Last Updated: 22/12/2025
Best Food for Working Dogs: A Vet's Guide to Performance Nutrition
Fueling a working dog requires more than just extra kibble. Discover the science behind high-fat performance diets, how to choose quality protein for muscle repair, and expert vet tips on timing meals to support your dog’s demanding workday.
Author: Dr Maree Monaghan BVSc (Hons)
Reading Time: 5 minutes - short read
Whether they are mustering livestock under the Australian sun or navigating rugged terrain on a scent trail, working dogs are the elite athletes of the canine world. To keep these dogs moving day after day, their nutritional requirements go far beyond those of a standard backyard companion. Providing the right balance of concentrated energy and high-quality protein is essential not just for their performance, but for their long-term recovery and joint health. Understanding how to read a label and time a meal can make all the difference in keeping your hardest worker happy, healthy, and on the job.
What defines a working dog?
A working dog is one that is used to perform practical tasks, as opposed to a pet or companion dog. Working dogs like sled dogs and herding dogs are often required to work long hours in extreme environments and need a diet that supports these high demands.
Dogs that work in less rigorous jobs such as security, assistance and guarding don't have such high demands on their bodies and their requirements are usually met by a premium adult dog food that is appropriate for their size and age.
Choosing the best food for working dogs
Commercial dog foods are formulated based on the nutrient requirements specified by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).
The importance of protein quality
As a general guideline, the AAFCO requires adult dog food to contain a minimum of 18% crude protein on a dry matter basis (this is what's left after all of the moisture is extracted from the food).
Food for growing puppies and nursing mothers has a required minimum of 22.5% dry matter protein.
Working dogs need a diet which has:
- Minimum of 25% protein
- More than 20% fat
- Metabolisable energy content of over 4000 kcal/kg
Most working dog foods have protein levels above 25%, however, high protein diets often include protein sources that are not well digested by dogs. Unused protein ferments and comes out in the dog's faeces making them smell terrible!
A mixture of good quality animal and plant-based proteins is the key to providing protein sources that your dog can digest. To ensure your working dog is getting all the amino acids from protein that they need to stay healthy, look for foods that contain a variety of protein sources like beef, lamb, fish and fish meal, eggs, animal byproducts, and plant-based proteins, such as wheat or corn gluten.3
Fueling for energy and endurance
Working dogs need a lot of energy and this is supplied in the diet by fats, carbohydrates and protein. One gram of fat has 9 calories compared with one gram of carbohydrate or protein, both of which contain 4 calories.
Working dogs benefit from high fat diets because:
- Fat is the most efficient way to provide enough energy without having to feed large volumes of food
- High-fat diets boost endurance by promoting fat storage and use within the muscles, which preserves vital glycogen stores for sustained energy
However, a lot of working dog foods in Australia are made with large quantities of cereal grains and so contain high levels of carbohydrate. Cereal grains are inexpensive and allow the manufacture of low cost dog food that still meets the AAFCO standard for metabolisable energy content. It is important to consider where the calories in a working dog diet come from when comparing diets. Good quality diets will have the majority of their energy provided by fat and protein rather than carbohydrate.
Recommended diets for working dogs
- Protein: 32%
- Fat: 22%
- Protein: 31.7%
- Fat: 27.2%
- Protein: 34.6%
- Fat: 22.7%
Nutritional support for working dog puppies
The success of a working dog's career starts before they are born and depends heavily on the quality of the food their mother is fed when she is carrying them. A premium quality puppy food is recommended for pregnant bitches in the last 3 weeks of their pregnancy and when they are lactating. When it is time to wean the pups, they can have the same food the bitch is being fed.
Timing your feeding schedule for peak performance
Common sense would tell you that you shouldn't give a working dog a large meal before exercise. Research shows that dogs should not be worked within 8 hours of a small meal or up to 16 hours after a large meal to allow the stomach to empty completely.
What you may not know is that the proteins and carbohydrates in muscles that are used up during exercise are replaced more rapidly when a meal is provided within two hours of exercise.
FAQs
Fueling a working dog is an investment in their longevity and reliability on the field. By prioritising calorie-dense fats and highly digestible proteins, you ensure they have the stamina to go the distance and the nutrients to repair their muscles overnight. Keep meals scheduled for after the day's work is done to get the best results for your team.
References
"Feeding Working Dogs" World Small Animal Veterinary Association World Congress Proceedings, 2013, Nick Cave, BVSc, MVSc, PhD, DACVN Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
"Nutrition of the dog : an Australian overview." Costa, ND Livestock Library
High Protein Dog Food: How Much Protein is Good for Your Dog? Hills Pet Nutrition
Veterinary Nutrition Group "Fat content of some commercial diets for dogs"
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History
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
Mon 22 Dec 2025
Edited by Dr Gillian Hill BVSc (Hons)Dr Maree Monaghan BVSc (Hons)
Veterinarian
Dr. Maree graduated from the University of Queensland in 1990 with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science and has worked in a wide variety of practices around Australia and in Papua New Guinea. She has cared for all creatures great and small and has a particular interest in senior pets and horse nutrition
