Favorite Foods for Doodles

Want to know what to feed your Bernedoodle or Aussie Bernedoodle? All of the following are products we personally are using or have used for our own adults and puppies.

Your puppy will go home eating Farmina N&D Pumpkin Lamb & Blueberry Puppy kibble (mini size). This is a grain free food. See the link below to order from Amazon or you can order it direct from Farmina.com. Please make sure you are buying this exact formula as any quick changes will cause loose stools. Check out Dog Food Advisor for reviews on Farmina dog food.

We also recommend every puppy or adult dog gets a pro/prebiotic (Proviable is a good one) and Omega 3’s (rotate green lipped mussel oil, salmon, krill or mackerel oil) added to their daily diet. Many commercial dog foods lack essential Omega-3 fatty acids which are important for fighting inflammation, improving gut health, and ensuring optimal absorption of nutrients.

During weaning and the transition to kibble, our puppies will have goats milk, Farmina starter canned formula and a variety of lightly cooked and prepared proteins. Research has shown that dams fed a variety of raw and lightly cooked proteins during pregnancy and lactation help boost the puppies gut biome, which helps to minimize future food allergies.

Our Sires and Dams are fed a variety of foods, including Farmina N&D Pumpkin, Ocean and Prime formulas (a variety of different proteins), Ziwi Peak freeze-dried and/or Kiwi Kitchen air-dried, Viva Raw (all proteins), Steve’s Real Food Raw (mostly Turducken, Pork & White Fish), Badlands Ranch and/or Carna4. They also get fresh eggs (raised here on our ranch), fresh blueberries, apples, carrots and a small amount of other seasonal veggies. We also include Dr. Harvey’s Raw Vibrance (Paradigm for puppies) with other 80/10/10 raw proteins like rabbit, venison, duck, pork, turkey and quail as available. We supplement with the Adored Beasts and Dr. Harveys supplements, probiotics, salmon and krill oils.

The most important nutrients canines need are protein and fat. Dogs have no nutritional requirement for carbohydrates but can digest them in limited amounts. Manufacturers of dry kibble include them because starch is needed for the extrusion process and they are an inexpensive ingredient. Too many carbohydrates in our pet’s food can raise insulin and cause obesity.

Dogs are not designed to eat dry, processed foods their entire lives. Dry foods are ultra-processed, requiring the addition of vitamins, minerals and amino acids to replace nutrition lost in the high heat processing. The two main nutrients required by dogs are protein and fat. While dogs can survive eating some carbs, they are not essential for a healthy canine diet and in large quantities, can contribute to health issues. Unfortunately, the percentage of carbohydrates in a typical dry dog food is 46-74%. Yikes! Read the label on most dry dog food brands, including the ones sold by the top pet food manufactures and specialized veterinarian formulas. Take a look at the inclusion of corn, wheat, barley, rice, potatoes, inexpensive protein meal and legumes (in all their repetitive forms). Although not currently required on labels, starting next year dog food product labels will start showing the carbohydrate percentage and it will be easier for all pet parents to choose the best option.

Try to feed less overly processed dry kibble and more fresher options. Feed kibble with the lowest carb count and the least legumes that your budget allows. Consider freeze-dried, air-dried, canned, gently cooked or raw. Raw is now exceedingly easy to feed and comes in a complete formula, frozen and pre-portioned, as patties, nuggets and more. If you choose to gently cook turkey, beef, lamb etc., you can add the oil of your choice and either Raw Vibrance or Paradigm by Dr. Harvey’s to ensure you are giving a balanced meal. It couldn’t be easier. And it doesn’t have to break the budget. If you can start including just 10% more fresh foods, you significantly reduce the carbohydrates your canine is eating, and drastically improve their health. Personally, we feed our fresh and raw ingredients at breakfast and their evening meal is one of the dry formulas. This is also what our reproductive vet does for their own pets.