is possible to draw a conclusion that all of them are well-known brands that produce quality food for puppies containing the right amount of protein, minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients that are critical for a dog’s development and growth.

Based on the research and analysis, it is possible to say that the best food for puppies is the food by Hill’s Science Diet because it contains all the necessary healthy ingredients, and it is recommended by veterinarians.

You can find Hill’s Science Diet puppy food on Chewy.com.

11 Best Puppy Foods