The market is flooded with hundreds of different dog food brands, all of which are advertising that they’re the healthiest and best fit for your dog. Finding a good brand of dog food is a challenge regardless of what type of breed you have. While their breed and size do help you narrow down the thousands of reviews to go through, there are still tons of choices out there. We have done all of the tedious work for you and compared all the pros and cons of each brand to help you decide which dog food is truly the top choice for large dogs this year.
A Glance at Our Winners in 2023
Image Product Details
Best Overall
Purina Pro Plan Adult Shredded
Helps joint health
Chunks of dried meat
Probiotics inside kibble
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Best Value
Rachel Ray Chicken & Veggies
High in fiber
First ingredient is real chicken
Rich in antioxidants and taurine
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Premium Choice
Ollie Baked Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food
High in protein; meat as first ingredient
Fresh-baked, premium kibble
Healthy whole grains
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Best for Puppies
Hill’s Science Diet Puppy
High protein
Supports bone growth
Created for puppies of large breeds
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Holistic Select Large Breed
Aids digestion
No wheat or gluten
Filled with fiber and probiotics
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The 10 Best Dry Dogs Food for Large Dogs
This dry kibble made by Purina is the best overall dry dog food for large dogs. The recipe contains large chunks of meat and encourages your dog to consume the nutritious pieces. It is also high in protein to keep your dog full and stick to its carnivorous diet. On top of that, they added glucosamine to help with joint health: an issue many larger dog breeds face.
Weight: 47 pounds
Form: Dry food
Special Diet: High protein, high fiber
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Inside the kibble lives lots of probiotics that help aid in digestion. The crunchy texture helps to keep their teeth clean, but it does get a little messy for some dogs.
Pros
Chunks of dried meat
Helps joint health
Probiotics inside kibble
Cleans teeth
Cons
Messy
Finding the best dry dog food for the money is a challenge because you don’t want to sacrifice quality for money, especially if it will negatively impact your pet’s health. This recipe by Rachel Ray uses farm-raised chicken and real veggies in its recipe. It’s not often that you see quality protein listed on a budget brand. It isn’t just the fact that real chicken as the first ingredient, though. The recipe also contains beet pulp which is high in fiber and aids in digestion. While it is full of antioxidants and taurine for heart health, this brand has been recalled in the past.
Chunks of dried meat
Helps joint health
Probiotics inside kibble
Cleans teeth
- Chunks of dried meat
- Helps joint health
- Probiotics inside kibble
- Cleans teeth
Messy
- Messy
Weight: 40 pounds
Form: Dry food
Special Diet: Gluten-free
Pros
First ingredient is real chicken
Affordable
High in fiber
Rich in antioxidants and taurine
Cons
Brand has been recalled before
3. Ollie Baked Chicken Recipe Dog Food – Premium Choice
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Form: Dry food
Special Diet: High protein
Ollie is best known for its fresh dog food, but did you know they have a dry food line as well? Ollie Baked Chicken Recipe is our premium choice for dry dog food, with a delicious high-protein, real ingredient recipe that is sure to make dogs go wild. This food comes in at 26% protein and 16% fat, which is ideal for the average dog in all life stages. The first ingredient is chicken, a healthy protein source and the main source of protein. The other main ingredients are oats, whole dried eggs, chicken liver, chickpeas, and pea flour. Oats are a healthy and easy-to-digest whole grain, and whole dried eggs and chicken liver are great sources of additional protein and fat.
First ingredient is real chicken
Affordable
High in fiber
Rich in antioxidants and taurine
- First ingredient is real chicken
- Affordable
- High in fiber
- Rich in antioxidants and taurine
Brand has been recalled before
- Brand has been recalled before
Chickpeas and pea flour are a little more controversial—these can be cheap protein sources meant to bulk up a food without much nutrition, but since they are lower on the list, they are likely not major sources of protein. These ingredients do add extra vitamins and fiber to the pet food. Overall, Ollie Baked Chicken is an amazing—if expensive—dry food option.
All in all, we think Ollie’s Baked Chicken is the best premium dog food for large dogs.
Pros
High in protein; meat as first ingredient
Fresh-baked, premium kibble
Healthy whole grains
Cons
Expensive
Some plant protein
Just because you have a puppy that is a large breed doesn’t mean that they should be eating the same food as the adults of that breeds. Hill’s Science is a veterinarian-trusted brand that provides your young dog with the precise nutrition they need to help their development. They use controlled levels of calcium to support bone growth, as well as high protein ingredients, which they turn into kibble right here in the USA. However, it is a little pricey, and there are some reports of it having a fishy smell.
High in protein; meat as first ingredient
Fresh-baked, premium kibble
Healthy whole grains
- High in protein; meat as first ingredient
- Fresh-baked, premium kibble
- Healthy whole grains
Expensive
Some plant protein
- Expensive
- Some plant protein
Weight: 30 pounds
Form: Dry food
Special Diet: High protein
Pros
Trusted brand
Created for puppies of large breeds
Supports bone growth
High protein
Cons
Expensive
While you may be paying a high price, this kibble by Holistic Select Natural keeps all the undesired ingredients out of their recipes and only includes the good ones. Their food is free from wheat, gluten, and all artificial colors and flavor. They do use chicken meal instead of real chicken. However, their food is still full of fiber and contains flaxseed and cranberries for probiotics and digestive health.
Trusted brand
Created for puppies of large breeds
Supports bone growth
High protein
- Trusted brand
- Created for puppies of large breeds
- Supports bone growth
- High protein
Expensive
- Expensive
Weight: 30 pounds
Form: Dry food
Special Diet: Sensitive digestion. pea-free, gluten-free
Pros
No wheat or gluten
No artificial colors of flavors
Filled with fiber and probiotics
Aids digestion
Cons
Expensive
Uses meal instead of real chicken
We list Hill’s Science again because they truly produce quality kibble for our pets. The first ingredient in this recipe for large adult breeds is real chicken with pork fat and chicken meal for even more nutrients. This food is also full of omega fatty acids, fiber, and vitamins. Unfortunately, they do use wheat and grains, which some dogs have sensitivities and allergies for. This could also cause some digestive issues.
No wheat or gluten
No artificial colors of flavors
Filled with fiber and probiotics
Aids digestion
- No wheat or gluten
- No artificial colors of flavors
- Filled with fiber and probiotics
- Aids digestion
Expensive
Uses meal instead of real chicken
- Expensive
- Uses meal instead of real chicken
Weight: 35 pounds
Form: Dry food
Special Diet: Natural
Pros
Trusted brand
Uses real chicken
Includes fiber, omega fatty acids, and vitamins
Cons
Contains wheat and grains
Could cause digestive issues
Even though a lot of us stick to feeding our dogs beef and chicken, one of the best lamb recipes comes from Diamond Naturals. The lamb flavor offers dogs a change of pace from their regular food, but it does use lamb meal instead of real lamb. It could also take dogs some time to adjust to the new flavor and high salt content. However, they do include chicken fat and glucosamine, as well as healthy superfoods such as chia seeds and kale that are rich in fiber.
Trusted brand
Uses real chicken
Includes fiber, omega fatty acids, and vitamins
- Trusted brand
- Uses real chicken
- Includes fiber, omega fatty acids, and vitamins
Contains wheat and grains
Could cause digestive issues
- Contains wheat and grains
- Could cause digestive issues
Weight: 40 pounds
Form: Dry food
Special Diet: No corn, wheat, or soy
Pros
Different flavor
Contains glucosamine
High fiber
Cons
Uses lamb meal instead of real lamb
High in salt
Adjustment period
The biggest draw to the Blue Buffalo brand is how much protein they pack into their foods. This recipe contains over 22 percent protein and is free from corn, wheat, and soy ingredients. The first two ingredients are chicken and chicken meal, so you can be sure they are getting plenty of good meat.
Different flavor
Contains glucosamine
High fiber
- Different flavor
- Contains glucosamine
- High fiber
Uses lamb meal instead of real lamb
High in salt
Adjustment period
- Uses lamb meal instead of real lamb
- High in salt
- Adjustment period
Weight: 15 pounds
Form: Dry food
Special Diet: No corn, wheat, or soy
This is another food that seems to have a strong odor. The food isn’t of the highest quality. Plus, they have been recalled in the past.
Pros
High in protein
First ingredient is chicken
Cons
Strong odor
History of recalls
This food by Iams strives to give large dogs all the food they need without making them suffer from obesity. While it is a budget brand, the recipe does include real chicken, chicken meal, and fat to give them lots of protein and use as many parts of the bird as possible. There are grains and artificial colorings inside, but we find that it is a safe option for those who are on a budget.
High in protein
First ingredient is chicken
- High in protein
- First ingredient is chicken
Strong odor
History of recalls
- Strong odor
- History of recalls
Weight: 30 pounds
Form: Dry food
Special Diet: N/A
Pros
Affordable
Uses chicken meat, meal, and fat
Cons
Contains grains
Uses artificial color
Could cause upset stomach
One thing that we really enjoy about the Eukanuba brand for large breeds is that they focus on joint health since it is so common in big breeds. The kibble contains lots of fish oil and glucosamine to help these issues. However, the food is rather expensive for the ingredients it uses. The sodium content is high, and they use corn as a filler for their food. This could cause some severe health issues for dogs with allergies.
Affordable
Uses chicken meat, meal, and fat
- Affordable
- Uses chicken meat, meal, and fat
Contains grains
Uses artificial color
Could cause upset stomach
- Contains grains
- Uses artificial color
- Could cause upset stomach
Pros
Focuses on joint health
Contains fish oil and glucosamine
Cons
Expensive
High sodium
Uses corn filler
Consumers love that the Wellness brand has a variety of protein sources so that your dog can get the most benefits from their diet as possible. Some of these include chicken, salmon, chicken meal, and whitefish. Other than that, there are more cons than pros. This brand does use grains that could cause digestive issues. The kibble is also really large and harder for older dogs to eat. There is no way to seal the bag, so it could even go stale. On top of all that, it is expensive for a lower quality product.
Focuses on joint health
Contains fish oil and glucosamine
- Focuses on joint health
- Contains fish oil and glucosamine
Expensive
High sodium
Uses corn filler
- Expensive
- High sodium
- Uses corn filler
Weight: 30 pounds
Form: Dry food
Special Diet: No corn, wheat, or soy
Pros
Various protein sources
Cons
Uses grains
May cause digestive issues
Large kibble pieces
No resealable bag
Expensive for lower quality
Various protein sources
- Various protein sources
Uses grains
May cause digestive issues
Large kibble pieces
No resealable bag
Expensive for lower quality
- Uses grains
- May cause digestive issues
- Large kibble pieces
- No resealable bag
- Expensive for lower quality
Buyer’s Guide: Selecting the Best Dry Dog Food for Large Dogs
There is no doubt that buying dog food for a specific breed can be confusing. How are you supposed to know the difference between what small breeds need and what large ones needs? Skim through our buyer’s guide to find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.
Do Dogs Need Special Food for Their Size?
While we can’t technically tell you that your dog needs a specific type of dog food, there is a purpose for it. When you buy a recipe that pertains to a specific dog size, it ensures that you are giving all of the essential nutrients and calories that your dog needs to live a healthy life. High-quality dog foods do tend to cost more money, so check and make sure that the ingredients listed align with what you are paying for. If you’re still unsure about it, always go to your vet for advice on good brands to feed your pet.
What Do You Need to Look for in Large Breed Dog Food Recipes?
The main thing you need to pay attention to when picking out a food for your dog is the amount of protein in it. Dogs eat a mostly carnivorous diet, and protein that comes from real meat should always be the first thing listed on the ingredients list. Other things that tend to help large dog breeds are high amounts of fiber without empty fillers like corn.
Beyond the protein and fiber, check to ensure that the brand added the vitamins glucosamine, taurine, or chondroitin. These vitamins are crucial for joint health. Big dogs are more likely to suffer from arthritis, hip dysplasia, and other painful conditions, and these ingredients help to combat those as your pet ages.
Is My Dog Considered a Large Breed?
In general, dogs that weigh at least 50 pounds and stand at least 2 feet tall are considered a “large” breed. Dogs that weigh over 100 pounds and are over 26 inches tall are usually considered giant breeds.
Do Giant Breeds Require Different Food?
Even though your dog may be a giant breed instead of a large breed, you will likely still have to buy large breed dog food. Unless your vet tells you otherwise, these dogs tend to need the same nutrition but with a slightly larger portion.
What if Your Dog Doesn’t Like the Food?
There really isn’t any way to tell if your dog is going to like the food you buy until you feed it to them. Sometimes, that means wasting money on food your dog won’t touch. Instead of throwing it away, donate the unused food to a dog shelter or other places in need.
Final Thoughts
With so many reviews to look over, it can become overwhelming to pick out a dog food brand for your large breed. Purina Pro Plan Adult Shredded has proven to be the best overall dog food for large breeds, but Rachel Ray is an excellent budget brand if you’re looking for something less expensive. If you’re really feeling like treating your pets, then Ollie’s Baked Chicken Recipe is the best premium option. Don’t assume that all dog food is the same. There are a lot of differences between each brand, and the last thing you want is to feed your pet low-quality foods that could make them sick.
- You might want to read next: 10 Best Inexpensive Dog Foods for Large Breeds
Featured Image Credit: Roberto Cabrera Castro, Shutterstock
