Not every recommended dog food for Great Danes has to be specifically branded as ‘large’ or ‘giant’ breed, otherwise you’d be looking at a fairly limited number of options. Raised Right’s Original Adult Dog Recipe range is an excellent choice.

It was awarded five stars in our overall review here, and it’s recommended by Dr. Georgia, pet nutrition expert and one of Wag!’s veterinary consultants. 

“Raised Right offers a human-grade dog food consisting of only whole foods and no fillers or synthetic additives such as vitamin and mineral powders,” she notes. “Their ingredients can also be traced back to the source, and each batch is tested for safety.”

Unlike the recipes we’ve chosen so far, it’s not a dry food. It’s a wet dog food — read about whether wet or dry food is better for your dog here — which comes frozen and simply needs defrosting thoroughly before being served.

There are four different flavors, which is good to know; an improvement on chicken-only versions. Of course, chicken is one recipe, alongside turkey, beef and pork. Whichever flavor you choose, meat is the first ingredient, supported by other animal ingredients, fruits and vegetables. For example, the Original Beef Adult Recipe features beef, beef heart, carrots, beef liver and cranberries.

In any dog’s early months, diet is crucial in ensuring joints and bones develop correctly. For a fast-growing giant breed like the Great Dane, this is especially important. A Great Dane won’t actually reach full adulthood until at least 18 months, maybe even 24 months, so it should be raised on puppy specific dog food until then. Feeding an adult diet too early can cause issues later on — too much rapid growth can lead to skeletal problems.

This is one of our picks as the best dog food for a Great Dane puppy — we have other recommendations for large breed puppies here. Orijen Puppy Large Grain-Free is a high-protein formula that will help your Great Dane pup build muscle mass as it develops towards adulthood. The first five named ingredients are either fresh or raw animal ingredients (making the recipe comprising 85% animal ingredients), with chicken, turkey, salmon, whole herring and chicken liver leading the way.

This is a grain-free recipe, which may not suit all dogs. However, Orijen also produces a grain inclusive version.

You can read our full review of Orijen dog food here.

If you’re searching for a recipe to suit a giant breed like a Great Dane, Holistic Select’s Large and Giant Breed surely warrants a place on the shortlist — so here it is. This has been specifically targeted for Great Danes — there’s even a photo of a gorgeous-looking dog on the food’s packaging — so it’s definitely worth checking out.

Take a look at the food itself and you’ll first notice the size of the kibble. It’s large (though some pet parents say it could ideally be larger), so it’s well suited as a dry dog food for Great Danes; the large kibble suits large mouths. The inclusion of prebiotics, probiotics, digestive enzymes and dietary fiber can help with digestion, which is often an issue with Great Danes who can struggle with a potentially serious condition called bloat.

The first ingredient is chicken meal rather than real chicken, though, which may be a concern for some pet parents. Chicken meal provides higher levels of protein, and is also a source of glucosamine and chrondoitin, which can help promote joint health. It’s not necessarily a negative but if you prefer a recipe with real meat, you may consider another option.

Merrick is a brand we rate highly. It’s enthusiastically recommended by Dr. Georgia Jeremiah, who comments: 

“Merrick products are made with high-quality, whole food ingredients, and that they use no artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors.” That’s the verdict on the full product range — which is extensive — but we’ve highlighted one particular recipe as being among the best dog food for Great Danes.

Merrick’s Large Breed Dry Dog Food Real Chicken and Sweet Potato is a grain-free recipe which lists real, deboned chicken as its first ingredient and supported by chicken meal, turkey meal, sweet potatoes, potatoes, peas and chicken fat. That delivers a minimum of 30% protein. The ingredients also include taurine, which can promote good heart health.

There’s no corn or wheat in this recipe, but it is grain-free, which may not suit all dogs. You can read more about whether dogs need grains in their diet here. Merrick doesn’t produce a grain inclusive recipe specifically for large breeds.

Read the Wag! review on the overall Merrick dog food range here.

Taste of the Wild’s product lines have been developed partly with a nod to the dog's ancestral relative, the wolf. The brand’s stated aim is to provide the kind of ‘natural, balanced diet’ that dogs could find ‘in the wild.’

As such, the range is a selection of dry and wet recipes that are particularly suitable for the large breeds — so it’s included in our choice of the best dog food for Great Danes. Here, we’ve highlighted the Wetlands dry food recipe. The flavor is roasted fowl, with duck as its first ingredient, supported by duck meal, chicken meal, sweet potatoes, roasted quail and roasted duck.

The inclusion of meal — whether it be chicken, duck or fish — might divide opinion but it delivers high levels of protein. How high? Well, this recipe is 32% protein, enough to keep the largest of large breeds satisfied and powered up.

This is a grain-free recipe, but Taste of the Wild also offers grain inclusive options with its Ancient Grains range.