Top 10 Best Dog Foods for German Shorthaired Pointer
Undoubtedly one of the most versatile hunting breeds in the world, the German Shorthaired Pointer excels at just about every task you put in front of them. These dogs are known for their energy, stamina, and ability to tackle challenges, especially in the hunting world.
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As an owner or even potential owner of the German Shorthaired Pointer, you are bound to be aware of their high energy levels and need for an abundance of activity. It’s no secret that dogs need a high-quality diet that is appropriate to their age, size, and activity level so that leaves us with the task of finding the best food out of the seemingly endless number of choices.
We’ve decided to step in and take some stress off your shoulders. We’ve done the research and checked the reviews and come up with a list of the 10 best dog foods for German Shorthaired Pointers available on the market.
The 10 Best Dog Foods for German Shorthaired Pointers
Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
This dry food from Blue Buffalo has less protein than most others on our list (20%), so it’s not ideal for highly active dogs like the German Shorthaired Pointer. It does include protein from a whole source — lamb — but it only contains one source of protein. This food also features meat meal, which is a less healthy alternative to complete protein sources. It’s packed with vitamins and minerals, and it includes omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to promote joint health. This food is on the more expensive side, and we found that it caused some digestive issues in our dog. As such, we wouldn’t particularly recommend this food, mainly because your dog may not find it appetizing in the first place.
- Can cause digestive issues
- Contains less protein than other options
- Includes meat meal
- Expensive
- Only one source of protein
- Not appetizing for dogs
- Includes whole protein source
- Packed with vitamins and minerals
- Includes joint-healthy ingredients
True Acre Foods Grain-Free Dry Dog Food – Best Value
This grain-free dog food packs a significant amount of protein and fat into each serving, and the protein comes from real sources. Chicken is the number one ingredient, and there are no fillers like wheat or corn, so this food will provide your pooch with the energy they need to stay fit and happy. The food contains a healthy amount of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which will reduce your German Shorthaired Pointer’s risk of joint issues. There are tons of vitamins and minerals to maintain overall health. This is another dry food that our German Shorthaired Pointer loved, so you should have no issues with your dog enjoying this food. There is less of a percentage of protein in this food (24%) than the previous food, which kept this one out of our number one spot. However, especially given the price and the value, we believe this is the best dog food for German Shorthaired Pointers for the money.
- Lower percentage of protein
- Fatty acids to promote joint health
- Packed with vitamins and minerals
- Enticing for dogs
- Includes multiple protein sources
- No filler ingredients
- Affordable
Ollie Fresh Dog Food Lamb Recipe – Best Overall
If you have an adventurous, energetic German Shorthaired Pointer and need a diet to keep up with their on-the-go lifestyle, Ollie is the way to go. Ollie offers scheduled, straight-to-your-door fresh frozen meals tailored to meet the dietary requirements of your specific dog. It’s so personal!
You can go through the motions on the easy-to-navigate site to get started. You simply view the meal plans and recipes to see what works for your dog and then fill in all the requested information. Once they receive your order, it will specifically be tailored to your dog’s needs and shipped frozen.
We got to review Ollie’s Fresh Lamb dish. It contains real red meat, cranberries, squash, kale, rice, and chickpeas—all ingredients that you see from sources you can trust. It has a perfect balance of ingredients that are easy to digest and give your dog only the best nutrition.
We love the convenience, quality, and savory flavor of this dog food, and so did our canine companions. We think that the meal plans, although somewhat costly, can make a world of difference in your dog’s skin and skin—and overall vitality.
With Ollie being our overall favorite, we think most pups can benefit from this specific brand. You even get discounts to try if it’s your first time ordering. What do you have to lose?
- Costly
- Specifically tailored for your pet
- Convenient meal plans
- High protein
- Ingredients you can see
Gentle Giants Canine Nutrition Dry Dog Food – Best for Puppies
This food from Gentle Giants is specially formulated for dogs of all ages, so we think this is the best option for German Shorthaired Pointer puppies. The healthy amount of protein comes from just one source, turkey, and while we’d like to see more sources for a better balance, we were happy to see that real meat was the first ingredient. This food contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to help prevent joint issues in your pooch, and there are tons of vitamins and minerals as well to promote overall health. The simple ingredient list means this food can be good for dogs with food allergies, but it does include some grains, which don’t offer much to your dog in the way of energy or nutrition. This is another food that our German Shorthaired Pointer loved, so it’s excellent even for picky eaters!
- Only one source of protein
- Includes some grains
- Fatty acids for joint health
- Includes vitamins and minerals
- Suitable for dogs of all ages
- Contains lots of protein
- May alleviate food allergies
- Enticing for dogs
The Honest Kitchen Whole Grain Dehydrated Dog Food
This food is the first on our list that needs to be rehydrated before feeding, making it an excellent option for travel. It includes real chicken as the first ingredient, which packs in a ton of protein (24.5%) that will maintain your dog’s vitality. There are some grains like barley and oats, which may add to the flavor but won’t offer much in terms of nutrition. It includes lots of healthy vitamins and minerals, but it lacks omega-3 fatty acids and glucosamine, so you’ll want to supplement this food to help prevent joint issues in your pooch. The high caloric content makes it suitable for puppies and older dogs alike, so you can stick with this food from puppyhood through adulthood. We did find that this seemed to be less appetizing to our German Shorthaired Pointer, so it may not be best if your dog is a picky eater.
- Contains some grains
- Lacks joint-friendly ingredients
- Less flavorful than other foods
- Packs in vitamins and minerals
- Suitable for dogs of all ages
- Great option for traveling
- Includes real protein sources
Taste of the Wild High Prairie Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
High Prairie from Taste of the Wild is another great option because of the ingredients included. This food contains real meat sources as the main ingredients, and it offers your dog a variety of animal proteins that will help sustain energy and health. It includes a healthy amount of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, both of which will help alleviate common German Shorthaired Pointer issues like hip and elbow dysplasia. There are no filler ingredients used in this food, and it packs in tons of vitamins and minerals that will help keep your dog healthy. Perhaps most importantly, our German Shorthaired Pointer could not get enough of this food, so your dog will likely be happy to indulge as well! It can cause some gas when first introduced to your pup, and it isn’t formulated for puppies, so you will need to choose a different option until your dog is grown.
- Not formulated for puppies
- Includes fatty acids for joint health
- No filler ingredients
- Made with real ingredients
- Variety of protein sources
- Full of vitamins and minerals
- Enticing for dogs
Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food
This freeze-dried dog food is another that can be rehydrated before feeding, making it an excellent option for travel. It packs in a ton of protein (48%), which will provide your high-energy German Shorthaired Pointer with the nutrition to keep going all day long. It contains just one source of protein, and while the first ingredient is chicken, it also includes ground bone. It’s packed with vitamins, minerals, and probiotics to aid in digestion, but it doesn’t contain any ingredients that will help maintain joint health. This food is on the more expensive side, and the pucks of food are relatively hard and may be difficult for your pup to eat if they aren’t broken up for them or rehydrated before feeding.
- Contains ground bone
- Pricey
- No joint-friendly ingredients
- Can be difficult to eat
- Aids in digestion
- Packed with vitamins and minerals
- Great option for traveling
- Full of protein
VICTOR Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
This grain-free dog food is made without additives like rice or oats, so it’s a good option in terms of providing protein and energy for your pooch. However, the protein sources include chicken meal and fish meal, neither of which are as healthy as whole protein sources. The food does include omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to promote healthy joints, and it boasts a long list of vitamins and minerals from plant sources as well. This is one of the more polarizing foods we reviewed in terms of how tasty it was, and our German Shorthaired Pointer declined to eat it. The food contains chicken fat as a prominent ingredient, which may contribute to food allergies and isn’t particularly healthy as a standalone ingredient. This is also one of the most expensive dry dog foods on our list.
- Less appetizing than other options
- Protein sources aren’t whole
- Chicken fat may exacerbate allergies
- Very expensive
- Made without grains or fillers
- Contains fatty acids for joint health
- Includes many vitamins and minerals
Nutro Ultra Large Breed Adult Dry Dog Food
This dry dog food has a lower percentage of protein by weight (23%), but it does include protein from multiple sources like chicken, salmon, and lamb. It provides glucosamine as well as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, all of which will contribute to joint health. There is also a wealth of vitamins and minerals in this food to promote overall health. The food wasn’t nearly as delicious to our German Shorthaired Pointer as the other options were, so this may not be suitable for you if your dog is a picky eater. While there is a good amount of protein sources in the food, it also contains quite a few grains like rice, barley, and oats, and these don’t offer your dog much nutrition. This food is also on the more expensive end of the dry food options we’ve reviewed.
- Less protein than other options
- Not as appetizing as other options
- Contains grains
- Pricey
- Protein from multiple sources
- Includes joint-healthy ingredients
- Packed with vitamins and minerals
American Journey Active Life Formula Dry Dog Food
This food from American Journey boasts a good amount of protein (24%), but it only includes one protein source: chicken. It contains brown rice, but it’s otherwise grain-free. There are generous amounts of fatty acids and glucosamine, which will contribute to your dog’s joint health. Because chicken is the only source of protein in this food, it may not be very appetizing to your dog, so you may find that they opt not to touch it — as ours did. It includes chicken fat, which isn’t particularly healthy and may exacerbate food allergies in your dog. A large portion of the protein comes from meat meal, which isn’t as healthy or as appetizing to your dog as whole protein sources.
- Not very enticing for dogs
- May exacerbate food allergies
- Only one protein source
- Includes grain
- Contains meat meal
- Good amount of protein
- Contains joint-healthy ingredients
Merrick Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
This is another grain-free food that doesn’t include fillers, which contributes to its very high protein content. The food contains multiple protein sources, but many of them are meat meal, which is less healthy than whole sources. It contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids as well as glucosamine, so it will contribute to your German Shorthaired Pointer’s joint health. The largest source of protein in this food is duck, which we’ve found to be very polarizing, and our dog wasn’t interested in eating it. The food pieces are tiny and not ideal for a medium-sized dog like the German Shorthaired Pointer, and the food is rather pricey.
- Very small pieces of kibble
- Very expensive
- Contains meat meal
- Not as appetizing as other options
- Grain-free formula
- High protein content
- Includes joint-healthy ingredients
Buyer’s Guide: How to Select the Best Dog Food for German Shorthaired Pointers
Choosing the Right Food
Trying to choose the best food for your German Shorthaired Pointer can be a bit overwhelming. We want to make sure we are making the best choice possible to ensure we have happy, healthy dogs on our hands. The best way to come to a final decision is by weighing in on some key factors and personal preferences.
Check the Label
Learning how to read the dog food label is important. Take a look at the full ingredient list as well as the caloric content, and the guaranteed analysis to see how the food stands up to competitors. The label can teach you a lot about the food you are about to feed your dog and learning how to read it will help you out in the long run.
Research the Different Brands
Do some quick research on the brands of interest to help you narrow down your choices. Does the brand have a checkered history of recalls and a questionable reputation? If so, maybe reconsider. You can also check to see if a certain brand strives to meet the AAFCO guidelines for pet foods, this will help you determine whether the food meets the appropriate nutrient profile for a well-balanced diet.
Keep Your Budget in Mind
- Your budget is going to play a role in any purchasing decision. The financial aspect of dog ownership must be weighed heavily before even bringing a dog home. High-quality food is necessary for every dog’s overall health and well-being and tends to come at a higher price. Food is a life-long necessity and will be a constant and ongoing expense.
- You never want to skimp out on quality for the sake of cost. Once you figure out what you can fit into your budget, you can narrow down your choices. If money is tight, there are some great options out there. Of course, fresh food is much more expensive than dry kibble but can also be used as a topper for dry kibble to get that fresh food in while saving a bit of money.
Food Quantity and Storage
German Shorthaired Pointers are medium to large-sized dogs that remain very active. They will require a higher quantity of food compared to smaller, less active dog breeds. You will want to ensure you get good value for your money in terms of quality versus quantity. Make sure to check the size of the bag or package to ensure you not only are getting enough food but have proper storage space. Keep in mind that with fresh food varieties, you will need to make some space in your refrigerator or freezer.
Talk to Your Veterinarian
Talking to your veterinarian about your dog’s meal plan is highly recommended. Veterinarians are educated professionals that will be able to assist you in making the best health decisions for your dog.
Choosing a dry dog food for your German Shorthaired Pointer may seem like an easy task, but there is a lot of thought and consideration that needs to go into your decision. You’ll want to make sure you choose a food that delivers the energy and nutrients your active dog needs to maintain proper health and energy levels. Hopefully, these reviews will narrow down your decision and help you choose a food that’s perfectly suited for your pooch.
Our top choice for quality and healthy ingredients is Ollie Fresh Dog Food Lamb recipe. We think this formula is excellent for German Shorthaired Pointers, given its protein content and joint-healthy ingredients. If you’re looking to be kind to your pooch and your wallet, our top choice for quality on a budget is True Acre Foods Grain-Free Dry Dog Food. It provides quality ingredients at a great value.
