Best dog food for a Double Doodle
A Double Doodle — a cross between a Labradoodle and a Goldendoodle — tends to land as a medium-to-large, energetic dog with a curly or wavy coat, and both parent lines can carry a tendency towards joint issues as they grow. The most useful things to look for in their food are a properly balanced large-breed formula, decent joint support, and a recipe that suits an active dog rather than a sedentary one.
Feeding a Double Doodle
A large breed
An adult Double Doodle typically weighs 13–32 kg, so a healthy Double Doodle eats a fair amount compared with other breeds. Every feeding guide on a bag is written per kilo of body weight, not per breed — start there, then adjust to the dog in front of you.
Life stage
A large breed is usually done growing at 15–18 months, which is roughly when a puppy food has finished its job. With a typical lifespan of 12–15 years, there is a long adult stretch in the middle; switch to a senior food when your vet thinks it is worth it rather than on a birthday.
A high-energy dog eats like one
Double Doodles sit at the top end for energy, and a dog working through an hour and a half of real exercise a day burns through the feeding guide faster than a dog on a short stroll. Feed to the dog's condition, not to the middle of the range on the bag.
Joint support is worth looking for
Their size and frame put more load through the joints than a smaller dog carries, so a food with joint support on the label is worth reading for — and keeping them lean does more for their joints than any supplement.
Weight matters more than usual here
A long back or a heavy frame makes every extra kilo count twice. Weigh portions rather than eyeballing a scoop, and reduce the food rather than the walks if the waist starts to disappear.
How much should a Double Doodle weigh?
Adult 13–32 kgfully grown at 15–18 months
| Age | Stage | Typical weight | Of adult size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 weeks | Just home | 1.5–3.7 kg | 11% |
| 3 months | Young puppy | 2.4–5.9 kg | 19% |
| 6 months | Growing fast | 4.8–11.9 kg | 37% |
| 12 months | Adolescent | 9.7–23.8 kg | 74% |
| 15–18 months | Fully grown | 13–32 kg | 100% |
A guide, from the same rule of thumb our puppy growth predictor uses — each age is that share of the way to maturity for a large breed. Puppies grow fastest early, so a real puppy usually sits a little above the middle rows. Weigh yours and ask your vet if the number worries you.
Complete dog foods that suit a Double Doodle
Complete foods from our range, matched to a Double Doodle's size band and what the breed typically needs. Stock levels and delivery dates are live on each product.
Field & Trial Skinner S Field Trial Light Senior
A lower-fat dry food for older, overweight or less active dogs, including working breeds
From£9.85
Autarky Complete Grain Free Adult Turkey
Grain-free complete dry food for adult dogs, with turkey and a marine-algae joint care package
£12.79
Autarky Grain Free Tasty White Fish & Potato Complete
Grain-free dry dog food built around white fish meal rather than poultry
£12.99
Lily's Kitchen Lily S Kitchen Dog Lovely Lamb
Complete lamb-led dry dog food offered in two practical bag sizes
From£25.15
Burns Adult Large/Giant Breed Chicken and Brown Rice
Complete large-breed dry dog food with 23% chicken and brown rice
£59.99
Burgess Greyhound and Lurcher Chicken
Complete adult dry food formulated for the specific build of greyhounds and lurchers
£35.35
Naturo Senior Rice Poultry Variety 6pk
Six 400g trays across three recipes for senior dogs, with glucosamine and chondroitin
£10.29
Naturo Senior Dog Turkey with Rice and Vegetables 7pk
Turkey at 65% in a senior wet tray, with brown rice, vegetables and added joint support
£11.99
Vitalin Adult Dog Pork with Apple
Complete dry food for adult dogs of any age, led by pork, with citrus extract for dental support
From£11.99
Size and growth matter more than the crossbreed label
Double Doodles vary more in adult size than a single-breed dog, since they inherit traits from two already-varied parent lines. As a puppy, feeding a food sized to their expected adult weight rather than guessing from their current size helps avoid the too-fast growth that puts extra strain on developing joints in larger dogs.
Once grown, a complete adult food appropriate to their actual size — rather than automatically the largest-breed formula on the shelf — is usually the better fit, since not every Double Doodle ends up at the top of the size range the cross can produce.
Coat and joints are the two things worth watching
Both Labradoodles and Goldendoodles can carry a genetic tendency towards hip and elbow issues, inherited from the Labrador and Golden Retriever lines behind them, so a food with added glucosamine or a joint-support supplement alongside their normal diet is a sensible precaution as they age, particularly for a larger-framed dog.
The wavy or curly coat this cross is known for also needs decent underlying skin condition to stay manageable and avoid matting, which is one more reason a food with a reasonable named-protein content and added omega fatty acids tends to suit this breed better than a very budget formula.
Feeding an active, food-motivated dog
Both parent breeds are commonly food-motivated and prone to overeating given the chance, and that tendency shows up in the cross too. Measuring meals rather than free-feeding, and choosing a food with a calorie density that matches how active your particular dog actually is, matters more here than chasing a specific "doodle" marketing claim.
A slow feeder bowl or puzzle feeder is also worth considering for a Double Doodle who bolts their food, since eating too fast is common in food-motivated dogs of this size and can contribute to digestive discomfort and, in deeper-chested individuals, a higher risk of bloat.
Common questions
- Do Double Doodles need a large-breed puppy food?
- If your Double Doodle is expected to reach a larger adult size, a large-breed puppy formula that controls growth rate is worth using, since both parent breeds can be prone to joint issues that too-rapid growth makes worse. Ask your breeder or vet about the likely adult size if you are unsure.
- Are Double Doodles prone to food allergies?
- There is no single answer that applies to every dog in a mixed-breed line like this. Some individuals inherit sensitivities from either parent breed, so watch for signs like itching, ear infections or loose stools after introducing a new food, and speak to your vet if a pattern shows up.
- Should I feed a grain-free diet to a Double Doodle?
- Not automatically. Grain-free is a choice some owners make for a dog with a diagnosed sensitivity, not a default requirement for the breed. A good-quality food with named ingredients matters more than whether grain is present, unless your vet has identified a specific reason to avoid it.
- How much exercise affects how much a Double Doodle should eat?
- Quite a lot. Both parent breeds are active by nature, and a Double Doodle getting long daily walks and play will typically need more food than a less active one of the same weight. Use the feeding guide on the pack as a starting point and adjust based on body condition.
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Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.