Choosing the best food for your German Shepherd

German Shepherds are a large, active breed, and many owners look for a food that supports healthy digestion. The best food for a German Shepherd is a complete recipe made with a named meat or fish ingredient, balanced nutrition, and carefully selected ingredients to help keep them feeling their best. Keep the recipe consistent, make changes slowly, and weigh what goes in the bowl. Our dry dog food recipes are a sensible place to start, and our large breed recipes are shaped around bigger frames.

There is one thing about this breed that matters more than the stomach, though, and we'll get to it below.

How much should a German Shepherd eat?

This is what owners ask us most, often in kilos rather than grams because the numbers get big.

For an average adult German Shepherd of around 30kg, on roughly an hour of exercise a day, our own starting points are:

• Dry food only: about 430g a day, so a little over 0.4kg

• Wet food only: about 992g a day, so just under 1kg

• Dry and wet together: about 235g dry plus 200g wet

Split that across two meals rather than one, and treat it as a starting point, allowing a swing either way for how active your dog is. Every recipe page has a feeding calculator built in that gives you the amount for that specific food.

If you're mixing wet and dry, the two numbers above give you the conversion: roughly 2.3g of wet food does the same job as 1g of dry for a dog this size. Take the kibble down as you add the tray, rather than putting the tray on top. Our guide to mix feeding covers the balance, and once a tray is open, move leftovers to an airtight container in the fridge and use within two to three days, as our guide to storing wet food explains.

Weigh food on kitchen scales. We can't recommend scoops or cups, because the bulk density of kibble differs from batch to batch, so the same scoop can hold noticeably different amounts. Keep treats to no more than about a tenth of the daily total, counted in rather than added on top.

What the UK health data actually says about German Shepherds

Here's the thing the sensitive-stomach reputation obscures. In the largest UK study of the breed, covering 12,146 German Shepherds in primary vet practice, the most commonly recorded problems were (O'Neill et al., 2017):

• Otitis externa, 7.89%. Inflammation of the outer ear canal.

• Osteoarthritis, 5.54%. Wear and inflammation in the joints.

• Diarrhoea, 5.24%. So digestive upsets are common, at roughly one dog in 20.

• Overweight or obesity, 5.18%.

• Aggression, 4.76%, recorded more often in males than females.

Now the part that matters is how you feed. Median lifespan in that study was 10.3 years, which is short for a dog of this size, and the leading recorded causes of death were musculoskeletal disorder at 16.3%, inability to stand at 14.9%, neoplasia at 14.5% and spinal cord disorder at 13.6%.

Add the musculoskeletal, standing and spinal figures together, and you're looking at close to half of all recorded deaths tied to a dog's ability to move.

That reframes the job of the food. Digestion matters, and we'll come to it. But the thing most likely to shorten a German Shepherd's life is mobility, and the two levers food actually pulls there are controlled growth as a puppy and a lean body weight for the rest of their life. Every extra kilo is carried by joints and a spine that are already the breed's weak point.

One more figure from that study that rarely gets mentioned: females lived a median 11.1 years against 9.7 years for males, a gap of nearly 18 months.

Sensitive digestion: real, but not the whole story

Diarrhoea was the third most common issue recorded, so the breed's reputation is earned. What tends to help is dull rather than dramatic.

• Consistency beats variety. A delicate gut prefers the same recipe day after day to constant chopping and changing.

• Change food slowly. With this breed, go slower than you think you need to. Ten days or more, shifting the balance a little at a time.

• Two meals rather than one. Smaller amounts are easier to process than one large bowl.

• Watch the extras. Table scraps and rich treats undo a lot of careful feeding.

If soft stools are your main issue, our food for sensitive stomachs gathers the recipes made with gentler digestion in mind. Persistent diarrhoea, or diarrhoea with weight loss, needs a vet rather than a food change.

EPI, in plain English

German Shepherds are the breed most affected by exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, and it has a hereditary streak in the breed (Westermarck et al., 2010). Knowing the basics helps.

• What it is: the pancreas normally makes enzymes that break food down so the body can absorb it. In EPI, it doesn't make enough, so food passes through only half digested.

• What you might notice: a dog that eats plenty but still loses weight, often with pale, loose, greasy poo and a lot of wind. Losing weight despite a good appetite always needs a vet visit.

• How it's handled: your vet diagnoses it with a blood test and manages it with prescribed enzyme supplements alongside an easy-to-digest diet. Food supports a dog whose EPI is being treated. It can't prevent or cure it.

Bloat, and the raised bowl advice you've probably been given

German Shepherds are deep-chested, which puts them at higher risk of gastric dilatation-volvulus, usually called bloat, where the stomach fills with gas and can twist. It's a genuine emergency.

You'll often read that a raised bowl helps. The research points the other way. In a study following 1,637 large and giant breed dogs, roughly 20% of bloat cases in large breeds and 52% in giant breeds were attributed to feeding from a raised bowl (Glickman et al., 2000). The same study found faster eating, increasing age, and having a close relative who'd had bloat all raised the risk.

So the practical takes are:

• Feed at floor level unless your vet has told you otherwise for a specific reason.

• Slow a fast eater down. A slow feeder bowl or splitting the meal in two both help.

• Keep things calm around mealtimes rather than a big bowl bolted down before a run.

• Ask the breeder whether bloat runs in the line, since family history mattered in that study.

None of this removes the risk. Learn the signs, which are a swollen, hard tummy, unproductive retching, drooling and obvious distress, and call your vet straight away if you see them.

Key nutrients to look for

When you're comparing foods, a handful of things matter far more than the wording on the front of the pack.

• Named, easily digestible animal protein first. Meat and fish ingredients like freshly prepared chicken or salmon are easier on the gut than vague protein sources, and help maintain muscle on a big, active dog.

• Gentle fibre and prebiotics. Prebiotics are fibres that feed the helpful bacteria in the gut, and alongside steady fibre they may help keep a sensitive digestion on an even keel.

• Omega-3 and omega-6. These fatty acids support healthy skin and a thick, glossy coat, which matters for a breed carrying a lot of it.

• Sensible calorie density. Calorie density is how many calories are packed into each gram. Given what the data says about joints, keeping a Shepherd lean is the single most useful thing food can do.

Dry, wet or mixed: the best food types for a German Shepherd

There's no single right format. Each has its place, and the best choice comes down to your dog and your routine.

• Dry food is convenient, easy to store and simple to portion accurately by weight, which helps a lot when you're keeping a large breed lean. Have a look at our dry dog food.

• Wet trays are higher in moisture and often more tempting for a fussier or off-colour eater. Our grain-free wet trays come in trays, never tins, and are easy to serve.

• Mixed feeding gives variety and a bit more moisture, and suits many Shepherds, as long as you weigh the total using the conversion above.

What to look for on the label

Whatever brand you're comparing, this quick checklist works on any pack.

• A named meat or fish ingredient at the top of the list, for example "freshly prepared chicken", rather than a broad term like "meat and animal derivatives". Both are legal descriptions; a named ingredient simply gives you more detail about what's in the bowl.

• No artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.

• Named fat sources, plus gentle fibre or prebiotics to support digestion.

• The words "complete" or "complementary" on the pack. A complete food gives your dog everything they need in the right balance and can be fed on its own. A complementary food, like many toppers and mixers, goes alongside a complete food rather than replacing it. For everyday feeding, you want complete.

• A recipe matched to your dog's life stage, and to any sensitivities where relevant.

Is Harringtons a good choice for a German Shepherd?

Honestly, yes, and here's the simple case, tied to what the breed actually needs.

• Our large breed recipes are built for bigger frames, and there's more on that in our guide to large breed feeding.

• Our grain-free recipes are built around freshly prepared meat and fish ingredients as the number one ingredient, and made without wheat, dairy or soya, which some sensitive dogs do better without.

• For dogs with sensitivities, our Just 6 recipes keep things simple with six key ingredients, so there's less to disagree with a delicate tummy. Our guide on why Just 6 suits sensitive tummies explains more.

• Our Superfoods recipes add functional extras like spinach, sweet potato and seaweed, good ingredients doing a bit more in the bowl.

• Our grain-free wet trays are made using our FreshCook® process and work nicely for mixed feeding.

Everything is made here in the UK, developed with veterinary input, free from artificial colours and flavours, and honestly priced. No compromise, which is rather the point. Our recipes are also available on subscription, which for a dog getting through this much food saves a fair bit of remembering.

Common food sensitivities in German Shepherds

• Signs to watch for include loose stools, excess wind, itchy skin, or weight loss despite a healthy appetite, which always needs a vet visit.

• The language matters here. True food allergies are actually quite rare, so it's more accurate to talk about food sensitivities. EPI is a separate, vet-diagnosed condition rather than a simple sensitivity.

• Where a food sensitivity is suspected, a simple, limited-ingredient recipe like Just 6 can be useful during a vet-guided elimination diet, where you strip the diet back and reintroduce foods one at a time. If skin is the main issue, our guide to why your dog might be itching has more.

Feeding a German Shepherd through life

• Puppy: slow, steady growth is the goal, not a big puppy fast. Overfeeding a large breed pup pushes growth harder than the skeleton wants, and the FEDIAF nutritional guidelines set upper calcium limits in large breed puppy food for that reason. Feed to expected adult weight rather than current weight. Our puppy food is made for growing dogs, our guide to how much to feed a puppy covers portions, and our guide to moving onto adult food covers the switch.

• Adult: keep feeding consistent and easy to digest, and match the amount to how active your dog really is. Neutering matters too, as many dogs need a little less afterwards, so keep an eye on body condition. There's more in our guide to neutering and spaying.

• Senior: as they slow down, a gentler, lighter recipe often suits them better, and staying lean matters more than ever. Take a look at our senior dog food.

Keeping the weight off the joints

Given what the mortality data shows, this is the section that earns its place.

• Weigh meals in grams and keep treats inside the daily allowance.

• Do a hands-on body condition check monthly. You should be able to feel the ribs easily under a light covering, and see a clear waist when you look down from above.

• Keep exercise regular rather than occasional and intense, which is harder on joints. Our dog walking guide has ideas.

• Watch for stiffness after rest, reluctance on stairs, or slowing on walks. Early signs are easy to write off as age.

• If your Shepherd needs to lose a noticeable amount of weight, do it alongside your vet rather than cutting food sharply on your own. For a dog carrying a lot of extra weight, ongoing veterinary support makes a real difference.

Ingredients and foods to avoid

• Toxic foods including grapes, raisins, onions, garlic, chocolate, macadamia nuts and xylitol, a sweetener found in some sugar-free products. Our guide to foods that are poisonous for dogs has the full list.

• Artificial colours, flavours and preservatives.

• Seasoned, fatty or salty human leftovers, which can upset a sensitive stomach in particular.

You may also have seen worry about a possible link between grain-free food and a heart condition called dilated cardiomyopathy, or DCM, where the heart muscle weakens. It's a fair question, so here's the honest position. As of 2024, the US Food and Drug Administration has not found a proven causal link, and describes the picture as complex. Where there has been a signal, it has pointed towards diets very high in pulses and legumes such as peas and lentils, rather than the absence of grain itself. Learn more in our guide to whether dogs need grain-free food.

References

Glickman, L. T., Glickman, N. W., Schellenberg, D. B., Raghavan, M., & Lee, T. L. (2000). Non-dietary risk factors for gastric dilatation-volvulus in large and giant breed dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 217(10), 1492-1499. https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/217/10/javma.2000.217.1492.xml

O'Neill, D. G., Coulson, N. R., Church, D. B., & Brodbelt, D. C. (2017). Demography and disorders of German Shepherd Dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK. Canine Genetics and Epidemiology, 4, Article 7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40575-017-0046-4

Westermarck, E., Saari, S. A. M., & Wiberg, M. E. (2010). Heritability of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in German Shepherd dogs. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 24(2), 450-452. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1939-1676.2009.0461.x

FEDIAF. (2024). Nutritional guidelines for complete and complementary pet food for cats and dogs. https://europeanpetfood.org/self-regulation/nutritional-guidelines/

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2024). Questions & answers: FDA's work on potential causes of non-hereditary DCM in dogs. https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/questions-answers-fdas-work-potential-causes-non-hereditary-dcm-dogs