Last Updated: 11/06/2025
Vet Picks: Best Dry Puppy Food
Looking for the best dry food for your puppy? Look no further! Read through our Vet recommendations.
Author: Dr Carla Paszkowski BVSc (Hons)
Reading Time: 40 minutes - long read
Whether you're a first time puppy parent or you've always owned a dog, choosing the best dry puppy food can be an overwhelming decision. You've invested a lot of time and money researching and making sure that your new family member is the perfect fit, so naturally you want to feed them the best nutrition that also suits your budget.
Take a read through our complete guide to the best dry food for your puppy, and check out our guide on feeding your puppy for more advice. Don't forget, our Vet Squad are ready to help with any questions you have!
Should I feed my puppy dry food?
You may have heard opinions on the internet that claim dry food is unhealthy for puppies, and that a raw or homecooked diet is best. The truth is that high quality dry food is a perfectly nutritious (and not to mention convenient, nutrition-balanced, and cost effective) option for puppies. In fact, most vets recommend dry food to ensure optimal growth. Raw diets, on the other hand, pose a high risk of bacterial contamination, and home cooked diets may be nutritionally unbalanced (which is a very big risk for growing puppies). Ultimately, we recommend a mix of premium wet and dry food - with a small amount of treats and human food such as cooked meat - to keep your puppy interested, happy, and thriving.
Why is choosing the right puppy food important?
While your puppy is still growing, it is more important than ever to feed a top quality dry food. And unfortunately, not all dry food diets are created equally. Cheap, low quality dry food may provide poor quality ingredients that may be less bioavailable, which means the body can't fully absorb and utilise them. If you feed a cheap pet food, you may notice your puppy has dry fur, large smelly stools, itchy skin, and seeks out food between meals.
On the other hand, premium dry food is made with higher quality ingredients. You will absolutely notice a difference in your puppy's coat quality, stool size, energy levels, and immune system. Your puppy will also feel fuller for longer and therefore show fewer signs of hunger between meals.
5 reasons why it's important to choose the right dry puppy food:
- Optimal Growth Rate: Not all puppies grow at the same rate. A premium diet tailored to their breed size will provide the perfect amount of nutrients to ensure an optimal growth pace. This is particularly vital for large breed puppies, who need high quality nutrition tailored for large breeds to reduce the risk of orthopaedic conditions.
- Coat Quality: Most pet parents notice a shinier coat, less itchiness, and softer fur when feeding a premium quality diet.
- Immune Support: Never underestimate the role that nutrition plays in promoting a healthy immune system. Premium diets provide more bioavailable proteins, vitamins and minerals, and often supply pre- or pro-biotics to promote a diverse and strong gut microflora.
- Smaller stools: Because high quality dry food is made with higher quality ingredients, it has higher digestibility. Higher digestibility means your pet is able to extract greater quantities of nutrients from the food, and less waste is expelled, which means fewer landmines in the backyard!
- True Value: Premium pet foods are highly digestible, and are often more nutrient dense, which means you may actually need to feed less. This is where cost per feed comes in.
How We Review Our Products
Our Vet team use their health and husbandry knowledge, along with their own personal and clinical experiences to evaluate each product and provide detailed, informative reviews, free of any commercial bias. We then collate this information into our 'best of' recommendations.
Top Dry Puppy Food in Australia [Vet Reviewed]
Best for Small Breeds
Hills Science Diet Puppy Small And Mini Chicken Dry Dog Food
Pros
- Super premium brand that is backed by testing to ensure the food delivers the results they promise
- Designed with smaller kibble, making it suitable and easy for small and mini breed puppies to eat.
- Backed by science and recommended by veterinarians.
- Features a clinically proven antioxidant blend to help promote a strong immune system throughout the puppy's life.
Cons
- Not suitable for poultry allergies due to the chicken-based formula
Small breed puppies are those that will weigh 10kg or less as adults. Breeds that are classed as 'small breeds' include the Bichon Frise, Boston Terrier, Cavalier, Chihuahua, Cocker Spaniel, Corgi, Dachshund, Foxie, Italian Greyhound, Jack Russell, Japanese Spitz, Maltese, Papillon, Scottish Terrier, Shih Tzu, Pomeranian, Westie, and Pug.
Hills Science Diet Small and Mini Breed Puppy is a superb option for small breed puppies. Not only is the kibble a tiny size designed for small mouths, it's also enriched with natural DHA from fish oil, which is vital for healthy brain and eye development. The inclusion of a clinically proven antioxidant blend helps to build and maintain a strong immune system throughout your puppy's life. With high-quality protein as the primary ingredient, it effectively supports the development of lean muscle, while precisely balanced minerals ensure strong bones and teeth.
What our customers say: "Tiny biscuits for puppy that make it easy to eat. Love the small bag to keep it fresh. Ordered the 3kg option and got 2x 1.5kg bags. Puppy loves it and able to use as treats to teach how to play fetch or when we go on walks" - Lesley, NSW.
After something different? View more recommendations for Small Puppy Food here.
Best for Medium Breeds
Instinctive Bite Puppy Chicken Dry Food
Pros
- High quality ingredients including Australian chicken and turkey, and superfoods like cranberry and blueberry
- Grain-free
- No artificial colours, flavours or preservatives
- Australian made & owned
Cons
- Not suitable for poultry allergies due to the inclusion of chicken and turkey
- Grain free puppy food might not be recommended by some vets due to the possible link to DCM (however this diet includes supplemented taurine).
Medium breed puppies are those that will weigh 11-25kg as adults. Breeds that are classed as 'medium sized breeds' include Beagle, Border Collie, Boxer, Cattle Dog, Kelpie, Samoyed, Staffy, Shar Pei, Shiba Inu, and Springer Spaniel.
Instinctive Bite Puppy Chicken Dry Food is an excellent option for all breeds of puppies; but particularly medium-sized breeds that are working breeds, due to its high protein content (28%). This natural formula is made with two different meats including chicken and turkey, as well as superfoods including blueberries and cranberries, fish oil, and natural prebiotic fibre in the form of chicory root for intestinal health. Instinctive Bite is 100% Australian owned and made, produced in Sydney using meat sourced from Australian farmers; which makes this a local and sustainable option for feeding your puppy.
What our customers say: "I've tried a few super premium dry puppy foods like Black Hawk, Taste of The Wild, Royal and Advance. I reckon this is the best so far. It's a good smelling kibble with quality ingredients and my girl loves it. We'll be buying this again for sure!" - Andrew
After something different? View more recommendations for Medium Breeds Puppy Food here.
Best for Large Breeds
Black Hawk Puppy Large Breed Puppy
Pros
- Made with high quality ingredients including Australian Chicken
- Australian Made and owned - made locally in Parkes, NSW
- Extra healthy ingredients - Omega 3, sweet potato, emu oil, green lipped mussel, cranberries and blueberries
- Complete and balanced for large breed puppies with an expected adult weight over 25kg
Cons
- Not suitable for poultry allergies due to the chicken-based formula (however, a Lamb & Rice variety is available).
Large and giant breed puppies are those that will weigh 25kg or more as adults. Breeds that are classed as 'large' or 'giant breeds' include the Alaskan Malamute, Bernese Mountain Dog, Bullmastiff, Dalmatian, Dobermann, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd, Labrador, Great Dane, Greyhound, Groodle, Hungarian Vizsla, Irish Wolfhound, Labradoodle, Maremma Sheepdog, Standard Poodle, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Rottweiler, Husky, and Weimaraner.
Black Hawk Puppy Large Breed is an excellent diet for large breed dogs. Made with sea kelp, green lipped mussel, blueberries, dandelion, peppermint and emu oil, this diet is full of extra nutrients. Black Hawk is a well-known and loved Aussie pet food brand, famous for producing high quality natural formulas. Made right out of NSW, their diets are all complete and balanced in line with AAFCO guidelines. Furthermore, Black Hawk has a long-standing commitment to local farmers and regional communities by purchasing ingredients and supporting community programs.
What our customers say: "All my families' dogs eat Blackhawk. Ask anyone what is good product and Blackhawk is always mentioned. Great food made in Australia. Loved by our new puppy Rottweiler." - Frank, QLD
Best for Allergies
Pro Plan Puppy Sensitive Skin & Stomach
Pros
- Made with salmon & mackerel, which are high in omega fatty acids to naturally support the skin
- Free from common allergens (beef / dairy / chicken / wheat / soy / lamb)
- Highly digestible, suitable for gut or skin allergies
- Contains colostrum for immune support
- Made in Australia
Cons
- Pro Plan is made in Australia but owned by Nestle, an offshore brand
Food allergies are responsible for approximately 10% of allergy cases in dogs, ranked third after flea allergy and atopic dermatitis. Food allergies may present as pruritis (severe itching of the skin), and/or gastrointestinal signs such as diarrhoea, flatulence, vomiting and colitis. When a true food allergy is present, the most common causal allergens have been demonstrated to be beef (34% of food allergies), dairy (17%), chicken (15%), wheat (13%), and lamb (14.5%).1
Pro Plan Puppy Sensitive Skin & Stomach is one of the only 'allergy' diets suitable for growing puppies, and can be used for both food or contact allergies. The recipe is free from all common allergens (beef, chicken, dairy, wheat, lamb, and even soy, corn and egg), plus it also contains added fish oil, colostrum, and prebiotics.
What our vets say: "For years, it was difficult to find a low allergen dry food that was complete and balanced for puppies. Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach & Skin is a great option for puppies who have a suspected allergy, as it is suitable for both environmental and food allergies. It can be difficult to diagnose the cause of an allergy in growing pups, so having one dual-action diet that addresses both major causes is particularly convenient." - Dr. Gill
Best for Value
Advance Medium Puppy Dry Food
Pros
- Available in a 20kg value bag
- Super premium ingredients including Australian Chicken, colostrum, green-lipped mussel, prebiotics, and Vitamin E
- Free from wheat, corn & soy
- Australian made
Cons
- Not suitable for dogs with poultry allergies due to the chicken-based formula
- Advance is Australian made, but owned by Mars Petcare (an offshore brand)
We all want value for money and it's easy to think that the cheapest product on the shelf will give you the best bang for your buck. A common way to assess value is by comparing the 'price per kilo' - however, a much more accurate way to determine the cost of pet food is to work out the 'cost per feed'. Cheaper foods tend to be lower in bioavailable nutrients, which means you'll need to feed a lot more of it - plus, don't forget that poor quality nutrition over time will cost more in vet bills! Therefore, the best way to optimise value is to find a super premium diet that also comes in a large value size.
ADVANCE Puppy Dry Food is the best of both worlds - it offers super premium nutrition, and is available in 20kg and 40kg value bags. Plus, you can save extra by buying from Pet Circle on a scheduled Autodelivery, as we tend to knock off 15-30%. It's also Australian made, which means you won't be paying extra on import and quarantine charges!
Value aside, ADVANCE food is perfect for puppies of all breeds. The recipes are developed by WALTHAM, a world leading authority on petcare research and nutrition, which is why it comes heavily recommended by vets.
What our customers say: "Quality and Value = WINNER. We have been recommended this product by the breeder and the vet for our puppy. The price for 20kg at a major retailer is much more, and that is if you are a VIP buyer. Very impressed with Pet Circle's buying power." - Mark, NSW
What to look for in Dry Puppy Food
When shopping for a dry food for puppies, it's important to look for the following things:
1. Is the food breed size specific?
Different sized puppies grow at different rates. A diet that specifies its suitability for 'small', 'medium' or 'large' breeds is likely a good sign - and this is particularly vital for large breed dogs. Large breed puppies grow slowly, and require a diet specific to their unique needs to avoid the risk of orthopaedic conditions.
2. Is the food complete, balanced, and recommended by vets?
Most dog food diets on the Australian market are complete & balanced, formulated to meet AAFCO requirements (if they aren't - definitely avoid them!). However, even complete and balanced diets can be made from poor quality ingredients with low nutrient bioavailability. Consult our Premium Pet Food Guide for tips on how to spot a good quality diet.
3. Is it good value?
As discussed above, it's easy to think that the cheapest product on the shelf is the best value. A common way to assess value is by comparing the 'price per kilo' - however, a much more accurate way to determine the cost of pet food is to work out the 'cost per feed'. Cheaper foods tend to be lower in bioavailable nutrients, which means you'll need to feed a lot more of it - plus, don't forget that poor quality nutrition over time will cost more in vet bills! Instead, the best way to save money is to find a super premium diet that is available in large value packs. Both your pet's health and your wallet will be better off!
4. Is it palatable?
Palatability is so important to most dog owners - after all, if your dog won't eat the food, it doesn't matter how great it is! It can be very difficult to know whether your dog will accept a food, which is why Pet Circle has customer reviews on each product page. For tips for fussy eaters, take a look at our article Fussy Dog Feeding Tips.
Further Reading
Want to read more? Check out our other articles:
What is the Best Puppy Food (Wet / Dry / Freeze-Dried)
The True Cost of Supermarket Food
