Top 10 Best Dog Foods for Dobermans
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For those that know the Doberman Pinscher, know that he is a sweet soul with a seriously soft heart, however, for those that do not know him usually just see a large muscular dog that is ferociously formidable and often compared to other sporting breeds. Finding the best dog food for your Doberman Pinscher requires finding a dry kibble that provides him with a high protein content for his muscle mass, carbohydrates to keep him energized, and wholesome fiber to ensure that his digestive system remains regular.
Whilst many owners suggest raw food is best, he cannot get everything that he needs from meat alone which is why we, as well as the majority of Veterinarians and canine nutritionists, believe that natural dry kibble is best for our pooches. It also keeps their teeth healthy too!
At the end of this guide you will understand what the Doberman Pinscher needs from his diet, and what nutrients he needs at every life stage. We have also selected 5 of the very best kibbles for the Doberman for every life stage just so that you don’t have to spend hours trawling through hundreds of products.
So, sit back, relax, and join us on our Doberman Pinscher nutritional journey.
Adult Doberman Nutrient Needs
Around the age of 18 months the Doberman Pinscher will need to be switched to an adult formula, and again, one that is designed with big dogs in mind, as their bodies need focused nutrients that support his larger bones and joints.
Protein needs to be the main focus of his adult kibble whether he is a family companion or working Doberman. Of course, if he is a working dog then he needs much more energy than a house-pet but be sure to follow the kibble packaging accordingly. A typical Doberman will consume around 2,100 calories per day.
During his adult stage a balanced diet should be sought, so a wide variety of vitamins and minerals need to be listed either in the form of fruit and vegetables or added supplements, as well as fiber for his digestive tract and calcium for his bones and teeth.
Doberman Puppy Nutrient Needs
Both male and female Dobermans, when fully mature, will weigh anywhere between 60 and 100 pounds in weight, so it is safe to say that they are considered to be a large dog. For this reason, it is important to seek a large breed puppy formula that caters to its needs, simply because they have an optimum blend of size specific nutrients. Large dogs grow at a rapid speed, and as such the calcium and phosphorus levels need to be precise in order to minimize the chances of developmental orthopedic diseases such as hip dysplasia. Vitamin D is also crucial for healthy bone formation. High-quality large breed puppy formulas have achieved these requirements, so do not feed him anything else.
The kibble you select should ideally have a protein content of approximately 30%, and a minimum fat content of 9%, but AAFCO sets the minimum protein level at 22%. A higher protein content ensures that his muscles develop accordingly alongside his skeletal frame, and that his body has enough energy and puppy power to grow, as well as allowing him to absorb nutrients for his immune system to develop. Typically, a Doberman puppy will consume around 1,800 calories per day.
Senior Doberman Nutrient Needs
A Doberman is considered to be a senior pooch at around the age of 7 or 8, although this varies between dogs, so if you are in any doubt then just speak to your Veterinarian for tailored advice. At this point in his life, his nutritional needs change and he must be switched to a senior kibble.
An average older Doberman will need around 1,300 calories everyday dependent on how active he is, and of course this will decrease as he becomes less active. Protein is still an important factor in the senior diet, but it is equally important to find a kibble that provides fewer calories per cup, otherwise they risk putting on too much weight simply because they don’t burn up as much energy.
A key component to look for in a senior diet, particularly for a big breed, is high levels of glucosamine and chondroitin because of his weakening joints. Good sources of glucosamine and chondroitin are found in meat and fish meals, as well as extra supplements. Ingredients such as taurine will look after his aging cardiac health, and it is also important to look for plenty of vitamins and minerals to help to boost his aging immune system so that he can fight illnesses.
The 10 Best Dog Foods for Dobermans
VICTOR Select Nutra Pro Active Dog & Puppy Formula Dry Dog Food — Best for Puppies
Puppies need as much protein as you can stuff down their gullets, and VICTOR Select Nutra makes it easy to do just that.
It has a whopping 38% protein and comes from sources like chicken meal, fish meal, beef meal, and pork meal. “Meals” are filled with valuable nutrients that aren’t found in leaner cuts of meat, so giving your pup a variety of meals will ensure that they have the nutritional support they need to grow up strong and healthy.
There are no grains or animal by-products in this recipe, ensuring that your little buddy won’t ingest any disreputable ingredients. Instead, it uses chicken fat and complex carbs like millet and sorghum.
The manufacturers packed in taurine as well, which is essential for heart health. Larger dogs like Dobies especially need this cardiovascular support, so it’s nice to see the company taking it seriously.
There’s not much to quibble with on the ingredients list, although the sodium levels are higher than we’d like. It could stand to use more fiber too, but it’s not dangerously low.
It’s critically important to start your dog off on a healthy diet while they’re still young, and VICTOR Select Nutra allows you to do that while also giving them a flavor they’ll love.
- Fairly high amount of salt
- No grains or animal by-products
- Uses complex carbs instead of cheap fillers
- Extremely high in protein
- Uses a variety of animal meals
- Packed with heart-healthy taurine
Rachael Ray Nutrish Dry Dog Food — Best Value
Rachael Ray Nutrish is a budget-friendly food that nevertheless manages to hang with many of its premium competitors, which is why we consider it the best dog food for Dobermans for the money.
The ingredients start with chicken and chicken meal, ensuring that your dog gets a healthy foundation of protein and other essential amino acids. It has 26% protein, which is at the higher end of average — but that’s a good number for such an inexpensive food.
The chicken is farm-raised in the United States, so you can rest assured that your pup isn’t eating inferior meat from a foreign country. You also won’t find any animal by-products, which is all the low-grade meat left over after high-quality foods have taken the choice cuts; by-products are a staple of cheap foods, so it’s refreshing not to see them here.
It has beet pulp and brown rice inside, both of which add fiber while being gentle on the stomach.
You’ll need something to calm your pooch’s tummy, though, because this includes both corn and soy, which have been known to cause digestive issues. They also provide empty calories with no nutritional value.
We’d prefer if Rachael Ray Nutrish had left out the corn and soy, but we understand that they were included to keep costs down. It’s enough to keep them out of contention for the gold medal, but this food provides enough overall value to take silver with ease.
- Corn and soy can cause digestive issues
- Has empty calories
- Good value for the price
- No animal by-products
- Chicken is first ingredient
- Meat is farm-raised in the U.S.A.
- Beet pulp and brown rice for fiber
The Farmer’s Dog Fresh Dog Food — Best Overall
The Farmer’s Dog food consists of raw, fresh ingredients that make for a healthy diet for your dog. The Farmer’s Dog is rated best overall for Doberman Pinschers. It promotes this breed in the best ways for their activity level and common illnesses among Dobermans. The ingredients used to make this dog food is made with weight management in mind as well.
With recipes delivered in pre-portioned sizes, it helps to serve your dog the right amount of food. Weight management is very important for Dobermans to avoid developing arthritis or diabetes. The Farmer’s Dog lists all ingredients included to make it easy for dog owners to avoid possible allergies or ingredients that can give them digestion issues.
Additionally, Dobermans are known to have issues with their joints and this dog food contains Omega-3 fatty acids that can reduce inflammation and help with symptoms of arthritis. The option to personalize the ingredients in your dog’s food makes this a great choice for the healthiest dog food.
One downside to this food is that it has a shorter shelf-life than dry dog food. It’s also a subscription-based service, so you’re signing up for regular deliveries that you’ll have to cancel if you no longer wish to receive this food.
The Farmer’s Dog offers a rich and diverse array of nutrients, and it’s jam-packed with meat, which your pup should love. All of this combines to make it our top choice for best dog food for Dobermans.
- Subscription service
- Supports weight management
- Personalized ingredients
- Packed with fatty acids and nutrients
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Duck Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Although it’s not for puppies, Blue Buffalo Wilderness is another high-protein, grain-free option that your dog should love. It doesn’t have quite as much meat as Taste of the Wild does, but it’s still packed with healthy protein — 34%, to be exact.
The first ingredient is deboned duck, with chicken meal coming right after. You’ll also find fish meal and chicken fat, but there’s quite a bit of plant protein inside to boost the overall number as well.
It has 6% fiber, which is more than most other foods in this range, and that’s largely due to ingredients like chicory root, pea fiber, and sweet potatoes. It boasts other high-quality fruits and veggies as well; blueberries, kelp, and cranberries stand out among the lot.
We feel that the dried egg product and white potatoes should’ve been replaced, as both can cause mild digestive issues for sensitive dogs, and neither brings much to the table, nutritionally-speaking.
That’s a slight criticism, however, and while it’s enough to keep Blue Buffalo Wilderness out of the top three, it’s not enough to do much more than that.
- Eggs and white potatoes can cause digestive issues
- Plant protein inside
- Uses quality fruits and veggies
- Grain-free formula
- High in protein
- Good amount of fiber
Castor & Pollux Organix Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
The reason this offering from Castor & Pollux is called “Organix” is that most of the ingredients are organic (we’re sure you didn’t see that coming).
That means the chicken hasn’t been shot full of hormones or antibiotics, making it clean and healthy for your Dobie. The veggies are all organic too, so there’s no need to worry about residual pesticides or other chemicals.
While the overall protein levels aren’t especially noteworthy at 26%, the protein comes from a wide variety of sources, ensuring that your dog gets all the essential amino acids they need.
Castor & Pollux went overboard on the omega fatty acids too, as almost every other ingredient is a rich source of antioxidants. Coconut oil, flaxseed, sunflower oil, salmon oil — you’ll find all these ingredients inside.
You’ll also find quite a bit of salt, which isn’t desirable. If your dog is overweight or diabetic, this food may cause more problems than it solves; healthy animals should be fine, provided that you monitor them.
As you might expect, given all the organic ingredients, this kibble is s not something everyone can afford. At least you’re getting quality food for all that dough, which is more than we can say for some other high-end options out there.
- Expensive
- High in salt
- Omega fatty acids
- Uses organic ingredients
- Wide variety of protein sources
Taste of the Wild High Prairie Dry Dog Food
Your Dobie needs plenty of lean meat to perform at their best, and Taste of the Wild High Prairie certainly offers that. It has buffalo, lamb meal, chicken meal, bison, venison, beef, and fish meal inside — chances are that no dog in history has hunted that successfully before.
Most of that is lean red meat too, so your dog will get tons of muscle-building protein with little cholesterol. This makes it a good choice for overweight dogs as well as active ones. That’s especially true given that it’s grain-free.
The overall protein levels sit at a robust 32%, while the fat is at a healthy 18%. There’s 4% fiber, which is neither great nor terrible, but it should be plenty to keep your pup regular. We’re generally more concerned about protein levels with Dobermans, anyway.
You’ll find more than just meat in here too. There are extremely high-quality fruits and veggies like blueberries, raspberries, and peas inside, giving your dog a wide range of vitamins and minerals.
Our biggest issue with the food is that it uses plant proteins. These lack important amino acids found in animal protein sources and are often used by manufacturers to keep costs down. However, that’s hardly something that will hurt your dog, and they can still put the protein to good use.
- Relies heavily on plant proteins
- Grain-free formula
- Has quality fruits and veggies
- Lean red meat
- Good for both overweight and active dogs
- High protein levels
Hill’s Science Diet Dry Dog Food
For a food that bills itself as a “Science Diet,” Hill’s doesn’t seem to have much of an idea about what makes a quality dog food.
This food has low nutritional levels across the board, with the 20% protein level standing out as the most inexcusable.
The reason there’s so little protein is that the kibble is basically a mishmash of wheat, soy, and corn. None of those are quality ingredients, and taken together, they likely dwarf the amount of chicken you’ll find inside.
This food is also high in salt, so be sure to monitor your dog if they eat it, to make sure they’re not drinking excessively. You should check to see that they’re digesting the food capably as well, as all those cheap fillers above have been known to irritate canine digestive tracts.
One good thing that we can say about this food is that it does have quite a bit of glucosamine and chondroitin, which are important for joint health. However, if that’s your primary criteria, we’d recommend buying a better food and investing in a joint supplement instead.
- High in salt
- Fillers can irritate sensitive stomachs
- Low in protein
- Wheat, corn, and soy inside
- Has glucosamine and chondroitin
Purina Pro Plan Focus Dry Dog Food
Purina Pro Plan Focus is one of the better “basic” foods, but it simply can’t compete with the higher-end, specialty kibbles that make up the bulk of this list.
It starts off decently enough, with chicken and brewers rice as the first two ingredients. The former is a high-quality lean meat, and the latter is a complex carb that’s also gentle on stomachs.
The next several ingredients, however, are all cheap fillers or animal by-products. It’s absolutely packed with wheat and corn, both of which are hard for dogs to digest and provide virtually no nutrition. The animal by-products do have nutrients in them, but they come from meat that you’d likely prefer to not feed your dog.
Dog food manufacturers use ingredients like these to cut costs, but Pro Plan Focus isn’t that cheap. You’d expect more savings, given all the cut corners you’ll find in each bag.
If you only want to feed your dog a food that you can find in most big box stores, Purina Pro Plan Focus is one of the better ones. When compared to many premium options, though, it simply can’t measure up.
- Expensive given the quality
- Many ingredients are hard for dogs to digest
- Packed with cheap fillers
- Uses low-quality animal by-products
- Chicken is first ingredient
- Brewers rice is a complex carb
Solid Gold Wolf King Holistic Dry Adult Dog Food
When the first two ingredients are bison and ocean fish meal, you know that you’re not dealing with a traditional food, and Solid Gold Wolf King is certainly anything but that.
Its biggest claim to fame is its superfood blend, as it has a ton of high-quality fruits and veggies inside. You’ll find spinach, cranberries, blueberries, watercress, apples, and more in each bag, as well as a variety of omega-rich oils. All those high-quality foods come at a steep price, however.
While that’s certainly impressive, when it comes to dog food, it’s the protein that’s the real star, and this stuff is fairly lacking in that department. Bison is lean and nutritious, but there’s not much in here, as the overall protein level is a measly 22%.
Most of those superfoods are back-loaded on the ingredients list too, while white potatoes and brown rice make up the bulk of the food. This lets them advertise all those amazing ingredients while still relying heavily on basic staples.
Solid Gold Wolf King is a good food and one that should give your pup plenty of important nutrients. It just can’t quite live up to the standards that its marketing department set for it, which is why it finds itself on the bottom half of this list.
- Low in protein
- Bulk of food is made up of less spectacular ingredients
- Extremely pricey
- Filled with superfoods
- Lean red meat is first ingredient
Nutro Wholesome Large Breed Senior
- Chicken––a high-quality protein source––as the very first ingredient.
- Made with non-GMO ingredients, no chicken by-product meal, corn, wheat or soy.
- Formulated with essential antioxidants.
- Contains natural sources of glucosamine and chondroitin to support healthy joints.
- Great for large breed senior dogs 6 years and older.
This recipe is made with farm-raised Chicken, so not only will your senior Doberman be eating high-quality protein that will provide him with glucosamine, but he is also eating meat that is ethically sourced.
Final Thoughts
The Farmer’s Dog is our favorite dog food for Dobermans, as it’s absolutely packed with human-grade meat. Not only that, but it doesn’t have any needless fillers so you don’t have to worry about filling your pup with a bunch of empty calories.
If you want a quality food that won’t break the bank, consider Rachael Ray Nutrish. It’s not in the same league as Taste of the Wild, but you won’t need a co-signer for it either. It’s one of the best foods we found for Doberman owners on a budget.
Picking out a dog food can be surprisingly stressful, so we hope that these reviews have demystified the process a bit. Our top picks should give your pooch everything they need to stay healthy and happy, which is good because nobody wants to be around a ticked-off Doberman.
