A beautiful breed of shepherding dogs from the Bern area of the Swiss Alps, Bernese Mountain dogs, especially as puppies, are some of the cutest and kindest dogs you could ever hope to find. As a large breed, they are prone to joint and bone issues, so it’s important to keep your Bernese Mountain Dog eating properly.
Here are the top five foods for Bernese Mountain pups.
Best Puppy Foods for Bernese Mountain Dogs
Here are our Bernese Mountain Dog puppy food reviews.
1. Holistic Select Natural Dry Dog Food
Holistic Select is the perfect choice for your large breed pup. This balanced, grain-free kibble mix has the high-protein your young dog needs. This food contains salmon-oil for healthy joints, probiotics to aid digestion, as well as high-quality ingredients, this is an excellent brand.
- Omega 3 fatty acids from salmon to help joints
- High protein content to keep puppies growing
- No preservatives, artificial coloring or meat by-products
2. Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy Food
With a guaranteed crude protein content of 27%, the Diamond Naturals brand of large breed puppy food is a great choice. Lots of organic superfoods are found in the ingredient list, and your pup will be getting plenty of omega 3s for their joints and nervous system with this choice. Be sure to use caution as this type of dog food is not best for all pups.
- Grain-free and corn-free to aid digestion
- Guaranteed enough protein percentage for your pup
- Pasture-raised lamb packed with antioxidants to increase the lifespan
3. CANIDAE PURE Puppy Recipe
This brand is a treat for large-breed pups like the Bernese. Always free of corn, wheat, and soy, this mix is rich in protein and omega 3 fatty acids to support joints and coat. If you have a picky dog, the Canidae may be what you’ve been searching for.
- High-quality ingredients from real food
- Six different flavors to choose from
- Excellent for weak joints and coat shine
4. Hill’s Science Diet Dry Dog Food
Rich with protein, phosphorus, and calcium, this brand will help your Bernese Mountain dog grow up with strong bones. Hill’s Science Diet is also formulated with fish oil to protect the brain, nervous system, eyes, coat, and joints. This brand is also recommended for hypo-allergenicity in case your puppy has a sensitive system.
- Designed for bone strength and growth
- Most recommended by vets and made in the U.S.A.
- High-quality food ingredients
5. Purina Pro Plan Dry Puppy Food
Often recommended by vets, Purina Pro Plan for Large Breeds uses real chicken and has 28% crude protein, which is plenty for your Bernese Mountain Dog pup. This is a very popular brand, and most puppies seem to love it. This brand is an old fan favorite.
- Glucosamine and omega 3s for joint health
- Easy access Inflator inspection window.
- Supplemented with probiotics to aid digestion and immune health
Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy Food Buying Guide
With a large breed like the Bernese Mountain Dog, they are growing very fast as puppies. Be careful to avoid over-feeding your Bernese pup, as these dogs’ tendency for joint issues can be exacerbated by being overweight. You want your puppy to have loose skin over their ribs without too much of a layer of fat.
According to authorities, puppies need 22% of their food to be protein derived from animal sources, and this figure falls below 20% for adult dogs. This figure is around 15% for the fat content of your puppy’s food, with a range of 10-25%. Because young dogs need food with higher amounts of protein and fat, they do need a slightly different diet than what you give them as adults.
Words of Caution
Every puppy is different, and there’s no way to know for sure how your pup will react to a new bag of food. Switching diets or foods should be done gradually, and with plenty of time to get used to the new food while still having access to the previous. There is no way to know how your own Bernese Mountain pup is going to react to a new type of food, so it’s important to keep a close eye on your dog as you start in on a new brand of puppy food, carefully watching for changes in behavior, health, or energy levels. Any type of new food can upset a puppy’s sensitive stomach, so it’s key to keep a close watch on your pup’s well-being.
Feeding Schedule
Puppies usually need a set schedule of 3 regular meals a day, and as they get older than a year or 18 months, you can move them to twice a day with bigger meals. Especially for puppies under 14 weeks, they need three smaller meals per day, of about a half-cup to a cup of food. Free feeding is a practice usually reserved for dogs who are pregnant or nursing, so avoid free-feeding your Bernese Mountain pup, or it may become prone to obesity and joint or hip problems. As your puppy grows older than 14 weeks, consider starting to feed it 1-2 cups of food per meal.
Ingredients
The first ingredient should be a form of animal protein. Dogs are omnivorous like us humans, but they have an increased reliance on meat protein, and this is especially true for growing puppies. Keep a close eye on the ingredient list as you are shopping for your Bernese Mountain pup’s food.
Bernese Mountain Dogs are adorable and charming. Make sure they grow up properly with the best puppy food money can buy.
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