Buying guides
Best Food for Australian Shepherds: What to Look For
The best food for an Australian Shepherd is a complete and balanced diet for its life stage, with enough calories for how hard your dog actually works. A ranch Aussie and a suburban pet of the same weight can need very different amounts. Look for an AAFCO adequacy statement and calories per cup, adjust portions by body shape rather than the bag chart, and ask your vet to help set the target weight.
By Matt GarnettUpdated November 13, 20264 min read3 sources
What matters most for an Aussie
The AKC describes the Australian Shepherd as a lean, tough ranch dog and lists males at 20 to 23 inches and 50 to 65 pounds, females at 18 to 21 inches and 40 to 55 pounds, with a life expectancy of 12 to 15 years. It notes that most Aussies are energetic dogs that need vigorous daily exercise to stay healthy and happy. That energy is the main thing a food has to match.
So the priorities are a complete and balanced diet for your dog's life stage, calorie information you can use, and portions set by your individual dog's activity. A working or sport Aussie may need a calorie-dense performance food; a family Aussie that gets a long walk and some fetch usually does well on a standard adult food. Neither needs a breed-labeled bag.
How to read the label
Look for the nutritional adequacy statement saying the food is complete and balanced for growth, adult maintenance or all life stages, under AAFCO nutrient profiles or feeding trials. Medium-size Aussies do not usually need large-breed puppy food, but follow your vet's advice for a large-framed puppy. The WSAVA guidelines warn that intermittent or supplemental products should be only a small part of the diet.
Check the calories per cup, which US labels must show. Higher-calorie performance foods let a working dog eat a manageable volume; lower-calorie foods let a quieter dog feel full. The WSAVA also suggests asking the maker who formulates its diets, whether it employs a qualified nutritionist and what quality control it runs, rather than relying on words such as premium or holistic.
Matching food to activity
A useful way to think about it is in three bands. A pet Aussie with an hour or so of walking and play a day usually needs a standard adult maintenance food. An Aussie doing agility, herding trials, long runs or hikes several times a week may need a higher-calorie or performance formula, often with more fat for energy. A truly working ranch dog in cold weather can need much more again.
Adjust gradually and watch body shape. Increase or decrease portions by about a tenth at a time and recheck after two weeks. Spread a working dog's food over two meals, and avoid feeding a big meal right before hard exercise; giving the main meal after work and a rest is gentler on the stomach.
Best format for each Aussie
For an Aussie puppy, choose a food labeled for growth or all life stages and feed several measured meals a day as your vet advises. For a family adult, a complete adult food in medium kibble is practical. For a sport or working dog, a performance food with clear calorie information makes it easier to fuel hard days without overfeeding on rest days.
For an older Aussie, activity often drops before appetite does, so a lower-calorie adult food or a smaller portion helps keep weight steady. For a dog with digestive upsets, talk to your vet before trying special diets. Wet, fresh and dry formats can all work if they are complete and balanced and fit your routine.
What to avoid
Avoid feeding a quiet pet Aussie a performance food in performance-sized portions; it will gain weight. Avoid free-feeding. Avoid big meals right before vigorous exercise. Avoid switching foods suddenly, and change over about a week. Avoid choosing a diet only because it is grain-free; the FDA has investigated a possible link between certain such diets, often high in peas, lentils or potatoes, and heart disease.
Be careful with homemade or raw diets unless a board-certified veterinary nutritionist has formulated them, since home-made recipes are often incomplete. If your Aussie loses weight despite eating well, has persistent diarrhea or seems tired on a new food, ask your vet to examine it.
Keeping an Aussie in working shape
An Aussie in good condition has ribs you can feel easily, a visible waist from above and a tuck behind the ribs from the side. Their thick coats hide extra weight, so feel through the coat rather than looking. Weigh monthly, and more often when activity changes, such as in a busy competition season or a quiet winter.
Count treats and training rewards, which add up fast for a dog that trains daily; using part of the daily kibble as rewards helps. Your vet can give a target weight and calorie figure at checkups and adjust them as your dog ages, which is more useful than any feeding chart.
This page is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your pet.
Common questions
Do Australian Shepherds need high-protein food?
Not necessarily. Active Aussies need enough calories and a complete, balanced diet. Performance foods often have more protein and fat, which suits working dogs, but a pet Aussie usually does well on a standard adult food.
How much should an Australian Shepherd eat?
It depends on activity, size and the food's calories. Start with the bag's guide for your dog's target weight, then adjust by about a tenth at a time based on body shape. Your vet can give a calorie target.
Is grain-free food good for Australian Shepherds?
There is no general need for it, and the FDA has investigated a possible link between some grain-free diets and heart disease in dogs. Talk to your vet before choosing one.
Should a working Aussie eat before exercise?
Avoid a big meal right before hard work. Feed the main meal after exercise and a rest, or split food into two meals, which is gentler on the stomach.
Sources we checked
This guide is general information, not veterinary advice. If your pet is unwell or injured, contact your veterinarian.
