When it comes to taking care of our dogs, we only want to give them the best. This is especially true for those who own a Great Dane puppy as these large breed dogs are fast growers and require specific nutrients and calories to keep them fit and healthy. There is no shortage of high-quality dog food out there, but that makes it even more challenging to decide which brand is right for your puppy.
We have put together this list of reviews to help you decide which food will be the right fit for your Great Dane and help your dog stay healthy as they mature.
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites (Updated in 2023)
Image Product Details
Best Overall
Nom Nom Chicken Cuisine Fresh Dog Food Subscription
Human-grade ingredients
Created by veterinary dieticians
Four recipes to choose from
Click to Save 50%
- Free Shipping
Best Value
Gentle Giants Canine Nutrition
Well-balanced
Affordable
Variety of sizes
Check Price
Spot & Tango Beef & Millet
Adjusted recipes according to age
Surpasses AAFCO standards
Formulated by veterinary nutritionists
Check Price
Royal Canin Breed Health
Trusted brand
Well-balanced
Breed-specific
Check Price
Wellness Complete Health
Easy to digest
A mix of healthy ingredients
High in protein
Check Price
The 7 Best Foods for Great Dane Puppies
1. Nom Nom Chicken Cuisine Fresh Dog Food Subscription – Best Overall
Click Here to Save 50% + Get Free Shipping with Nom Nom!
Crude Protein: 8.5%
Crude Fat: 6%
Crude Fiber: 1%
Nom Nom Chicken Cuisine is one of the best dog foods for a Great Dane puppy for several reasons. What customers love most about the Nom Nom dog food brand is that each recipe is made from fresh, human-grade ingredients. That means that even you could eat the food safely if you really wanted to! There are four different recipes to choose from, although their chicken recipe is one of the highest in protein and moisture—everything a growing Great Dane needs.
Nom Nom food was created by two of only 100 veterinary dieticians in the United States. All food is made in the Nom Nom kitchens and gently cooked so that no nutrients are fried out. All ingredients also come from growers in the United States and are sustainably sourced.
This option is a little pricey but well worth it if you want to give your Great Dane one of the best dog foods available.
Pros
Human-grade ingredients
Created by veterinary dieticians
Four recipes to choose from
High in protein and moisture
Gently cooked
Cons
Expensive
We can’t all afford expensive dog foods that claim they’re the best on the market. Thankfully, there are brands like Gentle Giants that create highly nutritious dog food for large breeds. This chicken recipe dry dog food from Gentle Giants is one of the best dog foods for Great Dane puppies for the money. Not only is it affordable, but each serving is packed with high amounts of protein, healthy fat, and fiber.
Human-grade ingredients
Created by veterinary dieticians
Four recipes to choose from
High in protein and moisture
Gently cooked
- Human-grade ingredients
- Created by veterinary dieticians
- Four recipes to choose from
- High in protein and moisture
- Gently cooked
Expensive
- Expensive
Crude Protein: 22%
Crude Fat: 9%
Crude Fiber: 4%
Check Price on Chewy
It lacks some moisture, but all the same health benefits are still there. There are a variety of sizes to choose from too.
Pros
Well-balanced
Affordable
Variety of sizes
High in protein, healthy fat, and fiber
Cons
Lacks moisture
If you’re willing to spend some extra cash, then Spot & Tango is a brand that you might consider feeding your Great Dane puppy. This brand supplies both dry and fresh dog foods that are customized for your specific dog. Spot and Tango use only real ingredients that are cooked fresh before shipping to your home. There are three recipes of fresh foods and three recipes of dry foods, and all the recipes are free from artificial additives, fillers, and preservatives and use only 12 simple ingredients.
Well-balanced
Affordable
Variety of sizes
High in protein, healthy fat, and fiber
- Well-balanced
- Affordable
- Variety of sizes
- High in protein, healthy fat, and fiber
Lacks moisture
- Lacks moisture
Crude Protein: 11.85%
Crude Fat: 5.85%
Crude Fiber: 1.04%
Check Price on Spot and Tango
Spot & Tango meals are formulated by veterinary nutritionists, and all the nutritional levels meet or surpass AAFCO standards. However, what stands out most about this company is that it’ll take your dog’s age into consideration and then adjust as your dog continues to grow.
Pros
Adjusted recipes according to age
Surpasses AAFCO standards
Formulated by veterinary nutritionists
Made with 12 ingredients
Free from artificial ingredients and preservatives
Cons
Expensive
- Royal Canin Breed Health Great Dane Dog Food
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Crude Protein: 21%
Crude Fat: 23%
Crude Fiber: 4.2%
Royal Canin is one of the best dry dog food brands on the market and is recommended by veterinarians around the world. It has an outstanding reputation and often formulates the recipes for specific breeds. This dog food is breed-specific for Great Danes, although it is better for adults rather than puppies. It is also on the pricier side, but it’s a high-quality product that gives Great Danes a well-balanced diet.
Adjusted recipes according to age
Surpasses AAFCO standards
Formulated by veterinary nutritionists
Made with 12 ingredients
Free from artificial ingredients and preservatives
- Adjusted recipes according to age
- Surpasses AAFCO standards
- Formulated by veterinary nutritionists
- Made with 12 ingredients
- Free from artificial ingredients and preservatives
Check Latest Price
Crude Protein: 21%
Crude Fat: 23%
Crude Fiber: 4.2%
Pros
Trusted brand
Well-balanced
Breed-specific
High-quality ingredients
Cons
Pricey
Better suited for adults
Wellness Complete canned dog food is created specifically for puppies. It provides dogs with a healthy mix of meats, fruits, and veggies that are both delicious and easy to digest. This is another well-known and trusted brand high in protein. It is expensive and is not specific to Great Danes, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t an excellent option for your puppy.
Trusted brand
Well-balanced
Breed-specific
High-quality ingredients
- Trusted brand
- Well-balanced
- Breed-specific
- High-quality ingredients
Pricey
Better suited for adults
- Pricey
- Better suited for adults
Crude Protein: 9%
Crude Fat: 6%
Crude Fiber: 1%
Pros
Easy to digest
A mix of healthy ingredients
High in protein
Cons
Not breed specific
Expensive
- Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Canned Dog Food
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Crude Protein: 8%
Crude Fat: 4%
Crude Fiber: 1%
We loved canned dog food for young dogs because it’s gentle on their teeth, gums, and digestive systems. Taste of the Wild Canned Food is an excellent choice for your Great Dane Puppy because it uses clean ingredients yet is more affordable than many other canned dog food brands. It’s also grain-free for any dogs with food sensitivities or allergies, and each recipe is nutritious and well-balanced.
Easy to digest
A mix of healthy ingredients
High in protein
- Easy to digest
- A mix of healthy ingredients
- High in protein
Not breed specific
Expensive
- Not breed specific
- Expensive
Crude Protein: 8%
Crude Fat: 4%
Crude Fiber: 1%
Still, some customers are wary of buying food from this brand because it has been recalled in the past.
Pros
Grain-free
More affordable
Clean ingredients
Cons
Has been recalled in the past
Eukanuba is another premium dog food brand that creates recipes based on certain breed sizes instead of being breed-specific. The food is packed with protein but unfortunately, is also a little higher in fat than other brands. While it’s comparatively expensive, there are multiple size options available, and the company only uses high-quality ingredients.
Grain-free
More affordable
Clean ingredients
- Grain-free
- More affordable
- Clean ingredients
Has been recalled in the past
- Has been recalled in the past
Crude Protein: 23%
Crude Fat: 13%
Crude Fiber: 3.9%
Pros
High in protein
High-quality ingredients
Cons
High in fat
Expensive
High in protein
High-quality ingredients
- High in protein
- High-quality ingredients
High in fat
Expensive
- High in fat
- Expensive
Buyer’s Guide – Picking the Best Food for Great Dane Puppies
We all want the best for our puppies and hope to watch them flourish into the large, healthy dogs they’re supposed to be, and good nutrition is one of the most important aspects of giving your dog a fulfilling life. There’s no shortage of dog food choices out there, and it can be a challenge to find the right choice for your pooch. This buyer’s guide will help you know what to look out for when shopping for dog food.
Budget
Budget plays a major role in a pet owner’s decision about the dog food that they buy. Buying the cheapest stuff on the market probably isn’t the best idea, but you also don’t need to go into debt buying the most high-quality stuff. There are plenty of affordable yet healthy dog food brands out there if you know what to look for.
Diet
Unlike pet cats, dogs are not strict carnivores. They do need to eat a very high-protein diet, but they can still eat other foods like fruits, veggies, and grains to help support a healthy lifestyle. When you’re looking at the ingredients for dog food, make sure that they are using a variety of safe foods in their recipes.
Read the Label
Why would you want to feed your Great Dane puppy foods that are packed with artificial ingredients and preservatives? Dog food brands are required by law to provide you with an ingredients list and nutritional analysis. This label is your friend when shopping for dog food. Always ensure that the brand is using real ingredients with nutrition that is high in protein and fiber and low unhealthy fats.
Quantity
Another thing to consider when shopping for dog food is how much you’re going to need. Great Danes are giant breeds and need a lot more food than a toy breed does. If you can calculate the cost per ounce, then it helps you decide what your budget should be.
Conclusion
With so many dog foods available, we’ve taken all the tedious work out of the shopping process and provided you with our favorite choices of the dog foods for Great Dane puppies sold today. Now that you have a list of potential brands, it is time to choose which food you want to go with.
To review, our favorite overall comes from Nom Nom, the best dog food for your money is from Gentle Giants, and for a third option, give Spot + Tango recipes a try. That said, all the brands on this list are trusted options that are going to give your Great Dane all the nutrients they need.
Featured Image Credit: Melissa Askew, Unsplash
