Best* Large Breed Dog Food
Big dogs have large personalities, giant hearts and appetites to match. Here are some of our best-selling large breed dog food options.
What to look for in large breed dog food
Larger breeds often require a different nutritional blend than smaller dogs. Because of their size, making sure their dog food contains the necessary vitamins and minerals is essential. Here’s what to look for.
Age and Size Appropriate
Large dog breeds are at risk of developmental orthopedic disease. Feeding them large-breed puppy food is important—it contains fewer calories and reduces the chance of rapid growth, one of the leading causes of DOD. Big dogs should then be transitioned to adult food anywhere between 12 and 18 months or at 90% of their expected adult weight. Consult your veterinarian about the best dietary plan for your large pup.
High-Quality
Obesity can be devastating to a large dog’s joints and cause painful orthopedic problems in the future. Their ideal dog food should be calorie-appropriate for large breeds and provide the essential nutrients needed to ensure your dog’s health and wellness.
Wholesome and Delicious
Your dog’s diet needs to meet all their nutritional requirements yet still be tasty. Your dog should look forward to mealtime—food, walks and time with their pet parent are what a dog’s world is all about.
Pet parent faves
Our pet parents know they can count on Petco to find the right dog food for their large breed pets. Here are the best-selling dog food choices for giant pups.
The Best Large Breed Dog Food with Grain:
Purina
Pro Plan Large Breed Chicken and Rice Formula Dry Dog Food
It’s no surprise Purina leads the pack when it comes to the best large breed dog food—it’s been a trusted brand since 2001. This optimized formula specializes in joint wellness, containing glucosamine and EPA.
Features:
- Available in 18, 34 and 47 lbs. bags
- High protein formula with chicken as the first ingredient
- For adult dogs over 50 lbs.
- Contains natural prebiotic powder
- Fortified with guaranteed live probiotics for digestive and immune health
- Glucosamine and EPA for joint health and mobility
- Vitamin A and Omega-6 fatty acids for skin and coat health
Hill’s
Science Diet Adult Large Breed Chicken and Barley Recipe Dry Dog Food
Hill’s Science Diet is a constant on our best-seller lists, and for good reason—they’re veterinarian authorized. Natural sources of glucosamine and chondroitin help support joint wellness, making this chicken and barley formula ideal for big breeds. It's packed with high-quality protein to help support lean muscles and contains Vitamin E and Omega-6 to promote a glossy coat.
Features:
- Available in 15 and 35 lbs. bags
- Glucosamine and chondroitin support joint health
- Omega-6 and Vitamin E promote healthy skin and a shiny coat
- High-quality protein promotes lean muscle in large dogs
- Guaranteed nutrient analysis
- For adult dogs 1 to 5 years old
- Made in the USA with global ingredients you can trust
Eukanuba
Adult Large Breed Chicken Flavor Dry Dog Food
Eukanuba Activ Advantage is a high-quality adult large breed dog food with chicken as the first ingredient, glucosamine to help support the joints and DHA and antioxidants to support the mind. It contains wholesome ingredients to help give your dog energy, as well as 3D DentaDefense to help reduce tartar and keep their mouth clean.
Features:
- Available in 16 and 33 lbs. bags
- For large dog breeds 15 months and older who weigh over 55 lbs.
- A combination of animal protein, glucosamine and chondroitin promote lean muscle development and joint health in active adult dogs
- DHA and vitamin E support brain function
- Natural fiber and prebiotic blend encourage gentle digestion
Blue Buffalo
Life Protection Formula Adult Large Breed Chicken and Brown Rice Dry Dog Food
Blue Buffalo knows just what kind of nutrition our gentle giants need. This formula contains glucosamine, chondroitin and calcium to aid in agile joints and bone development. It also has LifeSource Bits®—Blue’s exclusive blend of nutrients, vitamins and antioxidant-packed ingredients to support your dog’s immune system.
Features:
- Available in 15 and 30 lbs. bags
- Cold-formed to preserve potency
- Contains glucosamine and chondroitin to support joint health and mobility
- Contains LifeSource Bits—a blend of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to support immune health, life stage requirements and healthy oxidative balance.
- Real chicken is the first ingredient
- No chicken by-product meals, corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors or preservatives
WholeHearted
Adult Large Breed Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe with Whole Grains Dry Dog Food
The best adult dog food doesn’t contain fillers like corn or wheat. Wholehearted uses whole grains to provide essential fiber and carbohydrates. This blend contains chicken as its first ingredient, ensuring protein in every bite.
Features:
- Available in 30 and 45 lbs. bags
- Contains canine probiotics to promote digestion
- Enriched with omega-3 fatty acids to help with skin and coat
- Delectable chicken and brown rice recipe
- For large breed adult dogs
Hill’s
Science Diet Adult 6+ Large Breed Chicken Meal, Barley and Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food
Large breed seniors often need a special diet to support maximum joint wellness and proper organ function. Hills has you covered. This blend has glucosamine and chondroitin levels compatible with senior dogs, as well as minerals that support the heart and kidneys. It also has a meaty chicken flavor dogs love.
Features:
- Available in 15 and 33 lbs. bags
- Formulated for big dogs ages 6 and up
- Veterinarian authorized
- Chicken is the first ingredient
- Easy to digest
Wellness
Complete Health Natural Large Breed Recipe Dry Dog Food
Wellness is a family-owned company. They focus on 5 factors when it comes to wellness—skin and coat, energy, digestive system, eye wellness, oral care and immune system. Their delicious kibble contains wholesome ingredients like chicken, spinach, blueberries and flaxseed to provide supreme nutrition and a boost of antioxidants.
Features:
- Available in 15 and 30 lbs. bags
- 100% balanced nutrition for large breeds
- Contains no meat by-products
- No fillers
- Calorie-conscious for large dog breeds
The Best Grain-Free Large Breed Dog Food:
WholeHearted
Grain-Free Large Breed Chicken and Pea Recipe Adult Dry Dog Food
Have a pup with sensitivities? WholeHearted has the solution. Their grain-free, large breed formula has all the satisfying nutrients as the original version, without the grains. It contains wholesome ingredients like peas, lentils and sweet potatoes to keep your pup full. It’s also packed with protein.
Features:
- Available in 40 lbs. bags
- Uses legumes instead of grains to provide complex carbohydrates
- Formulated without corn, wheat and grain
- Formulated for large breed adult dogs
- Real chicken is the first ingredient
- Glucosamine and chondroitin support joint health
- Probiotics help maintain digestive health
- Omega-6 and -3 support healthy skin and coat
- Antioxidant formula for a strong immune system
Blue Buffalo
Wilderness Natural Adult High Protein Grain-Free Large Breed Dry Chicken Dog Food
Blue Buffalo offers a grain-free alternative for big dog breeds, with all the wholesome goodness that large breeds need. Their Wilderness line uses peas, carrots and potatoes instead of grains. The mix of protein and complex carbohydrates satiate your dog’s hunger and contains flavorful chicken your pup will love.
Features:
- Available in 24 lbs. bags
- For adult dogs 1 to 7 years old
- No chicken by-product meals, corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors or preservatives
- Enriched with LifeSource Bits, a blend of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to support immune health, life stage needs and a healthy oxidative balance
- Glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health
- Omega-3 and -6 for skin and coat health
The Best Large Breed Puppy Food:
ORIJEN
Puppy Large Grain-Free High Protein Fresh and Raw Animal Ingredients Dry Dog Food
Orijen believes in biologically appropriate nutrition—their Puppy Large blend is made of 85% premium animal ingredients and delivers dogs a WholePrey diet. The first 5 ingredients of Orijen’s dog food are meat. Orijen is one of the best large breed puppy food selections, rounding out our list of best-sellers.
Features:
- Available in 13 and 25 lbs. bags
- Coated with freeze-dried liver for delectable flavor
- Formulated for large and giant-breed puppies
- Grain-free
- Protein-powered diet optimized for large breeds
- 85% high-quality poultry and fish ingredients, providing a strong source of essential protein, vitamins and minerals
- Made in the USA with the world's finest ingredients
We’re here to help
Beyond large breed dog food, our stores offer health & wellness products and services to help make sure your dog has everything they need to thrive.
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Pharmacy
Save big on heartworm preventives, pain relievers, Rx flea & tick control and more.
Learn More About Large Breed Dog Food
Generally, a dog that weighs over 50 lbs. is considered a large breed. Some common types of big dogs that may fall into this category are:
- Boxers
- Chow Chows
- Collies
- German Shepherds
- Golden Retrievers
- Labradors
- Rottweilers
- Siberian Huskies
When determining the proper nutrition, it’s always best to consult a veterinarian on the best diet. It’s also helpful to read the weight chart and directions on the bag thoroughly. Our Dog Care Sheet can help you familiarize yourself with your large pup’s needs and requirements.
The best large breed puppy food should be formulated with less calcium, phosphorous and calories than traditional puppy food. Large dogs have a much higher risk of developing orthopedic problems as they age—feeding your puppy a calorie-dense diet with the above minerals may cause them to grow rapidly. This can cause developmental orthopedic disease and lead to painful ailments like hip dysplasia and arthritis in the future.
Most large breed puppy food brands take this into account. They may also use fiber to replace the calorie deficient and keep your puppy full. Our New Dog Owner Guide can give you helpful tips.
The best dry dog food for large dogs should:
- Contain vitamins and minerals like glucosamine and chondroitin to protect joints
- Be lower in calories to help prevent obesity
- Be formulated for large breeds
You should also look for a larger-sized kibble. Bloating can be an issue for big dogs. Larger kibble makes them slow down and chew, reducing the risk of gases building up. Slow feeders are recommended for large dogs as well.
*Based on petco.com sales data.
