Best dog food for puppies
There is no single best puppy food for every dog, because the right one depends heavily on your puppy's expected adult size — a food built for small breeds is not automatically right for a large or giant one, and vice versa. What every genuinely good option shares is a 'complete' label for the puppy or growth life stage, matched to the size band your puppy is likely to grow into.
Why size band matters more than brand
Small breed puppies burn energy quickly relative to their size and need a more energy-dense food in smaller kibble pieces. Large and giant breed puppies need steadier, more controlled growth, because growing too fast puts extra strain on developing joints — a large breed puppy food is typically formulated with this in mind rather than simply being a bigger bag of a small breed recipe.
If you are not sure which size band applies, your puppy's breed and their parents' sizes are usually a reliable guide, and your vet can help if you are still unsure. Getting this right matters more than which specific brand you choose.
Reading the label properly
Look for the word 'complete' alongside 'puppy' or 'growth' on the front of the pack — a complementary food is not meant to be fed as a puppy's whole diet, and relying on one alone can leave real nutritional gaps during a period when your puppy is developing quickly.
The ingredients list and the feeding guide printed on the pack are more useful than marketing claims on the front. The feeding guide, based on your puppy's current weight, is the right starting point for how much to feed — adjust gradually as they grow rather than sticking rigidly to one figure.
Wet, dry, and meal frequency
Puppy food comes in wet and dry formats, and a mix of both is perfectly fine as long as the total keeps your puppy on a complete diet. Very young puppies generally need three to four smaller meals a day, reducing to two as they mature, following the guidance on your chosen food.
Whatever you choose, introduce it gradually over several days when switching from a previous food, and keep an eye on stools and appetite as you go. A change that does not settle within a few days is worth a call to your vet rather than continuing to switch foods.
What we stock
Our puppy food range covers small, medium and large breed complete recipes in both wet and dry, and every order is picked, packed and posted by hand. Stock reflects what is genuinely available to order, and it changes as the shop trades.
Alongside dedicated puppy food, our food-treats and dog-wet-food ranges include options suitable for puppies once they are a little older — always check the pack for a minimum age before offering anything new.
What we stock
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Pedigree Tasty Minis Puppy Treats Chewy Cubes with Chicken
Soft chewy puppy training treats with 13% chicken and added calcium, 125g
£2.25
Forthglade Complete Puppy Chicken with Liver Grain Free — 18 x 395g Trays
Sold as a case: 18 x 395g trays. A complete grain-free wet food for puppies, built on 71% chicken and 4% chicken liver
£35.89
Bakers Puppy Superfoods Chicken with Vegetables
Bakers Puppy Chicken & Vegetables dry dog food, 12.5kg, complete food for puppies from 6 weeks to 24 months
£39.15
Harringtons Puppy Turkey & Rice
Complete turkey puppy food with 30% protein and feeding bands by adult weight
£6.49
James Wellbeloved Grain Free Puppy/Junior Dry Dog Food Turkey & Veg
Grain-free turkey and potato kibble for puppies and junior dogs, evenly balanced recipe
£12.75
Wagg Puppy Treats
Puppy Treats in a 120G pack, with 23.2% protein and 7% fat and full label detail
£1.49
Burns Puppy Junior Original Chicken Rice
A complete puppy and junior food with dried chicken 31% and controlled fat at 15%
From£14.99
Lily's Kitchen Puppy Chicken Recipe — 6 x 400g Tins
Sold as a case: 6 x 400g tins. Complete 400G wet puppy chicken recipe with 67% fresh chicken
£22.79
Pooch & Mutt Puppy Bite Size Beef Jerky
Bite-size beef jerky training treats for puppies, scaled by dog size
£3.99
Whimzees Puppy
Softer dental chews for puppies over three months old, grain free and gluten free
£7.99
Burns Grain Free Puppy Duck Potato
Grain-free duck and potato puppy food with a prebiotic, for starting a new litter on a novel protein
From£16.49
Common questions
- How do I know which size puppy food to buy?
- Match the food to your puppy's expected adult size, using their breed and their parents' sizes as a guide. Small breed and large breed puppy foods are formulated differently, since energy needs and growth rate management differ significantly between the two.
- How much should I feed a puppy?
- Follow the feeding guide printed on your specific food, based on your puppy's current weight, and adjust gradually as they grow. If your puppy seems constantly hungry or is gaining weight faster than expected, speak to your vet rather than guessing at a fixed amount.
- When should puppies move to adult dog food?
- It varies by size — smaller breeds are usually ready around twelve months, while large and giant breeds can take significantly longer to finish growing. Move gradually around the right age for your dog's size rather than switching on a fixed date.
- Is wet or dry food better for puppies?
- Both can work well, and many owners feed a mix of the two. What matters more than the format is that whatever you choose is labelled complete for the puppy or growth life stage.
- How many meals a day does a puppy need?
- Very young puppies typically need three to four smaller meals a day, gradually reducing to two as they mature. Follow the guidance on your specific food and adjust based on how your puppy is doing, rather than a fixed rule for every dog.
Related
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.