Best Dog Food for Goldendoodles to Keep Them Happy and Healthy

The best dog food for Goldendoodles contains all the nutrients they need, in a tasty form!

It is designed for larger breeds, with high activity levels.

Fortunately, there are several brands that have come through with great products ideally suited for their needs. 

All of these products were carefully and independently selected by The Happy Puppy Site team. If you decide to make a purchase from one of the links marked by an asterisk, we may earn a small commission on that sale. This is at no extra cost to you.

Introducing the Goldendoodle

The Goldendoodle is a designer breed that’s been created by crossing a Golden Retriever and a Standard Poodle.

Goldendoodles are a very active breed that’s full of fun and energy! They often have a low shedding coat, but are not hypoallergenic. 

The breed is curious and intelligent, and they make great family pets.

There are three main sizes of Goldendoodles:

• Miniature (15 to 30 pounds)
• Medium (30 to 45 pounds)
• Standard (45 up to 100 pounds)

The size of each individual dog is directly related to the size of his parents.

Best Dog Food for Goldendoodles

An adult standard-sized Goldendoodle will use around 1,200 calories each day.

However, the age and activity levels of your pet will also influence how many calories he needs.

Growing puppies use more calories than you might think, even though they are smaller than adult dogs!

That’s because they need energy for playing, while also feeding the growth of muscles, bones, and organs.

Remember to take this into account when deciding on the best puppy food for Goldendoodles.

Goldendoodle Health Issues

Since a Goldendoodle is a crossbreed, his future health will be directly influenced by that of his parents.

Some health issues that can be experienced by adult Goldendoodles include:

• Hip dysplasia
• Subaortic stenosis
• Sebaceous adenitis
• Cataracts
• PRA (progressive retinal atrophy)
• Luxating patellas
• Hypothyroidism
• Addison’s disease
• Ear infections

Goldendoodle Sensitive Stomach

Also, just like other breeds, Goldendoodles can experience Goldendoodle food allergies and tummy upsets from time-to-time.

Feeding a diet that’s formulated to combat the Goldendoodle sensitive stomach can prevent episodes like this from affecting your pet.

Weight

Always keep your Goldendoodle at a healthy weight.

If he becomes too fat, problems with his joints and bones can be made worse as a result.

One of the most appealing things about the Goldendoodle breed is his curly golden coat.

Feeding a high-quality dog food can help to keep your pet’s crowning glory in top condition, so it’s essential that you make the right choice.

Goldendoodle Food Calculator

There’s no official calculator for how much to feed your Goldendoodle.

However, every package or can of dog and puppy food will show guidelines on the amount you should feed your Goldendoodle.

Feeding guides are usually based around the weight of the dog.

If you’re not sure how much your pooch weighs, take him down to your local vet clinic and ask them to weigh him for you on their canine scales.

They also might help you develop a Goldendoodle feeding chart to make you life easier.

Alternatively, if you own a mini Goldendoodle or your pet is still a tiny puppy, pick him up and weigh both of you on your bathroom scale.

Then weigh yourself on your own.

The difference between the two figures will be the weight of your puppy.

Best Food for Goldendoodle

When it comes to choosing the best food for Goldendoodles, look for a food that contains good-quality sources of fat and protein.

Protein

First of all, the ideal dog food for your Goldendoodle will include two or three meat proteins.

Look at the ingredients list to see that whole meat or fish is shown in the first couple of ingredients on the packaging.

Protein can also be included in the form of meat meal, a concentrated dehydrated form of meat.

Although meat protein is easy for dogs to digest, many leading dog food brands include veggies.

Check the nutritional analysis data on the food packaging.

Ideally, there will be more meat protein than plant protein.

Fiber

In order for your dog’s digestion to work well, he needs to eat a certain amount of fiber.

An amount of fiber is contained in meat and meat meal.

Many dog foods contain a portion of rice or veggies to add fiber and bulk.

Avoid foods that contain lots of cereal, especially if it comes above meat and meat meal on the ingredients list.

This is merely padding and is of no real nutritional value.

Fat

Dogs derive lots of their energy requirements from the fat in their diets.

A low-fat diet might be good for you, but it’s not good for your pet!

Healthy sources of fat that are included in high-quality dog foods include canola oil, chicken fat, and flaxseed.

Additions to the food, including omega-3 fatty acids, are very important for keeping your dog’s skin and coat moisturized and healthy.

Brain and eye development is also supported by omega-3 fatty acids.

Carbs

To help maintain a correct blood sugar level for your Goldendoodle, the food you choose for him should be low in carbohydrates.

But it may include low-glycemic carbs such as sweet potatoes.

Goldendoodle Diet – Grains or Grain-free?

Just like people, some Goldendoodles have sensitive stomachs.

Sometimes, feeding a grain-free dog food can help with this.

However, it’s important to always consult your vet before attempting to manage a specific health condition by changing your dog’s diet.

When choosing the best dog food for Goldendoodles, you might wish to avoid common allergens such as dairy products, corn, wheat, and soy.

Also, try to pick foods  without artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.

If you choose a grain free diet for your Goldendoodle, make sure that the product you buy has been AAFCO approved.

Golden Retrievers and their mixed breeds appear prone to taurine deficiency on grain free diets, which can cause congestive heart failure in the long term.

Choosing an AAFCO approved diet, or one recommended by your vet, will make sure your Goldendoodle still gets all the nutrients they need.

Goldendoodle Puppy Food

The best Goldendoodle puppy food should contain a correct phosphorus to calcium ratio of around 1.2 parts calcium to 1 part phosphorus.

A deficiency in calcium in your Goldendoodle puppy’s diet can cause serious orthopedic issues such as painful bone spurs.

Goldendoodle Dog Food – Wet or Dry?

Ideally, you should feed your Goldendoodle a dry food diet.

Kibble contains all the nutritional content that your dog needs.

Also, crunching on the hard kibble helps to remove any bacteria that may be clinging to the dog’s teeth.

Preventing the formation of tartar and the development of oral health problems such as gingivitis and canine periodontal disease.

A wet diet is best for elderly dogs whose dentition is poor.

Also, some fussy feeders often prefer the variety of a juicy, wet food addition to their ration of kibble.

How Much Should I Feed My Goldendoodle Puppy?

Once your Goldendoodle puppy is weaned, he can begin eating puppy food.

After a few months, you can introduce a life stage food to your pet.

You should feed your Goldendoodle puppy three to four small meals each day.

When your Goldendoodle pup is six months old, you can change to feeding him twice daily.

It’s always helpful to speak to your Goldendoodle puppy’s breeder for advice on feeding.

That will enable you to base your pet’s diet on that of his parents.

Between the vet and the breeder, you can find out how much to feed a Goldendoodle puppy.

Best Dog Food for Goldendoodle Puppy

Now that we have an understanding of what would make the best dog food for Goldendoodles, let’s have a look at some options.

We’ll start with puppy food.

What to Feed Goldendoodle Puppy

When your puppy is teething, it can be a good idea to offer him wet dog food that’s gentler on his sensitive gums and teeth.

Nutro Puppy Wet Dog Food

Nutro Puppy Wet Dog Food* contains all the nutrition your Goldendoodle puppy needs for a healthy start in life.

This tasty recipe is made from high-quality pieces of chicken and turkey, slathered in delicious gravy and served with rice for fiber.

Pedigree Puppy Ground Dinner

PEDIGREE Puppy Ground Dinner* contains ground lamb and rice.

It also contains all the vitamins, minerals, protein, and carbs that your growing pup needs.

Blue Wilderness

This Wet Puppy Food* is specially formulated for puppies and is made from all-natural ingredients.

The food is made from deboned turkey and contains DHA for the healthy development of your puppy’s brain and eyes.

The addition of omega-3 and -6 fatty acids help to promote a healthy skin and shiny coat.

The food is 100% grain-free, making it ideal for pups with sensitive tummies.

Dry Food for Goldendoodle Puppies

When your Goldendoodle puppy is ready to move on to hard food, you might want to consider feeding him one of our suggestions below.

We love the way that these puppy diets have been formulated with care and precision.

Designed to ensure that your little one gets the very best in nutrition for healthy growth and development!

Hills Science Diet

This food* from Hill’s Science Diet is based on chicken meat meal with added oats for extra fiber.

Hill’s Science Diet Puppy Food is a very good-quality puppy food, brought to you by one of the world’s top pet food makers.

It also contains plenty of extra, carefully balanced vitamins, minerals and other goodies to fuel your Goldendoodle puppy’s growth and satisfy his body’s energy requirements.

Nutro Wholesome Essentials

Nutro Puppy Food* is a specially formulated puppy food that’s perfect for feeding to Goldendoodles.

The #1 ingredient in this food is pasture-raised lamb, perfect for supporting the growth of strong muscles.

Omega-3 fatty acids are also added to encourage healthy brain and eye growth and development.

Calcium completes the perfect mix to build strong joints and bones.

Best Dog Food for Goldendoodle Adults

Once your puppy is grown, you can finally begin to feed him an adult dog food diet.

Dry food is best, as it helps to clean your dog’s teeth as he eats.

Wellness CORE

This Dry Dog Food* is our favorite best dog food for Goldendoodles.

This food is Amazon’s top pick and is also a very popular best-seller on their site.

This product contains protein-dense nutrition for your lively dog!

The protein content is primarily derived from turkey meal, deboned turkey, and chicken meal.

Green veggies are added for an additional vitamin boost.

The level of calories and fats are carefully balanced and each individual kibble piece is coated with probiotics to promote a healthy gut and good digestion.

The food benefits from the added nutritional boost of omega fatty acids for a healthy skin and gleaming coat.

And there’s chondroitin and glucosamine for good joint and bone health!

Acana Singles

Acana Singles* is one of the highest quality Goldendoodle foods on the market.

Which makes it one of the best dog food for Goldendoodles.

The ingredients are limited and proteins are derived from a single source, making it a great choice for mini Goldendoodle allergies.

Taste of the Wild

Taste of the Wild* is another of Amazon’s best-selling dog food products, and with good reason.

Only the highest quality ingredients are used to create the food: roasted bison and venison.

This protein-rich content ensures that your Goldendoodle will develop strong, lean muscles.

Vitamins, minerals, fruits and veggies are added to the formula, making this Goldendoodle food rich in natural antioxidants.

Fatty acids are also added to the recipe to promote a healthy skin and a soft, luxuriant coat.

Probiotics are added to the food to boost digestibility and ensure that the food is gentle on your Goldendoodle’s tummy.

Best Dog Food for Goldendoodles

If you own a Goldendoodle, you’re a very lucky pet parent!

And finding the best dog food for Goldendoodles is just one part of your job.

You must feed your dog correctly from puppyhood right up until he’s full-grown.

This will help to keep your beloved canine companion in the very best of health throughout his life.

A balanced diet for your Goldendoodle should include:

• Protein from high-quality meat or meat meal
• Fats and fatty acids
• Vitamins and minerals

All of the products we’ve featured in this guide could be awarded the title of best dog food for Goldendoodles.

So which one did you choose?

Why not tell us about your Goldendoodle and also which food you find to be the best one for him.

Use the comments section below to tell us your story!

References and Further Reading

 

• UFAW. “Hip Dysplasia”
• Cornell University
• VCA Hospitals. “Nutrition: General Feeding Guidelines for Dogs”

Affiliate link disclosure: Links in this article marked with an * are affiliate links, and we may receive a small commission if you purchase these products. However, we selected them for inclusion independently, and all of the views expressed in this article are our own.