Best dry dog food for an Australian Shepherd
An Australian Shepherd is a medium-sized, high-energy working breed, and the dry food that suits one best reflects that: a complete recipe with enough protein and calorie density to fuel a genuinely active dog, alongside the kind of joint-support ingredients that make sense for a breed that spends a lot of its life moving fast and turning sharply.
Feeding a Australian Shepherd
A medium breed
An adult Australian Shepherd typically weighs 18–29 kg, so a healthy Australian Shepherd eats a moderate 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 medium breed is usually done growing at ~12 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
Australian Shepherds sit at the top end for energy, and a dog working through a couple of hours 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.
Mealtimes can do some of the work
A breed that struggles to settle on its own gets more out of a meal that takes effort — a lick mat, a snuffle mat or a puzzle feeder using part of the daily ration rather than extra food on top of it.
How much should a Australian Shepherd weigh?
Adult 18–29 kgfully grown at ~12 months
| Age | Stage | Typical weight | Of adult size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 weeks | Just home | 2.8–4.5 kg | 15% |
| 3 months | Young puppy | 4.5–7.3 kg | 25% |
| 6 months | Growing fast | 9–14.5 kg | 50% |
| ~12 months | Fully grown | 18–29 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 medium 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 Australian Shepherd
Complete foods from our range, matched to a Australian Shepherd's size band and what the breed typically needs. Stock levels and delivery dates are live on each product.
Burns Adult/Senior Weight Control Chicken and Oats
A low-fat weight control dry food for adult and senior dogs, oat-based
£35.99
Simpsons Dog Sensitive Lamb Potato
A grain-free lamb and potato dry food for dogs with sensitive skin or digestion
From£17.05
Arden Grange Adult Dog Calming Turkey Sweet Potato
A grain-free complete turkey food with added L-tryptophan and chamomile
From£16.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Natural Turkey
Cold-pressed turkey kibble for dogs from 2 months, soft enough to mix with water for young pups
£45.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Salmon
Cold-pressed grain-free dry food for dogs, built on fresh and dried salmon
From£16.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Duck
Cold-pressed grain-free duck food with fruit and botanicals, in two bag sizes
From£16.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Chicken
Cold-pressed grain-free chicken food with fruit and botanicals, in three bag sizes
From£16.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Turkey
Grain-free cold-pressed turkey kibble for dogs, gentle on sensitive stomachs
£69.69
Forthglade British Classics Chicken Family Lunch
Complete Forthglade wet dog food with 75% chicken in a 395G tray
£2.45
Harringtons Puppy Turkey & Rice
Complete turkey puppy food with 30% protein and feeding bands by adult weight
£6.49
Harringtons Just 6 Dry Dog Food Lamb
Grain-free lamb dry dog food in 2KG and 12KG sizes, with size-specific formulas
From£13.99
Burns Puppy Original Lamb & Rice
Complete Burns lamb and rice puppy food in a 2KG bag for up to 12 months
£14.99
Why activity level matters more than breed name
Australian Shepherds bred for or kept as working or high-activity companion dogs burn through calories at a rate a sedentary dog of the same size simply does not. A food pitched at an average adult dog can leave a genuinely active Aussie looking lean and undernourished, while the same dog fed a working or active-breed formula holds condition properly.
Not every Australian Shepherd is worked daily, though, and a dog whose exercise is a couple of walks and some garden time needs a standard adult recipe rather than a high-calorie working formula, or they will gain weight on it. Match the food to what the individual dog actually does, not the breed's reputation.
What to look for on the label
A named animal protein at or near the top of the ingredients list is a reasonable starting point for an active breed, since protein and fat together are what supply the sustained energy a working dog needs, rather than relying heavily on carbohydrate to make up calories.
Joint-support ingredients such as glucosamine and chondroitin are worth looking for too. Aussies are a medium-large, athletic breed and can be prone to hip and joint issues over a working lifetime, so a recipe that supports joint health from adulthood onward is a sensible default rather than something to wait on until problems appear.
Choosing between recipes
A working or active-breed dry food suits a dog genuinely herding, training regularly, or doing long off-lead runs most days. A standard adult recipe suits the majority of pet Australian Shepherds getting normal daily exercise, and a senior or joint-focused recipe becomes worth considering as the dog ages, regardless of how active they remain.
Whatever the recipe, introduce a new food gradually over a week or so alongside the old one, watching stools and appetite, and check in with a vet if a dog's weight or coat condition does not look right on a given food after a fair trial.
Common questions
- Do Australian Shepherds need a high-protein food?
- Genuinely active or working Aussies benefit from a higher protein and calorie density to match their energy output, but a less active pet Aussie does not need the same level and can gain weight on a working-dog recipe. Match the food to the individual dog's activity rather than the breed as a whole.
- Are Australian Shepherds prone to food sensitivities?
- There is no strong breed-wide pattern of food sensitivity in Australian Shepherds, though any individual dog can develop one. A single-protein or limited-ingredient recipe is worth trying if a dog shows ongoing digestive upset or skin issues, alongside a conversation with your vet to rule out other causes first.
- What size kibble suits an Australian Shepherd?
- A standard medium-breed kibble size suits most adult Australian Shepherds comfortably. There is no need to seek out a small or large-breed specific kibble shape for this breed unless a dog has a particular dental issue that makes a certain size or texture easier to manage.
- Should I feed a joint supplement alongside dry food?
- Many active-breed and joint-support dry foods already include glucosamine and chondroitin at a useful level, so a separate supplement is not automatically needed. If a dog is already showing stiffness or reduced mobility, that is worth discussing with a vet rather than adding a supplement on your own judgement.
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.