What Should You Feed Australian Shepherd as a Puppy?

Last Updated on May 5, 2024

You’ve just got an Australian Shepherd puppy, and your mind is racing with excitement! (and also a little fear?) Now, it’s time to find out how to feed Australian Shepherd correctly.

Your new Australian Shepherd puppy will be your new best friend, and you want to make the best choices for them — including the proper training and diet.

What To Consider When You Pick a Diet for Your Australian Shepard Puppy

Remember the saying, “you are what you eat”? Your puppy’s diet is precisely that — if you feed Australian Shepherd low-quality food, they will not grow up healthy and strong.

Since Australian Shepherds are medium to large working dogs, they will overgrow, and their diet needs to support that growth.

There are three essential items to consider and look for in food — whole meat protein, healthy fats, and Omega 3’s. Don’t let the large numbers of commercial dog food options become overwhelming. These essential items are what you will need to focus on.

Examples of whole meat proteins would include chicken, beef, and lamb. Make sure these are listed at the top of the ingredient list.

Food Options

When picking out food for your puppy, there are four general groups: Kibble, Wet, Raw, and homemade.

It is essential to carefully research your options before making a food selection to feed Australian Shepherd puppy. In addition to ingredients, consider your lifestyle and how active you will be with your puppy.

• Kibble

  The classic dog food everyone thinks of — is dry dog food in a bag. There are some excellent quality dry dog food options on the market, but you’ll want to watch for cheap fillers and preservatives. Trust me; your puppy does not want to eat that! Kibble is easy to get, stores well, and has the bonus of helping clean your puppy’s teeth (yes, you still need to brush their teeth). Pick a food labelled for large breed puppies. These foods will have higher protein and healthy fats to support your Australian Shepherd puppy during its growing years.

• Wet

  Wet food is generally found at most pet food stores but can be expensive. Unfortunately, once a can is opened, it must be stored safely and used quickly. Australian Shepherds that are picky eaters will usually like wet food over kibble — like comparing a juicy hamburger to a veggie stick. Since this diet doesn’t have anything to scrape your puppy’s teeth, you’ll want to take extra care of their teeth and gums.

• Raw

  This diet has become popular over the last 20 years but is also controversial. Many dog lovers feel dogs need raw meat and bones because this is their main diet in the wild. While this diet is packed with protein, you’ll want to ensure it is balanced with other food sources. This diet has some risks, such as bones breaking and becoming impacted or salmonella from raw meat.

• Home-made

  I love making my Australian Shepherd puppy her breakfast and dinner every day. Unfortunately, our lifestyles don’t allow this, as it is time-consuming. If it is something you have time for, many homemade dog food recipes are available online and through your vet to ensure a balanced diet.

Introducing New Foods & Keeping to a Routine

Like most puppies, Australian Shepherd puppies need a slow food change when they come home. I mean, almost glacial slow! Give your puppy a few weeks to adjust to its new home before making any food changes.

Combine new and old food over 2-3 weeks when you change the food. This helps prevent any tummy troubles in your Australian Shepherd puppy.

Making Changes for Age

Feeding Australian Shepherd puppies based on their activity level would be best. For example – a puppy that gets several hours of daily activity will need more food than a puppy that sleeps on the couch. Check with your vet if you are still determining if your puppy is still getting enough (or too much) food.

Australian Shepherd puppies usually reach their adult size between 10-13 months. You can shift them to an adult diet at this age (and check with your vet).

Owning an Australian Shepherd puppy is a new and exciting adventure. You’re on your first steps for them to live a happy and healthy life!

Frequently Asked Questions

How Often To Feed Australian Shepherd Puppy?

Like other Dog Puppies, Australian Shepherd puppies are starving at first, so they must eat frequently. A good rule of thumb is to feed your dog twice daily, once in the morning and once at night. This allows your dog to eat enough food throughout the day without overeating.

Feed Australian Shepherd puppies regularly to ensure they receive enough nutrients and energy throughout the day, which helps them stay alert, energetic, and focused. They also need to drink water frequently. Your puppy might get sick if you don’t provide enough food and water.

However, Australian Shepherd puppies don’t always eat the same amount every time they eat. Some Australian Shepherd puppies eat more or less depending on their appetite.

How Much To Feed Australian Shepherd Puppy?

If you want your Aussies to have good health and well behaviour? Then it would be best if you took care of them properly. The first thing you should do is to give them enough food. Australian Shepherd is energetic and playful; it requires protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water. But how much is enough?

There are several ways to determine how much food to feed Australian Shepherd puppies. One way is to weigh your dog at regular intervals, another is to measure their daily activities, and another is to observe your dog’s appetite and body condition.

If you give them too little food, they will get hungry and start looking for food. On the other hand, if you overfeed them, they will become obese and unhealthy.

Best Australian Shepherd Diet

Australian Shepherds are usually fed dry food or kibble. Dry foods contain less fat and fewer calories than wet foods. Wet foods are high in protein and fat.

A balanced diet is essential to feed Australian Shepherd for their health. To ensure your dog gets the nutrients, you should feed them a well-balanced diet. Food brands like Purina Pro Plan Small & Mini include a minimum of 30% protein, 21% fat, and a plethora of Fiber, calcium, and colostrum necessary for the healthy development of a puppy’s body and general health.

A good diet for Australian Shepherds should include high-quality protein such as chicken or beef. The amount of food required varies depending on the size of your dog. For example, a large breed requires approximately 2-3 times more calories per day than a smaller breed.

What To Feed Australian Shepherd Puppy

Australian Shepherds are usually fed a combination of dry and canned dog food. It would be best if you fed Australian Shepherd puppy a balanced diet consisting of high-quality protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and fats.

The food should be formulated specifically for Australian Shepherd puppies and include essential nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D3, iron, zinc, copper, iodine, selenium, and manganese. Canned food provides additional nutrition and helps prevent obesity.

Check out this article on our recommendation for the 5 Best Food for Australian Shepherd Puppies in 2022.

Always consult your vet before changing the food brand or introducing new food to your Australian Shepherd puppies. 

Check for the formula when buying dog food most suits your dog.

Learn more about this fantastic dog’s breed, care, and personality.