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Best Dog Foods For German Shepherds
German Sheperd's are known for being a little bit more difficult to feed due to their sensitive systems. This can make it challenging to find the right food for them. This will be a pretty short list because the food German Shepherds do well on is what all dogs should be eating . . .
This Post At A Glance
Best Biologically Appropriate Dog Food
-Raw (PMR, BARF)
-Cooked
-Royal Canine
-Best Dry Dog Foods
-Taste Of The Wild (best value)
-Orijen (best quality)
-Redbarn (best variety)
-Merrick (best overall)
-Wellness (honorable mention)
-What NOT To Feed
-Conclusion
What's The Best Dog Food For German Shepherds?
#1 Raw Food
Whether it's a balanced homemade meal, or conveniently purchased by a reputable company. Raw is the most biologically appropriate meal for your German Shepherd. My girl Osa has been on raw ever since she was weaned from mom. My breeder fed her dogs and puppies raw. She's got solid stools and has had no health problems. There are 2 types of raw fed dogs. PMR & BARF . . .
PMR (Prey Model Raw) - This is the easiest method of feeding. But it's also the most gross. Simply put, it's feeding the whole animal to your dog. Whether it's the whole chicken, whole rabbit, whole fish. The dog gets everything it needs nutrient wise from the exterior feathers, fur, feet. To the eyeballs, brain, etc. It's nutritionally complete and exactly what they need.
BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) - The BARF diet imitates the PMR diet in that your try to put together the proper meat to bone to organ ratios. This can be more challenging and takes practice. Additional supplementation may be needed without the existence of the fur, feet, stomach . . . unique parts of a whole animal that would be missing.
If handling raw is not your thing. There are commercially made freeze dried and dehydrated food available on the market. Both are great though freeze dried food retain more nutrients.
Benefits Of Raw
-Biologically appropriate
-Healthiest food
-Bioavailable nutrients
-Optimal health for dog
-Smaller poops that break down with time
-Naturally hydrates dog
Disadvantages Of Raw
-Some people don't like to handle it
-More time consuming to prepare and feed
-Takes up space in fridge/freezer
-Acquired taste for some dogs that are new to raw feeding
-It can be a challenge to make sure it's nutritionally complete
#2 Cooked Food
Much like raw, you can take it a step further and cook the food. It's less ideal in the sense that you destroy some of the nutrients. But it's more convenient to handle and can be more palatable to some dogs. Softly cooking vegetables is a good idea whether you feed raw or cooked meals as the nutrients become more bioavailable to you dog. In the wild wolves will get vegetable matter from the stomachs of their prey. This is beneficial as it's fermented. There's a product called Gussy's Gut, a fermented topper for your dog's food the benefits their stomach flora. You can check them out by clicking here.
Benefits Of Cooked
-Biologically appropriate
-Easier to handle than raw
-Bioavailable nutrients
-Optimal health for dog
-Smaller poops that break down with time
-More palatable for some dogs
-Many companies are coming out with nutritionally complete cooked meals
-Naturally hydrates dog
Disadvantages Of Cooked
-Time consuming to prepare and feed
-Takes up space in fridge/freezer
-Loss of some nutrients in the cooking process
-It can be a challenge to make sure it's nutritionally complete
-Buying from a company that's makes it for you can be expensive
-Companies put too many starches in it
#3 Royal Canine
First off, I'm not a fan of this one. I see it as overpriced garbage. HOWEVER, biases aside, many breeders and German Shepherd owners have sworn by this food. It has been beneficial in solving many of the problems German Shepherds tend to have with allergies and GI issues.
Benefits Of Royal Canine
-Solves a lot of the common German Shepherd GI and allergy problems
-Breed specific formulas
-Popular brand amongst breeders and German Shepherd owners
Disadvantages Of Royal Canine
-Expensive
-Less than ideal ingredients
-May not be the best for longevity and vitality
Best Dry Dog Foods
Okay lets get real. Most people feed kibble. It's not ideal but it's convenient and often times more affordable. The following foods have been given a 5 star rating from "Dog Food Advisor" and are great options for your German Shepherd provided their system agrees with it.
Best Overall - Taste Of The Wild
This is what I personally supplement my pup Osa with when I run out of raw, or we are on the road and need something convenient. As long as she doesn't get too large of a meal at once, her system handles it fine, and she has solid poops. This brand is readily available at most stores, is affordable, and has decent ingredients. They have both grain free and ancient grain recipes with unique proteins like venison, wild board, buffalo, salmon etc.
Pros:
-Decent ingredients
-Affordable
-Widely available
-Solid shepherd poops
Cons:
-It's kibble aka processed food
-Dehydrates your dog causing them to drink more water
-Not ideal for the longevity & health of your dog
Best Quality - Orijen
Orijen is pretty well known to be one of the best dry dog foods you can get on the market for its quality ingredients. They follow a whole prey model recipe to provide a nutrient dense food. As an added bonus they do have some freeze-dried food options as well. Be prepared however as it's incredibly expensive.
Pros:
-High meat content
-Quality ingredients
-They have dry and freeze-dried options
-Whole prey recipe model
Cons:
-Expensive
-It's still kibble
-Dehydrates your dog causing them to drink more water
-Not ideal for the longevity & health of your dog
-Harder to find. Generally in holistic pet food stores or can order online.
Best Variety - RedBarn
RedBarn has a great variety of dog foods and natural dog treats. They offer dry, meat logs, and air-dried dog foods. Their treats alone or worth checking out with a variety of excellent options. They have a mission to provide sustainable healthy products for your dog.
Pros:
-Quality ingredients
-Non kibble options
-Variety
Cons:
-Little bit on the expensive side
-It's kibble aka processed food
-Dehydrates your dog causing them to drink more water
-Not ideal for the longevity & health of your dog
Best Overall - Merrick
Much like "Taste Of The Wild", Merrick is pretty widely available. Though I'd say it's quality surpasses them. This is reflected in the price. But it's still not as pricey as the others. They offer a range from grain free, healthy grains, unique canned recipes, raw infused, and limited ingredient recipes.
Pros:
-Good ingredients
-Affordable
-Widely available
-Variety of food types
Cons:
-It's kibble aka processed food
-Dehydrates your dog causing them to drink more water
-Not ideal for the longevity & health of your dog
What NOT To Feed
I would never feed dog foods that you find at the grocery store. These are going to be the foods that are full of cheap fillers, preservatives, colorings, etc. This includes brands like Purina, Beneful, Biljack, Pedigree, Ol'Roy, etc. Stores like Tractor Supply, Petco, PetSmart will have a mix of good and bad foods. A holistic pet food store will likely sell holistic pet food only. When you buy the cheap crappy brands, you're just asking for an expensive vet visit when your dog develops serious health problems like cancer, allergies, organ failure, etc.
Conclusion
Of course there are plenty of other decent dog foods out there. These were my top picks based off of personal experience and research. You just need to learn how to read ingredient labels for questionable ingredients and know what your dog requires as a hungry carnivore.
Hopefully this article was helpful. Ultimately what you feed your German Shepherd is up to what works for your dog that is healthy and that you can afford. PMR or well-balanced homemade raw/cooked meals are the ultimate way to go. But you can find alternatives to meet you and your dog's needs. Remember you don't have to stick with just one food. Try a variety. This ensures that if one food is deficient in something, you'll get it from another. Happy feeding!
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