Snapshots of Some of the Best Dog Food for Dobermans

I love Merrick. It’s what we feed our dog at home, and she loves it too. We’ve fed her several different formulas, and they’re just all really good.

One of the reasons I like this brand is that the ingredients are all super high-quality, and they have lots and lots of protein.

In this particular formula, protein accounts for 70% of the calories. That’s a lot, and it’s a really great choice for active dogs.

However, please be careful: this dog food may contain too much protein for Dobermans with kidney problems.

The rest of the calories in this recipe come from fresh produce, and the carbohydrates come from sweet potatoes, which means there aren’t any grains, and it’s a good choice for pups with tummy problems. There’s no corn, wheat or soy.

Again, this is what our pup eats on a daily basis, and we really can’t recommend it enough.

We picked this dog food because it kind of walks that tightrope of just the right amount of protein for a dog who wants to protect his little puppy kidneys.

Protein accounts for 26% of the total calories here, so it’s right in the goldilocks zone if you’re worried about health (kidney) problems down the road.

There are some grains in this recipe, but there are also plenty of sources of veggies and fats, including flaxseed, which gives your Doberman access to those essential omegas. It also contains avocados, which are a great, natural source of fats, which makes it the best doberman puppy food.

This is also a good food for other breeds, like pit bulls. 

I wanted to include a wet food option here, since supplementing your Doberman’s regular food with a bit of wet food is a good way to prevent bloat, which is super dangerous.

However, I want to be clear: unless your Doberman buddy has kidney problems, I don’t recommend this as his daily food. The protein’s a little too low for that, I think.

But it’s a very good option if you want to mix in some wet food with your pup’s dry food.

Another major benefit of this food is that most of it is organize (or maybe all of it; not sure). The primary ingredient is organic chicken, and there’s no wheat, no corn, no soy, and no gluten. In other words, it’s made to be very digestible.

I got a sample of this for our dog, and the taste factor seems to be getting high marks.

This is another good wet, organic food you can use to supplement your dog’s dry food., the ingredients come from great, whole, natural sources.

For instance, the main ingredient is organic Chicken. The second ingredient is potato.

So why are we recommending it? First, the ingredients are good. Second, for a Doberman, you really only need to use wet food to supplement his regular try food.

I wouldn’t use this as your dog’s primary food, but for a Doberman who likes a little wet food mixed in, this is a really fantastic option.

To wrap up our list, we chose another Newman’s Own formula.

It’s not typically high up on my list, but that’s because the protein content is a little low. The ingredients are still great.

So, I’m recommending this mostly for Dobermans with kidney problems. Of course, you’ll want to check with your vet, but at 21%, the protein percentage is pretty moderate, and it should be much more palatable for dogs whose kidneys aren’t in the best shape.

Another big plus is that everything is organic. It contains chicken (not meal or byproduct), organic barley, organic peas, organic oats, and a bunch of other organic stuff.

Doberman Health Problems & How They Affect Diet

Dobermans, more than most dogs, require a high-quality diet. They’re prone to plenty of health problems, and some are super serious. Having a good diet is usually the first step to keeping your companion healthy.

Bloat. Bloat is a very, very serious problem, and it’s common in large dogs with deep chests, like a Doberman’s. Bloat occurs when a dog’s stomach fills with gasses, causing it to flip over on itself. When this happens, gasses can’t escape from the body.

If this happens to your dog, take him to the vet immediately. It’s a real emergency, and it can be fatal.

Luckily, you can also help prevent it with a few nutritional adjustments. The first thing you can do is give your dog smaller meals, which will produce less gas. Divide your Dobermans’ daily food into at least two meals, but he’s probably better off with three or four—just to be safe.

You can also add a bit of wet food in with his dry food. This also helps reduce gasses. Lastly, try to make sure he’s not exercising close to meal time, and keep his water bowl topped off (and close to the ground).

Hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism means that your pup’s thyroid gland doesn’t produce quite enough T3 and T4 hormones. If your dog has this condition, it may be really easy for him to gain weight—even when he’s getting regular, daily exercise.

Dobermans with hypothyroidism should avoid grains and highly processed fillers that are frequently found in commercial dog foods. Instead, try to find foods with lots of whole, high-quality ingredients consisting mostly of meat, fruits, veggies and roots.

Wobbler’s Syndrome. Dobermans are also at risk for a health condition called “Wobbers Syndrome,” an affliction of the spinal cord that causes them to stumble, wobble, and lose balance or fall.

This usually happens later in life, but the key to preventing it is controlling your Doberman’s weight as a puppy. This mostly just means not feeding your Doberman puppy food beyond six months of age and making sure he’s gaining weight steadily instead of all at once. So just check with your vet.

Like this article? You might also dig this one on food for German shepherds, then. We've also put together a guide to feeding your Great Dane. Or, if you're an English bulldog owner, look here. Or, here's some info for all you Border Collie folks.

**Disclaimer: Our dog food reviews are based mostly on (1) our expertise and that of the experts with whom we consult and (2) the information provided by the manufacturers. We do test many dog foods (with our dog's help), but we can't test them all. As such, please remember the above recommendations are our opinions, and you should consult your vet before making changes to your dog's diet.

Image credits: Chewy.com