Recommended Puppy Food

Listed are what I feel are the best dog foods for your Llewellin Setter. After raising over a hundred of pups and dogs over the past 25 years I’ve learned a lot. I’ve seen a lot. I’ve seen the difference food makes.

I believe with every ounce of me that you should feed the very best you possibly can. What you put into your dog starting as a puppy will absolutely, without a doubt, make the difference in his health for the rest of his life—which, I also feel will be extended by several years—and be disease-free. Spending a little extra in the quality of food you feed your dog will save you thousands in vet bills later and extend your dog’s life and enhance the quality.

First, I highly recommend obtaining the following books:

• •  Dr. Becker’s Real Food for Healthy Cats and Dogs
  • Canine Nutrigenomics, The New Science of Feeding Your Dog for Optimum Health by Dodds, W. Jean; Laverdure, Diana
  • The Forever Dog: Surprising New Science to Help Your Canine Companion Live Younger, Healthier, and Longer

Next, head over to The Truth About Pet Food and purchase “The List” , A yearly list of pet foods wherein:

• All companies provided verification to:
  • human grade food ingredients;
  • human grade supplements (if applicable);
  • organic ingredients (if applicable);
  • and meats sourced from humanely raised animals (if applicable).

The Types of Food to Feed In Order of Best to Worst

1. A complete, balanced home-prepared Species-Appropriate Raw or cooked diet.
2. Commercially prepared frozen complete Raw diet
3. Commercially prepared dehydrated/freeze-dried complete diet
4. Human-grade canned & kibble
5. Super-premium kibble

I believe all foods should be:

• Organic if possible
• Free-range (pastured) meat
• Human-grade
• Sourced within the U.S. or Canada, or New Zealand
• No food you feed your dog should include corn, wheat, soy, or oats.
• No food should list unnamed meat sources (e.g., “meat meal”, “meat by-products”). The first 6 ingredients listed on the dog food are the most important.

Switch food brands/manufactures and protein sources often. This is the best way to be certain your dog is receiving a well-balanced diet.

I now feel the quality of ingredients and the freshest possible ingredients is most important and a bag of processed dry dog food is not it any of these things.

Commercial Raw and/or Dehydrated Dog Foods/Freeze Dried (First choice for your dog or puppy):

This list changes frequently and they change their recipes, go in and out of business, etc. So these are a few suggestions at the time of this writing. (May ’23). It is so important that you become educated on what makes a good dog food or not.

• Stewart Freeze-Dried Food 
• All Provide Raw
• Raised Right Fresh Human-Grade Dog Food
• Instinct Raw Freeze-Dried
• Dr. Marty’s Nature’s Blend Healthy Growth
• Stella & Chewy’s Chicken & Salmon Puppy Patties
• BJ’s Raw Puppy Mix
• Open Farm
• Bixbi
• Steve’s
• Darwin’s

Dry Kibble:

• Orijen Puppy
• Open Farm Puppy
• Northwest Naturals

Human-grade Canned Dog Foods

Human-grade canned dog foods can be an excellent addition, so if you have more money than time, human-grade canned foods are an excellent addition.

• Farmina N&D Pumpkin, Lamb, Pumpkin & Blueberry Starter & Puppy Wet

Note: I sometimes use affiliate links wherein if you purchase using one of the links, I receive a small referral fee which is of no extra cost to you whatsoever. I only recommend or affiliate with products or companies I’ve tried myself.