Dogster is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Learn more.

10 Best Dog Foods for Labradoodles in 2024 — Reviews & Top Picks

Written by: Nicole Cosgrove

Last Updated on March 22, 2024 by Nicole Cosgrove

10 Best Dog Foods for Labradoodles in 2024 — Reviews & Top Picks

labradoodle lying on bench

Whether you have just brought a Labradoodle into your home or are a long-time owner, you want the best for your pet. Providing complete nutrition is part of keeping your dog active and healthy. As large dogs, Labradoodles have different needs than small dogs. Their age, lifestyle, and health should all play roles in the food that you choose.

These reviews will give you an overview of the 10 best dog foods for Labradoodles. To help you even more, there’s also a buyer’s guide for shopping for dog food.

divider-dog

A Quick Look at Our Favorites in 2024

Rating Image Product Details
Best Overall
Winner
Ollie Beef Recipe Fresh Dog Food Subscription Ollie Beef Recipe Fresh Dog Food Subscription
  • Delivery to your door
  • Customized meal plan options
  • Good for all life stages
  • Budget Buy
    Second place
    American Journey Grain-Free Dry Dog Food American Journey Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
  • Affordable
  • High-quality ingredients
  • High-protein levels
  • Third place
    Instinct Original Grain-Free Recipe Dry Dog Food Instinct Original Grain-Free Recipe Dry Dog Food
  • Meat is the first ingredient
  • Grain free
  • High in animal protein
  • Best for Puppies
    Farmina N&D Ancestral Grain Puppy Dry Dog Food Farmina N&D Ancestral Grain Puppy Dry Dog Food
  • Safe for all ages
  • Low in grain
  • No peas or legumes
  • Vet’s Choice
    Wellness Large Breed Complete Health Dry Dog Food Wellness Large Breed Complete Health Dry Dog Food
  • Made specifically for large dogs
  • Contains probiotics
  • Supports bone and joint health
  • The 10 Best Dog Foods for Labradoodles

    1. Ollie Beef Recipe Fresh Dog Food Subscription — Best Overall

    Ollie fresh dog food beef recipe

    Main Ingredients Beef, peas, sweet potatoes, carrots
    Protein Content 12%
    Fat Content 10%
    Calories 1,540 kcal/kg

    Ollie delivers fresh dog food to your door, and the Ollie Fresh Dog Food Beef Recipe is our choice of the best overall dog food for Labradoodles. Each plan is specialized according to your dog’s unique needs. If your dog has food sensitivities, there are recipe options for novel proteins. Portion sizes are perfectly made according to your dog’s age and activity level. Ollie has customized meal plans for every dog, from puppies to seniors.

    Fresh food requires freezing and thawing at appropriate intervals to keep it fresh. If this extra work isn’t possible for you, Ollie offers a baked food option. It preserves all the nutrients of fresh food but is gently baked to maintain freshness for longer. You can also opt for a mixed plan that gives you the best of both worlds.

    Pros
    • Baked food option if storing fresh food isn’t possible
    • Delivery to your door
    • Customized meal plan options
    • Good for all life stages
    Cons
    • More expensive than traditional kibble
    • Fresh food requires freezing and thawing daily

    2. American Journey Grain-Free Dry Dog Food — Budget Buy

    American Journey Senior Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

    Main Ingredients Deboned chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, sweet potatoes
    Protein Content 30%
    Fat Content 11%
    Calories 355 kcal/cup

    American Journey Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food is the best dog food for Labradoodles for the money. The nutrient profile of this food is on point for large dogs, and it includes high-quality ingredients that your dog is sure to love. This dry food contains a higher-than-average amount of protein and a lower-than-average amount of carbohydrates, which means it will provide your dog with tons of energy.

    Pea protein is used in this food as a way to increase the overall protein content. While it is a common dog food ingredient, it contains fewer amino acids than meat protein. But the only way to avoid pea protein altogether is to buy a premium brand of dog food, which will cost substantially more than American Journey.

    Pros
    • Affordable
    • High-quality ingredients
    • High-protein levels
    • Low carbohydrate levels
    • Grain-free
    Cons
    • Uses pea protein

    3. Instinct Original Grain-Free Recipe Dry Dog Food

    Instinct Original Grain-Free Recipe dog food

    Main Ingredients Chicken, chicken meal, peas, chicken fat
    Protein Content 37%
    Fat Content 20%
    Calories 518 kcal/cup

    Instinct Original Grain-Free Dry Dog Food is a freeze-dried raw food option that has a ton of quality, well-sourced meat protein for your Labradoodle. This food includes probiotics, omega fatty acids, and antioxidants to give your dog a healthy immune system and digestion. Dogs that are fussy about their kibble will likely enjoy the freeze-dried raw coating that makes it extra tasty.

    Unfortunately, this is one of the most expensive foods on this list. It is also high in calories, so you’ll need to keep an eye on portion sizes to avoid causing weight gain in your dog. This may work to your advantage cost-wise, though, as you won’t need to feed as much of this food as some other brands.

    Pros
    • Meat is the first ingredient
    • Grain free
    • Preservative free
    • Improves immune and digestive health
    • High in animal protein
    Cons
    • Expensive
    • High in calories

    4. Farmina N&D Ancestral Grain Puppy Dry Dog Food — Best for Puppies

    Farmina Farmina N&D Medium & Maxi Puppy Dry Dog Food

    Main Ingredients Chicken, dehydrated chicken, whole spelt, whole oats
    Protein Content 35%
    Fat Content 20%
    Calories 440 kcal/cup

    Farmina N&D Ancestral Grain Chicken & Pomegranate Medium & Maxi Puppy Dry Dog Food is guaranteed to be steroid free and growth hormone free because organic ingredients are used in the recipes. While this puppy food includes grain, the amount is quite low. Unless your dog has a specific allergy to grain or gluten, this isn’t anything to worry about. In addition, the grains that are included in Farmina N&D Ancestral Grain are exactly what the name suggests: ancestral grains like spelt and oats. 90% of the protein content of this food comes from animal sources, and there are no peas or legumes.

    Despite being a puppy food, this dog food is reasonable for most adult Labradoodles. So, you may not have to switch foods as your puppy grows, making your life a bit easier.

    Pros
    • High levels of animal protein
    • Safe for all ages
    • Low in grain
    • No peas or legumes
    Cons
    • Grain may make it unsuitable for some dogs

    5. Wellness Large Breed Complete Health Dry Dog Food — Vet’s Choice

    Wellness Large Breed Complete Health Deboned Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe

    Main Ingredients Deboned chicken, chicken meal, ground brown rice, barley
    Protein Content 26%
    Fat Content 12%
    Calories 340 kcal/cup

    Wellness Large Breed Complete Health Dry Dog Food is made specifically to meet the needs of large, active dogs. This dry food has high levels of glucosamine and chondroitin to support joint health, which is important as large dogs age. This food is lower in fat and calories than many other brands, so it can promote a lean body stature in your Labradoodle. There are also probiotics included in the recipe to promote healthy digestion.

    This food is designed specifically to meet the needs of adult dogs. If you are feeding a puppy or a senior dog, you will need to switch to Wellness Large Breed Puppy recipe.

    Pros
    • Made specifically for large dogs
    • Contains probiotics
    • Supports bone and joint health
    • Low in fat and calories to maintain a healthy weight
    Cons
    • Not for all life stages

    6. Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Dry Dog Food

    Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Reserve Grain-Free Duck & Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food

    Main Ingredients Duck, duck meal, potatoes, sweet potatoes
    Protein Content 24%
    Fat Content 10%
    Calories 370 kcal/cup

    If your Labradoodle has a sensitive stomach or suffers from food allergies, we highly recommend Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Duck & Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food. While it isn’t classified as hypoallergenic, its short ingredients list makes it less likely to trigger an allergic reaction. In addition, this food is packed with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to improve the health of your dog’s skin and coat.

    Unfortunately, Natural Balance doesn’t have high protein and fat levels like most other dog foods. However, if your Labradoodle isn’t tolerating other foods, this brand is worth a try.

    Pros
    • Limited-ingredient formula is good for allergies
    • High levels of omega fatty acids
    • Single protein source
    Cons
    • More expensive than some other brands
    • Low protein and fat levels

    7. Nutro Hearty Stew Grain-Free Canned Dog Food

    Nutro Hearty Stew dog food

    Main Ingredients Chicken, pork broth, chicken broth, chicken liver
    Protein Content 9%
    Fat Content 3%
    Calories 279 kcal/can

    If you’re looking for a wet food option for your Labradoodle, we recommend Nutro Hearty Stew Tender Chicken, Carrot & Pea Stew Grain-Free Canned Dog Food. This food is completely grain free and contains no by-products, preservatives, or artificial ingredients. It’s made with real chicken and chicken liver, so even picky dogs are sure to love it. It can be used in addition to dry food, but Nutro canned food offers complete nutrition by itself. This makes it a great option for dogs with dental issues that have difficulty chewing dry kibble.

    Since this is a wet food, it doesn’t provide the dental benefits that dry kibble provides. It is also an adult-maintenance food that is not suitable for puppies.

    Pros
    • Chicken is the first ingredient
    • Grain free
    • No by-products or artificial ingredients
    • Offers complete nutrition
    Cons
    • Not for all life stages
    • No dental benefits

    8. VICTOR Purpose Senior Healthy Weight Dry Dog Food

    VICTOR Purpose Senior Healthy Weight Dry Dog Food

    Main Ingredients Beef meal, whole grain brown rice, whole grain millet, grain sorghum
    Protein Content 27%
    Fat Content 11.5%
    Calories 1,540 kcal/kg

    If you’re having trouble controlling your senior Labradoodle’s weight, try VICTOR Purpose Senior Healthy Weight Dry Dog Food. It has less fat and fewer calories than most brands but is still loaded with vitamins and nutrition to maintain your dog’s overall health. Glucosamine and chondroitin are included to support joint and hip health. This recipe also contains L-carnitine, which has been shown to help dogs convert fat into muscle.

    VICTOR dog food should not be fed to dogs that are underweight. It is specifically designed to help dogs keep weight off, not put it on.

    Pros
    • A good option for overweight senior dogs
    • Supports joint health
    • High levels of protein so your dog won’t feel hungry
    Cons
    • Not for underweight dogs

    9. Taste of the Wild High Prairie Dry Dog Food

    Taste of the Wild High Prairie

    Main Ingredients Water buffalo, lamb meal, chicken meal, sweet potatoes
    Protein Content 32%
    Fat Content 18%
    Calories 1,540 kcal/kg

    Taste of the Wild is known for its grain-free, high-protein recipes. Taste of the Wild High Prairie Grain-Free Dry Dog Food is no exception, and it includes real buffalo meat as the first ingredient. What’s great about Taste of the Wild is that most of the recipes include a novel protein, making it a great choice for dogs with allergies or food sensitivities.

    Like all Taste of the Wild recipes, this food is grain free. It is loaded with omega fatty acids to help your dog’s skin and coat and contains a strain of probiotics to promote healthy digestion.

    The downside to Taste of the Wild food is that it’s on the expensive side. It is also harder to find than many other brands. If you don’t have a specialty pet store nearby, you’ll have to order the food online.

    Pros
    • Real buffalo meat is the first ingredient
    • Grain-free
    • Contains probiotics for digestive health
    Cons
    • Expensive
    • Harder to find than some other brands

    10. Merrick Grain-Free Chicken-Free Dry Dog Food

    Merrick Real Texas Beef

    Main Ingredients Beef, sweet potato, lamb meal, salmon meal
    Protein Content 34%
    Fat Content 15%
    Calories 379 kcal/cup

    Merrick Real Texas Beef + Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Chicken-Free Adult Dry Dog Food was made for dogs with allergies. It is easy to digest and contains beef and lamb protein as the primary ingredient. Chicken is the most common protein sensitivity in dogs, and this food guarantees that it is 100% chicken free. If beef doesn’t work for your dog, there are seven other protein bases available from Merrick.

    At 38% protein and 15% fat, this food packs a punch, so it’s not ideal for overweight dogs. It also contains salmon oil to provide omega-3 fatty acids. While this makes the food extra tasty, it adds to the fat content, so this food should only be fed to active dogs that are at a healthy weight.

    Pros
    • Designed for dogs with allergies
    • Quality ingredients
    • Easy to digest
    Cons
    • High protein and fat content
    • Not appropriate for overweight dogs

    divider-paw

    Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Dog Food for Your Labradoodle

    To help you navigate the world of dog food for your Labradoodle, here are the answers to common questions.

    Should Labradoodles Eat Wet or Dry Food?

    Labradoodles can eat either wet or dry food or a combination of both. If you have a larger Labradoodle, feeding them a full wet food diet will likely be cost-prohibitive. Although there are plenty of wet and canned foods that provide complete nutrition, wet food costs significantly more per ounce than kibble.

    For picky dogs, using wet food as a topper to dry food can help improve the appeal of the food, or you can mix the two. For dogs with dental issues or tooth loss, wet food can be easier to chew. But dry food offers the added benefit of teeth cleaning by removing plaque from your dog’s teeth while they chew.

    parti labradoodle laying down in a courtyard in front of flower bed
    Image Credit: Flyby Photography, Shutterstock

    Does My Labradoodle Need a Grain-Free Diet?

    There is no scientific evidence to support grain-free dog foods being healthier than foods including grain. However, if your dog suffers from allergies or sensitivities to a particular grain, it is usually easier to buy grain-free dog food than to sort through ingredient lists to ensure that grain isn’t included.

    Do Labradoodles Have Stomach Sensitivities?

    There’s nothing to suggest that Labradoodles have stomach sensitivities with any more frequency than other dog breeds. Any dog can have a negative reaction to their food. Sometimes a dog picks something out of the trash can or outside without us knowing, and we attribute the upset stomach to their food. Dogs also have days where they simply don’t feel good, just like people.

    If you are certain that your dog is having a reaction to their food or that their food is making them sick, it is best to speak with your veterinarian to determine the exact cause of the problem.

    divider-dog

    Conclusion

    Labradoodles are popular pets due to their calm natures and non-shedding coats. But they need quality nutrition to stay healthy. We recommend Ollie Fresh Dog Food Beef Recipe as the best overall dog food for Labradoodles. The customized meal plan means your dog will be getting the exact nutrition that they need, with food tailor-made just for them.

    The best value for the money is American Journey Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food. This dry dog food provides high-quality ingredients and superior nutrition at a budget-friendly price. For Labradoodle puppies, we recommend Farmina N&D Ancestral Grain Chicken & Pomegranate Medium & Maxi Puppy Dry Dog Food.

    Wellness Large Breed Complete Health Dry Dog Food is our vet’s choice for the best dog food for Labradoodles. This dry dog food is designed to support bone and joint health and promote healthy digestion. It is also lower in calories and fat than other brands, so it can help promote overall lean body mass.


    Featured Image Credit: Piqsels

    Get Dogster in your inbox!

    Stay informed! Get tips and exclusive deals.
    Dogster Editors Choice Badge
    Shopping Cart

    Pangolia

    © Pangolia Pte. Ltd. All rights reserved.