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11 Best Dog Foods for German Shorthaired Pointers in 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks

Nicole Cosgrove Profile Picture

By Nicole Cosgrove

A German Shorthaired Pointer Dog

German Shorthaired Pointers are well known for their energy, liveliness, and strong ability and urge to hunt. They’re the epitome of an active dog, so finding dry food for them isn’t as simple as choosing what’s on sale. Choosing a food that is high enough in protein to sustain your German Shorthaired Pointer’s energy level is critical. Because they’re also prone to joint issues, choosing food that offers glucosamine or other joint-healthy ingredients is essential.

The number of options available can be overwhelming and confusing, and thoroughly reading each food’s ingredient list is an essential step toward choosing the right one. We’ve done the hard work for you, and we’ve put together these reviews of our favorite dog food options for German Shorthaired Pointers to help you choose the best food for your pooch.
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A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2024

Rating Image Product Details
Best Overall
Winner
Ollie Fresh Dog Food Subscription Ollie Fresh Dog Food Subscription
  • High protein
  • Ingredients you can see
  • Specifically tailored for your pet
  • Budget Buy
    Second place
    True Acre Foods Grain-Free True Acre Foods Grain-Free
  • No filler ingredients
  • Enticing for dogs
  • Includes multiple protein sources
  • Best for Puppies
    Third place
    Gentle Giants Canine Nutrition Gentle Giants Canine Nutrition
  • Suitable for dogs of all ages
  • Contains lots of protein
  • Fatty acids for joint health
  • Taste of the Wild High Prairie Taste of the Wild High Prairie
  • Made with real ingredients
  • Variety of protein sources
  • No filler ingredients
  • The Honest Kitchen Whole Grain Dehydrated The Honest Kitchen Whole Grain Dehydrated
  • Great option for traveling
  • Includes real protein sources
  • Suitable for dogs of all ages
  • The 11 Best Dog Foods for German Shorthaired Pointers

    1. Ollie Fresh Dog Food Subscription – Best Overall

    A Dalmatian enjoying ollie fresh chicken recipe dog food

    If you have an adventurous, energetic German Shorthaired Pointer and need a diet to keep up with their on-the-go lifestyle, Ollie is the way to go. Ollie offers scheduled, straight-to-your-door fresh frozen meals tailored to meet the dietary requirements of your specific dog. It’s so personal!

    You can go through the motions on the easy-to-navigate site to get started. You simply view the meal plans and recipes to see what works for your dog and then fill in all the requested information. Once they receive your order, it will specifically be tailored to your dog’s needs and shipped frozen.

    We got to review Ollie’s Fresh Lamb dish. It contains real red meat, cranberries, squash, kale, rice, and chickpeas—all ingredients that you see from sources you can trust. It has a perfect balance of ingredients that are easy to digest and give your dog only the best nutrition.

    We love the convenience, quality, and savory flavor of this dog food, and so did our canine companions. We think that the meal plans, although somewhat costly, can make a world of difference in your dog’s skin and skin—and overall vitality.

    With Ollie being our overall favorite, we think most pups can benefit from this specific brand. You even get discounts to try if it’s your first time ordering. What do you have to lose?

    Pros
    • High protein
    • Ingredients you can see
    • Specifically tailored for your pet
    • Convenient meal plans
    Cons
    • Costly

    2. True Acre Foods Grain-Free Dry Dog Food – Budget Buy

    True Acre Foods Grain-Free

    This grain-free dog food packs a significant amount of protein and fat into each serving, and the protein comes from real sources. Chicken is the number one ingredient, and there are no fillers like wheat or corn, so this food will provide your pooch with the energy they need to stay fit and happy. The food contains a healthy amount of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which will reduce your German Shorthaired Pointer’s risk of joint issues. There are tons of vitamins and minerals to maintain overall health. This is another dry food that our German Shorthaired Pointer loved, so you should have no issues with your dog enjoying this food. There is less of a percentage of protein in this food (24%) than the previous food, which kept this one out of our number one spot. However, especially given the price and the value, we believe this is the best dog food for German Shorthaired Pointers for the money.

    Pros
    • Includes multiple protein sources
    • No filler ingredients
    • Fatty acids to promote joint health
    • Packed with vitamins and minerals
    • Enticing for dogs
    • Affordable
    Cons
    • A lower percentage of protein

    3. Gentle Giants Canine Nutrition Dry Dog Food – Best for Puppies

    Gentle Giants Canine Nutrition

    This food from Gentle Giants is specially formulated for dogs of all ages, so we think this is the best option for German Shorthaired Pointer puppies. The healthy amount of protein comes from just one source, turkey, and while we’d like to see more sources for a better balance, we were happy to see that real meat was the first ingredient. This food contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to help prevent joint issues in your pooch, and there are tons of vitamins and minerals as well to promote overall health. The simple ingredient list means this food can be good for dogs with food allergies, but it does include some grains, which don’t offer much to your dog in the way of energy or nutrition. This is another food that our German Shorthaired Pointer loved, so it’s excellent even for picky eaters!

    Pros
    • Suitable for dogs of all ages
    • Contains lots of protein
    • Fatty acids for joint health
    • Includes vitamins and minerals
    • May alleviate food allergies
    • Enticing for dogs
    Cons
    • Only one source of protein
    • Includes some grains

    4. Taste of the Wild High Prairie Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

    Taste of the Wild High Prairie

    High Prairie from Taste of the Wild is another great option because of the ingredients included. This food contains real meat sources as the main ingredients, and it offers your dog a variety of animal proteins that will help sustain energy and health. It includes a healthy amount of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, both of which will help alleviate common German Shorthaired Pointer issues like hip and elbow dysplasia. There are no filler ingredients used in this food, and it packs in tons of vitamins and minerals that will help keep your dog healthy. Perhaps most importantly, our German Shorthaired Pointer could not get enough of this food, so your dog will likely be happy to indulge as well! It can cause some gas when first introduced to your pup, and it isn’t formulated for puppies, so you will need to choose a different option until your dog is grown.

    Pros
    • Made with real ingredients
    • Variety of protein sources
    • Includes fatty acids for joint health
    • No filler ingredients
    • Full of vitamins and minerals
    • Enticing for dogs
    Cons
    • Not formulated for puppies

    5. The Honest Kitchen Whole Grain Dehydrated Dog Food

    The Honest Kitchen Whole Grain Dehydrated

    This food is the first on our list that needs to be rehydrated before feeding, making it an excellent option for travel. It includes real chicken as the first ingredient, which packs in a ton of protein (24.5%) that will maintain your dog’s vitality. There are some grains like barley and oats, which may add to the flavor but won’t offer much in terms of nutrition. It includes lots of healthy vitamins and minerals, but it lacks omega-3 fatty acids and glucosamine, so you’ll want to supplement this food to help prevent joint issues in your pooch. The high caloric content makes it suitable for puppies and older dogs alike, so you can stick with this food from puppyhood through adulthood. We did find that this seemed to be less appetizing to our German Shorthaired Pointer, so it may not be best if your dog is a picky eater.

    Pros
    • A great option for traveling
    • Includes real protein sources
    • Packs in vitamins and minerals
    • Suitable for dogs of all ages
    Cons
    • Contains some grains
    • Lacks joint-friendly ingredients
    • Less flavorful than other foods

    6. Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food

    Stella & Chewy's Freeze-Dried

    This freeze-dried dog food is another that can be rehydrated before feeding, making it an excellent option for travel. It packs in a ton of protein (48%), which will provide your high-energy German Shorthaired Pointer with the nutrition to keep going all day long. It contains just one source of protein, and while the first ingredient is chicken, it also includes ground bone. It’s packed with vitamins, minerals, and probiotics to aid in digestion, but it doesn’t contain any ingredients that will help maintain joint health. This food is on the more expensive side, and the pucks of food are relatively hard and may be difficult for your pup to eat if they aren’t broken up for them or rehydrated before feeding.

    Pros
    • A great option for traveling
    • Full of protein
    • Aids in digestion
    • Packed with vitamins and minerals
    Cons
    • Contains ground bone
    • Pricey
    • No joint-friendly ingredients
    • Can be difficult to eat

    7. Nutro Ultra Large Breed Adult Dry Dog Food

    Nutro Ultra Large Breed

    This dry dog food has a lower percentage of protein by weight (23%), but it does include protein from multiple sources like chicken, salmon, and lamb. It provides glucosamine as well as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, all of which will contribute to joint health. There is also a wealth of vitamins and minerals in this food to promote overall health. The food wasn’t nearly as delicious to our German Shorthaired Pointer as the other options were, so this may not be suitable for you if your dog is a picky eater. While there is a good amount of protein sources in the food, it also contains quite a few grains like rice, barley, and oats, and these don’t offer your dog much nutrition. This food is also on the more expensive end of the dry food options we’ve reviewed.

    Pros
    • Protein from multiple sources
    • Includes joint-healthy ingredients
    • Packed with vitamins and minerals
    Cons
    • Less protein than other options
    • Not as appetizing as other options
    • Contains grains
    • Pricey

    8. VICTOR Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

    VICTOR Grain-Free

    This grain-free dog food is made without additives like rice or oats, so it’s a good option in terms of providing protein and energy for your pooch. However, the protein sources include a chicken meal and fish meal, neither of which are as healthy as whole protein sources. The food does include omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to promote healthy joints, and it boasts a long list of vitamins and minerals from plant sources as well. This is one of the more polarizing foods we reviewed in terms of how tasty it was, and our German Shorthaired Pointer declined to eat it. The food contains chicken fat as a prominent ingredient, which may contribute to food allergies, and isn’t particularly healthy as a standalone ingredient. This is also one of the most expensive dry dog foods on our list.

    Pros
    • Made without grains or fillers
    • Contains fatty acids for joint health
    • Includes many vitamins and minerals
    Cons
    • Protein sources aren’t whole
    • Less appetizing than other options
    • Chicken fat may exacerbate allergies
    • Very expensive

    9. Merrick Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

    Merrick Grain-Free

    This is another grain-free food that doesn’t include fillers, which contributes to its very high protein content. The food contains multiple protein sources, but many of them are meat meal, which is less healthy than whole sources. It contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids as well as glucosamine, so it will contribute to your German Shorthaired Pointer’s joint health. The largest source of protein in this food is a duck, which we’ve found to be very polarizing, and our dog wasn’t interested in eating it. The food pieces are tiny and not ideal for a medium-sized dog like the German Shorthaired Pointer, and the food is rather pricey.

    Pros
    • Grain-free formula
    • High protein content
    • Includes joint-healthy ingredients
    Cons
    • Contains meat meal
    • Not as appetizing as other options
    • Very small pieces of kibble
    • Very expensive

    10. American Journey Active Life Formula Dry Dog Food

    American Journey Active Life Formula

    This food from American Journey boasts a good amount of protein (24%), but it only includes one protein source: chicken. It contains brown rice, but it’s otherwise grain-free. There are generous amounts of fatty acids and glucosamine, which will contribute to your dog’s joint health. Because chicken is the only source of protein in this food, it may not be very appetizing to your dog, so you may find that they opt not to touch it — as ours did. It includes chicken fat, which isn’t particularly healthy and may exacerbate food allergies in your dog. A large portion of the protein comes from meat meals, which isn’t as healthy or as appetizing to your dog as whole protein sources.

    Pros
    • A good amount of protein
    • Contains joint-healthy ingredients
    Cons
    • Only one protein source
    • Includes grain
    • Not very enticing for dogs
    • May exacerbate food allergies
    • Contains meat meal

    11. Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

    Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient

    This dry food from Blue Buffalo has less protein than most others on our list (20%), so it’s not ideal for highly active dogs like the German Shorthaired Pointer. It does include protein from a whole source — lamb — but it only contains one source of protein. This food also features a meat meal, which is a less healthy alternative to complete protein sources. It’s packed with vitamins and minerals, and it includes omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to promote joint health. This food is on the more expensive side, and we found that it caused some digestive issues in our dog. As such, we wouldn’t particularly recommend this food, mainly because your dog may not find it appetizing in the first place.

    Pros
    • Includes whole protein source
    • Packed with vitamins and minerals
    • Includes joint-healthy ingredients
    Cons
    • Contains less protein than other options
    • Only one source of protein
    • Includes meat meal
    • Expensive
    • Can cause digestive issues
    • Not appetizing for dogs

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    Buyer’s Guide: Selecting the Best Dog Food for German Shorthaired Pointers

    With a dog as energetic and lively as the German Shorthaired Pointer, you’ll want to be very particular about the food you choose. Whether you pick one of the options we’ve reviewed above or decide to continue searching, there are a handful of things you’ll want to focus on to provide your pooch with everything they need nutritionally.

    Protein Content & Source

    One of the most important things to look out for when searching for food for your pooch is the protein content. Since German Shorthaired Pointers are incredibly active and energetic, you’ll want a high protein content from a variety of sources to help maintain your dog’s healthy energy levels.

    Joint-Healthy Ingredients

    German Shorthaired Pointers are relatively healthy dogs, but they’re prone to joint issues like hip and elbow dysplasia, given how active they are. These are serious health concerns that can be rather painful for your pup. While there is no way to avoid these problems altogether, making sure they get omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids or compounds like glucosamine can help reduce the risk of these health problems. Finding food that includes these ingredients will prevent the need for a supplement like a fish oil or glucosamine pill.

    Vitamins & Minerals

    The active lifestyle of your German Shorthaired Pointer means that vitamins and minerals are essential for overall health. This is true for any breed, but especially for energetic dogs like your German Shorthaired Pointer. The proper balance of vitamins and minerals will help your dog maintain proper digestion, support joint health, and will ensure that they’re able to process the protein they’re consuming for energy.

    No Filler Ingredients

    Unfortunately, many dog foods contain filler ingredients like corn, wheat, and other grains. While these ingredients may offer some nominal amounts of vitamins and minerals, dogs aren’t able to process them for energy nearly as efficiently as they can process meat. It’s best to choose a grain-free food if possible or opt for a food that doesn’t contain large amounts of these filler ingredients.

    German Shorthair Pointer walking on grass with eyes closed
    Image Credit: Vitalii_Mamchuk, Shutterstock

    Enticing Ingredients

    Lastly, you’ll want to make sure you select a food that your German Shorthaired Pointer will want to eat. Many formulas include ingredients that aren’t particularly appetizing to dogs, and getting enticing food can be the difference between a happy, well-fed pooch and a 50-pound bag of uneaten food!

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    Final Verdict

    Choosing a dry dog food for your German Shorthaired Pointer may seem like an easy task, but there is a lot of thought and consideration that needs to go into your decision. You’ll want to make sure you choose a food that delivers the energy and nutrients your active dog needs to maintain proper health and energy levels. Hopefully, these reviews will narrow down your decision and help you choose a food that’s perfectly suited for your pooch.

    Our top choice for quality and healthy ingredients is the Ollie Fresh Dog Food Lamb recipe. We think this formula is excellent for German Shorthaired Pointers, given its protein content and joint-healthy ingredients. If you’re looking to be kind to your pooch and your wallet, our top choice for quality on a budget is True Acre Foods Grain-Free Dry Dog Food. It provides quality ingredients at great value.


    Featured Image Credit: Burry van den Brink, Shutterstock

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