Best Dog Food For Goldendoodles for Optimal Nutrition/Health! (2024)

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole – Roger Caras

Dogs have earned their position as man’s best friend through thousands of years of dutiful and loyal companionship.

Fearless defenders of home and family, the traditional role of the dog within their human packs has changed dramatically since the first canines cozied up next to cave fires with their stone-age companions.

No longer expected to work for a living or be anything other than part of the clan that they were welcomed into with open arms, dogs have stolen the hearts of humanity and are the only creatures who love their families more than they love themselves.

Just like their beloved human companions, dogs come in all shapes and sizes.

Having been bred to fulfill a number of different roles through successive generations, they have become one of the most unique species on the planet.

There’s a breed of dog for everyone, and their temperament, intelligence, and natural affinity for a multitude of divergent roles mean that they will always find favor with and be cherished by all.

One of the latest designer breeds of dogs to have made a significant impact on the canine faithful’s radar is the Goldendoodle, a Golden Retriever and Poodle cross that combines the best of both breeds.

While they make excellent guide, assistance, and therapy dogs, where they ultimately shine is in the home as part of a devoted family.

If you’re thinking about adding a Goldendoodle to your brood, you need to know as much about them as possible (you can do that here), because the breed, as every variety of dog does, has its own special needs and requirements.

That’s why we’ve put together a list of the best dog foods for Goldendoodle so that you can be prepared for the moment when the latest member of your family walks through the door of your home and settles in for the first meal of the rest of their life.

So let’s go and fill your cupboards full with the best dog food for your Goldendoodle…

These are some of our favorites!

Review of The Best Dog Food For Goldendoodles

#1 Food For Goldendoodles: Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

Instinct is on a mission to transform the lives of pets everywhere, and they believe that transformation starts with food.

They believe that food should be kept as natural and pure as possible.

They like to follow in Mother Nature’s footsteps and keep their food free from artificial preservatives, fillers, and by-products and endeavor to make sure that all their foods adhere to their simple credo.

Raw Boost is a natural dog food that combines high-protein, grain-free kibble with natural bites of freeze-dried chicken that has been exclusively sourced from cage-free chickens, who have been allowed to roam free as nature intended.

A high protein dog food that’s packed full of probiotics to aid digestion and omega oils to keep your best friends skin and coat healthy, Raw Boost is also free from potato, corn, grain, wheat, soy, and artificial coloring.

A healthy and fully balanced meal, it’s an ideal source of nutrition for you Goldendoodle regardless of how big or small they are. (Learn about Goldendoodle sizes here.)

At Instinct, they believe in always striving to redefine better and doing their part to quantify that equation for you and your pets.

All you need to do is play your part and feed your Goldendoodle the way nature intended them to be fed, by always making sure that their bowls are filled with Instinct Raw Boost.

Likes:

• Raw Boost is a natural dog food that’s free from bulking preservatives and has been formulated to whet your Goldendoodles appetite and make sure that they remain fit and healthy.
• And to promote all-around health, the only ingredients that they boost in their food are Omega oils and probiotics, both of which will ensure that your faithful hound will always make the most out of every single day.
• Instinct had, and still has, a single goal and that was, and is, to make sure that the food they make is kept as natural as possible so that your Goldendoodle is able to face whatever life throws at him with boundless energy.

Dislikes:

• As a source of nutrition and food that your Goldendoodle will thoroughly enjoy, Raw Boost is second to none. It’s been made to cater to all of your pooch’s needs, but because of that, it’s also reassuringly expensive.
• Raw Boost isn’t cheap, but if you want to make sure that you always feed your best pal the very best food, you’re not going to worry about what it costs you to make them happy.

Other Great Food Options for Goldendoodles

Runner-Up: Merrick Grain-Free with Real Meat And Sweet Potato

Merrick is fully committed to providing quality nutrition for your pet.

That’s how they started 30 years ago when Garth Merrick began making the very best-cooked home food for his beloved dog Gracie on his farm in Texas.

The company, like their founder, believes that every pet is the best ever, which is why they want every dog to have the best food ever. Because the best pet deserves the best food.

With 60% of its protein coming from Texas ranch bred beef, Merrick’s dry dog food is based on genuine home recipes that contain all of the fiber, vitamins, and proteins that your Goldendoodle needs to lead a happy, healthy, energetic life.

Along with its high protein meat content, the grain-free food is designed to help your Goldendoodle’s weight remain balanced and includes omega oils to keep your hound’s skin and coat healthy and glucosamine and chondroitin to ensure that his hips and joints stay in prime condition.

The company may have grown in the last three decades, but they’ve always followed Garth Merrick’s original vision by producing the best food for the best pets in the world.

And we all know who the best pet in the world is, don’t we? That’s right, it’s yours.

Likes:

• All of Merrick’s pet foods are based on tried, tested, and true home recipes. They don’t make any dog food that they wouldn’t be happy to feed to their own dogs, and every single meal they produce has been made to make sure that your pet only gets the best.
• Full of natural goodness, Merricks derives 60% of its protein content from free-range, ranch-raised Texas cattle. It’s the beef that Texans use for their barbecues, and if it’s good enough to make it to a Texas grill, you know it’s going to make your hound howl with joy.
• Merricks dry food has been formulated to contain a perfect combination of protein, healthy fats, and omega oils to increase your dog’s energy levels, help them to maintain a balanced weight, and promote healthy digestion and joints.
• It’s grain and artificial preservative free and doesn’t use bulking agents and fillers. Merricks food is made for one reason and one reason alone. To make sure that your Goldendoodle enjoys a long and happy life.

Dislikes:

• Some dog owners have questioned whether Merrick’s has recently changed their recipes, as their hounds started to become picky between two different batches of the same food. If they can do it once, they might do it again, so it might be worth keeping an eye on the quality of the food if you decide to opt for a Merricks based diet for your Goldendoodle.
• It’s natural dog food, so it isn’t in the same price bracket as the tins that line the aisles of your local supermarket. It’s a high-quality dog food that’s been made for the best dog in the world. And the best dog in the world is, of course, your dog.

Taste of the Wild Roasted Bison and Roasted Venison High Protein Real Meat Recipes Dry Dog Food  

A family-owned business that knew that there had to be a better way to feed dogs than relying on the same old brands and flavorless tinned products that have dominated the market for generations, Taste of the Wild decided to try and find it.

By taking note of, and being guided by their pet’s needs, Taste of the Wild decided that the best way to feed any dog was by listening to their inner wolf and following their ancestral diet.

Made using real bison and venison meat and the best ingredients sourced from all over the world, Taste of the Wild is free from artificial flavors, preservatives, and colors and doesn’t contain any grain, wheat corn, or fillers.

It’s packed full of proprietary probiotics and proteins, antioxidants, and fatty acids, which means that it’s been formulated to keep your Goldendoodles’ joints supple, their skin and coat healthy, and imbue them with the sort of energy that means they’ll always be ready and willing to hit the trail with you whenever you want to.

Everything about this food is natural, from the pasture raised bison and venison that provides 30% of the protein in every bowlful of Taste of the Wild, to every other sustainably sourced ingredient included in the dry food.

Each and every pound of Taste of the Wild contains up to 80 million live, active cultures that help to support your Goldendoodle’s healthy digestive and immune systems.

Likes:

• Every single ingredient in Taste of the Wild has been sustainably sourced, and they know everything that goes into every ounce of their food. They’re fanatical about the ingredients that they use and make sure that every mouthful of their food is as close to the way that nature intended it to be as possible.
• And that fanaticism manifests itself in the meat used, as the protein content is 100% pasture raised. No cages or confinement were used in any stage of the manufacture of this all-natural food.
• Nobody knows better about the diet that your dog should have than your dog, which is why Taste of the Wild has been created to approximate the ancient and hereditary diet that dogs thrived on for thousands of years.

Dislikes:

• There have been some internet-based rumors that linked Taste of The Wild to an FDA study that explored the links between cardiac disease in dogs and dry food. It might be worth digging a little deeper to ascertain the veracity of these claims if you intend to feed your Goldendoodle on a Taste of the Wild diet.
• Again, as with every natural pet food currently available, Taste of the Wild is reassuringly expensive as it doesn’t cut any corners in order to produce the highest quality food that it can. And not cutting corners means that it costs more.

Wellness Core Natural Dry Dog Food

Wellness has a simple philosophy. They believe that your pet’s mealtimes are about more than just a bowlful of food, they’re the foundation and pathway to a longer, healthier, and happier life together.

And that’s why they craft delicious recipes that use simple, natural ingredients without any fluff or fillers.

Every Core Natural recipe that Wellness makes perfectly balances premium protein and nutrient-rich superfoods to create balanced dog food that contains everything that your Goldendoodle needs to thrive.

Made from a high concentration of natural meat products, it’s been formulated with body health in mind and contains all of the fatty acids, omega-rich oils, antioxidants, proteins, and taurine (for a healthy heart) that your Goldendoodle needs to ensure that he will always set the pace that you’ll frantically try to keep up with.

Core Natural has been designed to fuel your dog’s best life, and the range includes varieties to cater to any and all of your Goldendoodles eating habits.

There’s a Core kibble that’ll appeal to even the fussiest eater because Wellness believes that no dog should be left behind.

Likes:

• It’s been made with your dog’s taste buds in mind using 100% human-grade ingredients, which means that your Goldendoodle will love it and you’ll have an incredibly hard time trying to stop them coming back for seconds and thirds.
• Core doesn’t use any fillers, preservatives, artificial colors, or flavors. It’s a 100% natural dog food that contains everything that your Goldendoodle will need to make the most of and enjoy every single day.

Dislikes:

• A number of longtime Wellness devotees have noted that the brand’s quality control seems to have slipped as it doesn’t seem to be the same high-quality product that it used to be. Whether this was down to a bad batch or a recipe change isn’t evident, but it might be worth keeping an eye on the quality of the food.

Diamond Naturals Skin & Coat 

Diamond is passionate about dog food and works hard to provide you, your family, and your dog with ingredients at a price that you can feel happy with.

They know that you expect only the best from the food that you feed your Goldendoodle, which is why everything that they do is governed by the Diamond test.

If they wouldn’t feed something they make to their own pets, they’d never expect you to feed it to your dog.

A high-quality source of protein that’s been made from wild-caught salmon and zero grains and is designed for all life stages with optimal amino acid profiles to help create lean, strong muscles, this kibble has all of the nutrients, fatty acids, and omega oils that your Goldendoodle needs.

Formulated to ensure that your dog remains fit, healthy, and active throughout his long life, Diamond Naturals Skin & Coat is the tasty diet that’s been made to put a smile on your Goldendoodle’s face.

And anyone who tells you that dogs can’t smile has obviously never owned a Goldendoodle.

Diamond keeps everything natural so you’ll never have to worry about what’s gone into the manufacture of their food.

They do what they do to make your Goldendoodle happy, and if it makes you happy too, that’s just an added bonus that helps to keep your dog’s world turning.

Likes:

• It’s an all-natural, all-stages-of-life food for your Goldendoodle that’s been formulated to keep them happy and healthy at every stage of their long life.
• Diamond’s Skin & Coat has a secret weapon up its sleeve – while it’s been made to help to promote skin and coat health in all dogs, it’s especially effective in helping dogs with skin allergies to control their conditions no matter what the world might throw at them.

Dislikes:

• There are some vets who believe that a grain-free diet can lead to cardiac and heart issues with dogs, so if you’re at all worried, it might be worth speaking to your vet before raising your Goldendoodle on a grain-free, natural-food diet.

Buyers Guide

Which Dog Food Is The Best One For My Goldendoodle?

As, pound for pound, all of the foods on our list cost relatively the same, at the end of the day, the food that you’ll want to feed your Goldendoodle is entirely up to you.

However, if you were looking for our advice, we’d tell you to feed your Goldendoodle with the same food that we feed ours: Instinct Raw Boost.

It’s ensured that our Doodle is a happy, healthy dog who looks forward to mealtimes and never leaves an empty bowl.

And seeing how much he enjoys Instinct convinces us, every single day, that we made the right choice

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is A Goldendoodle?

A Goldendoodle is a dog that has been crossbred from a Golden Retriever and a Poodle.

Primarily bred to be family dogs, thanks to the inherent instincts that it inherits from both of the breeds that they are descended from, Goldendoodles are also suited to being assistance, guide, and therapy dogs.

First making a significant impact on the canine world in the 1990s, the Goldendoodle is a designer breed dog that doesn’t suffer from the health problems that can plague both Poodles and Golden Retrievers.

As they are bred from Poodles, they usually adhere to three distinct sizes, toy, miniature, and standard.

While the breed is regarded as being hypoallergenic and has surged in popularity because of this, one of the more popular myths about the breed, that they don’t shed hair, isn’t true.

They do shed, but at a much slower pace and in less quantity than most other breeds. We cover Goldendoodle shedding extensively in this article.

If you’re considering adding a Goldendoodle to your life or recently took the plunge, grab your copy of our comprehensive book, “The Owner’s Guide to the Perfect Goldendoodle,” today to gain a deeper understanding of your dog and raise him the right way from the very start.

Last update on 2024-04-25 at 00:59 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API