Freeze-dried
Price coming soon85% meat
- High meat85% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
Rated & compared
Dry dog food for puppy food
Dry food is the default for most households: it is usually the cheapest way to feed a complete diet, it keeps for weeks once opened, and the choice is wider here than in any other format. For puppies, the question is whether the recipe is built for the job.
Dry dog food for puppy food
70.4/100
average ODF Score
- Foods on this list551
- Price per day£0.25 - £7.96
Top score 94/100 - Waita Freeze Dried Complete Food
551 foods
Wainwright'sWainwright's Sensitive Puppy Dry Food
DryPuppy
£0.81 / day approx.51% meat
- High meat51% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
Wolf of WildernessWolf Of Wilderness Soft Junior
DryPuppy
£0.75 / day approx.41% meat
- High meat41% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
DryPuppy
£1.41 / day approx.6% meat
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
barking headsBarking Heads Big Foot Puppy Days Dry
DryPuppy
£1.25 / day approx.60% meat
- High meat60% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
- HypoallergenicLimited, single-source ingredients - kinder to sensitive dogs.
barking headsBarking Heads Puppy Days Dry Food
DryPuppy
£1.57 / day approx.60% meat
- High meat60% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
- HypoallergenicLimited, single-source ingredients - kinder to sensitive dogs.
Bob and lushBob & Lush Puppy Kibble
DryPuppy
£1.45 / day approx.55% meat
- High meat55% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
- HypoallergenicLimited, single-source ingredients - kinder to sensitive dogs.
- Sensitive stomachFormulated to be gentle on digestion.
DryPuppy
£0.60 / day approx.29% meat
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
DryPuppy
£0.91 / day approx.29% meat
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
DryPuppy
£1.15 / day approx.30% meat
- High meat30% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
DryPuppy
£1.34 / day approx.60% meat
- High meat60% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
- Sensitive stomachFormulated to be gentle on digestion.
CarniloveCarnilove True Fresh Puppy
DryPuppy
£1.24 / day approx.60% meat
- High meat60% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
Dachshund SuperfoodDachshund Superfood Puppy
£1.28 / day approx.65% meat
- High meat65% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
- HypoallergenicLimited, single-source ingredients - kinder to sensitive dogs.
- Sensitive stomachFormulated to be gentle on digestion.
Essential FoodsEssential The Beginning
DryPuppy
£1.39 / day approx.34% meat
- High meat34% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
Essential FoodsEssential The Beginning Working
DryPuppy
£1.15 / day approx.34% meat
- High meat34% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
DryPuppy
£1.39 / day approx.71% meat
- High meat71% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Sensitive stomachFormulated to be gentle on digestion.
James and ellaJames & Ella Freeze-Dried Raw
Freeze-dried
£7.39 / day approx.80% meat
- High meat80% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
LifestageLifestage Grain Free Puppy Dry Food
DryPuppy
£0.66 / day approx.60% meat
- High meat60% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
- HypoallergenicLimited, single-source ingredients - kinder to sensitive dogs.
- Sensitive stomachFormulated to be gentle on digestion.
Millie's WolfheartMillies Wolfheart Obedience Mix
Dry
£0.98 / day approx.20% meat
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
DryPuppy
£1.09 / day approx.50% meat
- High meat50% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
- HypoallergenicLimited, single-source ingredients - kinder to sensitive dogs.
- Sensitive stomachFormulated to be gentle on digestion.
Optimum PetOptimum Pet Health Puppy Small-Medium Breeds
DryPuppy
£0.61 / day approx.50% meat
- High meat50% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
SkippersSkipper's Ocean Puppy Grain Free
DryPuppy
£0.85 / day approx.60% meat
- High meat60% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
- HypoallergenicLimited, single-source ingredients - kinder to sensitive dogs.
- Sensitive stomachFormulated to be gentle on digestion.
DryPuppy
£0.75 / day approx.55% meat
- High meat55% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
Wolf of WildernessWolf of Wilderness Junior Soft "Wide Acres" - Chicken
DryPuppy
£1.02 / day41% meat
- High meat41% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
Puppies are building a body, so they need more energy, more protein and a controlled calcium-to-phosphorus balance than an adult dog does. Large-breed puppies in particular should not grow too fast, which is why growth-specific recipes exist. Kibble hides its ingredients better than any other format, which is exactly why the label matters. "Meat and animal derivatives" can legally mean almost anything, and "with chicken" can mean as little as 4%. Look for named meats with percentages, and check what fills the rest of the bag.
Puppies need a food labelled for growth or for all life stages, not an adult maintenance recipe. Every food below is filtered to dry dog food suitable for puppies, and scored out of 100 on its label alone, with the full breakdown on each food page so you can see exactly where its points went.
Dry dog food for puppy food FAQs
What is the best dry dog food for puppies?
The one whose label holds up. Our list ranks every dry dog food suitable for puppies by the ODF Score, which reads the ingredients rather than the marketing. Puppies need a food labelled for growth or for all life stages, not an adult maintenance recipe.
Is dry food good for puppy dogs?
It can be an excellent choice, and it is the format most puppy dogs are fed on. Quality varies enormously though, and the difference sits in the ingredients list rather than the price. Puppies need a food labelled for growth or for all life stages, not an adult maintenance recipe.
How long should a dog stay on puppy food?
Most dogs move to adult food somewhere between nine and eighteen months, later for large and giant breeds because they keep growing for longer. Your vet or the feeding guide on the pack is the better guide than a fixed number.
Related guides
Go deeper on the topics behind this page.
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Puppy feeding guide: how much, how often, and when to switchHow much to feed a puppy, how often, when to move to adult food - and the one mistake that can permanently damage a large-breed dog.Read the guide
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Is grain-free dog food bad for dogs?Grain-free scores better in our data - but not for the reason the packaging implies. The DCM question, the price confound, and who it is actually for.Read the guide