Quality dog food is essential to the health of every GSD.
German Shepherds are a high energy breed and grow quickly as puppies. They require a high protein diet, preferably grain-free.Don't let the price of quality dog food scare you away. You will actually save money by feeding the dog a higher quality kibble since he will eat less.
High quality dog food usually results in a healthier dog, so less money spent at the veterinarian.
When Sheba came to live with me she was on Taste of the Wild salmon flavor. I tried some different brands because Taste of the Wild was so hard to find in my area.
I tried several different top brands of premium dog food before going back to TOTW. She did the best on this food and I found it online so it was delivered straight to my door!
This is the #1 brand of dry dog food that I recommend for average German Shepherd Dogs.
It comes in salmon, bison and duck (always as the first ingredient).
TOTW is offered in 5lb, 15lb and 30lb bags. Buy the largest to save the most, then buy airtight storage for the month!
This doesn't mean the other premium dog foods were any less effective or good for her. It was just her taste. She came running to her bowl every morning and evening when she was on TOTW. She was less excited for the other brands.
Many "holistic" dog foods are made by marketing companies. That is, they are made by other dog food manufacturers under another name. They don't have their own kitchens to produce the food themselves.
If you look at the label (in the very fine print on the back) and it says "manufactured for" or "distributed by" it is not made by the same company that is marketing it.
However, if it says "manufactured by" or "made by" it is made in the kitchens of the company on the label. That matters! It means the company on the label is doing the cooking, research and development for that dog food.
Try all of these premium dog food brands to find the one that works best for your German Shepherd.
Feed your pet according to the package instructions for the weight of your dog. For best results do not feed more or less.
Remember the package has feeding instructions for once a day feeding. If you feed your dog more than once a day you'll have to divide the amount per day by the number of feedings you choose. I fed Sheba twice a day so I had to split the serving size in half.
On this page we'll discuss the benefits of premium dry dog food. These are the brands of dog foods that I suggest for German Shepherd Dog owners.
Orijen is made in Canada. Don't let that turn you off! It's made from fresh ingredients grown or raised right on their own farms.
I personally know two dogs that are currently thriving on Orijen dry dog food.
It's offered in large breed puppy formula, six fish adult and senior. Orijen is also offered in freeze-dried formula.
Wellness CORE has an excellent reputation for grain-free dog food.
They use no fillers or meat by-products. The proteins used include white fish, duck, wild boar, rabbit and turkey.
Simple, limited ingredients is what the Wellness Difference is about. There are no empty calories. Made in the USA.
Blue Buffalo adds "life source bits" to their foods. These are like small vitamins mixed in with the kibble.
The bits are cold-formed instead of baked to maintain maximum potency.
All Blue Buffalo products are made in the USA. Main proteins include bison, duck, chicken, and salmon.
Acana dog food is made by Champion Petfoods out of Canada with regionally fresh ingredients.
How fresh? The ingredients arrive and are used to make the food within 24-48 hours of harvest or catch.
All ingredients are of human grade, never frozen and preservative free.
Fish ingredients include fresh caught white fish, walleye, salmon, pike, flounder, and herring. Meats include fresh raised chicken, turkey, beef, bison, duck, and lamb. Fresh fruits and vegetables are never powdered.
How do I fatten up my skinny German Shepherd?
That's a question I get asked a lot. German Shepherds go through a lanky stage in their growth. Some dogs need help building up the muscles they need to mature properly. I should say they need a little extra help. Evo Red Meat was highly recommended by my veterinarian. He also suggested adding extra carbohydrates to your dog's kibble. Like boiling some potatoes and adding them, or scrambling some eggs.
As you would guess from the name, Evo Red Meat dog food is made up largely of meat.
Meats used include beef, buffalo, lamb and venison.
This food is excellent for building muscle in large breed dogs or putting weight on underweight dogs. This grain-free formula minimizes carbohydrates too.
My German Shepherd Won't Eat, What Should I Do? Have you tried freeze dried dog food? This is good tasting stuff! If your dog is refusing to eat his regular kibble, try breaking up a patty of Stella & Chewy's and mixing it into the food. Works like a charm. Then you can slowly wean the dog off of the freeze dried food or just use it as a treat.
You can feed Stella & Chewy's as a meal in itself, but I do warn it's expensive. Especially for large breeds like German Shepherds. It is great food, no doubt about that, but you have to have a stack of cash to feed it on a daily basis by itself.
Stella & Chewy's freeze dried dog food is made with USDA choice raw meat.
If you can't feed a raw diet due to space or for whatever reason, consider feeding your dog this raw diet.
Stella's Super Beef Dinner includes beef liver, beef kidney, beef heart, beef tripe and beef bone.
Ingredients include chicken ground with the bone, chicken liver, chicken gizzards and pumpkin seed.
Should I feed my German Shepherd canned dog food?
My general answer is no. Not for every day anyway. However, there are times when canned food is called for like when your dog is sick or rehabilitating. Okay, and maybe just for a treat once in a while.
Most canned dog food is full of sugar and fillers and generally not good for your pet. If your dog is having trouble eating due to medical issues it may be called for though.
I always tried canned i/d first. This is a veterinary dog food. It is extremely bland, and perfect for debilitated dogs or enticing dogs with no appetite.
There is one other canned dog food that I recommend. Merrick brand has come out with some delicious looking stuff. I'm not kidding!
It actually looks good enough to eat (almost). Made with human grade grain-free ingredients, Merrick canned dog food is good enough for my GSD as a treat or appetite stimulant.
Ingredients include deboned chicken, chicken broth, potato, carrots, peas and apples. It even smells good!
Ingredients include deboned turkey, chicken broth, chicken, duck, sweet potatoes, green beans, apples, peas and potatoes.
