What’s the best puppy food?

2024 marks the 10th year anniversary of Pet Food Reviews. Over the years I’ve worked with industry insiders, veterinarians, professors, and Australian media.

Hopefully I can share my insights with you to get your puppy started on a journey of health and longevity!

Puppy food in Australia has changed significantly during that time. Mostly for the better, but we still have many which will set your puppy up for poor health and huge vets bills in later years.

In this guide I want to get you up to speed on choosing the right food for your puppy, hopefully within your budget.

It’s fair to say most people buy a puppy with the belief you can buy any bag of dog food, and all’s good. It’s not that simple, and feeding your puppy a healthy diet is more expensive than most of us think. I’ll explain why later in this guide, so stick around if you have time.

For those who simply want recommendations on the best puppy foods in Australia (based on budget) then I’ll make a few recommendations first.

Let’s begin:

Best Puppy Foods in Australia in 2024!

I’ll split the puppy food recommendations into two sections – best of the best, and really good “affordable” puppy foods.

You may find the “affordable” recommendations too expensive, but the truth is feeding a puppy a decent diet is more expensive than people think. I’ll offer tips to get around this, but the truth is many unhealthy supermarket puppy foods give us a false impression. Those puppy foods are cheap because they’re filled with ingredients which simply aren’t suitable for your puppy, and will likely cause arthritis and organ failure from middle to senior years.

What I recommend is a mix. A variety.

If all you can afford is a cheap supermarket kibble, consider feeding your puppy some fresh foods as well – raw meats, mince, chicken necks, frames, eggs, and suitable table scraps. The oldest dog in the world, Bobi, died in October 2023 at the record breaking age of 31 – and guess what – he was fed table scraps.

If you must feed a cheap kibble, do your best to avoid wheat, cereal grains, cereal by-products, and soy in the ingredients.

If you can afford a better kibble then great, your dog should grow up healthier. Especially if you can feed it combined with one of the best rated raw, freeze dried, or air dried foods I’ll recommend below.

Many people in 2024 feed their dogs full raw. Many veterinarians recommend against it, but most of the reasons why are largely disputed, with lots of evidence which suggests otherwise.

My cat has a diet of kibble, premium food, and a great deal of raw meat and bone. He’s 14 – older than most frail sickly senior cats – yet Bernard still acts, looks, and behaves like a kitten. My 8 year old Border Collie Beej is as active, and faster, than Usain Bolt.

Right, enough with the preamble, these are my recommendations for the best puppy foods in Australia in 2024:

Best of the Best Puppy Foods in Australia in 2024

When I started Pet Food Reviews in 2024 nearly every Australian would feed their puppy kibble. Some would feed mush in a can, and their dog’s teeth would rot as a consequence.

In recent years we’ve seen a rise in fantastic dog foods designed for the health of your dog, not the profit margins of a conglomerate like Mars and Nestle who make most pet food worldwide (and most brands in your local supermarket).

These dog foods are understandably more expensive, but your dog will reap the benefits of good health. I’ve known many Australian dogs to have a complete turnaround in health with all the brands listed below.

In no particular order, the below dog foods are fantastic choices for your puppy:

Lyka – Fresh food delivered to your door

If you’ve heard of Hello Fresh then Lyka is the equivalent for your puppy. You get a slightly cooked fresh food diet tailored specifically for your puppy, delivered to right to your door.

I’ve recommended Lyka for years now, and it’s been heartwarming to see how many Aussie dogs have done well on the brand. We’re talking about complete turnaround in health from being fed kibble, with sickly dogs bouncing back to health completely.

Read the full Lyka dog food review (in which you’ll find a 20% offer for your first order!)

Frontier Pets – Freeze dried raw for max nutrition

You’ll often hear how beneficial raw feeding is for dogs, but many people don’t want to be chopping up yucky organs every morning before breakfast.

Frontier Pets offer a much better solution – freeze dried raw, packed with nutrition, which you simply add water to before feeding. Diana and the team at Frontier Pets are absolute pioneers, and they’re an excellent choice for the health of your puppy.

Because freeze dried dog food lasts for ages, Frontier Pets is a fantastic choice to feed as a special meal a few times a week, or sprinkle on a regular kibble meal as a “topper”. So even if you can’t afford to feed Frontier Pets all the time, it’s still worth buying as part of your puppy’s diet.

Special offer: 15% off Frontier Pets with this link (or coupon code PETFOODREVIEWS15)

Read the full Frontier Pets dog food review.

A great starting point is the puppy starter pack!

Eureka – Air dried raw for top notch nutrition and convenience

Eureka is an air-dried dog food made mostly of meat and organs. Super healthy for your puppy.

Since this Australian alternative to world-renowned brand ZIWI Peak was launched a couple of years ago, the feedback I’ve received has been amazing. Eureka is, quite simply, an excellent choice for your puppy, even if it’s part of their diet or a “topper”.

As a puppy owner I would consider Eureka one of your best choices for training treats as well. Leave those sugary excuses for treats on the supermarket shelves, and instead train your dog with bits of Eureka dog food – far healthier for your pup, and far more exciting for their instinctive dietary needs!

Read the full Eureka dog food review. You’ll also find a coupon code to get money off your first order!

Orijen – A benchmark in kibble designed for carnivorous dogs

I consider dogs carnivores. Many argue otherwise, particularly corporate pet food companies who want to sell your dog kibble made of cheap ingredients like wheat and soy (and fund “science” to market it as healthy for your puppy).

Why would they make kibble from grain if it wasn’t good for my dog, I hear you ask. Well consider this – cats are factually carnivorous, with no need for grain in their diet, yet most cat foods are packed with grain as well. Why? Because it makes more money, that’s why. Billions in fact.

Orijen is astounding in comparison to all other dry dog and puppy foods.

It’s formulated from whole prey ingredients. Meat, organs, fish, eggs, and superfoods. Far better for your puppy, don’t you agree?

The only trouble with Orijen in Australia is it’s often out of stock. It’s expensive, but look what you’re getting compared to unhealthy junk puppy foods.

If you can find Orijen Puppy in stock, buy some. Full Orijen dog food review here.

Big Dog / Proudi – Australia’s best in BARF patties

BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Feeding) became an insanely popular way of feeding dogs worldwide about 15 years ago, especially in the US.

It’s a way of feeding your puppy raw which is already prepared – raw meat, offal, ground bones.

Many Americans don’t realise BARF was invented by an Australian veterinarian, Dr Ian Billinghurst, author of Give Your Dog a Bone.

Ironically, if you read Billinghurst’s book you’ll see how beneficial it is for your puppy to chew on bones, helping to clean teeth and ward off disease. In BARF patties the bone is ground, so no real benefit, but it’s still far more nutritious for your dog and healthier than almost all kibbles (if not all).

The BARF patties in Australia I consider the best are those made from human grade ingredients – Big Dog and Proudi.

Side note: If you really want to learn about the nutritional needs of your puppy, from an Australian veterinarian who really tells it like it is, then I highly recommend Work Wonders: Feeding Your Dog Raw Meaty Bones by Dr Tom Lonsdale. Tom is someone I greatly admire, and one of the only people I’ve met in this “industry” who is absolutely genuine and rational about feeding our dogs.

Really good, “affordable” puppy foods (dry puppy foods)

I’ll use the term “affordable” loosely, as it really depends on what you can afford. If you have a large breed puppy or more than one puppy then price will always be a factor – I think most of us have a fairly tight budget, especially now in 2024.

It’s worth doing the best we can to support the growth phase of our puppies, and hopefully the below puppy food recommendations are a good balance of nutrition and price.

Yes, there are many cheaper foods available, but they’re cheap because they’re designed to profit from you rather than support your puppy’s health.

If the below puppy food recommendations are too expensive, consider supplementing your puppy’s diet with fresh meats, organs, fish, eggs, and meaty bones.

If you can’t afford the premium puppy foods mentioned above, then perhaps consider feeding one of the more affordable puppy foods below, combined with one of those listed above. I consider variety a good thing in a puppy’s diet, in the same way variety is good in our diets.

You can also rotate between different brands of kibble. Pet food companies advise against this as they want to lock you in to their product for the life of their dog, but in my many years of experience the dogs who get sick or intolerant are those fed the same lousy kibble each and every day.

I recommend Pet Circle as they sell most of the brands listed below, often for the most competitive price.

Open Farm Puppy

If you can’t afford Orijen (mentioned above), then Open Farm Puppy has to be the next best dry puppy food.

It’s not cheap, and at the time of writing even the larger 10kg bag works out upwards of $15/kilo, but the ingredients are really good and should give your puppy a great start in life nutritionally.

Open Farm Puppy is a combination of various meats and fish, and the use of coconut oil and salmon oil is testament to the quality of this puppy food as a whole.

There are other benefits to Open Farm which you’ll see in the full review, and it’s a great dry food for any puppy. The Open Farm wet foods and broth are also very good, and well worth feeding your puppy as part of their diet.

Instinctive Bite Puppy

If you’re looking for a puppy food which won’t break the bank but still has decent ingredients then Instinctive Bite Puppy may work for you.

Instinctive Bite Puppy is much cheaper than Open Farm, and also Taste of the Wild mentioned next, so will suit you if you’re simply looking for a good puppy food which ticks the boxes.

There isn’t as much meat content, but you’ll find transparency on the packaging which states 57% meat & oils (meat fats), and the remaining ingredients are a decent set of vegetables and legumes which are better for your puppy than a shed load of grains.

Read the full Instinctive Bite dog food review.

Taste of the Wild Puppy

If Open Farm felt too expensive, and Instinctive Bite didn’t suit your needs, then I feel confident Taste of the Wild Puppy will suit your needs.

Taste of the Wild is a reputable brand worldwide and has been for many years. It’s a great all rounder puppy food, being cheaper than Open Farm but with a reliable reputation.

Working out around $12/kilo with the larger bags, it’s well priced considering how good the ingredients are, and it’s worth rotating between the two puppy formulas – High Prairie (Bison & Venison) and Pacific Stream (Salmon).

For more information you can read the full Taste of the Wild review.

Other options

Other good options for dry puppy food are:

• ACANA – Made by the same manufacturer as Orijen, ACANA is a really good slightly cheaper dry dog food which is still very good.
• Vetalogica Biologically Appropriate Puppy – An Australian dog food which has shown to be decent. It’s a little more expensive than others, but the ingredients are good.
• LifeWise – An Australian dog food with a great reputation. The food is well formulated with quality ingredients, and a very respectable choice for your puppy.
• Performadog Puppy – Very similar to LifeWise above, Performadog is targeted at active breeds. The puppy dry dog food is high protein, high fat, and a very well-rounded formula.
• Wellness CORE Puppy – A very reputable American brand, the CORE grain-free range are the flagship formulas. They’re not cheap, but the formulas are very good.
• SavourLife – A popular Australian brand of dry dog food, and I would recommend the original formulas over the more budget “SavourLife Essentials” which contains wheat – an ingredient I consider problematic for a dog’s digestive system.

There are other brands which may be worthy on this list. Feel free to ask about other dry puppy foods in the comments, or read the respective reviews (mostly written in regard to the adult formulas).

2023 saw some unfortunate manufacturing issues for some brands I have recommended in the past. Hopefully 2024 will see these issues resolved, but this may be why some popular dog foods aren’t listed above.

Recommendations aside, let’s take a deep dive into feeding your puppy…

What should I feed my puppy?

Think of your puppy as a carnivore.

More accurate terms would be facultative carnivore or scavenging carnivore as dogs will happily eat other foods, but they will likely live a healthier life with a carnivore-based diet.

Keep in mind most commercial puppy foods are designed to make a profit. Non-animal ingredients are much cheaper than animal ingredients (often a fraction of the cost), and this means most dog foods are high-carbohydrate grain or potato based.

Some savvy pet food manufacturers will try and convince you other starches are healthy – tapioca, rice, corn, bamboo, and so forth. Others will convince you legumes are far better – but note none of these are what your dog really needs.

Consider some grains or plant-based foods fine for your puppy, even beneficial in moderation, but always think of your puppy as a carnivore.

Quick tip: Avoid any commercial dog foods made of wheat, cereals, cereal by-products, or soy. If they use food colours and artificial preservatives, leave them on the supermarket shelf.

What you are told to feed your puppy, and the questions you should ask yourself?

I’ve been involved with pet food for many years, and to cut a long story short we’re often told to feed our dogs in a way which convinces us to buy products, which isn’t always about the health and wellbeing of our dogs.

(No, I’m not wearing a tin-foil hat. I’ve seen it often.)

Let’s start by disputing the following advice set out by RSPCA Australia:

The basis of your puppy’s diet should be a high quality balanced premium commercial puppy food that is appropriate for their life stage and health status. By reading the label, you can check that it complies with the Australian Standard for the Manufacturing and Marketing of Pet Food AS 5812:2017

RSPCA Australia

Firstly, if you read the Australian Standard for the Manufacturing and Marketing of Pet Food AS 5812:2017 you will quickly realise it’s written for the benefit of the manufacturer, not you as a consumer.

You’ll have to pay for it first. A whopping $90.79 in 2024 if you want that privilege – how’s that for transparency?

Secondly, it doesn’t take much for a commercial dog food to meet “complete and balanced” requirements. If minimum amounts are met for protein, fat, omega fatty acids, and essential nutrients, the rest of the formula can be filled with unnecessary starches, carbohydrates, or “fillers”.

Let’s say 30% of a dry dog food can meet the “complete and balanced” requirements, which aren’t mandatory in Australia, and the rest can be what some may call garbage.

Even protein and fat can be accounted for with plant-based substitutes to real meat and animal ingredients, which is why vegan foods can be formulated for factually carnivorous cats (and our essentially carnivorous dogs).

Question: If your dog is a carnivore, is a dry processed kibble made of cereal grains the best diet you can give them?

Question: What was your puppy weened on? Puppyhood is the most vital growth phase in your dog’s life, and even though I know you won’t want to hear it – most Australian breeders ween their puppies on commercial kibble made of grains, usually made by Mars or Nestle.

A basic puppy feeding guide

Puppies need to eat more regularly than adult dogs and require better nutrition to support growth.

Never feed an adult dog food formula to your puppy. If feeding a dry food, make sure it is either a puppy formula or all life stage formula.

As a rule, feed your new puppy 4 times per day, reducing this as they reach adult hood.

Most small and medium sized dogs reach adulthood at 1 year. Some larger breeds at 2 years. Make sure you research your breed, and make sure you feed them an appropriate puppy diet throughout the puppy phase.

Not feeding your puppy an appropriate diet can lead to muscle and bone problems or health issues in later years. This is particularly the case with large breeds, but we must always consider the quality of food we feed our puppies is our best way to ensure they have a healthy life for many years to come.

Vet visits can be expensive, but it is recommended you book periodic health checks with your veterinarian. They will assess the weight of your puppy and body condition and offer advice. They may recommend a dry processed food made mostly from grain for an expensive price, and I’ll leave you to decide for yourself if such a diet is suitable for your pet carnivore.

Always allow your dog access to fresh, clean water. Clean the bowl daily.

The teething phase

Between 4 and 6 months all puppy owners are tested to their limits. This is when your puppy will destroy your furniture, shoes, and ankles, if you don’t address the phase pragmatically.

The teething phase in when your puppy’s adult teeth are growing, and they grow fast.

Teething pain and discomfort, combined with an instinct to chew, is why most puppies are at their most destructive during the teething phase.

What can you do about puppy teething? Let’s once again dispute the advice of RSPCA Australia, who say:

Introducing puppy-specific chew toys and healthy chewable treats can alleviate “teething” issues and train your pet’s attention away from gnawing on household items.

RSPCA Australia

Firstly, most chewable treats you are recommended are made from grains – usually wheat – combined with humectants, sugars, and other additives. If you dig a little deeper, many of these treats state the “texture” of the treat is what benefits your dog’s teeth, not the ingredients they’re made from.

Question: Do you brush your teeth with starchy, sugary foods?

Of course not, that would be crazy.

Secondly, although decent quality chew toys (like Kong) may help your puppy through teething, they do so with questionable benefit.

I consider raw meaty bones a far more natural, and nutritious method of helping a puppy through the teething phase, and a very successful way to distract them from your chair legs.

This is what RSPCA Australia say on the matter:

Bones and raw meat are not recommended as they can break teeth and cause internal blockages, raw bones also carry bacteria that can make both animals and humans ill. 

RSPCA Australia

The pet food industry loves to deter us from feeding our pet carnivores what they would naturally eat in the wild.

Yes, there are risks to feeding inappropriate bones – hard weight-bearing bones, marrow bones, knuckle bones, or worse, cooked bones (which should never be fed to a dog). There are also risks to feeding your puppy inappropriate unhealthy processed foods.

Join a raw feeding group on Facebook and ask the question “Has anyone had problems feeding raw meaty bones to their dog?”

You’ll find comfort in the lack of negative responses.

However, if you’re concerned about feeding raw meaty bones then there are alternatives. I recommend dried animal-based chews such as bully sticks, dried tendons, or air-dried meats. Avoid processed jerky and raw hide, and I recommend human-grade dog treats made in Australia.

A 2024 recap of pet food in Australia

Sadly there’s still many poor quality puppy foods ready and willing to set your dog up for poor health in later years, all for the sake of profit.

The largest manufacturer of Australian dog foods, The Real Pet Food Co, made $80mil last year. Not that the Real Pet Food Co is Australian – it’s owned by an Asia-based consortium. Then you have Mars and Nestle who pretty much make the majority of pet foods sold in Australia.

As dog owners we should always keep in mind pet food is a product, and products are always designed for profit.

Mars and Colgate-Palmolive control the vet-recommend brands, oh and most of the “science” which convinces you carbohydrates are healthy for your carnivorous pooch. You’ll be convinced into buying those later.

Pet food is a multi-billion dollar industry. Because of this, it’s one of the most lucrative sectors for some of the biggest corporations in the world. Our pets are a huge source of profits, in 2024 more than ever.

It may sound like a crazy tin-foil hat conspiracy, but it means those powerful companies are absolute masters at convincing us what is best to feed our pets. Most research into canine and feline nutrition is instigated and sponsored by those companies.

You should consider that a conflict of interest, and you should assume those companies will only instigate and fund scientific research if it helps sell their products.

This has largely been the case for decades since James Spratt invented kibble in the mid-19th century.

Thankfully social media and growing awareness of pet owners such as yourself has put pressure on the pet food industry to do better.

Many pet owners don’t feed commercial pet foods at all, and their pets do very well and live long, healthy lives.

On the flipside, many pet owners hear raw or fresh feeding is better than commercial pet food, and embark on a journey of feeding their pets a terribly unhealthy diet.

Over the last decade many small Australian businesses have popped up to offer us better foods for our dogs and cats. Some are really good, and some you can class as pioneering. Considering the pressures of the economy and rising costs, it’s really good to see some of these companies do really well. That’s testament to better awareness and understanding of what our dogs and cats really need.

I refer to Dr Tom Lonsdale a lot, because I believe what he says, and he believes the supermarket pet food aisles should be replaced with freezers full of meat, offal, and raw meaty bones.

Maybe we’ll see a trend towards that in future years, but as of 2024 the supermarket aisles are still rammed with what Tom would call “junk pet food”.

Given most of those foods, for both dogs and cats, are made largely of grains, full of carbohydrates (sugars), and very little meat for our carnivorous pets, you’d have to agree with him, wouldn’t you?

Invaluable puppy feeding tips

My best tip – whenever you decide to change your dog food, make sure you come back here and read the review. You might be surprised at what trickery goes on with pet food marketing!

Below you will find quick tips on how to feed your puppy, or how you should think about puppy feeding:

#1 Think of your puppy as a carnivore

I’m sure pet food manufacturers would love us to believe our dogs are omnivores like us, especially as non-meat foods are cheap inclusions in dog foods.

Just take a look at your new puppy. Yes, they’re cute. Yes, they’re cuddly. But look at those jaws, those teeth. Do they look like your jaws, your teeth?

I’m guessing the conclusion you came to was no, they’re not like us, and those gnashers look better for chewing on meat, organs, and bones.

When you think of your dog as a carnivore in this way, it will help you pick the right food.

Always opt for a food with more meat, and less other stuff.

#2 Always read the ingredients

It’s such a simple tip, but something perhaps 1% of new puppy owners will do. Probably less!

Always look on the front of the bag – what does it tell you. Then turn it over, read the ingredients, and see if they tell a different story.

They probably do.

From reading the reviews on this website you’ll learn the many tricks of the trade which convince us a dog food is better than it is.

A good example is “Meat first ingredient” which you’ll see often, but when the ingredients read meat, grain, grain, grain, grain it means there actually isn’t much meat!

#3 Why feed the same food every day?

Do you ever wonder why we feed our dogs the same food for their whole lives? Doesn’t it sound silly if I suggest you should eat the same thing all the time?

In fact, I see many health issues occur in dogs which are likely the result of an unvaried diet.

If we eat a food which contains some kind of toxin we probably won’t notice it. If we kept eating that food, day after day, from the same packet, then it could be a different story.

Why hasn’t anyone developed the perfect “complete and balanced” food for us humans? Guaranteed to meet all our complex nutritional needs?

How convenient would that be?

And how bland…

In human nutrition studies there’s plenty of evidence eating the same food for a long period, or not eating a specific food for a long period, can lead to intolerances.

It’s the same for our dogs.

I can’t tell you how many times people have complained their dog didn’t eat a new food, or the new food made their dog vomit, without considering the dog had probably been on a diet of by-products and wheat for many years.

Vets don’t consider diet as a cause of illness either. Not many, anyway.

They should – we’d probably have a much greater awareness of terrible pet foods if that were the case.

#4 Don’t be afraid to experiment

Don’t be afraid to try different foods, or different styles of food. There’s no reason you shouldn’t try different things, like mixing kibble with mince, feeding sardines for breakfast, or taking a venture into the world of raw feeding.

Simply adding eggs or chicken broth to a kibble can work wonders for the health of your puppy!

#5 You can only do your best!

Taking on a puppy is a responsibility, and you’ll likely feel uncertain at times. You may feel you’re not offering the puppy the best food, and perhaps the brands I mentioned in the “best of the best puppy foods” section are simply not affordable.

Don’t worry!

You can only do your best!

Simply following some of the tips in this section will help boost the health and wellbeing of your puppy!

Over time you’ll figure out ways to improve your puppy’s diet, take advantage of meats, organs, meaty bones, fish, chicken broth, or even some of those foods reduced at the supermarket. I do!

Different styles of puppy food

There are many styles of puppy food, from commercial dry foods to all out raw feeding. In this section we’ll look at the different styles, with pros and cons.

Let’s start with some handy bullet points:

• If feeding a dry or wet food, only feed a Puppy Formula or All Life Stages formula. If neither of these are on the packaging then the food will not contain the nutrition required for the puppy phase.
• Avoid cheap dry puppy food brands. The puppy phase (up to 1 year) is critical for the long term health of your dog. If you feed them a cheap food now it will likely cost you tenfold in years to come.
• Avoid anything with “Wheat”, “Cereals”, or “Cereal By-Products”. If a food is formulated with these ingredients then they’re not very healthy for your pup.
• Feed a variety! This is often overlooked as many continue to feed whatever the breeder suggested, or worse whatever the shelter fed the puppy. Feeding the same product continuously is never a good idea, although this is what most people believe is correct.
• Do not feed your puppy any of the foods listed further down on this page.

Dry Puppy Food

Dry food is the most convenient, but quality ranges significantly. Don’t be fooled into thinking an expensive brand is much better than a cheaper brand, as more often than not they’re still high in grains, high in carbohydrates (sugars), and not overly species appropriate.

That said, there are some really good dry puppy foods available with a focus on meat, protein, and fat (the stuff your puppy really does need), and the list a bit further below will offer you a good starting point.

Most puppy owners opt for dry food out of convenience, but as a convenience food don’t assume it has to be their entire diet. It can, however, make a good and reliable base during the puppy phase.

While your puppy is growing they have a huge dependency on nutrition to grow into a healthy adult dog. Make sure you pick a decent food, or perhaps rotate between different brands to offer variety and build up tolerance to different foodstuffs (pet food manufacturers advise against this because they want you to feed their product for the life of your dog).

When introducing a new food (especially dry food) it’s common to see a few bouts of diarrhoea. Keep in mind this is often because your puppy’s digestive system is adapting to the new food, but keep a close eye as it can also mean the food isn’t good.

Wet Puppy Food

Wet food is usually better than the dry counterpart from the same manufacturer. Avoid the trays you find in the supermarket and opt for cans by more premium manufacturers.

Many dogs suffer in later years from an exclusive wet food diet (particularly small and toy breeds where this is more common), with periodontal disease being common from lack of abrasion in the diet which in nature they get from chewing on bones.

Having wet food in the diet can be beneficial. As mentioned before, add variety – mix it up!

Most of the reviews on this website are for dry foods, but usually the wet offerings from the same company are just as good if not better.

BARF Patties

It might be worth avoiding raw in the first few months unless you know what you’re doing, but many start to slowly introduce it as the puppy grows. For those inexperienced with raw feeding or making your puppy food at home, then BARF patties are a safe option but a little more costly than a homemade diet.

BARF patties are frozen “raw” foods which are found at most pet stores and pet shops these days.

I used to hear all the time that you can’t feed kibble with raw (a fallacy which likely stemmed from pet food manufacturers), but time has shown many pet owners to do this with no issues whatsoever. Myself included.

When finding a BARF patty I recommend opting for human grade meats due to the poor standards of Australian pet grade meats. Thankfully many BARF patties these days use high quality ingredients, even commonly found brands like Proudi and Big Dog.

Raw

There’s been a growing trend in recent years to feed a dog what they would’ve eaten in the wild – fresh meats, organs, blood, and bones. There is so much nutrition in a raw diet, but if you choose to go this route then make sure you research heavily. There’s plenty of information and recipes on the Internet which will really help you, and some excellent social media groups – join them!

An excellent starting point for feeding raw is the book Work Wonders by Australian veterinarian Tom Lonsdale. It’s the best no-nonsense account of feeding a dog I’ve come across, and a great base for understanding the nutritional needs of your dog.

More reading material can be found here.

Fresh Foods

In olden days (not so long ago), many dogs lived off table scraps. Feeding your dog some nutritious foodstuffs along the way can be very beneficial, but use common sense. Non-processed meats, eggs, fish (be careful of bones), tuna, sardines, veggies, all have beneficial qualities. Just make sure you avoid foodstuffs which can be bad for a pup, such as chocolate, cooked bones, processed meats (easy on the sausages) – more information later. Most of it is common sense if you consider your dog to be essentially a meat eating animal (what I consider a facultative carnivore).

Treats

Supermarket (and pet store) treats don’t conform to any requirements, and given they’re designed for occasional feeding only it’s often overlooked the harm they can do if fed in excess.

Boiled chicken is an excellent treat, and your dog will love you for that as much as they would a commercial treat made from wheat, sugar, and chemicals. Healthy and nutritious is the best way!

There are some excellent freeze dried treats available but they come at a cost. If you can, opt for freeze dried mussels or some form of freeze dried meat without additives.

Where to buy puppy food in Australia

Most people buy dog foods in the supermarket. The problem with this is the target demographic for supermarkets are people who tend to buy a product based on price, which in terms of dog food is without consideration of quality. Many supermarket brands are made by Mars or Nestle (yes, the chocolate bar companies), and in Australia the rest will likely be from our biggest manufacturer The Real Pet Food Co. Unfortunately most of these brands keep the cost down by sacrificing quality ingredients (meats) with cheaper alternatives (grains and by-products).

Thankfully it’s very easy to buy most of the dog foods reviewed on this website from one of the leading pet food retailers. Pet Circle are our largest online retailer and often the cheapest, with   a close second. Most online retailers offer free delivery to your door if you spend over $50. The best thing about online retailers is they’re very competitive, often with many brands on sale. The reviews on this website check current prices, so check back whenever you’re about to stock up!

Petbarn also offer home delivery (saves you lugging a 20kg bag of dog food), and also click and collect if that’s preferable for you.

Local pet supermarkets are an option, but in many ways fall foul of the same problems with supermarket dog foods. Usually these stores offer one or two really good brands, but most will still be Mars, Nestle, or Colgate Palmolive who make the Hill’s products. You’ll also find unique brands, such as Leaps & Bounds in Petbarn, which are usually from the same Australian manufacturer I mentioned earlier.

Independent pet stores are well worth considering if you have a good one locally. Not only is it good to support local Australian businesses, but they’re often more knowledgeable on pet nutrition and will likely recommend and stock better brands. Just make sure you check our reviews as well as sometimes brands change over time (for example: one brand we used to highly recommend established a very loyal following based on our review, but when the company was bought up by a big manufacturer it seemed clear the quality dropped significantly. Unfortunately that brand is still recommended by many pet stores).

Lastly but not leastly, a number of really good dog food brands have sprung up which offer delivery straight to your door. These companies cut out the middle men (supermarkets or pet stores) in order to keep costs down. It’s a win win for them and for you, especially as some pet stores take as much as 40% of the profits.

Foods to avoid feeding your puppy

As a simple rule consider your puppy an animal which can be considered carnivorous in nature (they’re from the order carnivora). With a historical whole prey diet keep in mind the best foods to feed a puppy revolve around that specific diet and the contents of whole prey (which can be grains, vegetables, and so forth to a small extent).

Avoid feeding any food you know to have health implications for yourself – sweets, sugar, alcohol, etc.

Some foods are healthy for us but very unhealthy for your dog, so pay close attention to the following list.

• Alcohol – it’s bad for us, and very bad for your dog. Unfortunately dogs will drink alcohol so don’t leave any lying around. It can lead to vomiting and diarrhoea, difficulty breathing, loss of coordination (just like us), but also central nervous system depression, abnormal blood acidity, coma, or even death.
• Avocado Skin, Leaves, & Pits – the fruit of an avocado has numerous health benefits for a dog, but whatever you do do not feed the skin, pit, or leaves of an avocado plant. They are as dangerous for a dog as they are for us.
• Bones (cooked) – A very simple and important rule – never feed your dog cooked bones. The reason is simple as they can splinter and cause damage. When feeding bones always feed them raw, always make sure they are appropriate to your size and breed of dog, and it is highly recommended you monitor them while eating a bone.
• Caffeine – not only do dogs not need caffeine to stay awake, it is dangerous to a dog due to methylxanthines (found in coffee plants). Excessive coffee can lead to vomiting and diarrhoea, panting, hyperactivity, excessive thirst, abnormal heart rhythm, or more severe reactions can include seizures or death.
• Chocolate – this is another food containing methylxanthines and can cause the symptoms mentioned above. Dark chocolate is particularly harmful to a dog, but all chocolate needs to be avoided.
• Citrus – it’s uncommon for a dog to eat citrus based plants or fruits, but if they do it can lead to irritation and potentially central nervous system depression. This is inclusive of seeds, stems, peels, and leaves, not just the fruit.
• Coconut oil and coconut – you may notice many modern dog food diets contain coconut oil, which in moderation is beneficial. Some dogs can be allergic to coconut, and in excessive amounts can lead to vomiting and diarrhoea in any dog. Also be cautious of coconut water as it contains potassium levels which are too high for your dog.
• Fruit pits – these can commonly cause an obstruction in the digestive tract and may need to be surgically removed. Be careful of any fruits containing pits, such as peaches and plums.
• Garlic – You’ll hear all over social media that garlic is bad for dogs, but in truth this is only in excessive quantities (I read the research many years ago, and for an average dog it was considered about 70 cloves to be harmful). In moderation however, garlic has positive health benefits and helps to ward off parasites. The reason for the concern is organosulphoxide in garlic which in high doses can be a poison to dogs (also see Onion & Chives).
• Macadamia Nuts, Peanuts, & Other Nuts – Macadamia nuts must be avoided as they can cause a number of issues with a dog such as vomiting, depression, and weakness. A cautionary note on peanuts as like humans it is possible for a dog to be allergic. Nuts should not be fed in excess due to having a high fat and oil content (particularly Walnuts, Almonds, and Pecans).
• Milk & Dairy – more a cautionary note, but some dogs can be lactose intolerant and may not be able to break down the lactose in milk. Symptoms can be diarrhoea but other digestive issues may arise.
• Onion & Chives – in excessive quantities these ingredients can lead to gastrointestinal problems and red blood cell damage. They contain organosulphoxide which is a poison to dogs.
• Persimmons – these may lodge in the digestive system and lead to enteritis.
• Raisins, Currants, Sultanas, & Grapes – these fruits contain toxins which can lead to kidney failure in dogs.
• Rhubarb leaves – these are poisonous for us, and the same is the case for our dogs. Rhubarb leaves contain oxalates which affect the digestive and nervous system.
• Salt – it’s bad for us, it’s even worse for dogs. In a dry food salt will be around 1% of the formula, but in excess will cause excessive urination, thirst, and possibly sodium ion poisoning. Initial symptoms can be vomiting and diarrhoea, leading to a high temperature, seizures, and worst case death.
• Xylitol – this is a sugar alcohol used in a number of products, usually as a sweetener. It is commonly found in sweets, chewing gum, toothpaste, as well as other food products. In dogs it causes an insulin release, can cause hypoglycaemia, low blood sugar, or liver failure. Visible signs can be vomiting and diarrhoea, but also lethargy and poor coordination.
• Yeast – this can be harmful to your dog as stomach gas may cause it to rise in the digestive system. This can lead to bloat or twisting, and in some cases can be life threatening.

I care what you thing – feedback, please!

The best puppy food recommendations depend on your ongoing feedback.

Many people contact me daily with feedback or consumer issues, and I do my best to keep track of that data.

This feedback is valuable to providing decent, reliable information on this website, and in turn help other pet owners like us.

Your feedback helps me adjust ratings on the reviews accordingly, and they do change over time.

In the past, sadly, highly rated brands have suffered formula changes, ingredient changes, or manufacturer changes, and shown a change in quality.

If you’re aware of any problems – let me know.

All reviews are independent and unbiased by myself. I’m a qualified pet nutritionist, but given there are no qualifications in pet food marketing per se, most reviews simply analyse the ingredients and composition, often in reference to pet food standards.

Hopefully the reviews give you a good idea of what the ingredients really mean, and what they really say based on Australian Pet Food Standards AS 5812 and pet food marketing regulations.

Or in other words, tell you what the pet food companies don’t tell you.

Pet Food Reviews is a free resource to you as a pet owner, but it takes up a great deal of time – huge amounts over the past 10 or so years! If you decide to buy one of the best puppy foods based on the information on this page, then I’d be super grateful if you use one of the affiliate links or “Where to buy” recommendations – thank you!

I hope this guide has got you started on your puppy journey, and you have some insight into what is the best puppy food in Australia.

Variety is always a good thing, and if in doubt – read the ingredients!