Best Food For Border Collie Puppies, A Medium-Large Breed

The best food for Border Collie puppies will always be a food specifically formulated to meet the dietary needs of high energy, medium-large breed puppies. When you feed your Border Collie pup a nutritionally appropriate, veterinarian-approved daily diet, these smart, agile, loyal, and loving dogs can live up to 15 years or longer! For new Border Collie owners in particular, sometimes it can seem like there is a steep learning curve! From gathering puppy supplies to “well puppy” vet visits. House training to choosing the best food for Border Collie puppies. Every day brings so many new challenges to tackle. That is what we are here for! To help you choose the best food for Border Collie puppies with confidence. So you can check that task off your new puppy to-do list! Products included in this article 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.

Best Dog Food For Border Collie Puppies

Choosing the best food for Border Collie puppy dogs becomes easier once you know exactly what to look for. The official breed club health statement says, like many medium-large breed dogs, Border Collies are prone to develop joint problems. Vision issues can also be present in this dog breed. For this reason, feed your Border Collie puppy a food that has added nutrients to support eye and joint health. Medium to large breed puppies can develop structural issues in adulthood if their growth in puppyhood isn’t carefully controlled.

What does this mean for your pup?

Simply put, you want to choose a large breed puppy food formula that won’t let your puppy grow too fast. That might put extra pressure on bones, muscles, or joints. In some circles, the cut-off to define “large breed puppy” is 70+ pounds at maturity, but in other circles the cut-off is set at 50 pounds, which is what we will abide by for the purposes of this article. With these specific health concerns, also be to ask your veterinarian for specific dietary and supplement recommendations. Also, these nutrients can be useful if you find them in a high quality large breed puppy food recipe:

Glucosamine-Chondroitin
Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil, including DHA and EPA)
Avocado soybean unsaponifiables (ASUs)
Antioxidants
Lutein (a component in egg protein)
Properly balanced calcium:phosphorus and protein:fat ratios (large breed puppy recipe)

Border Collie Food Requirements For Puppies

Unless your veterinarian specifically advises otherwise, the smartest approach when you first bring your Border Collie puppy home is to continue with the same feeding schedule and food brand the breeder was using. This will help your pup acclimate to his new home and family with the least stress and disruption. If you do want to switch your puppy’s food, wait at least four weeks. Then schedule the transition to occur over a week’s time. You can mix the old food in with the new food. Gradually shift the percentages until, by the end of the week, your puppy is eating only the new food. Most young puppies are fed at least three times per day during the weaning process. Starting around six months, a puppy may begin to eat twice per day. You may need to adjust portion sizes based on the number of feedings. Be sure your Border Collie is taking in sufficient calories.

Border Collie Puppy Food Amount

When switching to a new food brand, always pay close attention to the manufacturer’s feeding instructions. They are typically based on your puppy’s age and/or weight. Border Collies as a breed have a long history of working alongside “their” people in farming, herding, hunting, and guarding. These dogs really thrive when they have a daily job to do and/or lots of daily activities and enrichment. As this article outlines, there is always a risk your Border Collie puppy may pack on the pounds if the food is too plentiful and the exercise outlets are too few. On average, an adult Border Collie will weigh between 30 and 55 pounds. Weight can vary from pup to pup based on parents, gender, birth order, diet, genetics, and other factors. For this reason, it can be smart to talk with your vet to establish your puppy’s ideal maintenance weight. Then work together to match the portion sizes per feeding to maintaining that weight as your pup grows up.

Best Dry Border Collie Puppy Food

These three highly rated, popular, and trusted large breed dry puppy food brands each offer a balanced recipe for healthy, managed puppy growth.

Science Diet

Hill’s Science Diet Large Breed Puppy Food.*(paid link) This is a highly rated, vet-recommended large breed dry puppy food.

(paid link)

It includes naturally sourced glucosamine and chondroitin plus antioxidants for joint and vision support. This food also contains the proper calcium:phosphorus ratio for controlled bone growth in large breed puppies.

Nutro Wholesome Essentials

Nutro Wholesome Essentials Large Breed Puppy.*(paid link) This specially formulated, highly rated large breed puppy food contains naturally sourced glucosamine/chondroitin.

(paid link)

The base is whole chicken protein with added omega-3 fatty acids and calcium to manage bone growth into adulthood. The recipe also includes several superfoods that add valuable antioxidants to your puppy’s diet.

Wellness Complete

Wellness Complete Health Natural Dry Large Breed Puppy Food.*(paid link) This large breed puppy food is highly rated by dog owners and their pups. This food offers a larger kibble that is easier for bigger puppies to chew. It has a base of salmon, chicken, and rice.

(paid link)

Above all, it is packed with omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and appropriate calcium:phosphorus and protein:fat levels. This food will ensure healthy, steady growth and development as your puppy grows.

Best Wet Border Collie Puppy Food

Wet Border Collie puppy food can add a valuable component to your growing puppy’s diet. The moisture content of wet food offers you a great way to ensure your puppy always stays hydrated. Also, since wet food is super tasty, it makes for a great training treat as well! Wet food ensures your puppy will get used to eating different textures. This can be helpful if you have to change dog food later in life. Since wet puppy food is typically served as a meal topper or treat, rather than as a stand-alone meal, just make sure the wet food you choose is high quality and that your vet approves.

Merrick Classic

Merrick Classic Grain Free Canned Dog Food Puppy Plate.*(paid link) This grain free wet dog food features lots of yummy whole protein, superfoods, and added vitamins/minerals.

(paid link)

It is a nutritious wet stew formula with a base of easily digestible sweet potato.

Whole Earth Farms

Whole Earth Farms Grain Free Canned Dog Food Puppy Recipe.*(paid link) This grain free wet puppy food is served in a highly palatable loaf.

(paid link)

It can be its own complete and balanced meal or a topper for dry puppy food. This recipe features three proteins in addition to lots of superfood veggies and fruits for extra antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

Canidae

CANIDAE Grain Free PURE Dog Wet Food for Puppies.*(paid link) This grain free limited ingredient diet wet puppy food is a perfect choice if your pup has suspected allergies or sensitive stomach issues.

(paid link)

The recipe features real chicken protein with lots of vitamins and minerals.

Best Food For Border Collie Puppies With Allergies

Opting to feed your Border Collie puppy a grain free puppy food can make sense in certain circumstances. For example, if your puppy begins to show signs of skin or food allergies, your veterinarian may want to try a grain free diet. This will eliminate known allergens like wheat, soy, and corn to see if the allergies abate. If you decide to adopt a grain free puppy diet, then each of these three trusted brands offers a great recipe to talk with your veterinarian about!

Blue Wilderness

BLUE Wilderness High Protein Grain Free Puppy Dry Dog Food.*(paid link) This grain free puppy food is a special mix of kibble and LifeSource Bits.

(paid link)

They add antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals for extra nutrition and flavor. This recipe also includes added omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

Instinct Raw Boost

Instinct Raw Boost Grain Free Recipe Natural Dry Dog Food Large Breed Puppy.*(paid link) This large breed puppy food recipe includes real freeze-dried raw chicken protein.

(paid link)

The kibble is in a balanced protein:fat ratio for healthy growth and development. Extra added DHA/omega fatty acids help with vision and joint health on top of plenty of antioxidants and vitamins/minerals.

Holistic Select

Holistic Select Natural Dry Dog Food Large & Giant Breed Puppy.*(paid link) This natural puppy food is free from wheat, wheat gluten, fillers, meat by-products, and artificial ingredients.

(paid link)

In addition, the digestive enzymes and prebiotics/probiotics can ease issues with food allergies and/or sensitive stomach. Omega fatty acids and superfood antioxidants assist with joint and vision health.