The best dog food for puppies of 2024: nutritious, flavourful, and affordable

Widely regarded by nutritionists and dog owners alike as the finest dog food for puppies on the market, Orijen's dry blend of fresh ingredients such as chicken, turkey, herring, mackerel and sardines offers puppies a delicious, protein-packed meal that even the fussiest pups will enjoy.

This 11.4 kg bag is filled with an excellent variety of fish and fowl, and unlike most dry dog foods for puppies, it's not overloaded with empty carbohydrates or packed with far too many vegetables. Developing a strong gut microbiome for puppies plays an essential part in their well-being in later life, and having a strong variety of raw protein and vegetables plays a massive part in this. A happier gut is a happier dog, and the inclusion of mackerel, sardines and herring, all of which are high in omega-3, helps reduce anxious behaviour.

Perhaps the only notable downside of Orijen puppy dog food is its fairly low weight for the price. Yes, 11.4 kg might sound substantial, but if you have a larger dog, you'll find that a bag of Orijen isn't going to last very long. It's certainly one of the more expensive dog food brands available, which is why caution must be taken in choosing it.

Overall, Orijen's puppy dry dog food is the perfect, flavour-packed meal for even the fussiest of dogs to enjoy every day, it is unquestionably one of the best dog foods for puppies who need as much protein as possible to develop strong muscles and wagging tails.

Pooch and Mutt is a well-known brand amongst pet enthusiasts, and it's readily available in supermarkets and across the internet. Pooch and Mutt Primal lamb and ostrich flavour is a sensational choice for giving your puppy a flavour-packed, highly nutritious meal that'll cover all your puppy's needs. Unlike most high-protein puppy food, Pooch and Mutt's Primal lamb and ostrich dry food is highly affordable, without being overloaded with carbohydrates.

Dry food is excellent for your dog's dental hygiene and is considerably less gruesome to deal with than a raw food diet, and since it has a fairly high protein percentage, your puppy will be getting plenty of meat for strong muscle development, which is especially important in breeds which are prone to issues such as hip dysplasia.

For the price, Pooch and Mutt's Primal dry food is terrific, but it isn't perfect – the lack of vegetable variety, with 13 per cent of the overall bag being comprised of peas, isn't the best for variation. That being said, the primary sources of nutrition for growing pups are certainly there with the Primal Dry Food, and if you're keen to give your puppy some extra superfoods for a healthier gut, there are plenty of food toppers and supplements to try.

A particularly excellent choice for large dogs on account of its high protein content, Forthglade's delicious variety of wet puppy food will prove irresistibly moreish to puppies and even adult dogs thanks to its excellent blend of meat with minimal carbohydrates.

A fantastic choice even for fussy dogs, Forthglade's wet puppy food comes in individual packs which can be served whole if your puppy's a little larger, or in portions and kept in the fridge if you have a small or toy breed. This wet puppy food is bursting with over 75 per cent meat, with two flavours to choose from: chicken with liver, or lamb with liver.

It's certainly a pricier and less space-efficient choice, especially if you're using fridge space to store it. Forthglade's wet puppy food's biggest weakness, however, comes from its softness. As a soft food, there isn't any abrasion for a dog's teeth to remove trapped plaque, and wet food has a larger tendency to become trapped around the gums too.

Dental problems can occur if your puppy's wet food diet isn't accompanied by something to chew, which is why giving dogs tough animal parts or chews is incredibly beneficial for them, but you should only do this once they're old enough.

That being said, Forthglade's wet puppy food variety pack is one of the best wet dog foods on the market, and its nutrition will provide plenty of protein for healthy development.

For a reliably nourishing everyday food for your beloved pup, AVA's delightful Optimum Health dry dog food is an excellent value choice that provides dogs with plenty of protein for growing muscles and a hearty chicken flavour. Full of protein at around 30 per cent, the Optimum Health dry dog food from AVA is formulated to be hypoallergenic and suitable for sensitive stomachs, which many popular breeds are prone to being.

Dogs that eat AVA Optimum Health will benefit from the crunchy dry kibble which helps to keep teeth clean, as well as the high levels of protein, with even the inclusion of salmon oil which has an incredible effect on puppy's anxiety levels.

Perhaps the largest downside of the AVA Optimum Health dry dog food is its huge amount of carbohydrates. For dogs, carbohydrates should be a smaller part of their diet, and with such high carbohydrates, dogs can be prone to weight gain. It's therefore recommended that you give AVA to active dog breeds who value this large amount of carbohydrate energy. The reason carbohydrates are particularly high with AVA's Optimum Health dry dog food is due to the use of brown rice, which is there for a specific purpose: for sensitive guts.

Dogs with allergies can benefit from the gentle blandness of brown rice, providing them with energy that they might otherwise be able to get from other foods. For medium breeds, AVA's Optimum Health dry dog food is a superb, cost-effective choice that won't leave you without a dog toy budget.

Raw diets aren't a fad: feeding your pup a raw diet has some incredible health benefits, and with Bella and Duke's premium recipes, they're bound to go wild for it. This fantastic dog food for puppies is of the highest quality imaginable, using human-quality ingredients to provide a healthy, balanced meal for your dogs, without any turned-up noses.

Raw food is known to be fantastic for a dog's muscle development, it creates a softer, oilier coat and keeps skin and teeth healthy. There are countless reasons to feed your dog raw food, but it can be initially daunting to consider. For working dog breeds who enjoy scattered food, it can become a health hazard for the humans of the household if you don't clean properly post-meal, so you'll need to get a little creative with meal times.

Using designated feeding spots inside a crate or scattering the raw food outside works well to satiate those foraging instincts that working dogs are well-known for, and even if you don't have a working dog, it's some peace of mind to not find pieces of raw food littered throughout your home. Perhaps the toughest thing about committing to Bella and Duke's is that it requires a subscription, which is regularly priced at £40 but is reduced with your first purchase.

If you're interested in trying the best raw food for your dog, Bella and Duke's Mighty Beef with Chicken is a terrific choice that isn't particularly costly for a raw diet.

One of the most premium dog food brands on the market, COYA's second-to-none freeze-dried raw dog food is loaded with wholesome ingredients and bold flavour that'll have your dog scurrying over at meal time. With over 40 per cent protein, COYA's freeze-dried raw puppy food is unquestionably one of the best options for your dog, and its ingredients are completely natural and are simply freeze-dried to lock in flavour without creating a mess.

Dogs that eat COYA dog food will greatly benefit from its phenomenal protein levels, alongside its variety of fruits and vegetables to ensure your dog's gut remains happy and healthy. The almost kibble-like texture creates some chew for your dog, thus satisfying both the nutritious value of typically wet foods and the dental benefits of dry food.

The major downside of buying COYA, however, is not in the product itself, but the price: it is incredibly expensive. A 150 g portion, equalling one meal, is a whopping £9, which is a lot to pay for your pup. You can bulk buy COYA puppy food, but the prices are eye-watering undoubtedly. It's a premium product, however, so it's a true case of 'you get what you pay for'.

Nature's Variety dry food for puppies is a solid choice for those with dogs that struggle with allergies and sensitivity to certain ingredients. Being made with no grain, Nature's Variety is simply stuffed with protein and vegetables, giving young dogs all the early nutrition they'll need to grow without issues in later life.

A great value option for those on a budget, this sensitive dry food can be bought in bulk without creating a hole in your wallet each month, which is a massive plus considering just how expensive dogs can be to keep. This dry kibble is great for teeth and works well for breeds large and small, so you know it's not short on essential nourishing goodness.

If you have a picky dog, however, a dry kibble might not be the most exciting. Despite the high protein and meat content, many dogs will prefer a healthy serving of whatever you're eating instead of their own food which doesn't provide much for their curious noses to sniff.

It's a perfectly ideal food for dogs with allergies, where smells can be inviting, yet overpowering for the stomach. For a happy dog, Nature's Variety is a quality choice at a reasonable price.

Wainwright's might not have the best dry kibble, but its wet puppy food is a fantastic value choice for all dog breeds, but especially for smaller breeds. We suggest feeding Wainwright's wet puppy food to your smaller breed for several reasons: portions go further with smaller dogs, making what might be 12 meals for a large dog, double that for a small breed.

What's more, smaller dog breeds can often struggle with kibble, their teeth and mouths are smaller, making it tougher to chew a crunchy kibble. With Wainwright's wet food, it's incredibly easy to get the nutrition your small dog needs, without the stubbornness of a picky dog who is more interested in what's on your plate than his own.

Despite being made with lots of meat, however, we must note the slightly lower-than-expected protein content: it's definitely not the highest, but for smaller dogs, it's certainly plenty. They'll get the right amount of fat in their diets from this wet food, as well as an enjoyable variety of vegetables.

For one of the best dog foods with solid quality and an exciting flavour, Wainwright's is a terrific choice for you and your pup.

Butternut Box is one of the most popular dog food subscription services online, and for good reason. Butternut Box is dedicated to bringing fresh, human-grade quality ingredients to your door, and they're one of the healthiest options for any pet.

Though we've listed the nutritional content of the 'Beef It Up' flavour, it's but one flavour from a massive variety of handmade recipes to try. Butternut Box is taste-tested by humans and formulated to deliver phenomenal flavour and nutrition to keep your dog healthy from head to tail. Beef it up is a popular choice for dog owners, in large part thanks to its easy preparation and high meat content which dogs seem to love.

This subscription service is, as many are, an expensive option for your puppy. Feeding Butternut Box exclusively to your dog is costly, more so than a lot of other dog food competitors, so it might be worth mixing in good quality kibble or brown rice to stretch out the ingredients further. We must also stress, that despite how delicious they sound, some dogs can be particularly picky: so you might spend a small fortune on a box, only to find your dog likes none of the flavours. If you're interested in trying Butternut Box, they offer a 14-day sample pack, so you won't end up spending a fortune.

For a solid, hearty meal your dog is bound to enjoy and anticipate, Butternut Box is a splendid, lip-licking choice your puppy is bound to enjoy.

Cold-pressed dog food is one of the best ways to feed active dogs without feeding them messy raw foods. As the name suggests, cold-pressed food compresses dog food at low temperatures to create dry pellets, which retain the food's fantastic flavour and nutrients without any real downsides. The crunchy cold-pressed pellets also boost dental hygiene and reduce the risk of food getting stuck in your puppies' teeth.

This flavourful combination of healthy ingredients is optimised for working and active dogs, including high protein and carbohydrates. High carbohydrates, however, might not be suited to your dog, working dog or not, and excess carb consumption may lead to weight gain if not measured with plenty of exercise.

Overall, Wilson's working dog cold-pressed dry dog food is ideal for active breeds, with great flavour, a practical consistency for use throughout your home, and is one of the most affordable cold-pressed dog foods for puppies available.