13 Best Dog Foods for Rottweiler Puppies – 2024 Reviews & Top Picks

Puppies are a delight for any family, whether you’re new to dogs or an experienced trainer. Rottweiler puppies, with their floppy ears and adorable chunkiness, are just as cute as their fluffier counterparts. The food that you choose to feed them as they grow can provide an extra boost to ensure that their development is as successful as possible.

Not all dog food brands have breed-specific puppy formulas, though, and it can be difficult to tell what nutrients your Rottweiler needs as they grow. We put together these reviews to introduce you to a variety of recipes designed for puppies that will help your Rottweiler grow healthy and strong. Take a look, and weigh the pros and cons, along with your puppy’s needs, to decide which is best for you.

A Quick Comparison of the Winners of 2024

The 13 Best Dog Foods for Rottweiler Puppies

1. Ollie Fresh Lamb Dog Food Subscription — Best Overall

The four recipes offered by Ollie are formulated by veterinary nutritionists and are fully customizable to ensure a healthy, balanced diet for your dog, no matter how young or old they are. As a subscription food company, Ollie prides itself on using high-quality, natural ingredients with no hormones or antibiotics. With the lamb recipe, you can avoid any allergies to beef or chicken that your dog might have, making Ollie Fresh Lamb Recipe the overall best dog food for Rottweiler puppies.

The subscription enables you to personalize the meal plan based on your puppy’s age and adjust the frequency of when each shipment is sent to your door.

While each meal can be kept in the freezer for later use, it needs to be defrosted before feeding to your dog. It also requires refrigeration within a few hours after arriving at your door to maintain freshness, which can take up space.

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2. Iams ProActive Health Smart Dry Dog Food — Budget Buy

With real chicken as the first ingredient and large bags for a long-lasting supply, the Iams ProActive Health Smart Dry Dog Food is the best dog food for Rottweiler puppies for the money. Since the recipe is formulated specifically for large breeds, it contains the right amount of nutrients for your Rottweiler puppy to develop properly.

Your puppy’s muscle development is aided by the high-protein content, while the glucosamine and chondroitin boost the strength of their joints. Their skin and fur are kept healthy through the contained omega fatty acids.

A few puppies that have eaten this kibble have suffered from diarrhea.

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3. Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Puppy Recipe

Made with real deboned chicken as the first ingredient, Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Puppy Recipe supports puppies by offering a meat-based and nutritionally balanced diet.

Like other puppy recipes, Merrick Classic contains DHA to support eye and brain development. It also uses chondroitin and glucosamine to support the joints and omega fatty acids to keep skin and fur healthy as the puppy grows. The high-protein formula aids in the growth of your puppy’s muscles.

While this option isn’t formulated for a specific breed size and is suitable for all of them, the kibble is too small for large breeds. Your older Rottweiler puppy might find it hard to eat. It’s also incredibly expensive for the size of the bag that you get.

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4. Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy Formula

Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy Formula is formulated to provide a nutritional diet for puppies with grain allergies. It contains novel proteins — like buffalo — along with real fruit and superfoods to supply your puppy with extra vitamins and minerals. It also contains antioxidants, prebiotics, and omega fatty acids to support immune, digestive, skin, and coat health.

Some doggy parents have found that the kibble in this Taste of the Wild formula is better suited for small breeds. Older Rottweiler puppies may struggle to properly chew this dry food.

Although grain-free formulas are believed to be healthier than recipes that include grain, this isn’t always true, and it’s best to discuss any food allergies that your puppy might have with your veterinarian before deciding on a grain-free diet.

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5. Royal Canin Large Puppy Wet Dog Food

For puppies that are less than 15 months old, the Royal Canin Large Puppy Wet Dog Food is our fifth choice of dog food. Designed to support the healthy development of large breeds, Royal Canin supports their digestive system, natural defenses, and immune system and provides energy to help them grow properly.

Since this option is wet dog food, the contents of each pouch are suitably soft for young puppy teeth, enabling them to chew it more easily.

This option is only available in pouches, which can be awkward to store in the fridge if you don’t use the full serving. While these pouches come in a pack of 10, there is only one flavor available, and some puppies may get bored of the same option.

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6. Hill’s Science Diet Puppy Large Breed Dog Food

The Hill’s Science Diet Puppy Large Breed Dog Food provides your puppy with a range of vitamins and minerals. This nutritionally balanced diet includes calcium, glucosamine, chondroitin, and antioxidants for bone, joint, and immune health. Filled with natural ingredients, Hill’s Science Diet is recommended by veterinarians and contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, to ensure a balanced meal plan. It’s specifically formulated to support the development of large breed puppies.

Several dog owners who have used this food have reported that their puppy suffered from severe diarrhea after eating this product. It’s also one of the more expensive dog foods available, especially for what you get.

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7. Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy Formula

Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy Formula contains a balanced blend of nutrients designed to aid the growth of large breed puppies. Along with the real lamb as the first ingredient, the recipe also uses superfoods to create a natural and healthy diet that supports your puppy’s overall welfare.

While antioxidants support their immune system, prebiotics and probiotics aid their digestive system. The included omega oils tend to your puppy’s outer health by keeping their fur and skin in top shape.

Some puppies have gotten diarrhea while eating this food. Occasionally, the bags arrive ripped, which can allow moisture to get into the food, decreasing its shelf life.

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8. Nature’s Recipe Puppy Food

Specially crafted for growing puppies, the Nature’s Recipe Lamb & Rice Puppy Food uses nutrient-dense grains and protein-rich lamb to boost your dog’s health. The recipe includes DHA, found in a mother dog’s milk, which helps your puppy’s brain and eyes develop properly. Rice, barley, and oatmeal supply plenty of fiber to keep the kibble easy to digest and to support your dog’s digestive system. The ingredients are natural to ensure a healthy and balanced diet.

Nature’s Recipe is only available in small bags. While it’s a good way to test if your puppy enjoys the formula, it won’t last long in multi-puppy households. Some puppies also find the kibble too hard to chew.

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9. Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach Puppy Food

Some puppies can be picky with their food and suffer from sensitive stomachs. The Purina Pro Plan Development Sensitive Skin & Stomach Puppy Food handles this by offering an easily digestible recipe. Designed with plenty of fiber to support digestion, it also promotes healthy cognitive development with DHA from fish oil. The vitamins and minerals are carefully blended to create a nutritional diet for large breed puppies.

While the formula contains probiotics and prebiotic fiber to aid your puppy’s digestive system, some dogs have suffered from diarrhea and vomiting. The salmon contents also give this formula a strong smell that some owners find unpleasant. As it’s expensive, Purina Pro Plan might not be the best for dog owners on a tight budget.

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10. Pedigree Puppy Growth & Protection Dry Dog Food

The Pedigree Puppy Growth & Protection Dry Dog Food is formulated to aid puppies with their growth through similar nutrients to mother’s milk. Your puppy’s brain development is supported by the included DHA in the recipe, and the antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals create a balanced and nutritional diet. It also supports their digestive health with the contained fiber.

Along with supporting your puppy’s development and organs, the crunchy kibble also promotes good dental care. The kibble is designed to help clean your puppy’s teeth while they eat.

Despite the size of the bag, it’s not resealable to retain freshness, and some batches have been found to contain mold. The formula has caused diarrhea in some puppies.

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11. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Puppy

With real meat as the first ingredient, the Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula is designed to support your puppy’s internal and external health. The omega fatty acids tend to the health of their skin and fur, while their insides are taken care of by the high-protein recipe, calcium, and antioxidants. Blue Buffalo also supports your puppy’s brain with ARA and DHA, both of which are found in a mother dog’s milk.

There have been several reported cases of this dry food causing diarrhea or vomiting in some dogs. Some of the bags have also been noted to contain a strong, unpleasant smell that is off-putting to dogs and owners.

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12. Eukanuba Puppy Mixed Grill Canned Food

The Eukanuba Puppy Mixed Grill Canned Food is a good alternative to dry food that young puppies struggle to chew. Not only does the moisture content help keep puppies hydrated, but it also keeps the food soft enough for young teeth to bite through. Eukanuba uses a scientific formula to properly support your puppy’s growth and development and to provide them with plenty of energy to satisfy their curiosity.

Canned food is naturally smellier than dry dog food options, and some owners dislike the stronger odor. This recipe has also given some puppies a bad case of gas. For dog owners on a budget, Eukanuba is expensive, especially when purchased online.

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13. Rachael Ray Nutrish Bright Puppy Dry Food

It can be difficult to find a dog food with natural ingredients without relying on grain-free diets, which is where Rachael Ray Nutrish Bright Puppy Dry Food wins. While it doesn’t suit puppies with allergies to chicken, it contains animal-based protein to support muscle development and beneficial grains to provide energy. Made with natural ingredients, it doesn’t include any artificial additives, to make sure your puppy’s diet is healthy.

With your dog’s cognitive function and development aided by EPA and DHA, omega fatty acids keep them looking sleek and healthy by caring for their skin and coat.

Since Rachael Ray puppy food is only available in small bags, this option won’t last long in households with multiple puppies. Some of the bags have also been reported to give off a strong chemical smell, and the food has caused diarrhea in some dogs.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Dog Food for Rottweiler Puppies

There are a few things to keep in mind to simplify choosing a new puppy food. For your Rottweiler puppy, a few key tips can help ensure that their diet matches their growth rate and dietary requirements.

Age Appropriate

Most dog food can be given to dogs of all ages, but your puppy will benefit the most from recipes that are formulated with puppies in mind. Puppy food is specifically designed to support their development and aid them in their growth. While adult dog food will do in a pinch, it doesn’t contain the proper nutrients that will ensure that your puppy grows as healthy as possible.

Breed Appropriate

When you start looking at puppy food, you’ll realize that many brands are tailored for certain breeds or can be given to all of them. Once you’ve decided on a brand of puppy food, try to find one formulated for large breeds. While your Rottweiler is small at the moment, they won’t always be that way.

By feeding them a puppy formula designed for large breeds, you’ll be helping to ensure that they don’t grow too fast or too slowly. Some brands — like Royal Canin — also have breed-specific recipes, so you can tailor your Rottweiler’s diet to their particular nutritional needs.

Budget

We all love to spoil our puppies, but sometimes we can’t afford to feed them the most expensive food on the market. It’s important to find a brand that focuses on quality without threatening to break the bank every time you stock up.

You must also consider the other supplies that your dog will need. Toys, treats, doggy poop bags, and even veterinary visits should all be added to your budget, along with dog food.

Ingredients

While dog foods might all look similar on the outside, the contents are different. Rottweilers are naturally muscular and can benefit from a high-protein diet that supports muscle development. Recipes that use real meat as the first ingredient are ideal to ensure that your dog receives plenty of animal-based protein in their diet.

Food sensitivities should also be considered. Some puppies are sensitive to certain proteins — chicken and beef are the most common — and you should talk about any potential dietary issues with your veterinarian to decide on the right diet. Many people automatically jump to grain-free food when they realize that their dog has an allergy to something. Many dogs benefit from grain-based carbohydrates, though, especially if they need a slow release of energy throughout the day.

Conclusion

Overall, the Ollie Fresh Lamb Recipe is our choice as the best Rottweiler puppy food because it enables you to personalize the meals and delivery to suit your dog’s needs. If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly option, Iams ProActive is a good alternative. Both Merrick Classic and Taste of the Wild focus on natural ingredients without requiring a subscription plan which makes them great options as well.

These reviews covered several of the best dog foods for Rottweiler puppies, and we hope that they’ll help you find your puppy’s favorite.

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Featured Image Credit by: cynoclub, Shutterstock