If you own a Blue Heeler, you know these dogs are intelligent, playful, and energetic. Because of their energy level, you want to ensure your Blue Heeler gets the best quality dog food available. These active canines need protein, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients from grains and vegetables. But with all the different recipes and brands of dog food on the market, it can be hard to know which food is the best choice for your Blue Heeler.
To help you out, we have put together a list of the nine best choices for dog food for your best friend. Read on to learn more about the recommended foods.
A Glance at Our Winners in 2023
Image Product Details
Best Overall
Blue Buffalo Life Protection
High in meaty proteins
Quality ingredients
Rich in fatty acids and chelated minerals
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Best Value
American Journey Active Life Formula
High protein and fat to fuel active dogs
Full of nutrient-rich plants like blueberries and sweet potatoes
High antioxidants, amino acids, and nutrients
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Premium Choice
Nom Nom Turkey Fare
Easy subscription delivers straight to your door
Freshly made, nutritious food
Easy-to-digest natural ingredients
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Best for Puppies
Wellness Complete Health Puppy
Good source of healthy proteins
Specially formulated to fuel puppies
Has healthy plants like spinach, sweet potatoes, and blueberries
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Victor Purpose Senior Dog Food
Specially formulated for seniors
Balanced fat and protein content
Includes glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health
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The 9 Best Dog Foods for Blue Heelers
It’s easy to recommend Blue Buffalo’s Life Protection food for almost any dog, and that includes Blue Heelers. We found this food to be the best overall choice for blue heeler dog food because of its high-quality ingredients and balanced nutrition. This kibble’s ingredients list is topped by real meats and meat products, with a range of whole grains that add nutrients and delicious vegetables filling it out. Extra nutrition comes from LifeSource Bits, a unique nutrient blend that completes your dog’s balanced diet.
First five ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Barley, Oatmeal
Food Type: Dry
Life stage: Adult
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Although this is an all-around good food, be aware that this food does provide some protein from plants, notably pea protein. It also has several whole grains that are generally healthy, but some dogs may do better on grain-free diets.
Pros
High in meaty proteins
Quality ingredients
Rich in fatty acids and chelated minerals
Cons
Not suitable for grain-free diets
Does include some plant-based protein
Blue Heelers are high-energy dogs, but you don’t need to break the bank to keep them fueled. We found American Journey Active Life Formula to be the best dog food for your money when it comes to Blue Heelers. This food is high in protein and fat, with 25% crude protein and 15% crude fat, making it ideal for active or working Heelers. This food option is built on a strong base of fresh ingredients, including some of the most nutrient-rich plants like blueberries and sweet potatoes, which provide natural antioxidants, calcium, and thiamine, all important for a healthy life.
High in meaty proteins
Quality ingredients
Rich in fatty acids and chelated minerals
- High in meaty proteins
- Quality ingredients
- Rich in fatty acids and chelated minerals
Not suitable for grain-free diets
Does include some plant-based protein
- Not suitable for grain-free diets
- Does include some plant-based protein
First five ingredients: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Rice Bran, Peas
Food Type: Dry
Life stage: Adult
This food does contain some plant-based proteins, which are a little less digestible for dogs. Because this is an active formula, it isn’t ideal for all dogs—if your dog struggles with obesity or is becoming less active as it ages, you may want to switch to a less fatty dog food or cut down portion sizes.
Pros
High protein and fat to fuel active dogs
Full of nutrient-rich plants like blueberries and sweet potatoes
High antioxidants, amino acids, and nutrients
Cons
Contains some plant proteins
Not ideal for older or less active dogs
3. Nom Nom Turkey Fare Fresh Dog Food Subscription — Premium Choice
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First five ingredients: Turkey, brown rice, eggs, carrots, spinach
Food Type: Fresh
Life stage: All Life Stages
Your Blue Heeler might not be a picky eater, but that doesn’t mean she won’t appreciate being pampered. Nom Nom is the perfect premium dog food for showing your dog the high life. Nom Nom is a subscription-based dog food service that delivers fresh, small-batch meals directly to your door on a timetable you choose. The subscription service is both a pro and a con—it takes all the hassle out of feeding, but it does mean that you can’t just throw an order into your cart and try it. That said, we love Nom Nom’s service and many of its recipes.
High protein and fat to fuel active dogs
Full of nutrient-rich plants like blueberries and sweet potatoes
High antioxidants, amino acids, and nutrients
- High protein and fat to fuel active dogs
- Full of nutrient-rich plants like blueberries and sweet potatoes
- High antioxidants, amino acids, and nutrients
Contains some plant proteins
Not ideal for older or less active dogs
- Contains some plant proteins
- Not ideal for older or less active dogs
One of our favorite Nom Nom meals is their Turkey Fare. It has a balanced blend of ground meat, vitamin-rich veggies, easy-to-digest whole grains, and added vitamins and minerals. Their turkey fare has brown rice as the main grain, which is a great choice for sensitive stomachs. And with 10% crude protein, 5% crude fat, and 72% moisture, this food is both delicious and healthy compared to other wet foods. Because the food comes fresh, it does need to be stored in the freezer and thawed, which makes storage a little more complicated, but when your dog tastes this food, it will all be worth it.
Pros
Easy subscription delivers straight to your door
Freshly made, nutritious food
Easy-to-digest natural ingredients
Cons
More expensive option
Harder to store
Subscription only
Up until your Heeler is about one year old, they’ll benefit from a puppy-formulated meal. Puppy-formulated foods have extra vitamins and a higher fat and protein content to help them grow. We love Wellness Complete Health Puppy because it’s packed with great natural sources of vitamins, including spinach, sweet potatoes, and blueberries. Vitamins are absorbed more easily when they’re found in fresh food instead of added later, so having so many natural ingredients is a good sign.
Easy subscription delivers straight to your door
Freshly made, nutritious food
Easy-to-digest natural ingredients
- Easy subscription delivers straight to your door
- Freshly made, nutritious food
- Easy-to-digest natural ingredients
More expensive option
Harder to store
Subscription only
- More expensive option
- Harder to store
- Subscription only
First five ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Oatmeal, Ground Barley, Peas
Food Type: Dry food
Life stage: Puppy
This dog food is high in protein and fat, mostly coming from chicken so your puppy will stay fueled all day long. It does include a little bit of plant-based protein in the form of peas. The food also includes a small amount of garlic in it. Research is mixed on garlic, which can cause stomach trouble in larger doses but may be beneficial in smaller ones.
Pros
Good source of healthy proteins
Specially formulated to fuel puppies
Has healthy plants like spinach, sweet potatoes, and blueberries
Cons
Includes garlic
Includes pea protein
As a medium-sized dog, your Heeler will probably enter his senior years at around ten years of age. As your dog gets older, his metabolism will slow, and he’ll need more of certain vitamins that help prevent common aging problems like arthritis. Senior dog formulated foods will help keep your dog happy and healthy even as fur grays.
Good source of healthy proteins
Specially formulated to fuel puppies
Has healthy plants like spinach, sweet potatoes, and blueberries
- Good source of healthy proteins
- Specially formulated to fuel puppies
- Has healthy plants like spinach, sweet potatoes, and blueberries
Includes garlic
Includes pea protein
- Includes garlic
- Includes pea protein
First five ingredients: Beef meal, whole grain brown rice, whole grain millet, grain sorghum, chicken fat
Food Type: Dry
Life stage: Senior
Victor Purpose Senior Dog Food is a great option because it’s specially formulated for seniors, with a balance of fat and protein that will help your dog as he ages. This comes mostly from chicken, although there is also some plant protein. It also includes glucosamine and chondroitin, two compounds that promote joint health. This is great for Heelers because they have a tendency towards joint problems as they age. This isn’t the best food for every dog, though. Some senior dogs may struggle with dry food or grain digestion as they age, requiring a more specialized diet.
Pros
Specially formulated for seniors
Balanced fat and protein content
Includes glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health
Cons
Includes grains that may cause digestive issues
Some seniors struggle to eat kibble
Some plant proteins
Taste of the Wild High Prairie Food lets your dog live on something a little different than most of the options on this list. With water buffalo as the first ingredient and many other meat sources, including lamb, chicken, bison, venison, and beef, this dog food has a wide variety of proteins that give the food flavor and nutrients. This variety also extends to plant matter. This food doesn’t have grains, but it is full of other plants that add vitamins, antioxidants, and other things. This food is full of fatty acids, chelated minerals, prebiotics, and probiotics that fortify your dog’s health.
Specially formulated for seniors
Balanced fat and protein content
Includes glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health
- Specially formulated for seniors
- Balanced fat and protein content
- Includes glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health
Includes grains that may cause digestive issues
Some seniors struggle to eat kibble
Some plant proteins
- Includes grains that may cause digestive issues
- Some seniors struggle to eat kibble
- Some plant proteins
First five ingredients: Water Buffalo, Lamb Meal, Chicken Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Peas
Food Type: Dry/grain-free
Life stage: Adult
The main plant fillers that replace grains are potatoes and peas, both of which do have some less-usable protein, but they still work well to support the meat-based diet. Although this variety is great for most dogs, if your dog is allergy-prone, this is a less desirable food because it contains so many different plant and protein ingredients.
Pros
High-quality animal protein base
Grain-free carbs, fresh fruits, and vegetables
Fatty acids, chelated minerals, prebiotics, and probiotics all help health
Cons
Wide variety of ingredients can limit allergy-prone dogs
Some plant protein from potatoes and peas
Some pups need something a little more substantial than kibble. Whether it’s the low moisture content or the texture of dry food that turns your dog off, canned food can be a great substitute, despite the stronger smell. Instinct Original Grain-Free Real Chicken recipe is made with cage-free chicken and real turkey as its main ingredient—it boasts of being 95% meat, 5% veggies and vitamins, and 0% grain.
High-quality animal protein base
Grain-free carbs, fresh fruits, and vegetables
Fatty acids, chelated minerals, prebiotics, and probiotics all help health
- High-quality animal protein base
- Grain-free carbs, fresh fruits, and vegetables
- Fatty acids, chelated minerals, prebiotics, and probiotics all help health
Wide variety of ingredients can limit allergy-prone dogs
Some plant protein from potatoes and peas
- Wide variety of ingredients can limit allergy-prone dogs
- Some plant protein from potatoes and peas
First five ingredients: Chicken, Turkey, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Ground Flaxseed
Food Type: Canned/grain-free
Life stage: Adult
The grain-free formula is great for dogs with sensitive stomachs, and its smooth pate texture makes it a great choice for dogs with dental issues. It doesn’t include any of the common fillers like peas and potatoes, keeping the focus on meat and a few vegetables like pumpkin, cranberries, and broccoli. One drawback of this option is that it comes in small packs of only six cans.
Pros
95% meat products
Includes omega fatty acids
Smooth, easy-to-eat texture
Cons
Stronger smell
Smaller case size
If your Heeler is a work hard/play hard kind of dog, you’ll want to get an active-dog specific food like Victor Purpose Nutra Pro Active Dog Formula. Active formulas have a higher level of protein than most dog foods, supporting your dog’s lean muscles and giving them energy that will last all day. It’s packed with healthy protein—in fact, it’s 92% meat product. It contains some whole grains, but it is a little lighter on fruits and vegetables, with the main vegetables being tomato and carrot powders.
95% meat products
Includes omega fatty acids
Smooth, easy-to-eat texture
- 95% meat products
- Includes omega fatty acids
- Smooth, easy-to-eat texture
Stronger smell
Smaller case size
- Stronger smell
- Smaller case size
First five ingredients: Chicken meal, blood meal, whole grain millet, chicken fat, yeast culture
Food Type: Dry
Life stage: Puppy and Adult
If you choose to feed your dog this formula, make sure to watch carefully, as it’s easy to overfeed your dog on a protein and fat-heavy dog food like this. This food isn’t ideal for less active dogs, so you’ll have to watch carefully to avoid obesity.
Pros
Great for all life stages
No corn, wheat, or soy
92% meat protein
Cons
A little light on fruits and veggies
Easy to overfeed
Not ideal for less active dogs
- American Journey Chicken & Turkey Recipe Grain-Free Canned Dog Food
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First five ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Broth, Turkey, Chicken Liver, Potatoes
Food Type: Canned/grain-free
Life stage: Adult
Another great canned food is American Journey Chicken & Turkey Recipe. This canned food has a high moisture content that makes it a great choice for dogs that struggle with eating kibble. It’s also cheaper than many other canned foods of similar quality, making it an economical choice. This food has a balanced, protein-based diet with mostly high-quality chicken and turkey protein. The main plant matter is potato, which isn’t the worst nor the best vegetable option, as it adds some lower-quality protein to the recipe and doesn’t have many of the vitamins necessary.
Great for all life stages
No corn, wheat, or soy
92% meat protein
- Great for all life stages
- No corn, wheat, or soy
- 92% meat protein
A little light on fruits and veggies
Easy to overfeed
Not ideal for less active dogs
- A little light on fruits and veggies
- Easy to overfeed
- Not ideal for less active dogs
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First five ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Broth, Turkey, Chicken Liver, Potatoes
Food Type: Canned/grain-free
Life stage: Adult
This food relies on added vitamins and minerals to make up for it. Like many canned foods, it has a stronger odor that dogs love, but some reviewers reported it took some getting used to. Overall, it’s a great choice for some owners, but not for everyone.
Pros
Easy-to-eat wet food
Balanced protein-based diet
Budget-friendly canned option
Cons
Stronger smell
Includes some plant protein from potatoes
Few fresh veggies
Easy-to-eat wet food
Balanced protein-based diet
Budget-friendly canned option
- Easy-to-eat wet food
- Balanced protein-based diet
- Budget-friendly canned option
Stronger smell
Includes some plant protein from potatoes
Few fresh veggies
- Stronger smell
- Includes some plant protein from potatoes
- Few fresh veggies
Buyer’s Guide: Picking the Best Dog Food for Blue Heelers
Your Heeler’s Food Needs
All dogs have similar nutritional needs, but differences in breeds can make some diets better than others. Blue Heelers need a diet of high-quality proteins, fats, and carbohydrates to be healthy. They also need lots of vitamins and minerals. Protein is healthiest when it comes from meat sources, not plant matter—so dog foods with a high amount of pea or potato protein are less healthy than foods that rely on all meat protein. In the same way, fresh fruits and vegetables like sweet potatoes, berries, spinach, and carrots are better sources of vitamins and minerals than supplements. Looking for dog food with a wide variety of natural ingredients is a great way to start.
As your dog ages, the exact balance of proteins, fats, and carbs shifts. Younger dogs need more protein and fat, while older dogs need less, especially when it comes to fat. Puppy and senior formulas are made to match those needs.
Heelers are especially prone to joint and skeletal problems. Some specific nutrients, like calcium, glucosamine, and chondroitin, are helpful in promoting joint and skeletal health. You can look out for foods with these added, especially as your dog gets older.
Wet vs Dry Food
One of the biggest decisions to make when it comes to dog food is whether to pick a wet food or a dry food. They both have pros and cons. Dry food is more nutrient-dense, with less water content. That can be good for helping your dog get a hearty meal, but some dogs struggle to stay hydrated with dry food. Texture is a big difference too. Some dogs prefer wet foods and struggle to eat solid foods, especially as they get older. Wet foods often come in a variety of textures, including stews, chunks, and pates.
Is Grain-Free Good for Dogs?
Over the past few years, grain-free foods have become more popular, but results are mixed. It’s pretty clear that many types of grains, like corn, soy, and processed wheat, don’t have much nutritional value. Grains are also a common allergen and irritant for sensitive stomachs, making a grain-free diet safer for some pups. But there is also a growing body of evidence that whole grains are healthy for dogs and may prevent some health problems.
Many grain-free foods don’t have a higher meat content; they just replace the grains with cheap vegetables like potatoes. A recent FDA study looked at grain-free diets in dogs and suggested that they correlate with a higher rate of heart health problems. Overall, a grain-free diet is less important than a balanced, healthy diet.
Conclusion
We hope these reviews help you find the right food for your Blue Heeler. As you can see, there isn’t one perfect dog food for every situation. Blue Buffalo Life Protection is the best food overall, but American Journey Active Life Formula is the best value option. If you want premium food, Nom Nom’s Turkey Fare is a great choice. Puppies will do best on a puppy-formulated food like Wellness Complete Health Puppy.
Featured Image Credit: Madelein Wolfaardt, Shutterstock
See also:
- 10 Best Dog Foods for Basset Hounds – Reviews & Top Picks
- 10 Best Dog Foods for Dalmatians – Reviews & Top Picks
- Best Senior Dog Foods for Small Breeds – Reviews & Top Picks
