What Do German Shepherds Eat?

German shepherds are a highly active breed that thrives on a well-rounded diet. Ensure they have a balanced diet that includes proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, healthy fats, and minerals.

Animal-based proteins such as beef, chicken, fish, and lamb are the best primary ingredients in a GSD’s diet. Proteins provide the amino acids your GSD needs to build muscles, support their immune system, and repair tissues.

Healthy fats like fish oil, chicken fat, and flaxseed help support brain function and nutrient absorption. Complex carbohydrates such as whole grains provide energy, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibers.

Commercial Dog Food Options

You must stick to commercial dog foods formulated for large breeds. Large-breed dog foods account for their unique needs, such as joint support and nutrition levels.

Quality commercial dog food brands use quality animal-based proteins such as beet, fish, or chicken as the main ingredient. They also ensure the dog food is nutritionally balanced to meet the recommended nutritional levels for large dog breeds.

German shepherds are susceptible to joint issues as they age. A dog diet rich in chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine improves joint health.

The calorie content in the best dog food for large breeds is carefully controlled for weight management and to support proper growth.  

What Do German Shepherds Eat? Raw Food Diet (BARF)

A Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) diet mimics the natural diet of wild members of the dog family. It comprises raw, unprocessed foods such as bones, meat, fruits, and vegetables.

The best raw food diet contains offal, muscle meats, and bones. Varying protein sources provide essential vitamins, amino acids, and minerals.

Given the higher risk of bacterial contamination, sustaining a German shepherd on a raw food diet takes more effort. Practice proper food safety and handling to minimize the risk.

Always store the raw food properly and thoroughly clean the feeding bowls and utensils.  

What Do German Shepherds Eat? Home Cooked Meals

Treating your GSD to home-cooked meals gives you full control over the ingredients. It also lets you tailor each meal to your furry companion’s specific needs.

Naturally, you must ensure the meals are nutritionally balanced to meet your GSD’s requirements.

Ideally, you should consult a vet before transitioning your GSD to home-cooked meals. Alternatively, you can research and follow veterinary-approved dog recipes.

While convenient, never use recipes for humans since they may not meet a dog’s nutritional requirements. The best dog recipes provide the right balance of the minerals your dog needs to grow healthy and strong.

Special Dietary Considerations

You must make special dietary considerations if your German shepherd has food allergies or sensitivities. Start by identifying problematic ingredients and eliminate them from your dog’s diet.

Consulting a vet can help you formulate and build an appropriate diet around your dog’s allergies. Sometimes, your vet may recommend a limited-ingredient diet containing carefully vetted ingredients to reduce allergic responses.

Your vet may prescribe a diet to help your dog cope with conditions such as kidney disease or joint issues. Prescription diets provide custom nutrition to help manage a medical condition.

What Do German Shepherds Eat? Portion Control and Feeding Schedule

It’s tempting to overlook portion control when feeding a German shepherd, given their active lifestyle and high energy. However, establishing a regular feeding schedule and sticking to appropriate portions helps avoid overfeeding and underfeeding.

Ideally, the best portion size for your GSD depends on age, weight, metabolism, and activity level. Following the dog food manufacturer’s guidelines and recommendations is a good start.

Experts recommend two meals daily for an adult German shepherd and 3 to 4 meals for puppies under one year old. Avoid free feeding—leaving the out food—since it may lead to overfeeding and obesity.

While treats and snacks make a welcome addition to your German shepherd’s diet, you should proceed cautiously. Choose healthy, low-calorie treats and make them part of your dog’s daily food portion to prevent calorie intake.

Hydration Advice

Like all dogs, German shepherds require adequate hydration to stay healthy, active, and strong. Always ensure your GSD has access to fresh, clean drinking water, more so if you have them on a dry food diet.

Check and refill their water bowl regularly—once a day at the very least—to maintain proper hydration levels. Like humans, German shepherds prefer cool water—consider using a dog bowl that keeps the water cool, even in hot weather.

Carefully monitor your German shepherd’s water intake—the recommended intake is about 0.5 to 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight per day. Consider the dog’s age, activity level, size, and prevailing weather conditions and adjust accordingly.  

You may need to get crafty if your GSD tends to drink less water. Placing multiple water bowls around the house, using large water bowls, or flavoring the water with some chicken broth may entice your dog to drink more water.

German shepherds are prone to dehydration, so you must monitor for dehydration signs. Dry gums, sunken eyes, excessive panting, lethargy, loss of skin elasticity, and low urine are common signs of dehydration. 

What Do German Shepherds Eat?Common Foods to Avoid

While sharing some treats with your furry friends is tempting, you should be aware that some common delights are highly toxic or harmful to dogs. A responsible GSD owner should be aware of these food items so you can keep them out of reach.

Never share a bar of chocolate with your German shepherd— or any other dog, for that matter—because it contains theobromine and caffeine. Products that contain chocolate may induce diarrhea, vomiting, seizures, tremors, and other life-threatening consequences in dogs.

Grapes and raisins may cause kidney damage, while garlic and onions can potentially damage a dog’s red blood cells and cause hemolytic anemia. Artificial sweeteners such as xylitol can be fatal to your GSD and may lead to deadly drops in blood sugar levels, seizures, and liver failure.  

Unfortunately, you can’t share your guacamole with your GSD since avocados may be toxic to dogs when consumed in large amounts. Avocado contains persin, which may trigger pancreatitis and gastrointestinal issues in dogs.

Looking For Some Healthy, Homemade Dog Food Recipe Inspo?

Monitoring and Adjusting Diet

• Ensuring your German shepherd is healthy and strong is the highlight of responsible pet ownership. That means constantly monitoring and adjusting your GSD’s diet to meet its growing nutritional needs.
• You’ll need to regularly assess your GSD’s body condition score (BCS)—a visual and tactile assessment of its muscle mass and body fat. It’s a convenient way to determine if a dog is overweight, underweight, or at its ideal weight.
• The ideal BCS of a GSD is 4 to 5; a score of 1 means emaciated, while 9 means obese. A healthy dog has a visible waistline viewed from above and no excessive fat covering the ribs.
• Ideally, you should adjust a dog’s diet to fit its age and changing nutritional needs. Puppy diets are formulated with nutrients that allow healthy bone and muscle development.
• The adult GSD diet contains nutrients that support their overall health, sustain energy levels, and maintain ideal body weight. Senior dogs—over 7 years old—have different nutritional needs.
• As dogs age, their metabolism levels slow down, and they become less active. Senior dog diets provide nutrients to address their needs, such as joint health and weight management.
• Sometimes, you must vary your dog’s diet in response to a health condition. Regular vet checkups can help you adjust a dog’s diet to suit its nutritional needs across all life stages.

Keep Your German Shepherd in Great Health

German shepherds make loyal furry companions, and their large size guarantees safety and security. Accounting for their specific dietary needs lets you keep them happy, active, and healthy.

You may sustain your GSD on commercial dog foods, raw foods, home-cooked foods, or a combination. Consult a professional if your furry companion has allergies or special dietary needs.

Paying attention to food portions, establishing great feeding routines, and ensuring your GSD has a ready fresh water supply.  Scheduling regular checkups helps nip health issues in the bud to keep your GSD healthy and strong. If you’re looking for more nutritional advice for your pet, The American Canine Club is a great starting point for all things canine health.

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