11 Best (Highest Quality) Dog Foods for Golden Retrievers in 2024

If you have a Golden Retriever or you’re thinking of bringing one of these beautiful dogs home, you’re probably thinking about what kind of food your dog will need. Choosing a good dog food today is no easy matter! There are literally hundreds of different brands and recipes available. Companies like to offer pet lovers lots of choices for their companions but sometimes all of those choices can seem overwhelming. If you take a stroll down the aisle at your local pet store you can become more and more confused. Should you buy high protein, grain-free, limited ingredient, or some other specialized diet? Dry or canned? How do you choose?

Luckily, we can help you with these decisions. We have reviews of the best dog foods for Golden Retrievers so you won’t have to wander up and down the aisles at the pet store to choose your dog’s food. As long as you know your dog’s age and something about his health, you can use our reviews and your own personal preferences to choose the best dog food for him.

As you probably already know, the Golden Retriever can grow to be about 75 pounds as an adult https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/golden-retriever/ (American Kennel Club, 2024). They are one of the most popular breeds in the United States and around the world. Goldens are beloved for their friendly, gentle, and devoted personality. They make wonderful family dogs and are good with children. They are large, active dogs so they do best in a home where they will have room to run and play. Goldens are also super intelligent and easy to train. Since they are big, active dogs, Golden Retrievers need good nutrition to help them grow from puppyhood into a mature adult. Your budget, your dog’s age, and your own approach to feeding your dog will determine what kind of food you select. There are lots of good options and we can show them to you here.

Key Nutritional Needs of a Golden Retriever’s Diet

1. 1. Good meat protein to support muscle development
   2. Animal-based fats to support the Golden Retriever’s energy needs, skin and coat health, and immune system at all ages
   3. Complex carbohyrates to provide dietary fiber
   4. Probiotics for healthier digestion
   5. Plenty of water

7 Special Considerations for Golden Retrievers

Golden Retrievers are very active. They are most active as puppies and young adults but they need exercise throughout their lives. Walking, swimming, and good, long runs provide excellent exercise for these sporting dogs. Because of their high level of activity, they do need quite a few calories in their daily food.

Golden Retrievers are one of the breeds that has been connected to food-related dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). The FDA https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/cvm-updates/fda-provides-update-investigation-potential-connection-between-certain-diets-and-cases-canine-heart (FDA, February 2024) is currently investigating a possible link between grain free dog foods and a heart condition called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs. At this time there is no firm conclusion about a connection but you may wish to consider these findings when choosing a food for your Golden. The FDA has not advised anyone to stop feeding grain free dog foods. However, they have suggested that owners might cut back on foods with high amounts of peas and some other ingredients that have been used in place of grains.

Bloat can affect some Golden Retrievers. Goldens are not the worst breed when it comes to bloat but, as with many large breeds, bloat is a possibility https://pets.webmd.com/dogs/gastric-volvulus-bloat-dogs#1. Bloat is a potentially fatal condition and your dog needs to see a vet immediately if you suspect it is occurring. You can help avoid bloat by feeding your dog several smaller meals during the day instead of one or two large meals. Feeding light snacks in between meals can also help reduce the risk of bloating (Cooper, 2016).

Don’t let your Golden Retriever become overweight or obese. It’s estimated that some 55 percent of dogs in the United States are overweight or obese https://petobesityprevention.org/2018 (Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, 2024). While Goldens aren’t the worst offenders, they do have a healthy appetite and they can easily gain too much weight if you don’t keep an eye on how much food you are feeding.

Some Golden Retrievers have developed food allergies. Do watch your dog’s health and reactions after meals, especially if you have recently changed dog foods. If you notice anything unusual, consult your veterinarian.

Golden Retrievers are considered a large breed. Golden Retriever puppies will usually do better if they are fed a puppy food for large breed puppies. For adult Golden Retrievers you can feed either a regular dog food or a food formulated for large breeds if your Golden is on the large side.

Best Dog Food for Golden Retrievers

Our 2024 Picks: Best Golden Retriever Dog Foods
	Wellness Complete Health Adult Deboned Chicken & Oatmeal Recipe Dry Dog Food Made with deboned chicken and whitefish Provides whole-body nutritional support Price: $1.83/lb	CHECK PRICE
	Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken Dry Dog Food Cage-free chicken is the first ingredient for high animal protein to support strong, lean muscles. Features 70% real animal ingredients and nutritious oils, plus 30% fruits, vegetables and other wholesome ingredients. Price:  $2.57/lb	CHECK PRICE
	Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Chicken Dinner with Garden Vegetables & Brown Rice Canned Dog Food Chelated minerals boost the immune system and Biotin keeps the skin and coat healthy. High-quality chicken provides lean protein and essential amino acids. Price:  $20.28/Case of 12	CHECK PRICE
	Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Formula Dry Dog Food A limited ingredient recipe with limited carbohydrates and no artificial flavors or colors. High-quality nutrition aids in good overall health. Price:  $1.86/lb	CHECK PRICE
	Wellness Large Breed Complete Health Puppy Deboned Chicken, Brown Rice & Salmon Meal Recipe Dry Dog Food Great source of DHA for healthy brain development Flaxseed nourishes the coat and keeps skin clean Price:  $2.06/lb	CHECK PRICE
	Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy Dry Dog Food Provides balanced nutrition for large breed puppies up to 15 months old with an expected adult weight over 55 lbs. Supports muscle growth and bone health with high-quality animal protein, calcium and phosphorous Price:  $1.36/lb	CHECK PRICE
	Ollie Fresh food with whole ingredients Convenient delivery with the option to change your schedule or recipe at any time to suit your needs Price: Varies	CHECK PRICE
	American Journey Chicken & Brown Rice Protein First Recipe Dry Dog Food Nutritious food that provides energy to last with fulfilling, wholesome grains like brown rice and barley. Real, deboned chicken is the first ingredient, Check for: Buy 1 Get 1 Free Price:  $1.24	CHECK PRICE
	Taste of the Wild High Prairie Grain-Free Dry Dog Food Grain-free recipe made with real buffalo as the first ingredient Natural recipe with added vitamins and powerful antioxidants from real fruits and vegetables Price:  $1.74/lb	CHECK PRICE
	Victor Senior Healthy Weight Dry Dog Food Composed of 78% meat protein with premium-quality beef, chicken, fish and pork meals. Nutrient-dense recipe with glucosamine and chondroitin for long-term joint health. Price:  $1.37/lb	CHECK PRICE
	American Natural Premium Original Recipe Dry Dog Food Blend of chicken, pork, fish meal, and whole eggs that are highly-digestible with essential amino acids that build muscle High palatability and maximum digestibility Price:  $1.37/lb	CHECK PRICE

Wellness Complete Health Adult Deboned Chicken & Oatmeal Recipe Dry Dog Food

Key Features:

• Dry kibble
• Adult Lifestage
• No meat by-products, fillers, or artificial preservatives
• Antioxidants to keep the immune system strong
• Contains glucosamine and chondroitin

Overall Best Dog Food for Golden Retrievers – Our choice for the best dog food for Golden Retrievers is Wellness Complete Health Adult Deboned Chicken & Oatmeal Recipe Dry Dog Food. Deboned chicken and chicken meal provide good meat protein for your dog. Formulated for adult dogs, this food contains oatmeal, ground barley, and ground brown rice for a good selection of complex carbohydrates. Chicken fat is a good source of energy for your dog. Probiotics such as chicory root extract help your dog’s gastrointestinal system digest the food better. And chelated vitamins encourage your dog’s system to absorb more nutrients.

Peas are the fifth ingredient in this food and sweet potatoes are listed too low in the list to be a concern. We don’t think these ingredients would be a problem for most dogs if you are concerned about the FDA’s warning.

This Wellness Complete Health formula is considered a top tier food and receives good ratings and many sites. It’s available in 5-lb, 15-lb, and 30-lb bags.

Pros:

• Moderate price among today’s good quality dog foods
• Quality meat protein
• Contains probiotics and prebiotics for better digestion
• Contains glucosamine and chondroitin for good joint mobility
• Has a good balance of protein and fat
• Contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in good proportion

Cons:

• Peas are the fifth ingredient which might bother some owners

Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken Dry Dog Food – Special Deal!

Key Features:

• Cage-free chicken is the first ingredient
• Features 70 percent real animal ingredients and nutritious oils
• No grain, potato, corn, wheat, soy, by-product meal, artificial colors, or preservatives
• Live, natural probiotics and antioxidants to support your dog’s digestive health, skin and coat, and immune system
• High in meat protein
• A coating of raw nutrition on every piece of kibble

Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken Dry Dog Food is always considered a top quality food. And with the coupon code at the link, you can buy the 22.5-lb bag for 25 percent off. That makes it a great deal! It’s available in 4-lb, 11-lb, and 22.5-lb bags. Don’t worry about buying the large bag is you have a Golden Retriever – they can definitely eat a bag quickly!

This Nature’s Variety formula is grain-free and the first ingredient is cage-free chicken – an issue that’s important to many animal lovers. The chicken is followed by chicken meal to make sure your dog gets plenty of meat protein. It also contains herring meal and menhaden fish meal. In fact, this food has 37 percent crude protein which makes it one of the top foods around in terms of protein percentages. It also features guaranteed live levels of natural probiotics, omega fatty acids, and antioxidants to support your dog’s digestive health, immune system, and keep his skin and coat looking great. Plus, did we mention that every piece of kibble is coated with raw nutrition? Nature’s Variety adds a coating of freeze-dried raw chicken, chicken liver, and chicken hearts to the kibble. Dogs really love the taste of this food.

This food is very high in calories so you will need to watch how much you feed your Golden.

Pros:

• 25 percent off the 22.5-lb bag right now
• Plenty of meat and fish protein
• Guaranteed live level of natural probiotics, omega fatty acids, and antioxidants
• Cage-free chicken is the first ingredient
• Kibble is coated with raw nutrition
• No grain, potato, corn, wheat, soy, by-product meal, artificial colors, or preservatives

Cons:

• Peas are the third ingredient but they appear to be the only questionable ingredient in the food

Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Chicken Dinner with Garden Vegetables & Brown Rice Canned Dog Food

Key Features:

• Deboned chicken is the first ingredient
• Whole grains provide complex carbohydrates
• Cranberries and blueberries provide antioxidants

The Best Canned Food – If your Golden Retriever loves some extra flavor with his food, look no farther than Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Chicken Dinner with Garden Vegetables & Brown Rice Canned Dog Food. Not only is high quality deboned chicken the first ingredient but it also has chicken broth and chicken liver to make it especially appealing to your canine pal.

Canned food does usually cost a little more than kibble but it can be a good choice if you have a small dog, a finicky eater, a senior dog, or a dog that’s recovering from an illness. That’s because canned foods have lots more flavor than dry foods. Most dogs can’t resist them. Even for a big dog like a Golden Retriever, you can use a canned food like a topping and add some to your dog’s kibble to make it more appealing.

Along with chicken and hearty whole grains like brown rice, oatmeal, and barley, this Blue Buffalo Homestyle recipe also features blueberries and cranberries for the antioxidants your dog needs for urinary tract health.

Sold in 12.5 ounce cans in cases of 12 cans.

Pros:

• Contains no chicken or poultry by-product meals
• No corn, wheat, or soy
• No artificial colors, preservatives, or flavors
• Made with real chicken (the first ingredient)
• Chelated minerals are easier to absorb

Cons:

• Contains peas
• Blue Buffalo’s canned foods cost more than some other brands

Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Formula Dry Dog Food

Key Features:

• Single animal protein source
• Limited carbohydrate sources
• Pea-free
• Scientifically formulated
• Adult formula
• No artificial colors or flavors

The Best Food with Limited Ingredients – Natural Balance is widely respected when it comes to limited ingredient diets. If your Golden Retriever has a food allergy or food sensitivity and needs to avoid certain common dog food ingredients such as chicken, beef, or other things, Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Formula Dry Dog Food is a great choice. Lamb is the only source of meat protein in the food, making it easier for your dog to avoid meat proteins that could be a problem. Rice, in several forms, provides most of the carbohydrates. Brown rice is also a good source of fiber.

In addition, this limited ingredient formula is noteworthy for what it doesn’t contain. It has no corn wheat, or soy. And, it is pea-free. It has no fillers and no artificial colors or flavors. It’s a good choice for dogs with sensitive digestion.

If you think your Golden Retriever has an allergy or food sensitivity, it’s always recommended to see your veterinarian. Your veterinarian can test your dog to find out definitely – and find out what, if any, ingredients might be bothering your dog. That makes it much easier to know which ingredients to avoid.

This Natural Balance food is available in 4.5-lb, 14-lb, and 28-lb bags.

Pros:

• Single source of meat protein
• Pea-free
• Good for dogs with sensitive digestion

Cons:

• Like many limited ingredient diets, the protein percentage is fairly low, but if it helps your dog, that can be overlooked

Wellness Large Breed Complete Health Puppy Deboned Chicken, Brown Rice & Salmon Meal Recipe Dry Dog Food

Key Features:

• Made for large breed puppies
• Contains DHA for good brain and eye development
• Precise calcium and phosphorus levels for proper bone development

The Best Food for Puppies – Similar to our top choice for adult Golden Retrievers, Wellness Large Breed Complete Health Puppy Deboned Chicken, Brown Rice & Salmon Recipe Dry Dog Food is formulated with growing puppies in mind. Large breed puppies have special requirements. They grow quickly but if they grow too fast, they can develop bone and joint problems. They need slightly fewer calories per pound than other puppies; and a precise ratio of calcium and phosphorus for proper bone development. Wellness Large Breed Complete Health Puppy formula provides your Golden Retriever puppy with the right nutrients.

Puppies also need DHA for proper mental and vision development and this formula has DHA from salmon meal. Meat protein also comes from deboned chicken and chicken meal. Ground brown rice, oatmeal, barley, and oats provide good carbohydrate sources. Contrary to what you may have been told, properly prepared grains, especially whole grains, are not harder for dogs to digest https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/health/digestion/carbohydrates-and-your-dogs-digestive-system/ than ingredients like peas. (Whole Dog Journal, 2024) In fact, most dogs have difficulty digesting peas, legumes, and lentils https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/digestive/c_multi_flatulence?page=show (PetMD, 2024) which make up a large percentage of many grain free dog foods. Peas and related ingredients boost the protein percentage and provide some vitamins but, unfortunately, they tend to pass through a dog’s digestive system without being absorbed well. They can also cause gas and diarrhea.

Wellness Large Breed Complete Health Puppy Deboned Chicken, Brown Rice & Salmon Recipe Dry Dog Food is available in a 30-lb bag.

Pros:

• Good sources of meat protein
• Probiotics to aid digestion
• Provides DHA for good brain and vision development
• Specially-formulated for large breed puppies like Golden Retrievers
• No meat by-products, fillers, or artificial preservatives

Cons:

• Contains some peas

6 More Top Rated Dog Food For Golden Retrievers

Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy Dry Dog Food

Key Features:

• Formulated especially for large breed puppies
• Recommended by veterinary cardiologists
• Has optimal levels of calcium and phosphorus, as well as DHA
• With Golden Retrievers singled out as one of the breeds reporting many cases of food-related dilated cardiomyopathy, many veterinary cardiologists have recommended dog foods formulated like Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy Dry Dog Food. Even for Goldens who are just puppies, it’s important to feed them a good diet, formulated by veterinary nutritionists. Eukanuba is one of the companies that invests in nutritional research and has nutritionists on staff to formulate their foods.
• Chicken is the first ingredient. The formula features grains and fish oil. It has a proper ratio of calcium and phosphorus, in correct amounts, for good bone development. And it has DHA for good brain and vision development. Natural fiber and prebiotics help aid your puppy’s digestion. It also provides the fat and carbohydrate levels your puppy needs. You can feed it to puppies up to 15 months of age.
• In addition, this Eukanuba puppy formula is not the most expensive puppy food in the store. Available in a 5-lb, 16-lb, and 33-lb bag.

Pros:

• Recommended by veterinary cardiologists
• Formulated by veterinary nutritionists
• Made for large breed puppies
• Correct levels of calcium and phosphorus, DHA
• Features natural fiber and prebiotics for good digestion
• Chicken is the first ingredient

Cons:

• This food contains grains such as corn and wheat so some people may not like it

Ollie

Key Features:

• Fresh food
• Personalized for your dog
• Human grade ingredients
• Delivered to your door

If you and your Golden Retriever are bored with kibble and canned food, why not try fresh dog food? Fresh food for dogs is a relatively new trend and there are several good companies. Our favorite is Ollie (and our dogs agree). Ollie provides fresh food made from high quality meat and gently cooked. It’s immediately packed in dry ice and shipped to your door, arriving the next day. You can choose from meal plans made of beef, chicken, turkey, and lamb. It’s delicious, nutritious, and there’s no mess. You can arrange any kind of schedule that works for you and your dog.

Ollie’s meals are minimally-processed and made from human-grade ingredients. They use no filler ingredients and no artificial flavors. There is no soy, corn, or wheat – or other typical dog food ingredients. Meals typically include meat, organ meats, vegetables, and some added vitamins and minerals. The Turkey recipe https://www.myollie.com/our-food/recipes/ – “Get Your Gobble On” – is a good example, with turkey thigh, pumpkin, turkey liver, turkey heart, carrot, turkey gizzard, lentils, kale, blueberries, coconut oil, chia seeds and vitamins and minerals.

Plus, your dog’s meals are tailored to him, based on his age, weight, breed, activity level, allergies, so he gets the right amount of calories. If you don’t want to feed Ollie meals every day, you can keep them in your fridge/freezer and thaw them out to give some to your dog on the days you want to use them. They make a great topper and a way to encourage picky dogs to eat regular food.

Pros:

• Reasonably priced
• You can customize your dog’s meal plan
• Good quality ingredients
• Delicious (our dogs say so)
• Delivered to your door
• Very easy to serve

Cons:

• Dogs can be reluctant to eat ordinary kibble after eating Ollie

American Journey Chicken & Brown Rice Protein First Recipe Dry Dog Food

Key Features:

• Real, deboned chicken is the first ingredient
• All lifestage formula
• No poultry by-product meal, wheat, corn or soy
• Dietary fiber from oatmeal, brown rice, and barley
• Antioxidants from blueberries and cranberries

Looking for good nutrition at an affordable price? American Journey Chicken & Brown Rice Protein First Recipe Dry Dog Food has the same kind of ingredients as more expensive dog foods – for less. Real, deboned chicken is the first ingredient but that’s just the beginning. American Journey adds wholesome grains and premium vegetables like carrots. Blueberries and cranberries bring antioxidants to defend your dog’s urinary tract. Natural fiber encourages good digestion and omega fatty acids keep your dog’s skin and coat healthy.

This chicken and brown rice formula contains no poultry by-product meal, wheat, corn or soy.

Available in 4-lb, 14-lb, and 28-lb bags.

Pros:

1. 1. Very reasonably priced
   2. Real, deboned chicken is the first ingredient
   3. Wholesome grains provide good carbohydrates
   4. Blueberries and cranberries bring antioxidants
   5. Natural fiber encourages good digestion
   6. Omega fatty acids supports your dog’s skin and coat health

Cons:

1. 1. Peas are the fourth ingredient and pea protein appears low in the ingredient list

Taste of the Wild High Prairie Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

Key Features:

• Dry Kibble
• Adult Maintenance
• High in Meat Protein
• Grain Free
• Gluten-Free

Taste of the Wild High Prairie Grain Free Dry Dog Food is one of the most popular dog foods sold today. Formulated especially for adult dogs on a maintenance diet, it can provide your Golden Retriever with plenty of energy without packing on pounds.

This grain free food is high in meat protein with buffalo, lamb meal, and chicken meal as the first three ingredients. Roasted venison and beef, along with ocean fish meal are also included. Real fruits and vegetables provide natural antioxidants to support your dog’s immune system. Dried chicory root provides prebiotics for a healthy digestive system. Omega fatty acids keep your dog’s skin and coat healthy. Chelated minerals are added so your dog can absorb the minerals better.

This food contains no corn, wheat, fillers, artificial flavors, colors or preservatives.

Available in 5-lb, 14-lb, and 28-lb bags.

Pros:

• Very affordable
• Lots of meat protein
• Grain free
• Probiotics and prebiotics for good digestion
• Includes natural antioxidants and omega fatty acids

Cons:

• Contains peas as the fifth ingredient

VICTOR Senior Healthy Weight Dry Dog Food

Key Features:

• Dry Kibble
• Adult Maintenance/Senior
• No Corn, Wheat, Soy
• Gluten-Free

Victor Senior Healthy Weight Dry Dog Food is a good choice for older dogs that have gained a little weight. This food doubles as a weight control food so it has a little less fat than Victor’s regular dog foods. It has moderate calories so your senior dog should feel full but not stuffed. This is a nutrient-dense recipe that includes glucosamine and chondroitin to help your older dog’s joints. It also features L-Carnitine to help convert fat into muscle.

The first ingredient is beef meal and 78 percent of the protein in the food comes from meat ingredients such as beef, chicken, fish and pork meals. Carbs come from gluten-free grains. Available in 5-lb, 15-lb, and 40-lb bags.

Pros:

• Good for older dogs that have gained weight
• High in meat proteins
• Uses gluten-free grains
• No corn, wheat, or soy
• Contains glucosamine, chondroitin, and L-Carnitine
• Moderate calories

Cons:

• Not a good choice if your older dog is already thin

 

American Natural Premium Original Recipe Dry Dog Food

Key Features:

• Dry Kibble
• Pea-Free
• No Corn, No Wheat, No Soy
• Adult Maintenance Formula

If you’re looking for a good pea-free dog food, we can recommend American Natural Premium Original Recipe Dry Dog Food. In fact, American Natural Premium has a number of recipes that are pea-free. This original recipe formula has chicken meal as the first ingredient with chicken liver, pork meal, and fish meal also included so it has plenty of protein. It has carbohydrates such as oatmeal, brown rice, and pearled barley. These complex carbs are slowly released to provide your dog energy all day long. Probiotics support your dog’s gastrointestinal system.

This formula is cooked in small batches at low temperatures to preserve nutrients.

Bags are available in 4-lb, 12-lb, 25-lb, and 40-lb sizes.

Pros:

• Pea-free
• No corn, wheat, or soy
• Adult maintenance formula (other formulas available)
• Cooked in small batches at low temperatures

Cons:

• Some people like to have some whole meats in a dog food instead of only meat meals

Our 2024 Golden Retriever Feeding Guide

Golden Retriever Puppies – A Golden Retriever puppy is surely one of the cutest puppies in the world. You’ll have a hard time resisting one of these adorable pups if he wants something. Most Golden Retrievers are dead set on fetching, so be prepared for hours of fun as you toss balls and sticks for your new pup.

As far as how much to feed your Golden Retriever puppy, let’s take a quick look at a Golden’s average weight as he grows https://pethelpful.com/dogs/-Golden-Retriever-Growth-Sequence-in-the-1st-Year. Of course, these are only estimates. You should weigh your puppy often to see how s/he is growing. Your vet can also keep track of your puppy’s weight gain and growth when you take him or her in for vaccinations. Female puppies usually weight a little less than male puppies. (PetHelpful.com, 2024)

At 3 Months: 23 lbs

At 6 Months: 52 lbs

At 9 Months: 61 lbs

At 12 Months: 68 lbs

Considering these weights, and your Golden’s size as an adult, we can figure how much you should be feeding your puppy. As mentioned earlier, we recommend feeding a large-breed puppy food for Golden Retriever puppies. As you can see, Goldens grow quickly as puppies. A good large-breed puppy food can provide the proper nutrition and keep your puppy from growing too fast. If your puppy grows too fast, or is too chubby, he is more likely to have problems with his hips or problems with arthritis later in life. (VCA, 2024)

0-3 Months: 4-6 Meals Daily Totaling 1221 Calories

3-6 Months: 3-4 Meals Daily Totaling 1221-1501 Calories

At 9 Months: 2-3 Meals Daily Totaling 1692 Calories

At 12 Months: 2-3 meals Daily Totaling 1652 Calories

As you can see, most of your puppy’s growth occurs during the first few months of life. The brain is developing, along with the body. After 4-5 months, growth begins to slow down and the need for calories begins to taper off until your puppy is eating an adult portion around a year of age.

Golden Retriever Adults – You can expect your adult female Golden Retriever to grow to be about 70 pounds, or not much smaller than her male brother who may reach about 75 pounds. Full maturity may not come until 15-18 months but your Golden will probably look mature at 12 months. At 12 months you can start to consider an adult dog food for your Golden Retriever. At this age dogs are not growing the way puppies grow so they don’t need food that’s as rich or with exactly the same nutrients. (Purina, 2024).

As long as you choose a food that is complete and balance, the choice is primarily up to you. It is always a good idea to look for a food that has an AAFCO nutritional statement to show that it has met some minimal nutritional standards.

Golden Retriever Seniors – Every dog is different so some dogs become “seniors” earlier – or later than others. Golden Retrievers usually live about 12 years. Your Golden might start slowing down when he’s 6-7 years old; or, he could remain active until he’s 10-11 years. When you notice that your dog is starting to seem older and perhaps putting on some extra weight, that’s when you should start thinking about feeding a senior dog food.

There are no specific standards for senior dog foods and some senior foods double as weight control foods so it’s important to look at the calories and guaranteed analysis of the food to make sure it’s suitable for your dog. Many companies assume that older dogs have gained weight so they need fewer calories. This is true for some older dogs, but not all. If your older dog is doing well on the regular dog he’s eating, there is no particular reason to change food just because he is older. You can wait until you see some changes in him.

If you notice your older Golden Retriever gaining weight or losing weight, we do suggest that you see your veterinarian for a check-up. A check-up might catch a problem before it becomes big. A change in weight is often an early sign that something is wrong with your dog’s health.

FAQs

Should a Golden Retriever eat dry or canned food?

You can feed your Golden either kind of food. Or you can feed fresh food or other kinds of food available today. We do suggest that Goldens eat several small meals instead of one or two large meals per day since they can have some risk of bloat. In many cases, the choice of what kind of food to feed simply comes down to what works best for you and your dog. Canned food is usually more expensive, per ounce, than kibble. That can be a big consideration when you are feeding a large breed like a Golden Retriever.

Should my Golden Retriever eat a grain free diet?

This is usually a personal preference. There is no scientific evidence that grain free dog foods are better for your dog than foods with whole grains. Dogs, unlike wolves, do have genes for amylase to digest starches from grains https://www.livescience.com/26513-starchy-human-diet-domesticated-dogs.html. (Livescience, 2013) As long as your dog doesn’t have a sensitivity or allergy to a particular grain, there is no reason to avoid it. On the other hand, there are many good grain free dog foods today. If you prefer grain free foods, we do suggest that you look for foods that are low in peas, at least until the FDA has finished its investigation into a possible link between these foods and dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs.

Do Golden Retrievers have sensitive stomachs?

We couldn’t find any evidence that Golden Retrievers have a more sensitive stomach than other dogs. Any dog or puppy can occasionally have an upset stomach. This can happen when you switch dog foods, if the dog is stressed, if the dog gets into something in the trash, and for other reasons. These things happen with all dogs. What’s important is for you to keep an eye on your dog’s digestive episodes. If you notice that your Golden frequently has diarrhea or vomits often, or he starts refusing to eat, it’s time for a trip to the vet to find out what’s wrong.

Why does my Golden Retriever pass gas so much? Just like with people, dogs pass gas as a normal part of the digestive process. However, if your dog is farting a lot, in some cases it can be food-related. If a food has a lot of fiber or other ingredients that are hard for your dog to digest, it can lead to more gas. Dogs sometimes have more gas when you first change to a new food. If the gas doesn’t get better, you might check the ingredients and change to a different food. On the other hand, if your dog seems to be in discomfort from the gas or it smells especially bad, think about seeing your vet. It could indicate an infection or a problem such as inflammatory bowel disease. (Wag!, 2024)

Is a Golden Retriever considered a large breed? Yes, Golden Retrievers are a large – but not a giant breed. Male Goldens usually reach about 75 pounds and females about 70 pounds (though individual dogs can weigh a little more).

Conclusion

Let’s face it: everyone loves a Golden Retriever. If you have a Golden, consider yourself lucky. You’ve probably already discovered that these gorgeous dogs don’t lack for an appetite. When it comes to choosing the best dog food for your Golden Retriever, there are lots of good choices. We think the foods suggested here will keep your Golden healthy and beautiful all of his life, from puppy to senior.