With so many dog food choices out there, it can be hard to figure out if what you’re using is what’s best for your pup. That’s why we tracked down the ten best dog foods for your Goldendoodle and highlighted them in this comprehensive guide.
Not only did we review each choice, but we also came up with a comprehensive buyer’s guide to walk you through everything you need to know. So, just keep reading, and you can get the perfect food for your Goldendoodle in no time!
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2023
Image Product Details
Best Overall
Nom Nom Fresh Dog Food
Tailored to your pet’s exact needs backed by scientific research
Cleaner, healthier diet
Looks like food
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Best Value
Purina Pro Plan
Affordably priced
Massive size options available
Good crude fiber percent
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Tylee’s Human-Grade Recipe
Only the highest quality ingredients
Tons of nutrients
Freshest possible formula
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Best for Puppies
American Journey Puppy
Tons of crude protein
Plenty of Omega 3s
Unique protein source
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Blue Buffalo Life Protection
Tons of size options
Decent crude fiber percentage
Only high-quality ingredients
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The 11 Best Dog Foods for Goldendoodles
1. Nom Nom Fresh Dog Food – Best Overall
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Size: 150g / pack
Type: Cold, fresh, pre-portioned meals
Primary Protein: Beef / Chicken / Pork / Turkey
Crude Protein: 7 – 10%
Crude Fiber: 1 – 2%
Nom Nom’s foods are the 1st best overall food for Goldendoodles! These foods are fresh and made with human-grade ingredients. In fact, they are so good you could safely put them on a plate and eat them yourself.
These foods have a limited-ingredient recipe that is great for sensitive digestion dogs. They have a good moisture content that will help Goldendoodles keep up with their active lifestyle and have all the necessary vitamins that they need to thrive.
Additionally, you never have to worry about going out to repurchase your dog’s food! Nom Nom runs on a subscription service that delivers your dog’s food directly to your door monthly. It’s an excellent option for pet parents who want the convenience of a subscription service for their dog food.
Pros
High-quality ingredients
Various recipes
Subscription service
Cons
More expensive than other brands
If you’re on a tighter budget but need top-notch food for your Goldendoodle, look no further than the Purina Pro Plan. It’s an affordable dog food from one of the largest names in the industry. Not only is it affordable, but you can also purchase massive bags that lower the overall cost per pound.
High-quality ingredients
Various recipes
Subscription service
- High-quality ingredients
- Various recipes
- Subscription service
More expensive than other brands
- More expensive than other brands
Size: 6, 18, 35, or 47 pounds
Type: Dry
Primary Protein: Beef
Crude Protein: 26%
Crude Fiber: 3%
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Add in the fact that the decent crude fiber content will help your pup feel full sooner, and it’s a dog food that excels at feeding your pup and saving you money. However, it is a budget dog food for a reason, and it all comes down to the ingredients they use.
Purina uses by-product meals in several of their ingredients, and it’s simply not the same quality food that you’ll find in our top choices. Still, dollar for dollar and pound for pound, it’s not hard to see how it’s the best dog food for Goldendoodles for the money.
Pros
Affordably priced
Massive size options are available
Good crude fiber percent
Cons
Includes by-product meal as an ingredient
If you’re looking for another premium choice, then Tylee’s Human-Grade Recipe is what you want. It’s nothing but the highest quality fresh ingredients, which means there’s little doubt that your pup will love it.
Affordably priced
Massive size options are available
Good crude fiber percent
- Affordably priced
- Massive size options are available
- Good crude fiber percent
Includes by-product meal as an ingredient
- Includes by-product meal as an ingredient
Size: 1.8 or 6 pounds
Type: Raw/Frozen
Primary Protein: Beef
Crude Protein: 12%
Crude Fiber: 3%
But not only is it great tasting, but it provides all the nutrients your dog needs to thrive.
Not only that, but it doesn’t last very long, which means you’ll end up spending even more money in the long run. Finally, you need to keep this dog food frozen in-between use, which can be a bit frustrating if you already don’t have enough space in your freezer.
Pros
Only the highest quality ingredients
Tons of nutrients
Freshest possible formula
Pets love it
Cons
Very expensive
Needs to be frozen in-between uses
- American Journey Puppy Food – Best for Puppies
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Size: 4, 12, or 24 pounds
Type: Dry
Primary Protein: Lamb, chicken, and turkey
Crude Protein: 30%
Crude Fiber: 5%
Puppies don’t have the same dietary requirements as older dogs, so it makes sense to get them food specifically tailored towards their needs. That’s exactly what you get with American Journey Puppy food. It’s an affordably priced option that gives your pup all the protein they need to grow and thrive.
Only the highest quality ingredients
Tons of nutrients
Freshest possible formula
Pets love it
- Only the highest quality ingredients
- Tons of nutrients
- Freshest possible formula
- Pets love it
Very expensive
Needs to be frozen in-between uses
- Very expensive
- Needs to be frozen in-between uses
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Size: 4, 12, or 24 pounds
Type: Dry
Primary Protein: Lamb, chicken, and turkey
Crude Protein: 30%
Crude Fiber: 5%
Not only that, but it provides tons of Omega 3s for healthy skin and coat development, and the primary protein source is high-quality lamb. Still, there are multiple protein sources and your dog will grow out of this food. But since American Journey has adult dog foods as well, it’s easy to transition to them the right formula when they’re ready.
Pros
Affordably priced per pound
Tons of crude protein
Plenty of Omega 3s
Unique protein source
Cons
Only for puppies
Multiple protein sources
With an outstanding combination of price and quality, it’s no wonder Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula is on our list of top dog food for Goldendoodles. For starters, it’s available for an affordable price, but they only use high-quality ingredients in their formula.
Affordably priced per pound
Tons of crude protein
Plenty of Omega 3s
Unique protein source
- Affordably priced per pound
- Tons of crude protein
- Plenty of Omega 3s
- Unique protein source
Only for puppies
Multiple protein sources
- Only for puppies
- Multiple protein sources
Size: 3, 6, 15, 24, or 30 pounds
Type: Dry
Primary Protein: Chicken
Crude Protein: 24%
Crude Fiber: 5%
It provides an excellent protein percentage for adult Goldendoodles, and the higher fiber content ensures your pup will feel full before they start to overeat.
But while we love Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula, it’s not perfect. Our chief complaint is that it’s not a limited ingredient formula, but unless your pup has food sensitivities that shouldn’t be a problem.
Pros
Tons of size options
Affordably priced
Decent crude fiber percentage
Only high-quality ingredients
Cons
Not a limited ingredient formula
While Merrick Backcountry isn’t the first name that comes to mind when you’re thinking of different dog foods for your Goldendoodle. Still, once you start looking into Merrick Backcountry Freeze-Dried Raw Grain-Free Dog Food, there’s a lot to love.
Tons of size options
Affordably priced
Decent crude fiber percentage
Only high-quality ingredients
- Tons of size options
- Affordably priced
- Decent crude fiber percentage
- Only high-quality ingredients
Not a limited ingredient formula
- Not a limited ingredient formula
Size: 4, 10, or 20 pounds
Type: Dry
Primary Protein: Salmon and whitefish
Crude Protein: 34%
Crude Fiber: 3.5%
There are tons of nutrients, an insane amount of protein, and it comes with a freeze-dried coating that your dog will love. Not only that, but there are raw bits of dog food that really push it to the next level. Still, it did fall out of the top choices for a reason, and chief among them is the price.
Merrick Backcountry dog food is definitely a more expensive option, but the only dig we can find on the dog food itself is the crude fiber content. While it’s not low, it is low compared to most premium food options. Still, it’s an outstanding choice all around.
Pros
Freeze-dried coated for extra flavor
Tons of protein
Very high-quality ingredients
Includes freeze-dried raw bits that dogs love
Cons
Slightly lower crude fiber content
More expensive option
If all you do is look at the ingredients and nutrition information, there’s no reason Orijen Original Grain-Free Dog Food isn’t at the top of the list. The problem is the price. Orijen Original Grain-Free Dog Food is nearly twice the cost per pound compared to the other dry dog foods.
Freeze-dried coated for extra flavor
Tons of protein
Very high-quality ingredients
Includes freeze-dried raw bits that dogs love
- Freeze-dried coated for extra flavor
- Tons of protein
- Very high-quality ingredients
- Includes freeze-dried raw bits that dogs love
Slightly lower crude fiber content
More expensive option
- Slightly lower crude fiber content
- More expensive option
Size: 4.5, 13, 25, or two 25-pound bags
Type: Dry
Primary Protein: Chicken, turkey, flounder, mackerel
Crude Protein: 38%
Crude Fiber: 4%
Still, it has the highest crude protein content out of any of the foods on our list, and even the crude fiber content at 4 percent is more than decent. That’s because 85% of the formula is animal ingredients, which no other dry dog food can match.
And your dog is sure to love this food too since Orijen put a freeze-dried coating on the food to lock in the flavor. The problem all comes down to the price, not the food quality.
Pros
Tons of protein
Only high-quality ingredients
Freeze-dried coated for extra flavor
The recipe is 85% animal ingredients
Cons
Very expensive option
It’s another option that you really don’t think of when you’re tracking down dog food for your Goldendoodle, but it’s an option worth considering. It’s an affordably priced, high-quality dog food. With 32 percent crude protein in each serving, it’s more than enough to support even the most active dogs.
Tons of protein
Only high-quality ingredients
Freeze-dried coated for extra flavor
The recipe is 85% animal ingredients
- Tons of protein
- Only high-quality ingredients
- Freeze-dried coated for extra flavor
- The recipe is 85% animal ingredients
Very expensive option
- Very expensive option
Size: 5, 14, or 28 pounds
Type: Dry
Primary Protein: Water buffalo, lamb, and chicken
Crude Protein: 32%
Crude Fiber: 4%
Even better for picky eaters, water buffalo is an extremely unique protein source that can entice your Goldendoodle. But it’s not just the water buffalo that’s a high-quality ingredient, Taste of the Wild only uses the best of the best from top to bottom.
There are multiple protein sources that can be a problem with dogs that have sensitive stomachs, but for most Goldendoodles, it’s not anything you need to worry about.
Pros
Plenty of protein
Unique protein source
Affordably priced
Only high-quality ingredients
Cons
Multiple protein sources
- American Journey Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe
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Size: 4, 12, or 24 pounds
Type: Dry
Primary Protein: Salmon, chicken, and turkey
Crude Protein: 32%
Crude Fiber: 5%
This is the second American Journey product to make our list, but we couldn’t wrap things up without highlighting a recipe from American Journey that works for adult pups. This adult dog food has plenty of protein to keep your Goldendoodle active, and the higher fiber percentage helps keep them from overeating.
Plenty of protein
Unique protein source
Affordably priced
Only high-quality ingredients
- Plenty of protein
- Unique protein source
- Affordably priced
- Only high-quality ingredients
Multiple protein sources
- Multiple protein sources
Size: 4, 12, or 24 pounds
Type: Dry
Primary Protein: Salmon, chicken, and turkey
Crude Protein: 32%
Crude Fiber: 5%
Every bag of American Journey is available for an affordable price, but there is a smaller size option you can try to see if your Goldendoodle likes it. But while we like American Journey dog food, it did fall down our list for a reason.
First, while salmon is in the recipe’s name, there’s also plenty of chicken and turkey to go around. Second, while they only use high-quality salmon in the recipe, for both the chicken and the turkey, they use meal offshoots. There’s nothing wrong with it, but it is a lower-quality ingredient.
Pros
Tons of fiber
Decent protein percentage
Affordably priced
Multiple size options
Cons
Multiple protein sources
Includes chicken and turkey meal
While we don’t typically recommend wet dog food for your Goldendoodle unless there’s an underlying reason, we didn’t want to round out our list without at least including one. And one of the best wet dog foods out there is Weruva Baron’s Batch Variety Pack.
Tons of fiber
Decent protein percentage
Affordably priced
Multiple size options
- Tons of fiber
- Decent protein percentage
- Affordably priced
- Multiple size options
Multiple protein sources
Includes chicken and turkey meal
- Multiple protein sources
- Includes chicken and turkey meal
Size: 5.5-ounces case of 24 or 14-ounce case of 12
Type: Wet
Primary Protein: Chicken or beef
Crude Protein: 6 to 10%
Crude Fiber: 0.5 to 1%
Each pack contains four different flavors for your dog to try, and they’re all jam-packed with nutrients to help your dog thrive. However, like most wet dog food, this is a more expensive option, and it doesn’t last nearly as long as dry food options.
With Weruva you’ll undoubtedly end up spending more in the long run, but your Goldendoodle will get a top-notch food that they love.
Pros
Includes multiple flavors
Dogs love the flavor
Tons of protein
Cons
Very expensive option
It doesn’t last very long
Rounding out our list of the best dog foods for Goldendoodles is Instinct Original Grain-Free Dog Food. While it’s at the bottom of our list, it’s still packed full of protein and some great ingredients. There are multiple size options to choose from, and your pup is sure to love it because of the freeze-dried coating that locks in the flavor.
Includes multiple flavors
Dogs love the flavor
Tons of protein
- Includes multiple flavors
- Dogs love the flavor
- Tons of protein
Very expensive option
It doesn’t last very long
- Very expensive option
- It doesn’t last very long
Size: 4 or 22.5 pounds
Type: Dry
Primary Protein: Chicken
Crude Protein: 37%
Crude Fiber: 3%
But for everything there is to love about this dog food, it did fall to the bottom of our list. First, there’s a lower fiber percentage to worry about, and second, it includes chicken meal.
And while we might be able to overlook some of these concerns and move it farther up our list if it was a more affordable option, Instinct Original Grain-Free Dog Food is a more expensive option. It simply doesn’t stack up well against other similarly priced products.
Pros
Tons of protein
Freeze-dried for extra flavor
Multiple size option
Cons
Lower fiber percentage
Includes chicken meal
More expensive option
Tons of protein
Freeze-dried for extra flavor
Multiple size option
- Tons of protein
- Freeze-dried for extra flavor
- Multiple size option
Lower fiber percentage
Includes chicken meal
More expensive option
- Lower fiber percentage
- Includes chicken meal
- More expensive option
Buyer’s Guide: Selecting the Best Dog Food for Goldendoodles
While there are so many outstanding choices here for you to choose from, that also means there are a ton of choices to sift through. That’s why we came up with this comprehensive buyer’s guide to arm you with the knowledge you need to make the right decision and get the perfect dog food for your Goldendoodle the first time.
How Much Should Your Goldendoodle Eat?
Goldendoodles vary quite a bit in size, and as such the amount they eat changes too. A smaller Goldendoodle sitting around 60 pounds will eat roughly 3.5 cups of dry kibble each day, while a large Goldendoodle that’s about 100 pounds will eat about 5 cups of dry kibble each day.
Keep in mind that while this is a good rough estimate to go off, the exact amount will vary by the brand of dog food you choose and your pup’s age and activity level. Because of this, it’s best to monitor your dog’s eating habits and weight and adjust accordingly.
Dry vs Wet vs Raw Dog Food
When you’re picking out dog food for your Goldendoodle, the first decision you need to make is whether you want dry, wet, or raw dog food. While dry food options make up most of our list, we did include a wet and raw food option for you to consider. Below we’ve highlighted the pros and cons of each choice.
Dry dog food is by far the most popular option to feed your dog, and the primary reason for this is the price. Even the premium dry dog food options are available for a lower price than wet or raw dog food, and that’s a big factor to consider.
And just because it’s available for a lower price doesn’t mean you’re not giving your Goldendoodle a high-quality meal. They’re packed with tons of nutrients, and many have a freeze-dried coating that makes them even more delicious for your pup.
The next option most people consider is wet dog food. Wet dog food is a bit more expensive than dry dog food, but the added perk is that more picky eaters will eat it. Still, not only is wet dog food more expensive, but they generally eat more of it since it’s packed full of water, so you’ll find that they go through it faster and it takes up more space.
Finally, you have raw dog food. This food is the closest equivalent to human food out there, and as such, it’s generally the highest quality. Furthermore, it’s also the favorite choice of picky eaters. Still, raw dog food options are the most expensive choice out there, and it’s not even close.
How Much Protein Does Your Goldendoodle Need?
When you’re picking out dry dog food, you want to get one that has at least 20 percent crude protein. Of course, puppies need more, and in that case, the food should have at least 25 percent crude protein. Another factor you need to consider is how active your pup is.
If your Goldendoodle is constantly moving or spending time running with you, then you should up their protein content some to ensure they have enough to keep functioning and thriving. All of the foods we highlighted here, dry, wet, and raw, have more than enough protein to meet your dog’s needs.
Conclusion
If you’re still confused about which dog food is best for your Goldendoodle after reading through the reviews and buyer’s guide, don’t overthink it. There’s a reason Nom Nom’s foods tops our list, as it perfectly combines affordability and quality.
But if you’re looking for a slightly more affordable option, then Purina Pro Plan is a great choice too. What’s really important is that you get your Goldendoodle on the right dog food sooner rather than later, so get it on order!
Featured image credit: ThamKC, Shutterstock
