The Best German Shepherd Diets

After weighing the pros and cons of a raw diet and a homemade dog food diet, I chose to put Sheba on a premium dog food diet. There were far more cons in the cost of powering an extra freezer and even getting enough freezer safe containers to hold the cut raw meat for a month. Then with a bad back the labor of stocking the freezer, cutting the meat or even cooking a homemade meal daily was the tipping point. Feeding an 90lb German Shepherd would be far too physical for me.

The following premium dry dog foods were recommended by my veterinarian and the German Shepherd rescue. We only had to try a couple of brands before settling on what works best for her.

My top pick for the best German Shepherd maintenance diet is Taste of the Wild premium dog food. With human grade ingredients this dry kibble is the top of the line for digestibility. My 3-year-old German Shepherd, Sheba, has been on the Salmon dog food for several months with excellent results. Her coat is much softer and not flaky like it was with regular dog food. Thankfully my GSD never showed severe food allergy signs, but my Cocker Spaniel had terrible skin problems with regular dog food, so I was accustomed to using premium dog food.

Buy Taste of the Wild Grain-Free Dry Dog Food Pacific Stream

By nature, all dogs are facultative carnivores, thriving on a varied diet of meats with smaller amounts of fruits, vegetables and grasses and biologically adapted to metabolize proteins and fats - not carbohydrates - as an energy source.    High-protein and low-carbohydrate, ORIJEN ADULT grain-free formula replicates the same rich balance of meats, fruits, vegetables and grasses that dogs would encounter in a wilderness setting.    Made with the highest inclusions of fresh grain-fed chicken meat, wild-caught northern whitefish and fresh whole eggs, ORIJEN is bursting with the protein-packed, veterinary-inspected meats (minimum 70%) that form a Biologically Appropriate diet,-and none of the grains or carbohydrates that are inappropriate for your dog.

Buy Orijen Grain-Free Adult Dry Dog Food 29.7 lbs

Talk about years of research, the makers of Wellness Core painstakingly did their homework on the quest for the best German Shepherd diet. Investing in top of the line ingredients for high protein and no fillers, grains or by-products. To show the company truly cares about the health of your pet they continue to research and post factual findings on their website (Wellness Pet Food FAQ).

Buy Wellness CORE Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

Also on the list of best diets for a German Shepherd is Blue Buffalo Wilderness. This is another high protein gluten-free premium dog food made in the US. Real meat proteins are the first ingredient: de-boned chicken, lamb or fish. There is no corn, wheat or soy (glutens) in any of their premium dog foods. Blue Buffalo Wilderness dry dog food is a highly digestible dog food formulated by animal nutritionists. Blue Wilderness provides your dog with the optimal balance of protein, fats and healthy complex carbohydrates. High-quality ingredients for a high performance diet:

Large breed dogs like German Shepherd go through growth spurts like every dog, but the big guys grow much larger much faster. A cheap dog food won't likely be able to keep up with the growth rate of these puppies. Since my GSD is past her growth spurts and now on a maintenance diet, I asked at my veterinary office what they suggested. Lori Martindale, manager and veterinary tech at Village Veterinary Hospital in Des Moines, IA and an active agility trainer, explained that working and growing large breed dogs need a grain-free caloric-dense dog food. She highly recommends Evo, Innova, and Cannidae Pure kibble.

Evo Red Meat Large Bite Dog Food made by Natura is a hard kibble food that relies on meat for caloric intake while others use fillers like grains and carbs. While minimizing the starch and carbohydrate intake, they maximize the protein intake for your pet. You won't need supplements with your pet on Evo brand dog food either. This dog food is rich in Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids, as well as anti-oxidant vitamins.
Buy Innova EVO Red Meat Dry Dog Food

Innova brand dog foods incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables into their kibble, along with farm fresh meats. The food is preserved with Vitamin E instead of chemicals. Innova is very comparable in results to the Evo brand dog foods, but is slightly less expensive. Boasting 24% protein and 14% fat, your dog will surely gain the needed weight on this diet without losing energy. Perfect for the herding and working breed dogs.

Canidae Grain-Free pureSea is highly palatable for dogs of all ages. I've had the best luck with fish based diets for dogs since very few seem to have allergies to fish. Canidae has also introduced two new varieties to their grain-free dog foods: Canidae pureSky (made with read duck) and Canidae pureLand (made with real bison). Canidae pure diets incorporate 80% meat products with 20% fruits and vegetables and 0% grains for the highest caloric intake with no fillers.Canidae dog food is made and manufactured with only products from the USA.

Why should you consider buying your German Shepherd dog food online? There are several good reasons for buying dog food online. German Shepherds eat a lot of food, so you pretty much have to buy the big bag of dog food. There is no reason to have to go to the store, usually a special trip for premium dog food buyers, then load a heavy bag in a cart and lug it in and out when you get home. Now you can let the UPS driver bring your dog food right to your door! What could be better? Get on a delivery schedule and never run out of dog food again!

It makes good economic sense to purchase premium dog food in the biggest bag available (once you've settled on a brand and flavor), due to the price breaks offered on the larger bags. When you buy dog food online you also have access to instant coupons and discounts that may not be available in pet stores. I pay far less for my dog food now that I switched to buying it online.

The battle lines are fairly deep on the subject of feeding dogs a raw diet. Dogs are carnivores by nature, we have slowly changed them to omnivores or even vegetarians in some cases. Dogs still need an abundance of protein in their daily diet to thrive. The answer for+ many pet owners is to give their dog a diet of fresh raw meat daily.

What is a raw diet?
Just what it sounds like, raw meat (or mixture of meats and sometimes vegetables). Usually a mix of beef, chicken, lamb, and venison is used for a balanced meal twice a day.

What is a B.A.R.F. diet?
The B.A.R.F. dog food diet, though gross sounding, is basically a raw dog food diet supplemented with vegetables, fruits, supplements (like fish oil capsules) and bones. Some choose a combination of all of these ingredients. As with any diet, once you find the combination that works for your dog, stick with it without variation, unless you notice a change in your GSD that needs to be addressed with a change in diets (too skinny or gaining weight).
*Large raw knuckle bones are excellent for helping a German Shepherd puppy's ears stand up straight and tall. The chewing action give those back jaw muscles at the base of the ear a workout, and the calcium will help form the necessary cartilage.

While both diets are similar, I think the pure raw diet is easier to get started if you are new. If you prefer the B.A.R.F diet, talk to your veterinarian to see what they suggest for your specific dog. It's important to give your dog the supplements they need, but use care since over supplementing can cause just as many problems for pet owners.

The "wolf-y" breeds seem to do best on a raw diet (German Shepherd, Alaskan Malamute, Siberian Husky, etc), their long pointed snout and sharp front teeth are perfect for tearing meat. The added calcium in bone marrow helps a German Shepherd's ears stand up straight.

The actual process of moving a pet to a raw diet is basically the same as any change in diet. Check with your veterinarian first, and ask for suggestions.

Things to consider before choosing to feed a German Shepherd a raw diet or B.A.R.F.

--The cost of meat may increase suddenly in the course of world events
--A single German Shepherd puppy will double and triple it's body weight in the first year, it's food intake will increase accordingly
--You may have to consider a small freezer just for the meat
--Increased utilities with the use of an extra freezer
--Most veterinarians agree dogs don't need fruits and vegetables but they do need tripe, which may be hard to find
--Raw meat carries bacteria that can make humans very sick, consider this if small children are in the home. All counters and cutting areas will need full cleaning after each meal
-- Buy raw meat from a butcher or farmers' market to help deter the chances of salmonella
-- Get with a nutritionist to find the best supplements for your German Shepherd (they will make one especially for your dog

I only bring up that final point (about bacteria) after considering that salmonella could remain on the dog's muzzle after a meal. Toddlers may also get a hand or two in the empty dog food bowl if not watched closely.
As long as your veterinarian is on board with you plans to move to a raw diet, and you can afford it, go for it!

*Note: Do not mix kibble with a raw diet. They have different digestion rates and may cause a bacterial build up in your dog causing illness. Choose one diet or the other and stick with the one that works.

Full instructions for feeding a raw diet can be found here: Raw Dog Ranch - How do I feed a raw diet: How much to feed

References:
B.A.R.F. Diet Specifics
Raw Meaty Bones
Supplements for Dogs

A step away from the raw dog food diet is the homemade dog food diet. That is, the food is cooked. At least to some degree. The USDA suggests a homemade diet for those pet owners not wanting to feed over the counter pet foods to their dogs. By at least slightly cooking the meat used in a homemade diet most of the bacteria should be killed (along with some of the nutrients, is the complaint of raw food advocates).

Many pet owners mix vegetables into a homemade diet. Check with your veterinarian before changing your dog's diet, and to see if your dog is lacking in any vitamins or minerals. Supplement the homemade diet with food that supplement any deficiencies.

The best way to cook any meat for homemade pet food is to boil it for several minutes. No need to cook completely through, or to human standards. By boiling the meat, most of the fat is eliminated in the water and can be scooped away.

*Remember to remove any cooked bones as they are more likely to splinter.

Sources:
Omega-3 Learning: Raw and homemade pet foods: safe and nutritionally adequate
PetDiets.com FAQ
University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine: Food Allergies: The Truth About Lamb and RiceMixes

Do you want to read even more information on raw diets and homemade dog food recipes? Check out these great resources!

Going Rawr! A Complete Guide to Putting Your Dog on a Raw Food Diet

Healthy Food for Dogs: Homemade Recipes