Best Dog Foods For Caucasian Shepherds: Puppies, Adults & Seniors

Finding the perfect dog food for your Caucasian Shepherd can be a daunting task. The Caucasian Shepherd is a mighty canine who is a serious family guardian. With all that responsibility on his shoulders, he needs the right fuel to keep him sustained. Caucasian Shepherds are giant dogs. They need Giant breed nutrition, not unlike dog food for a giant mastiff, or the dog food needed for a giant Great Dane.

Because the Caucasian Shepherd is a working dog breed, they need dog food that can keep their energy reserves stored up for long working days. They also need higher calorie counts to support their rapid growth as puppies. As they age, they’ll need proper joint support to alleviate the joint problems they are known for in later years.

Based on the needs of your Caucasian Shepherd at each life stage, we’ve panned the market to find the perfect dog foods for your pup no matter your budget. Let’s take a look at what you can expect at each life stage of your Caucasian Shepherd, as well as our favorite foods, no matter your pup’s age.

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Caucasian Shepherd Puppy Nutrient Needs

A Caucasian Shepherd puppy will eventually grow into a giant dog, who will weigh anywhere between 100 and 170 pounds. So, not only have you got to feed him a puppy kibble when he is a puppy, you’ll need to feed him a large to giant breed puppy food. Not only will these provide him with all the nutrients that he needs, but it will also help to control the rate that his large bones grow at.

According to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), all puppies need a protein content of at least 22%. This provides their bodies with the growing fuel that they need to develop healthily. A sign of a good quality kibble is that the first ingredient is real meat. As well as all meat ingredients being named, and preferably no by-products.

A well-balanced diet is crucial, as are vitamins and minerals to ensure that his immune system develops to keep him fighting fit against illness and disease. Look for fruits and vegetables, as well as supplements. Prebiotic fibers and probiotic ingredients will also assist regular digestion (which means less gas!) and firmer stools.

Omega fatty acids are much needed, and they come in the form of fish oils, animal fat, plant oils, and flaxseeds. They will assist in the healthy development of his brains and eyes, as well as supporting joints and coat health, to name just a few. The Caucasian Shepherds beautiful coat will also benefit from vitamin E, folic acid, and biotin.

Adult Caucasian Shepherd Nutrient Needs

Between the ages of 12 to 18 months, you will need to slowly switch his puppy formula to an adult one. During adulthood, the main nutritional focus should be a well-balanced diet. This includes meat protein, carbohydrates, fiber, omega fats, vitamins, and minerals. AAFCO recommends that adult dogs need a protein content of at least 18%.

If your Caucasian Shepherd has individual dietary needs or intolerances, it’s essential to factor these into his new kibble choice. Caucasian Shepherds are known to put on weight easily. For this reason, always follow instructions on the packaging according to his weight and do not overfeed him. If he is overweight, we have two weight management options at the end of this guide to choose from.

Senior Caucasian Shepherd Nutrient Needs

As he heads towards senior years, you need to switch him to a senior kibble because his nutritional needs will start to change. This will be around seven years of age. As he becomes less active, he’ll need less energy, calories, and fats. Not only because he doesn’t need them, but because his digestive system will struggle to digest fats as well as he used to.

He still needs healthy fats to keep his cognitive function and coat healthy, so look for fish and fish oils. Meat meals are a great source of glucosamine and chondroitin, which will help to support his aging joints. He’ll also need an extra boost of vitamins and minerals to support his weakening immune system.

It is always suggested to stick to senior-specific kibbles, rather than all life stage kibbles. Unless those kibbles are high in glucosamine and chondroitin. In our choices, we selected a few non-senior choices, but rest assured they are suited to your Caucasian Shepherd and his joint needs.

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Best Foods For Caucasian Shepherd Puppies

Caucasian Shepherds have notoriously sensitive stomachs. This is especially true when they are puppies, so you may need to test a few different foods to see which one your pup reacts to the best. Some Caucasian Shepherd puppies do better with a dog food formula that doesn’t include peas or beans. You’ll want to give any new food you test at least 3 weeks, to ensure your puppy’s stomach adjusts properly. Any change in diet can cause loose stools, so it’s important to give your Caucasian Shepherd some time to adjust.

The Caucasian Shepherd (aka the Russian Bear Dog), grows extremely fast. Getting their nutrient balance correct as a puppy is important. You don’t want to overfeed, but you also need to make sure they have enough food to nourish their growing bodies. You’ll need a good balance of calories, carbohydrates, protein and fats. Once you find the right formula for your pup, expect your Caucasian Shepherd to stick with that formula until they are 12-15 months old. Below are our favorite dog foods for Caucasian Shepherd puppies.

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American Journey offers a budget-friendly, grain-free option. Like American Journey’s other dog food formulas, this Large Breed recipe uses other nutrient-dense ingredients such as sweet potato, chickpeas, and peas to satisfy his fibrous and energy needs. Vitamin and minerals from supplements, blueberries, carrots, and dried kelp keep his immune system strong. This recipe offers the second-highest protein content. Thanks to salmon, chicken meal, and turkey meal listed as the first three ingredients.

In addition to the above meal ingredients, menhaden fish meal, salmon oil, and flaxseed provide extra omega fats for his development and coat health. With no wheat, soy, or corn, this option is gentle on his digestive system. And probiotic ingredients such as dried beet pulp and fermentation ingredients keep his system regular.

We love that this recipe has a higher glucosamine content to support healthy joints. This makes it an excellent choice for giant dogs like Caucasian Shepherds.

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This is a grain inclusive option and uses gentle brown rice and oatmeal for the reasonably high fiber content. This is great for those pups who suffer from soft stools or digestive irregularity. It also provides dried fermentation products to promote friendly gut bacteria. As well as yucca schidigera extract, which is known to lower stool odor.

The protein content is the middle of the road option, and chicken and chicken meal are listed as the first two ingredients. Fish meal, flaxseed, egg product, and fish oil provide the DHA and ARA content he needs. There is also a long list of vitamin and mineral supplements, as well as blueberries and cranberries for extra antioxidants.

We love that this recipe has additional antioxidants by the way of Blue Buffalo’s exclusive LifeSource Bits. Lifesource bits are unique to most of Blue Buffalo’s dog foods. These are packed with seven antioxidants to assist in healthy puppy development and immunity.

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This is the high-protein content choice, making it an excellent option for hardworking or particularly energetic Caucasian Shepherds. Deboned chicken is the primary ingredient, with turkey meal following shortly after. It is also a grain-free option, using lentils, peas, and potatoes instead. Each kibble piece is covered in acticoat, which is a probiotic solution that promotes better digestibility too.

Ingredients such as spinach, banana, broccoli, and carrots provide antioxidants. And extra vitamins and minerals are also listed too. This recipe also provides the highest omega-3 fatty content, which is great for his brain and eye development. And it will also keep his joints and coat healthy and supple too.

We love that this recipe carries a higher protein content than others on this list.

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This recipe provides the highest calorie content, which is excellent for the needs of a growing Caucasian pup. It is another middle of the road option in terms of protein, and lamb meal and chicken meal are the first two ingredients. This is also a grain-free option, using chickpeas, potatoes, and lentils.

This recipe has a long list of exotic fruits and veggies for his antioxidant needs, such as papaya, pumpkin, blueberries, cranberries, and pomegranate. This recipe has the highest fiber content, making it an excellent option for those pups who are always hungry, as it will keep him feeling fuller for longer. There is a long list of probiotic ingredients too.

We love that this formula is designed to meet the needs of giant or large breed puppies.

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Taste of the Wild is known for their high-quality dog foods, many of which are grain-free. This formula is grain-free and is excellent for dogs with sensitive stomachs. Because the meat base is real buffalo, it’s a good dog food for any pups that may be sensitive to chicken or chicken meal, meaning they can’t have chicken in their dog food.

This recipe also contains real beef and venison, making it higher in protein content than other formulas. This is excellent for the Caucasian Shepherd, who needs to fuel muscle development in their earlier years. There’s also no corn, wheat, filler or artificial flavors. Taste of the Wild also manufactures their food in the United States, which is an added benefit.

We love that this recipe is made in the United States, and has a high protein content. This formula will ensure your large Caucasian pup receives all the nutrients he needs for healthy development.

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Best Foods For Caucasian Shepherd Adults

Once your Caucasian Shepherd enters adulthood, it’s time to transition to an adult formula dog food. Typically speaking, you’ll want to consider a dog food for either Large or Giant breeds. If you elect to go with a Large breed adult food, they’ll need to eat more in quantity than what you’d get from a giant breed formula. Expect to pay a little more for a Giant breed formula though, as the kibble is usually a little bigger and sold in larger quantities.

Expect your Caucasian Shepherd to stick with their adult food formula until they reach 6-7 years old. This is considered “senior years” for giant breeds, as their lifespan is typically a bit shorter compared to other breeds like the Pitbull. Below are our favorite dog foods for Caucasian Shepherd adults.

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This recipe follows on from the puppy option. Meaning that if your pup did well on this, he will likely do well on this in adulthood. The first two ingredients are deboned salmon and turkey meal, with fish meal following shortly after. These are a great source of protein, omega fats, and glucosamine, all great for his muscle and joint needs.

This is a grain-free option and uses peas, chickpeas, and sweet potatoes. In addition to these nutrient-dense ingredients, blueberries and carrots are listed too. Dried kelp is rich in minerals also, topping up his immunity and overall wellness. This option is free of corn, wheat, and soy, which are known to be irritative for some doggy digestive systems.

We love that this recipe has a higher omega-3 fatty content amount compared to others on this list. This means it’s great for your pup’s skin and coat health, amongst many other benefits.

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Chicken is the first ingredient, and it offers fish meal and egg products too for the maintenance of his large muscle mass. Purina Pro states that this product provides the optimum protein to fats ratio for giant dog breeds. This is a grain inclusive product that uses rice, corn, and oatmeal.

The only thing that we do not like about this product is that it uses poultry by-product. This ingredient is unnamed and of slightly lower quality compared to meat meals. But, this product is highly rated and is loved by owners and their large dogs. So it has made it to our list for the Caucasian Shepherd.

We love that this fomula is made for dogs who are over 100 pounds plus at maturity.

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Just like before, if your pup did well on this formula as a pup, he will probably do well on this as an adult. This is the high-protein option for those energetic or larger Caucasian Shepherds who need the extra boost of amino acids and energy. Deboned chicken, turkey meal, and chicken meal are the first three ingredients that offer big meaty taste.

This is a grain-free option, and instead uses peas, potatoes, and flaxseed. This formula offers the highest fiber content, which is excellent for those Caucasians whose digestive system needs extra assistance. Each kibble piece is coated in a healthy probiotic solution. Spinach, broccoli, kale, carrots, blueberries, and apples provide vitamins and minerals.

We love that this recipe is the high-protein option, making it a fantastic choice for energetic or working Caucasian Shepherds.

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This recipe lists chicken meal as the first ingredient, with pork meal following shortly after. This provides a lot of juicy flavor, as well as high levels of glucosamine, which is crucial for giant dogs. Pumpkin, cranberries, and papaya are just a few of the fruits and veggies listed for his immunity and overall health. Dried kelp is also rich in minerals and calcium for strong bones.

This recipe offers a well-balanced diet, but it is mainly focused on digestive health. This is thanks to live yogurt cultures, natural fiber, and digestive enzymes that work together to keep his system ticking as it should. Lentils, peas, and potatoes provide highly digestible carbohydrates and replace the need for grains.

We love that this recipe has higher fat and calorie content, meaning it is excellent for energetic Caucasian Shepherds.

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This product follows on from the Hill’s Science Diet puppy option. This is also the lowest protein content on this list. But again, it offers more than the recommended amount for adults. The first ingredient is lamb meal, and this is the only meat source, meaning it is simple and gentle to digest.

This formula is grain inclusive and relies on rice, wheat, corn, sorghum, and barley. The fiber content is low, which is excellent for some dogs. If your dog suffers from gland issues, you’ll want to consider a higher fiber dog food formula. But this formula still provides enough for many dogs to do well one. Chicken fat, plant oils, and flaxseeds will take care of his fluffy coat too.

We love that this recipe is based on the needs of large breed adults.

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Best Foods For Caucasian Shepherd Seniors

Once your Caucasian Shepherd hits 6 to 7 years of age, it’s time to transition to a dog food made for older dogs. During their senior years, it’s important to boost glucosamine and chondroitin levels, especially in larger breeds. Having over 100 pounds of weight is a lot of pressure on the joints of a giant breed dog. Their nutrients should meet that additional demand. You’ll also want to ensure your pup has a lower calorie intake during their senior years. It’s never fun dealing with an overweight senior dog, especially when they weigh upwards of 100 pounds. Each of the Senior dog food formulas below will help your Caucasian Shepherd meet these criteria.

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Although this is not a large breed-specific formula, it has enough glucosamine and chondroitin to warrant being worthy of large breeds. This salmon formula completes the set that we have chosen for the Caucasian Shepherd in all life stages. Salmon is still the first ingredient, shortly followed by turkey meal and chicken meal.

This is a grain-free option that uses sweet potatoes, peas, and chickpeas as the carbohydrates. In addition to the meals, chicken fat, flaxseed, and coconut oil will keep his aging coat nourished. Blueberries, pumpkin, marine microalgae, and dried kelp provide vitamins and minerals for an extra immunity boost. Probiotic ingredients are added for additional digestive support.

We love that this recipe offers the joint-highest protein content on our list. Making this an excellent option for larger Caucasian Shepherds or those who are still active.

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Deboned chicken is the first ingredient, with chicken meal following shortly after. This is great for his protein needs, as well as his glucosamine needs. This recipe lists l-carnitine, which helps to support his aging metabolism and helps to prevent him from becoming overweight. Taurine is also listed for heart health.

A long list of vitamins and minerals are listed for his aging immunity. And omega fatty acids such as flaxseed and fish oil will keep his coat nourished from the inside out. Probiotic ingredients are also added to encourage friendly bacteria in his gut. There is no corn, wheat, or soy in this recipe, and instead uses gentle rice.

We love that this recipe offers LifeSource Bits that contain targeted nutrients for the health of large senior breeds.

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This recipe offers the second-highest protein content, thanks to chicken being the first ingredient. Like we mentioned before, this recipe uses poultry by-product meal, but again, it is highly rated by other large dog owners. Overall, it’s meaty and tastes good according to the reviews.

Egg product and fish oil provide the omega fats and DHA he needs for cognitive function and skin health. Other botanical oils enhance cognitive function, too, making him more playful and youthful. This recipe is fortified in probiotics, making it easy to digest. Extra vitamin and mineral supplements boost his ability to fight illness.

We love that this recipe promotes alertness and mental sharpness in Caucasian Shepherds aged seven years plus.

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This kibble is specifically designed for senior dogs of all breeds. While we usually wouldn’t recommend all-breed senior food, this formula has a higher glucosamine level than many dog foods. This will ensure your pup’s joints are well-cared for, helping his joints to carry all that weight of his. Chicken and chicken meal both have high glucosamine levels, and are the first two ingredients, with salmon meal following shortly after. It also has the joint highest protein content.

This is a grain-free option that uses peas, sweet potatoes, potatoes as the carbohydrates. Taurine is listed for his heart health, as is a whole load of other much-needed vitamins and minerals. It also lists probiotic ingredients to support his slowing digestive system, as well as l-carnitine for his metabolism.

We love that this recipe offers a boost of glucosamine and chondroitin, making it a fantastic option for older Caucasian Shepherds.

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This formula is similar to the products chosen for the puppy and adult section, but instead, it uses chicken as the meat source rather than lamb. Chicken meal is the first ingredient listed, which is an excellent source of glucosamine too. This is a grain inclusive diet that relies on barley, rice, and wheat.

Omega fatty acids are listed in the form of plant oils and flaxseed, and vitamin and mineral supplements add an immunity boost. Vitamin E, biotin, and folic acid also keep his coat shiny and beautiful.  Taurine is present for heart health, and l-carnitine helps to stimulate his metabolism keeping him feeling fresh and healthy.

We love that this recipe is based on the needs of senior dogs, according to science. So you can rest assured that your aging Caucasian Shepherd is well cared for with this recipe.

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Final Thoughts

So, that is everything that you need to know about the Caucasian Shepherd and all of his nutritional needs. From his very first steps at home with you as a pup, all the way up to his senior years as he begins to slow down, you can now make the right choices for your big four-legged bestie.

Using all of our research, we have found five of our top picks for every stage of his life. There is something here for every Causaina Shepherd and their different dietary needs. As well as something for every owner budget. By choosing from one of our picks above, you can be sure that you are making a fantastic choice for your Caucasian Shepherd.