How to Choose the Best Dog Food for Goldendoodles
The lively Goldendoodle is a delightful pooch, filling its family’s home with joy and love. A social creature, the Goldendoodle is happiest in the presence of those it loves most; whether it be cuddled up on the couch or out enjoying an adventure together.
The Goldendoodle is created by breeding a purebred Golden Retriever to a Poodle. Available in several size variations, the Goldendoodle adapts well to most living conditions but does not thrive in an apartment setting due to its high activity requirements.
A breed that was purposefully bred to create a larger designer dog with a low shedding coat, the Goldendoodle traces it roots to the United States in the 1990s. Today, it is one of the most popular cross breeds in the world.
A dog breed that was originally intended to be a cherished family companion, the Goldendoodle is intelligent and versatile. The breed has been successfully employed as a working dog, enjoy its role as a service and guide dog as well as in therapy work. The Goldendoodle is athletic and excels at such dog performance events as agility, obedience, Rally, and scent detection.
To keep the Goldendoodle physically and mentally well, regular daily exercise is a must. To fuel this dog’s activity levels, this energetic pooch should be fed only the best dog foods for Goldendoodles. These typically are well-balanced formulations that are chock full of exceptional quality ingredients to support the Goldendoodle’s health and wellness.
Choosing the Correct Calorie Count for Goldendoodles
As a young and developing breed, there continues to be a great deal of diversity in the Goldendoodle in terms of appearance and size. To ensure the dog gets all of the nutrition it needs each day, it is a good idea to consult the suggested serving size on the bag as a starting point to determining correct portions. These amounts can be adjusted with the dog’s appetite, weight, size, and activity level serving as helpful guidelines when making changes.
Weight gain is not a common problem for the active Goldendoodle. However, to help maintain a good body condition, it is an excellent idea to measure all food and monitor the dog’s daily intake. Free feeding is strongly discouraged.
The Goldendoodle is a breed that can be predisposed to bloat. Though it is not known what factors must combine to create this condition, it is generally believed that eating too much and too quickly may contribute to the problem. To combat this issue, it is recommended that the Goldendoodle be fed smaller meals, more frequently throughout the day. It is also an excellent idea to consider feeding a large breed formulation as the kibble pieces are big enough to encourage slower eating.
Any food suited to the needs of the Goldendoodle should contain a minimum of 18 percent protein and 5 percent fat.
Dietary Requirements for Goldendoodle Dog Foods
The Goldendoodle is a high energy dog, and thus, needs a diet that can fuel its daily energy reserves. The best dog foods for the Goldendoodle make a meat-based protein the foundation for their formulation. Whole meats are the preferred option, but meat meals are also an excellent source of concentrated nutrients.
Plant-based proteins such as corn, wheat, and soy as well as by-products are inferior quality and can be difficult for the Goldendoodle to digest. They are also common allergens for many dogs. Since the Goldendoodle can be plagued by allergies, it is best to avoid foods that include these items in their ingredients list. Other items to avoid include chemicals, preservatives, and artificial colors, and flavors.
Carbohydrates form an important, but lesser, part of the ideal diet for the Goldendoodle. These can be taken from grains, fruits, or vegetables. Dogs with sensitive stomachs or food allergies may do best on a grain-free formulation. The primary role of any carbohydrate included in a food for the Goldendoodle is its ease of digestibility and high antioxidant profile.
Healthy fats provide the Goldendoodle with the boost their energy reserves need. In addition to this, the essential fatty acids found in such powerhouse foods as oily fish or chicken fat help support coat and skin health. Vegetable oils such as canola and safflower are also beneficial but are not the preferred choice for healthy fats.
To provide additional support for the Goldendoodle’s health, it is a good idea to select a diet that is rich in supplements. The best ones to look for in a high quality diet for this breed are prebiotics, probiotics, glucosamine, and chondroitin.
Things to Look for in the Best Dog Food for Goldendoodles
Here is a basic list of the most important things to look for in the best dog food for a Goldendoodle:
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Whole proteins heading up the ingredients list
The best dog foods for Goldendoodles include a meat-based protein as the primary ingredient in the recipe. Foods containing by-products and plant-based proteins should be avoided.
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Prepared without the addition of chemicals, flavorings, fillers, or mystery ingredients
Chemicals, fillers, artificial flavorings and colorings, and mystery ingredients provide no nutritional benefit to the Goldendoodle. Foods containing these items are not suited for the needs of this breed.
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Enriched with probiotics and helpful supplements
Supplements help dog foods to be their most effective. The best supplements for the Goldendoodle include prebiotics, probiotics, glucosamine, and chondroitin.
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Meets AAFCO nutritional requirements for a complete and balanced food
All foods appropriate for the Goldendoodle should bear the AAFCO seal of approval, indicating it meets the standards for a complete and balanced food.