The Dalmadoodle is a cross-breed dog without clear origins and is a cross between a Dalmatian and a Poodle. Dalmadoodles are loyal, loving, and intelligent dogs and are great companions. They also go by different names such as Dalmatianpoo, Dalmapoo, and Dalmatiandoodle. A fully-grown Dalmadoodle weighs around 40 to 70lbs and has a life expectancy of 11 to 14 years.
What should I feed my dog? This is a question that most people worry about when shopping for food for their first dog, but it also requires flexibility. A dog’s diet needs to be nutritious and balanced, as poor nutrition can profoundly affect your dog’s health and lead to behavior problems. There is evidence that too many sugary foods and sodas for children can have harmful effects on their health and teeth. Unfortunately, our dogs could have the same effect.
There are great brands advertised on television, some unusual ones that you only learn through friends and family available at your local pet store, and recommendations from your dog’s vet. We have prepared a list of our best food choices for your Dalmadoodle to make things easier for you.
Top 5 Best Food for Dalmadoodles
| Preview | Product | Rating | Check Best Price |
 | Ollie Petfood | Best Overall | Check Best Price |
 | Wellness Core Complete | Runner-Up | Check Best Price |
 | Blue Buffalo Life Protection | Best Puppy Food | Check Best Price |
 | Hill’s Science Diet | Best For Weightloss | Check Best Price |
 | Taste of the Wild | Best Affordable | Check Best Price |
Best Overall: Ollie Petfood
Ollie’s products are of high quality, and almost all of their products are top-notch, but when it comes to fresh dog food, Ollie is the best. We have rated this best overall food for your Dalmadoodle because it is a guaranteed winner, and you will never regret letting your Dalmadoolde try it.
You will have to try different types of food before settling on a regular diet for your Doodle, and this fresh food by Ollie must be one of the earliest to be tried. It has great reviews, and it works for all kinds of dog breeds. It provides all the necessary nutrients needed by a dog, and it helps reduce the shedding of the Dalmadoodle’s coat.
It is on the expensive side, but it is the best in its class and is worth every penny! And you can currently get your first order for 50% off!
PROS:
- Fresh food
- Great quality
- Artificial supplements excluded
- Different ingredients for different breeds
- All dogs love it
CONS:
- A bit expensive
Runner-Up: Wellness Core Complete
This product from Wellness Core comes in close as the runner-up in our best food list for Dalmadoodle. This is a popular product among pet owners having active dogs. It has all the necessary micronutrient ingredients needed by your Dalmadoodle to exercise every day for more than an hour. It contains higher protein content because of its dry nature. It offers 34% protein content, which is higher than most wet dog foods. The source of the protein comes from turkey meal, deboned chicken, and different chicken meals.
Ingredients of the Wellness Core Complete include chicken liver, flaxseed and salmon oil, and chicken fat. These ingredients keep the Dalmadoodle’s skin healthy and keep its body cold as they are great sources of omega fatty acids and minerals. Many pet owners opt for this product for the inclusion of antioxidant-rich fresh fruits and vegetables, which you hardly get in many dog foods. Peas and potatoes are also used to provide carbohydrates to help with your Doodle’s digestion.
This came in as the runner-up because of the high carbohydrate content, which Dalmadoodles do not need in excess, as they are not hyperactive dogs.
PROS:
- Grain-free
- Presence of antioxidant-rich veggies and fruits
- Healthy probiotics included
- Includes omega-3s and healthy fatty acids
CONS:
- High carbohydrate content
Best Dalmadoodle Puppy Food: Blue Buffalo Life Protection
Many pet owners get their dogs or pets when they are young. It is particularly difficult to decide and choose dog food for puppies with the wide range of products in the market today. If you are confused and undecided about your puppy’s food, then Blue Buffalo Life Protection is the one for you. This product is designed and developed for puppies.
This product’s ingredients include all the required nutrition needed by a young puppy for healthier and happier growth. It is perfect for puppies as it is packed with proteins and high-quality fats. Other ingredients include fish oil and flaxseed oil to help keep the body temperature down and better skin.
This product does not contain ingredients to help develop joints for young puppies. It is also not recommended for Dalmadoodle puppies with grain allergy or sensitivity as it is not grain-free.
PROS:
- Designed for puppies
- Includes antioxidants for the better immune system
- Includes omega-3s and healthy fatty acids
CONS:
- Not suitable for puppies with joint problems or grain allergies
Best Food for Weight loss: Hill’s Science Diet
As a pet owner, it is sometimes easy to get carried away with letting your pet overeat and let it become unhealthy. It is your responsibility to take good care of your pet and keep it healthy. It is easier said than done as you develop an emotional connection with your pet. You sometimes feel bad not feeding your dog when it wants more food, but this can become a bad habit and become fat. This product from Hills is developed with the exact issue in mind. It helps dog owners to feed healthy without their dogs getting fat.
This product is a little pricy, but you will get back your every penny’s worth as it offers a balanced and complete nutritional diet for your dog. The ingredients have high vitamin and mineral contents developing your Doodle’s bone and spine structure and its senses, eyesight, and coat. It is made of chicken meal and oats and includes Vitamin C and E for improving your dog’s immune system.
PROS:
- Usage of ingredients for skeletal and muscular growth
- Perfect for older puppies
- Made from smaller kibble
- Includes feeding instruction manual
CONS:
- Not suitable for young puppies
- Comes only in large bags and makes them expensive
Best Budget: Taste of the Wild
Taste of the Wild is our pick as the best budget food for your Dalmadoodle because of its price and the quality it offers within its price range. Many pet owners may be surprised at this being our best budget pick as it only comes in a 30 lbs bag. We chose it because of its value for money as it will cost you much lesser than the others when bought in smaller amounts.
Taste of the Wild is made from salmon, and it is grain-free dog food. It does not have as much protein content as the others on the list and includes fatty acids, which give a complete nutritional value to your dog when combined. It also includes antioxidant-rich veggies and fruits, and probiotics are excellent sources of minerals, vitamins, and other necessary nutrients needed by your dog.
PROS:
- Grain-free
- Made from high-quality salmon
- Features antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins
CONS:
- Allergic reactions after consumption reported
- Only sold in 30lbs bags
Different Dogs need Different food
Every dog is different from the other, and it will have different reactions to different food. You should always choose your dog food after a series of food testing. The dog’s individuality is of utmost importance because it may have adverse effects on your dog even if the same food worked on another dog of the same breed.
Another question often asked is, “Should I feed them dry or wet food?” The simple answer is, whatever works for you and your dog, but there are some basic principles that we should know when choosing food for our best friend, as they can also have a direct impact on health and behavior.
Years ago, dogs were given wet food, which is available in cans or packages. Today it is about dry cabling or a combination of wet and dry food. Some people also feed their dogs a biologically acceptable BARF diet. They are bones (not cooked), raw meat and vegetables, etc.
Types of Dog Food
There are six types of dog food, namely:
- Fresh Dog Food
- Dry Dog Food
- Raw Dog Food
- Canned Dog Food (Wet)
- Semi-moist Dog Food
- Homemade Dog Food
Choosing the Best Dog Food for Your New Dalmadoodle
Because dogs go through many stages in their lives, you must buy foods suitable for their development (puppies), adult maintenance, pregnancy/lactation, and the elderly (older dogs). Some foods can be very useful in your dog’s life. However, read all labels carefully. Last but not least, do not think about your pet’s lifestyle, diseases, and environment.
Non-standard sugar-rich meats, dyes, and foods can also cause undesirable behavior in your Dalmadoodle. Therefore, it is important to know what you are feeding your Doodle. Eating a healthy diet can mean fewer vet visits, longer life for your dog, and less pressure on your pocketbook. Many different types of dog food are offered, and it is not easy to know which to choose.
Cheap Vs. Premium Dog food?
Let us look into the ingredients of cheap dog food and a premium brand of dog food and compare.
Cheap Dog Food Brand
Cereals, meat, and animal products (at least 4% in soft and moist grains; fresh meat; at least 4% in natural and brown grains); Botanical Protein Extracts; Oil and grease; Derivatives of botanical origin (0.5% of beet pulp in natural and brown grains); Various sugars; Minerals; Vegetables (at least 4% of vegetables in green and yellow grains). Colored and preserved with CE additives with antioxidants.
Premium Dog Food Brand
Chicken D-Bond (25%); Dehydrated Chicken (17%); D-linked salmon (10%); Dehydrated turkey (7%); Dried herring (7%); Juicy potatoes; Peas; Sweet potato; Boneless turkey (3%); Whole Eggs (3%); Chicken liver (2%; white fish (2%) with bone D; veli with bone D (2%); alfalfa fiber and peas; chicken fat) (2%); Organic Algae; pumpkin; chicory root; Carrots; Spinach. Beet greens, apples, blueberries; blueberry; Bell; Angelica Root; Fenugreek; Wonderful; Sweet fennel; Mint leaf; Chamomile; Dandelion; Summer flavor and rosemary.
If we directly compare two different dog food brands, we can see how different they are. We will not say what the brands are, but we will clarify the points we are making above. Remember that the first few things make up most of your food, and the percentages are also important.
If you look at the ingredients for the first couple in the first list below, you will see that we have granola (top) versus boneless chicken (bottom): dehydrated chicken and Di-bond salmon of meat and animals. You can also see that the above food contains sugar and EC additives, while the list does not mention sugar, additives, or preservatives. Make a wise decision choosing food products for your pets.
Always Read the Label Carefully
It is very important to read the ingredient label on the package’s back when selecting dog food. The ingredients are listed in order from highest to lowest. For example, if you see the first ingredient as wheat, you know that food is mostly made up of wheat. Wheat is not recommended because it can cause allergies in the same way humans do if a dog ever chooses a wheat dish over steak.
Make sure the food you choose for your dog is sugar-free. Dogs do not require sugar in their food. Pure sugar is included to make the food tastier, but it will do nothing for your dog, which can cause them to become hyperactive, obese, and have problems later in life. Additives and preservatives are not the same. Some brands like to add color to their color to make them look more attractive. Again, these do no good except make the dog hyperactive and may even be carcinogenic.
Do Dalmadoodles Require Specific Nutritional Needs For Their Growth?
Every dog needs nutrition for his or her growth, like all living things. You need to include pure meat as the first ingredient, such as lamb, chicken, beef, white fish, or salmon. Avoid meat or meat products. We often see an ingredient list that starts with meat or products from meat.
No meat or animal by-products are the parts of slaughtered animals that do not contain meat. For example, the lungs, intestine, brain, blood, and spleen, to name a few, have any “human quality,” meaning they are not fit for human consumption. Meat and bone meal is also a low-quality food with questionable sources. Livestock is also fed and sometimes cited as responsible for the spread of BSE.
Supplements
If you feed your Dalmadoodle with good quality dog food, supplements are unnecessary, as the food will have the required amount of nutrients for the dog. Adding supplements to the food might cause damage to your Doodle. Supplements can be added if your Dalmadoodle suffers from a specific medical condition and is recommended by your vet, or else do not add supplements.
Conclusion
It is always a good idea to use the food of your choice for six to eight weeks to see how it affects your dog. Generally, they will develop a shiny coat and will look healthy. When dogs produce large amounts of feces or develop diarrhea, they may have trouble digesting food.
If your dog has skin, ears, joints, or other problems, try a different food to see if there is a link. Natural meat, fish, and vegetable products are good, and wheat, sugar, dyes, and additives are poor. Given the way we humans eat food, we should also do it for our pets.
Some of My Favorite Products For Dog Owners
I hope this article has helped you just a bit in everyday life as a dog owner. Being a dog owner for more than 25 years myself, I’ve tried an abundance of different products with varying success, but these products below are some that I can highly recommend to every dog and their owner without hesitation!
These links are affiliate links, so if you do end up using the links, I will earn a commission. But it’s products that I use daily myself, and I have nothing but praise for.
Dog Food: Every dog needs to eat correctly, and finding the best food for your dog can be hard, as the market is absolutely flooded with products. But since 2015 when the company was founded, I’ve been using Ollie Petfood. With their product being tailor-made to suit every dog’s specific needs, and as my dogs absolutely love the product, I’m pretty sure I’ve found a product I will continue to use for many years more. If you use my link you can get 50% off your first order.
Dog Training: If you’ve ever owned a puppy, you know that they require a lot of training to grow into a well-behaved adult. Brain Training for Dogs has helped me immensely with the mental training part of raising a dog, and it’s something I strongly recommend you consider.
Grooming: If you have a dog in your home, you’re going to need a brush, and for this, I recommend a Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush. For that price, you simply can’t beat this brush for everyday grooming.
If you’re looking for the most up-to-date recommendations, check out my recommended products section that I’ve created to help every dog owner!
