Feeding Your Puppy: General Nutrition Guidelines

At Whole Dog Journal and here at Seven Hills Labradoodles, we believe nutrition plays a major role in your puppy’s long-term health, development, and overall well-being. While every dog is unique, these general feeding guidelines can help you make informed choices for your Australian Labradoodle.

Rotate Quality Foods

Consider rotating quality dog foods over time—even between trusted brands and protein sources. Rotation can help provide nutritional variety and may reduce the risk of relying too heavily on one specific formula.

Feed the Best Food That Works for Your Dog

The best food is not always the most expensive food. Choose the highest-quality food that fits your budget and works well for your dog. Extremely inexpensive foods often contain lower-quality ingredients, fillers, or heavily processed protein sources that may not provide optimal nutrition.

Read Ingredient Labels

Always read the ingredient panel. Ideally, you should recognize many of the ingredients listed. Real meat, wholesome grains (if tolerated), fruits, and vegetables should appear high on the ingredient list. Be cautious of foods filled with unnamed meat meals, excessive fillers, or heavily processed ingredient fractions.

Special Diets Should Have a Purpose

Grain-free, limited-ingredient, or exotic-protein diets can be helpful in specific situations, but they are not automatically “better” for every dog. These diets are often best used when recommended by your veterinarian for allergies, sensitivities, or digestive concerns.

Watch Your Dog, Not Just the Bag

Every dog is different. Pay attention to your puppy’s energy, coat quality, digestion, stool consistency, skin health, and overall happiness. If your dog thrives on a food—great. If not, it may be time to make a change.

At the end of the day, your dog will often tell you what works best. Healthy skin, a shiny coat, good energy, healthy digestion, and consistent growth are all signs you’re on the right track. 🐾