Poodles come in standard, miniature, and toy sizes. While poodles have a reputation for being proper and regal, they are also known for being mischievous and playful. Not only is the Standard Poodle one of the most popular breeds to own as pets, but they’re also extremely loyal and intelligent.
As pet parents, we already know that proper nutrition is essential for our Poodle’s coat, health, and development. However, there are so many dog foods on the market today and it can become overwhelming to choose the best one for your furry little canine.
We’re here to help with that decision by giving you our top eight reviews for the best dog foods for Standard Poodles. We’ll also include a buying guide for how to choose the right food for your Poodle after the reviews. Let’s get started!
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2023
Image Product Details
Best Overall
The Farmer’s Dog Turkey Fresh Dog Food Subscription
USDA turkey is first ingredient
Human-grade, balanced fresh food
Convenient subscription
Click to Save 50%
- Free Shipping!
Best Value
Iams Adult Small & Toy Breed
Affordable
Impressive nutrition profile
Chicken is the primary protein
Check Price
Canidae All Life Stages Dry Dog Food
Vet made and approved
Suitable for every pet in the household
Premium quality ingredients
Check Price
Best for Puppies
Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition
Supports coat growth
Impressive carb and fiber content
Specially formulated for Poodle puppies
Check Price
Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural
Grain-free
Contains vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants
Helps convert fat into energy
Check Price
The 8 Best Dog Foods for Standard Poodles
1. The Farmer’s Dog ‘Turkey Recipe’ Fresh Dog Food Subscription – Best Overall
Click Here to Save 50% + Get Free Shipping with The Farmer’s Dog
Life Stage: All
Food Form: Fresh
Calories: 562 kcal/pound
Protein: 23%
Our top overall choice of dog foods for Standard Poodles is the turkey recipe from The Farmer’s Dog. This fresh, human-grade dog food features whole ingredients like turkey, chickpeas, and spinach. When you sign up for a subscription, you receive frozen pre-portioned packages that are easy to store and serve.
We especially like the ability to customize recipes to your Poodle’s dietary needs, and the turkey recipe is both appealing to dogs and easy on their stomachs. Plus, fresh dog food will never be too hard for your dog to chew, unlike many types of kibble.
The only downside is that this subscription is a little pricey compared to dry dog food. But you get a lot in exchange, including the confidence that you’ll never run out of food! That’s why we think this is the best dog food for Standard Poodles available this year.
Pros
Human-grade ingredients like fresh turkey
Convenient subscription and pre-portioned packages
Well-balanced recipes
Cons
Requires a subscription
Somewhat pricey
Our choice for best dog foods for Standard Poodles for the money goes to Iams Adult Small & Toy Breed Dry Dog Food. As a pet parent, you already know how expensive dog food can be. However, Iams is an affordable brand that should work for just about any budget. Chicken is the primary ingredient in this blend, and the mixture strikes a great balance between the protein your Poodle needs and its fat content too. The nutritional profile of this kibble is quite impressive, and you shouldn’t regret feeding it to your furry companion.
Human-grade ingredients like fresh turkey
Convenient subscription and pre-portioned packages
Well-balanced recipes
- Human-grade ingredients like fresh turkey
- Convenient subscription and pre-portioned packages
- Well-balanced recipes
Requires a subscription
Somewhat pricey
- Requires a subscription
- Somewhat pricey
Life Stage: Adult
Food Form: Dry Food
Calories: 393 per cup
Protein: 27%
Check Price on Chewy
There have been reports of dogs that refused to eat this kibble, and we did find that it could be too rich for the stomachs of some Poodles and thus hard for them to digest.
Pros
Affordable
Impressive nutrition profile
Chicken is the primary protein
Cons
Some dogs refuse to eat this kibble
It may be too rich for some Poodles
Canidae All Life Stages Dry Dog Food was designed by a vet, is vet-approved, and is a great choice for your Poodle. It has optimum protein content, and the ingredients are premium quality. The best thing about this kibble is that it can be fed to every pet in your household. This makes it much easier to feed your pets, as you no longer have to purchase many different bags of kibble.
Affordable
Impressive nutrition profile
Chicken is the primary protein
- Affordable
- Impressive nutrition profile
- Chicken is the primary protein
Some dogs refuse to eat this kibble
It may be too rich for some Poodles
- Some dogs refuse to eat this kibble
- It may be too rich for some Poodles
Life Stage: All
Food Form: Dry Food
Calories: 506 per cup
Protein: 24%
We feel that this blend could be pricey for some pet owners’ budgets, and some pet parents reported their dogs refusing to eat this kibble. But, in our opinion, it’s worth giving it a try, just because it can be fed to all the dogs in the house.
Pros
Vet made and approved
Suitable for every pet in the household
Premium quality ingredients
Cons
A bit pricey for some budgets
Some dogs refused to eat this kibble
If your Poodle is just a puppy, then you’re not going to want to feed them adult dog food. Our choice for the best dog food for Poodle puppies is the Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Poodle Puppy Dry Dog Food. The Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids support the coat and skin of your growing puppy, and the kibble has an impressive carb and fiber content, including corn, psyllium seed husk, corn, and wheat.
Vet made and approved
Suitable for every pet in the household
Premium quality ingredients
- Vet made and approved
- Suitable for every pet in the household
- Premium quality ingredients
A bit pricey for some budgets
Some dogs refused to eat this kibble
- A bit pricey for some budgets
- Some dogs refused to eat this kibble
Life Stage: Puppy
Food Form: Dry Food
Calories: 386 per cup
Protein: 31%
Some pet owners may consider the fact that the kibble doesn’t contain whole meat as the first ingredient a drawback. Also, this blend may be a little pricey for someone on a budget.
Pros
Supports coat growth
Impressive carb and fiber content
Specially formulated for Poodle puppies
Cons
Too pricey for some budgets
Doesn’t contain whole meat
At number five on our list is Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural Grain-Free Dry Dog Food. Since the food is grain-free, which is a benefit in many situations, it’s essential to note that the FDA has issued an alert about grain-free dog kibble, stating that it may cause heart problems in dogs. That said, this holistic kibble contains vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants your Poodle needs to be healthy, happy, and full of that boundless energy they’re known for. L-carnitine is also included in this kibble, which works to help convert fat into energy. The last thing you want is for your Poodle to become obese, so this blend should help with that.
Supports coat growth
Impressive carb and fiber content
Specially formulated for Poodle puppies
- Supports coat growth
- Impressive carb and fiber content
- Specially formulated for Poodle puppies
Too pricey for some budgets
Doesn’t contain whole meat
- Too pricey for some budgets
- Doesn’t contain whole meat
Life Stage: Adult
Food Form: Dry Food
Calories: 400 per cup
Protein: 32%
This kibble is a bit pricey, and some users complained that the formula for the kibble has changed. Some users also reported that their Poodles wouldn’t eat the food because of the change to the formula.
Pros
Grain-free
Contains vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants
Helps convert fat into energy
Cons
A bit pricey
The formula may have changed
Some dogs won’t eat because of the changed formula
Nature’s Recipe Small Breed Grain-Free Dry Dog Food sits at number six on our list. Since the blend is grain-free, our review comes with a warning about the FDA alert issued for grain-free dog foods as our previous grain-free reviews did. Other than that, dogs seem to love the taste of this kibble, and it’s priced to fit almost any pet parent’s budget. The kibble contains pumpkin, which should help your Poodles digestion, but other ingredients could be of lower quality.
Grain-free
Contains vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants
Helps convert fat into energy
- Grain-free
- Contains vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants
- Helps convert fat into energy
A bit pricey
The formula may have changed
Some dogs won’t eat because of the changed formula
- A bit pricey
- The formula may have changed
- Some dogs won’t eat because of the changed formula
Life Stage: Adult
Food Form: Dry Food
Calories: 342 per cup
Protein: 24%
Some users reported that the kibble was too large for a Standard Poodle to eat and had an off-putting, strong smell.
Pros
Dogs love the taste
Fits almost any budget
Helps with digestion
Cons
Kibble may be too large
Has a strong smell
- See also: 10 Best Dog Foods for Maltipoos – Reviews & Top Picks!
Purina Bella Natural Bites Small Breed Dry Dog Food is an affordable option for pet parents on a budget. The protein base of this kibble is chicken and beef, which makes for a good measure of energy. While the food doesn’t contain whole meat, it does contain soybeans, which is a protein product. Dogs seem to love the taste of this kibble.
Dogs love the taste
Fits almost any budget
Helps with digestion
- Dogs love the taste
- Fits almost any budget
- Helps with digestion
Kibble may be too large
Has a strong smell
- Kibble may be too large
- Has a strong smell
Life Stage: Adult
Food Form: Dry Food
Calories: 358 per cup
Protein: 26%
However, it contains no taurine, and many pet owners don’t like the fact that it doesn’t contain any whole meat for protein. The ingredients for this kibble seem to be of a lower quality than some of the others on our list, but the food is still worth giving a try.
Pros
Priced to fit almost any budget
Contains soybeans
Dogs like the taste
Cons
Contains no taurine
Contains no whole meat
Coming in last but not least on our list of the top eight best dog foods for standard Poodles is Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Poodle Adult Dry Dog Food. This kibble is specifically made with Poodles in mind, whether they’re Toy, Standard, or Miniature size. The kibble supports hair growth with a 28% protein mixture and has plenty of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to boost your pet’s immune system. The kibble is also uniquely shaped so that it’s easier for Poodles to pick up and chew.
Priced to fit almost any budget
Contains soybeans
Dogs like the taste
- Priced to fit almost any budget
- Contains soybeans
- Dogs like the taste
Contains no taurine
Contains no whole meat
- Contains no taurine
- Contains no whole meat
Life Stage: Adult
Food Form: Dry Food
Calories: 352% per cup
Protein: 28%
Corn is the main ingredient in this kibble, which many pet parents don’t like. In addition, pet owners reported that some dogs didn’t like the taste of the kibble, and others said that the kibble is too small for a Standard Poodle to eat and enjoy.
Pros
Supports hair growth
Boosts immune system
Features a unique kibble shape
Cons
Corn is the main ingredient
Kibble too small for a Standard Poodle
Some dogs refused to eat this kibble
Buyer’s Guide: Finding the Best Dog Food for Standard Poodles
Now that we’ve determined what our top choices for the best dog foods for Standard Poodles are, you might still be wondering how you’re supposed to choose between these eight or any of the other options on the market today. We’ll give you some tips on what to look for in your dog food for Poodles in this section.
Supports hair growth
Boosts immune system
Features a unique kibble shape
- Supports hair growth
- Boosts immune system
- Features a unique kibble shape
Corn is the main ingredient
Kibble too small for a Standard Poodle
Some dogs refused to eat this kibble
- Corn is the main ingredient
- Kibble too small for a Standard Poodle
- Some dogs refused to eat this kibble
Life Stage
The first thing you need to consider is what stage of life your Poodle is in. For example, you wouldn’t feed a Poodle puppy the same food you would feed your elderly Poodle. You should be able to find the information about the life stage recommendations on the label of the kibble you’re considering. We have quite a few choices on our list that should work well, whichever life stage your Poodle is in at the moment.
Nutritional Value
Of course, you already know that how much nutritional value the kibble contains is essential to your Poodle’s overall health. You want a blend that has essential vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and more to ensure your pooch has everything they need in the nutrition department for a healthy, happy life.
Grain-Free or Not?
For years, it was thought that any dog food that was grain-free should be good for your pooch, now it might not be. The FDA warns that it is possible that grain-free foods can lead to cardiomyopathy in pets, Poodles included. This is a diet-related heart condition and can end in death if you’re not careful. So it’s best if you talk to your vet about whether to give your Poodle grain-free kibble or if he thinks it’s best to let a little grain into his diet for the best results.
These are a few of the things that you need to consider when choosing the right food for your standard Poodle. We hope we’ve given you enough information to help you make the right choice and give your Poodle the best food with the best taste.
Final Thoughts
This concludes our reviews of the eight best dog foods for standard Poodles. Our overall choice went to The Farmer’s Dog Turkey Recipe because it’s some of the most high-quality dog food you can buy. Human-grade ingredients including USDA turkey delivered straight to your door: what more could you want? Our second choice went to Iams Adult Small & Toy Breed Dry Dog Food for its affordability and impressive nutrition profile. Finally, our third choice went to Canidae All Life Stages Dry Dog Food because it was made for all life stages.
We hope that we’ve helped you choose the best food for your Poodle and that this food will keep them happy, healthy, and active for many years to come!
- You may also want to read: What Were Poodles Bred For? History of the Poodle
Featured Image Credit: everydoghasastory, Shutterstock
