10 Best Dog Foods for Golden Retrievers – 2024 Reviews & Top Picks
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We’ll give you our 10 choices for the best dog foods for Golden Retrievers and their reviews in the guide below. Remember, these foods are just our recommendations, so you should ask your vet if you have any health-related questions.
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2024
| Rating | Image | Product | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Best Overall
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Ollies Fresh Dog Food-Subscription |
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Check Price |
Budget Buy
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Purina Pro Plan Adult Large Breed Dog Food |
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Check Price |
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Wellness Core Grain-Free Large Breed |
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Check Price |
| Best for Puppies |
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Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy |
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Check Price |
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Hill’s Science Diet Adult Large Breed |
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Check Price |
The 10 Best Dog Foods for Golden Retrievers
1. Ollies Fresh Dog Food-Subscription– Best Overall
| Main ingredients: | Beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, pork |
| Protein content: | 37% |
| Fat content: | 30% |
Our best overall choice for Golden Retrievers is Ollie’s Fresh Dog Food for its fresh food and convenience. It is a subscription service that sends out fresh food, and you pay monthly for it. The food is made with fresh veggies, fruits, and wholesome grains. It’s also made with high-quality lamb, beef, chicken, turkey, or pork, so your dog gets the protein he needs. The items are conveniently delivered to your door, and you can choose fresh food, kibble, or a mixture of both.
The only problem with Ollie’s is that it could contain too much fat for some pets and is quite expensive. It also lacks probiotics.
- Made with fresh veggies, fruits, and wholesome grains
- High in fat and protein
- Made with high-quality lamb, beef, chicken, turkey, or pork
- Conveniently delivered to your door
- Lacks probiotics
- Expensive
- May contain too much fat for some pets
2. Purina Pro Plan Adult Large Breed Dog Food – Budget Buy
| Main ingredients: | Chicken, whole grain, rice, wheat, poultry by-product meal |
| Protein content: | 26% |
| Fat content: | 12% |
The best dog food for Golden Retrievers for the money is Purina Pro Plan Adult Large Breed Dog Food. Besides the affordable price, Purina Pro Plan features chicken as the first ingredient, which most dogs love. The kibble also has a nice texture, and dogs seem to find it quite tasty. With 26% protein, it provides fuel for your Golden Retriever’s active lifestyle.
One downside with Pro Plan is that it contains wheat and soy, which some owners try to avoid. However, most dogs are allergic to specific proteins, and few have grain allergies. Some pet owners also reported their dogs not liking the taste and refusing to eat the food.
- Chicken is listed as the first ingredient
- Affordable for most any budget
- Kibble has a nice texture and is tasty
- Contains wheat and soy
- Some dogs didn’t like the taste
3. Wellness Core Grain-Free Large Breed Dog Food
| Main ingredients: | Deboned chicken, turkey meal, lentils, peas, chicken meal |
| Protein content: | 34% |
| Fat content: | 12% |
Our premium choice goes to Wellness Core Grain-Free Large Breed Dog Food for its high-quality ingredients and delicious poultry. The food also contains 34% protein, which is one of the highest on our list. Golden Retrievers need a lot of protein because of their size, so this is a healthy option.
Some pet owners said the kibble dries out too fast, making it worthless for feeding their pets. Some dogs didn’t like the taste of the chicken. However, there are other flavors you can find in this food, so you may want to experiment to find the best one for your pet.
- All ingredients are high quality
- Deboned chicken is the first ingredient
- Contains quite a bit of protein
- The kibble dries out fast, according to some pet parents
- Some dogs didn’t like the taste
4. Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy Food- Best for puppies
| Main ingredients: | Chicken, chicken meal, whole grain sorghum, whole grain barley |
| Protein content: | 26% |
| Fat content: | 14% |
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy Food is our choice for puppies because it contains no artificial ingredients or GMOs. Golden Retriever Puppies are active and constantly growing, so they need food that is good for bone growth, which Nutro delivers. It is a simple, safe recipe to feed your puppy and contains no by-products. It’s designed for large-breed puppies that are at least 18 months old.
Some puppies refused to eat the food, but Nutro has other flavors for your pup to try. We like Nutro because of the simple recipe and the fact that it doesn’t contain ingredients that could hurt your pet.
- Contains no GMOs
- Contains no chicken by-products
- A simple recipe
- Good for bone growth
- Some puppies refused to eat this food
5. Hill’s Science Diet Adult Large Breed Dry Dog Food
| Main ingredients: | Chicken, whole grain wheat, cracked pearled barley, whole grain corn |
| Protein content: | 20% |
| Fat content: | 11% |
Our vet’s choice is Hill’s Science Diet Adult Large Breed Dry Dog Food for supporting the development of healthy cartilage and joints in your large Golden Retriever. We like that real chicken is the first ingredient in this dry dog food and that it has no artificial flavors or preservatives.
There were some pet parents that said the recipe has changed over the last few months, and their dogs will no longer eat it. Others reported their pets having digestive issues after eating this kibble. However, every dog is different, and it’s best to gradually introduce any new food to your pup to prevent digestive problems.
- Real chicken is the first ingredient
- No artificial flavors or preservatives
- Supports the development of healthy cartilage and joints
- Some users reported that the recipe had changed
- May cause digestive issues
6. Taste of the Wild Sierra Mountain Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
| Main ingredients: | Lamb, sweet potatoes, lamb meal, lentils, egg product |
| Protein content: | 25% |
| Fat content: | 15% |
If you’re searching for affordable kibble with a novel protein for your Golden Retriever, we recommend Taste of the Wild Sierra Mountain Grain-Free Dry Dog Food. It’s ideal for dogs with chicken allergies because it uses roasted lamb as its first ingredient and contains K9 Strain Proprietary Probiotics to support your Golden’s digestive and immune systems. Taste of the Wild is a family-owned manufacturer that’s based in the United States.
Some customers mentioned that they had trouble getting past the pungent smell of the dog food to give it to their Golden Retriever, and some users said that the food caused their pets digestive issues.
- Roasted lamb is first ingredient
- Contains probiotics
- Contains prebiotics
- Contains no chicken
- Some users reported the food having a pungent smell
- Caused some digestive issues
7. Blue Buffalo Basic’s Grain-Free Dog Food
| Main ingredients: | Deboned lamb, peas, potatoes, lamb meal, pea starch |
| Protein content: | 20% |
| Fat content: | 13% |
Blue Buffalo Basics’ Grain-Free Dog Food is the perfect choice for a dog that suffers from food allergies. It soothes upset stomachs and contains no soy or wheat. It’s made of lamb, which is the first ingredient listed, and most dogs seemed to love the taste.
It is a bit expensive for pet owners’ budgets, and some pet parents said that the food was too hard for their Golden Retriever to eat, so they ended up tossing the entire bag. However, most owners were pleased with Blue Buffalo Basics and were happy it was not overloaded with fillers and unnecessary ingredients.
- Great for dogs with food allergies
- Soothes upset stomachs
- Contains no soy or wheat
- A bit expensive
- Some users reported the food being too hard for their pups to eat
8. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Large Breed Chicken Dry Dog Food
| Main ingredients: | Deboned chicken, peas, chicken meal, menhaden fish meal |
| Protein content: | 32% |
| Fat content: | 13% |
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Large Breed Chicken Dry Dog Food contains chicken as the first ingredient and also contains LifeSource Bits, which are beneficial for your canine pal. Most dogs love chicken, and unlike most pet food producers that eventually switch ingredients to save money, Blue Buffalo Wilderness has improved its formula by adding more chicken to its Large Breed dog food. It includes glucosamine and chondroitin to support your pet’s joints and omega fatty acids to support a healthy coat.
The blend contains carbohydrate fillers, but most dogs love the taste. We think Blue Buffalo Wilderness is a good choice because of the high-protein content and healthy ingredients.
- Contains LifeSource Bits
- Chicken is listed as the first ingredient
- Contains carbohydrate fillers
9. Canidae Pure Goodness Real Lamb Dog Food
| Main ingredients: | Lamb, turkey meal, chicken meal, peas, sweet potatoes |
| Protein content: | 36% |
| Fat content: | 18% |
Canidae Pure Goodness Real Lamb Dog Food has 36% protein, making it one of the highest on our list. It’s excellent for Golden Retrievers with sensitive stomachs and contains no artificial colors or fillers that can mess with your dog’s digestive system. The first ingredient in the kibble is lamb, which means there’s a higher percentage of it than the other ingredients.
Some pet parents said that Canidae had an off-putting smell and that it was too expensive for what you get. It’s certainly not the best choice for all pets, but it’s worth a try if your dog has a sensitive stomach.
- Great for sensitive stomachs
- Contains no artificial colors or fillers
- Some pet parents reported the food having a bad smell
- Expensive
- Not for all pets
10. Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free Dog Food
| Main ingredients: | Beef, herring meal, chicken fat, peas, white fish meal |
| Protein content: | 36% |
| Fat content: | 21% |
Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free Dog Food contains 36% protein and is a mix of high-quality kibble and freeze-dried meat. It contains no artificial preservatives or colors and features beef, herring meal, and chicken fat as its top ingredients. It’s produced with US-raised beef but sources other ingredients from around the world.
Some pets refused to eat the blend, no matter what their pet owners tried. Other pet parents reported that the food had a strong fishy smell that was hard to get past. However, there are other flavors that you can tree if your Golden dislikes beef.
- Kibble is mixed with freeze-dried meat
- Contains a good amount of protein
- No artificial preservatives or colors
- Some pet parents reported the food having a strong, fishy smell
- Some dogs refused to eat this blend
- Very Expensive
Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Food for Your Golden Retriever
Now that you know what the best foods are, you need to know how to choose the best food for your Golden Retriever. We’ll give you a few tips below.
Pet Food Labels
You should always read the ingredients of the food before you purchase it. Most of the brands on our list have meat as the first ingredient and very little or no artificial preservatives, colors, or fillers. The ingredient that accounts for the highest percentage of the formula is always listed first.
By-Products
It’s also important to note that by-products in a kibble don’t mean that the food is sub-par or that the brand is using horns and hooves in their food. It means that they are using the organs of the animal, such as the liver, kidneys, and lungs, and they are quite good for your pet. However, some owners are wary of buying dog food with by-products, and there are several brands that do not include them.
Product Testing
Although you can learn a lot about the best dog food for your Golden Retriever from our reviews, you can also research the brands for more information. Some pet food manufacturers, like Hill’s Science Diet, spend more money on testing their products to ensure their safe for canines. If you’re curious about a brand’s testing frequency and regulations regarding food safety, visit their website and read reviews to determine if the company meets your expectations.
Conclusion
Our best overall choice for dog food for Golden Retrievers is Ollie’s Fresh Dog Food for its fresh food and convenience. Next, we think the best dog food for the money is Purina Pro Plan Adult Large Breed Dog Food, which features chicken as the first ingredient. Wellness Core Grain-Free Large Breed Dog Food has high-quality ingredients. Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy Food is our choice for puppies because it includes beneficial ingredients for growing pups. Hill’s Science Diet Adult Large Breed Dry Dog Food supports the development of healthy cartilage and joints in your large Golden Retriever. We hope that one of the dog foods on our list becomes your Golden Retriever’s new favorite!
See also:
Featured Image Credit: Chendongshan, Shutterstock
