Without a doubt, German Shepherds are among the most popular dog breeds. We love them for their looks, intelligence, pleasant temperament, versatility, and huggable bodies.

A pure-bred adult male can weigh up to 90lb, which is pretty heavy for a dog. To maintain the healthy weight and champion-like looks of your German Shepherd, you should be meticulous about their diet. Be particular about the kind of feeds to give and the quantity.

Like many dog owners, this could be a tall order for you. Fortunately, you can get help from professionals who understand what it takes to nurture a champion German Shepherd.

Here we will help you pick the best food for your German Shepherd and guide you on how much to give your dog.

How to feed a German Shepherd puppy

German Shepherd puppies require highly nutritious foods to support growth and development. Many commercial dog food manufacturers have high-calorie, high-protein feeds specifically for pups. It’s okay to feed your pup on these specialized puppy feeds – just make sure you pick well reviewed dog food.

However, consider gradually introducing your young dogs to raw food if you want to feed them this more consistently when they’re older.

There are many benefits of feeding raw foods to your German Shepherd pup, and if you decide to go raw when they are all grown up, it won’t upset their tummies if they’re used to it.

To prevent abnormal growth and bone and joint issues in the future, gradually introduce adult dog food to your German Shepherd puppy at six months.

How to feed adult German Shepherds

An adult German Shepherd dog can weigh between 70 and 90 pounds. They also have ravenous appetites. According to this guide by the National Academies, active adult dogs weighing 70 – 90lb require 1740 – 2640 calories per day. They also need over 69g of crude protein and over 29g of fats.

Feed your high-energy German Shepherd dog according to the caloric requirements for a large and active dog. Take care not to underfeed or overfeed him.

If your German Shepherd is tipping the scales, help your dog lose weight while young and energetic. He will thank you during his senior years. But take care to pick nutritious dog food, a balanced diet, delicious (at least for the dog), and appropriate for his stage of life and activity.

Feeding senior German Shepherds

Older dogs require 20% fewer calories than middle-aged adults. German Shepherd dogs are also prone to bone and joint ailments like hip dysplasia and arthritis. Therefore a reduced-calorie diet to keep the weight down will help avoid stress on painful joints.

What to feed your German Shepherd

We’ve already discussed the kinds of dog food to give your puppies. This section talks about adult dog foods. You have the following three main feed types to choose from:

Raw Food

The debate about whether to feed your dog raw dog food is still out there. Raw dog foods that have been carefully prepared under sanitized environments and properly handled are 100% safe. Plus, your dog will enjoy the taste, have a shinier coat, stronger bones, and teeth, and enjoy many other benefits.

We’ve experienced the magic of raw dog food on our champion German Shepherds. We have drawn from these experiences and produced delicious, well-researched, easy to handle and store, and affordable raw dog feeds.

We definitely recommend Hometown Raw Dog Food as a nutritious raw dog food, which you can find out more about here.

Dry commercial dog food

This typically comes in the form of kibble. It is convenient and easy to store. However, it is dry and digests for longer. Therefore, your dog will require a reliable source of fresh water to hydrate and avoid constipation. Also, you need to check the label on the pack and ensure the kibble incorporates all the vital nutrients your German Shepherd requires and is in the correct ratios.

Wet commercial dog food

Wet foods appear like morsels covered in gravy. Dogs find them more sumptuous than dry foods because they are easy to chew and swallow. They also tend to contain higher proportions of protein than dry foods. However, handling and storing wet dog foods is not as easy. Since wet foods are easy to swallow, they don’t quench a German Shepherd’s desire to chew. Your dog could turn on chewing the furniture or other items.

For wet commercial dog food we recommend 4 Strong Paws, which also have a great offer at the moment if you use the coupon code below:

How to feed your German Shepherd – the bottom line.

Maintaining a healthy and happy German Shepherd with champion looks is not easy. Diet is crucial. Fortunately, as this guide shows us, we can look to nature for solutions like raw dog food. They are healthy and tasty too. Feed your German Shepherd healthy meals in quantities appropriate for their age and activity levels.