Ultimate Boxer Puppy Diet Plan: Essential Nutrition Tips for a Healthy, Happy Pup

Feeding your Boxer well isn’t just about filling their bowl; it’s about fueling their body, supporting their health, and giving them the best chance to thrive. As puppy parents who may be used to commercial dog food or dry dog food, switching to a fresh feeding approach can feel like a significant change. With so many choices, from canned dog food and kibble to grain-free formulas and the increasingly popular raw diet, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. This article will provide a comprehensive overview of how to create the best diet plan for your Boxer puppy.

Understanding Your Boxer's Nutritional Needs

When it comes to nutrition, most dogs, regardless of breed, have surprisingly universal needs. Dogs are classified as facultative carnivores. That means meat is their biological staple, but they can survive by scavenging and eating other food types, including some plant matter. Modern dogs may appear different from their wild ancestors, but biologically, they remain remarkably close to wolves.

Dogs have little requirement for carbohydrates, especially refined ones. However, most commercial dry dog foods are loaded with them, often making up more than 50% of the recipe. Carbs like grains, legumes, and starchy fillers are cheap to bulk out food, not because they benefit your dog. That’s why more and more dog owners are turning to grain-free dog food or making the transition to feeding their dogs a fresh diet. Because when your dog eats better, they live better, with benefits such as better digestion, more vitality, shinier coats, and healthier teeth.

Raw Food Diet: A Biologically Appropriate Option

Raw dog food is whole food served in their most natural state with no heat processing. It’s the most biologically aligned option for dogs. It delivers nutrients in their most digestible and usable forms, with no need for synthetic additives, preservatives, or mystery fillers. A raw, species-appropriate diet, also referred to as BARF diet for dogs (biologically appropriate raw food diet), includes muscle meat, organ meat, bone, raw fats, and a small amount of vegetables or berries.

Contrast that with ultra-processed commercial dog food. While convenient, it’s the exact opposite of raw. The high-heat manufacturing process depletes nutrients, denatures proteins, and creates inflammatory compounds. Worse still, the added carbs, synthetic vitamins, and often rancid heated fats can contribute to a long list of chronic health issues that are now on the rise - not just in dogs, but in humans too.

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As more dog owners become aware of the benefits of fresh, natural feeding, the industry is evolving. But as with any dog food, quality matters. That’s why choosing a trusted supplier like ProDog matters. It’s not about being perfect or doing everything at once. Even introducing just a few raw meals a week, or adding a fresh food topper like raw meat, a cracked egg, or a spoonful of bone broth, can deliver meaningful nutritional benefits for your dog. So, wherever you are on your journey, whether you’re just starting to explore raw food for a Boxer or already making small changes, know that it all counts.

Portion Sizes and Feeding Guidelines for Boxer Puppies

When it comes to portion sizes, there’s no universal answer. Just like people, every dog is different with their own metabolism, energy levels, and health goals. Puppy feeding guidelines are different from adult dogs and change as your young dog grows. For safe growth, it’s important to feed a raw puppy-specific formula. ProDog’s raw puppy food meals are formulated to FEDIAF nutritional standards and expertly portioned for convenience.

Very young pups, and particularly those that are a bit underweight, should be free-fed for at least the first month at their new home. This is the method of having fresh food accessible at all times. For a pup still trying to gain their bearings, you may need to lead them to their bowl throughout the day.

It's best to get a Boxer onto a feeding schedule as soon as possible. Schedules of anything (feeding, exercise, sleep time, etc.) usually equal a better-behaved dog. Most adult Boxers that have reached their final adult weight and height do well with 2 meals per day, plus snacks. If snacks are regular and of substance, a Boxer may be perfectly content with 1 main meal per day. Note that this breed is prone to bloat, so you want to avoid letting a Boxer get so hungry that he rapidly gulps his food down. If that is the case, increase the frequency of meals or use a slow-feed bowl; stainless-steel is best, something like Mr. Peanut's Stainless Steel Slow Feed Bowl works well.

The exact serving size that is appropriate for each Boxer varies and depends mainly on age and current weight but also is affected by activity level, health status, type of food (wet vs dry), and individual metabolism. Puppies usually require about 55 calories for each pound of body weight. Young pups might eat a bit over a cup a day, older pups can eat up to 3 cups a day. Adults need fewer calories per pound of body weight than their younger counterparts, about 40. Depending on an adult Boxer dog's size, food is usually in the 3 to 5 cup per day range.

To know exactly how much to give your Boxer, know your dog's weight. Don't guess since that can be wildly off. Then, look at the feeding guidelines on the bag of kibble; these are listed by age and weight and are usually pretty spot on. Keep in mind that it is assumed you will be offering several snacks per day and/or training treats.

Dry Kibble vs. Wet Canned Food

Though many Boxers may prefer wet canned food, dry kibble is better to maintain healthy teeth and gum and a strong jaw. You'll still have to provide some level of at-home dental care, but the crunch of a hard kibble will work to some extent to remove plaque. Additionally, dry food seems to keep the stools firmer and healthier. If your Boxer is a finicky eater and balks at dry food, try mixing in just a bit of canned (stick with the same brand) or add just a bit of water or low-sodium chicken or beef broth.

Grain vs. Grain-Free Diets: Considerations for Boxers

It's wasn't that long ago that putting a dog on a grain-free diet wasn't much of a big deal. Some grains, especially those with gluten, can cause excessive gas, upset stomach, and other issues. And, some dogs are allergic to wheat or gluten which can manifest as itching and other skin problems. But recently, a suspected link between certain grain-free dog foods and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM, a canine heart disease) caused veterinary experts to take pause. And, since Boxers are one of the breeds prone to DCM, it's important to understand where things are on this.

Though it was first thought that any grain-free diet may be the cause, the current thought is that it is a BEG diet, meaning boutique (small specialty brands) that have exotic meats (non-traditional meats like alligator, kangaroo, bison, venison, etc.) that are 100% grain-free and with peas, legumes, potatoes, or sweet potatoes as one or more of the top 5 ingredients. Many more studies need to be done for conclusive answers to be found. For now, it is recommended to offer healthy grains and this can be done while avoiding gluten if your Boxer has an issue with it.

Navigating the Many Choices of Dog Foods

Many brands are guilty of having at least one of these elements that you do not want your Boxer's food to have:

No grains at all: Until conclusive studies are complete, play it safe and offer a kibble with some level of healthy grains unless the veterinarian recommends otherwise (Boxer needs to be on a specific grain-free diet, etc.).
Synthetic preservatives: These can be toxic. Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), and ethoxyquin, just to name a few, are linked to behavioral issues, organ damage, and some forms of cancer.
Artificial coloring: Common dyes like Yellow #5 and #6 and Blue #2 are linked to behavioral and health issues.
Artificial flavor enhancers: MSG is one of the worst, it is linked to anxiety, rapid heartbeat, and breathing issues.
Generic animal digest, meats, oils, or fats: When anything is listed as 'animal', it is derived from a 4-D animal: dead, dying, diseased or disabled animals and can literally be any meat from any animal at all: minks from mink farms, roadkill, zoo animals, expired meats from supermarkets and butcher shops, etc.
Fillers: Fillers are cheap ingredients that are put into dog food to bulk it up but they have little to no nutritional value. The 'food' goes right through their system; a dog will eat but be hungry again soon afterward and this is one cause of coprophagia (eating feces).
By-products: since meats from overseas can be questionable.

What to Look For:

100% all natural: The kibble will be preserved using a vitamin blend (often listed as mixed tocopherals) and will be naturally flavored and colored.
Some level of grains.
Real meats, veggies, and fruits.
Made in the USA or North America: Some ingredients sourced from Norway are fine; this country has very strict guidelines.

If you are not sure what is in your Boxer's food, investigate it. Know about grain content and the presence (or lack of) additives and subpar ingredients.

Recommended Dog Food for Boxers

The following recommendations are formulas with some level of healthy grains; if you did not read the previous 'Grain vs Grain-free' you may wish to do so before continuing on.

Merrick Dry with added Vitamins & Minerals - All Breeds: This meets all of the requirements of what you're looking for. This is 100% all natural. There are no synthetic preservatives; vitamins are used instead (shown as mixed tocopherals). The grains in this formula are generally very well tolerated: quinoa (technically a seed), oatmeal, and barley. There are 3 different recipes to choose from: beef, chicken, or lamb. Other ingredients include peas, salmon, carrots, apples, blueberries, and flaxseed. There are good levels of glucosamine chondroitin (vital for joint health), antioxidants, and omega fatty acids (important for skin and coat health). There are no by-products, fillers, or generic meats or oils and this is sourced and made in the USA.
Wellness Complete Health Natural Chicken & Oatmeal: Note that some of the recipes in the line of Wellness Complete are grain-free, but this particular one, as well as the Lamb & Barley recipe are not. For this one, the base is chicken (a very classic tasty protein that most dogs love), along with oatmeal, brown rice, ground barley, peas, flaxseed, carrots, tomato pomace, spinach, sweet potatoes, apples, and blueberries. All other ingredients shown on the label are either vitamins and minerals or natural preservatives. This has no wheat, corn, soy, meat by-products, artificial flavors, colors or preservatives, and this is made in the USA.
AvoDerm Natural Chicken & Rice Formula: This brand offers a top-quality formula that is gluten-free. There is no wheat, corn, soy, by-products, artificial flavors, artificial colors, or chemical preservatives. The base is chicken and brown rice and other ingredients include white rice, oatmeal, rice bran, avocado, flax seed, herring, and kelp. It has good levels of omega fatty acids and antioxidants. The one trade-off for having it be gluten-free is that it does not contain any fruit; however, it does have all required vitamins and minerals (and you can always offers a small amount of fresh fruit as snacks).

Homemade vs. Commercial Dog Food

Commercial dog food is convenient and, if you choose a superior brand, it will ensure that your Boxer receives all needed nutrients and is on a well-rounded and well-balanced diet. And, home cooked food gives you complete control over what your Boxer eats and does not eat and can be tweaked to satisfy a finicky eater. So, there are pros and cons to each. Whether you opt for a top-quality kibble or you use good cuts of meat and fish and fresh produce in homemade meals, neither option is super-cheap. Because, of course, you get what you pay for.

If you decide to homecook for your dog, please do research on the meals that you prepare to ensure that your boxer is receiving everything that they need for a complete and balanced diet. Balanceit.com is a good resource.

Reading and Interpreting Dog Food Labels

If you decide to feed your boxer a commercial kibble, it is important that you understand how to read and interpret ingredient labels so that you know how to choose a quality food. Ingredients are listed by weight, similar to the ingredients on human food. Therefore the first ingredients are what make up the majority of the food. Dogs are omnivores and need vegetables in their diets, but you want the first ingredients to be some form of meat.

Beware the common practice of "Ingredient Splitting" This is where one ingredient is broken up and listed separately in the list, so that it appears like there is less of it in the food. Corn and wheat gluten are fine, but unless it is a special prescription food (such as Hills I/D for GI issues) avoid foods that contain wheat, corn and soy as one of the main ingredients high up on the list. These ingredients can be fillers that provide little nutritional value for your dog and are sometimes used because they are cheap and easy for a dog food company to obtain. Wheat and corn are two of the biggest causes of food allergies and because boxers as a breed are prone to food allergies, it is especially important for you to be vigilant about what feed your boxer.

If your dog doesn't like the food, try a different protein source. Common proteins are beef, chicken, lamb, and salmon. As you start reading dog food labels, you will see meat ingredients listed in three different ways. Meat, Meat by-products and Meat meal. By-products are generally a very low quality ingredient. They are all of the bits of the animal that are leftover after processing for human consumption. Avoid foods that contain by-products. Meat Meal is actually the best term to see. It is the same as Meat, but with the water removed. Because the water must be removed in order to make kibble, if you see an ingredient listed as just meat, it should actually be further down in the ingredient list than it is.

Another important thing to look for is that all meat ingredients should be identified as coming from a specific animal. For example, you want to see chicken meal, not poultry meal, or meat meal. Certain known carcinogens are allowed to be used in dog food. These ingredients include BHA and BHT (common preservatives) and ethoxyquin (commonly found in fish).

Puppy Food Considerations

Many of the puppy foods available today are largely marketing gimmicks. Your puppy has the same basic nutritional needs as that of a grown dog, so as long as you're feeding a high quality dog food, and feeding the right amount according to the puppy guidelines printed on the bag, then your puppy should be getting everything that he or she needs. One important thing to look at is the amount of protein in the food. Your puppy needs a minimum of 22% protein, but not more than 26%. Foods with protein levels higher than 26% are only appropriate for dogs over 18 months of age.

Treats and Supplements

Remember that treats are just as much a part of your dogs diet as the food they eat every day. If you are purchasing dog biscuits, make sure to review the ingredient list using the same guidelines explained above. There are actually a lot of human foods you can use as treats that are very healthy for dogs. A great treat to keep your dog occupied for a while is a Kong toy (it is a red rubber cone shaped toy that is hollow and can be stuffed with treats) filled with any combination of peanut butter, dog food, plain yogurt and banana. Freeze it, and give it to your boxer whenever you want an hour of peace. If your boxer has gas (and he will!) add a spoonful of plain, nonfat yogurt to his food every day.

Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) and Diet

As many of you may already be aware, the FDA released a new report on June 27th regarding a correlation between Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs eating certain diets, many of which are labeled as grain free. These grain free diets contain peas, lentils, and other legumes and/or potatoes as main ingredients. Between January 1st 2014 and April 30th 2019 515 canine reports (560 affected) were received by the FDA with 219 being reported between December 1st 2018 and April 30th 2019. These are cases in which DCM has been diagnosed and the FDA did not include reports without a DCM diagnosis. An echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) is required to definitively diagnose DCM. The reports include a thorough medical history including echocardiogram results and a detailed history of the diet being fed.

DCM is a disease of the heart which results in the decreased ability to pump blood throughout the body due to weakened contractions. As the disease progresses the heart becomes enlarged and it can lead to congestive heart failure (CHF). This is a silent disease where there may be no symptoms early on. There are certain breeds that are genetically predisposed which include Boxers, Dobermans, Great Danes, and Cocker Spaniels. Genetic or traditional DCM is different than Nutritional DCM. Genetic DCM is typically progressive with no cure and has a poor prognosis. In the early stages there may not be any symptoms but it typically starts with a noticeable exercise intolerance.

In the FDA report boxers rank #10 out of 19 breeds listed. At this time there is still a lot of unknown, however DCM is a serious disease that can be fatal and everyone needs to be aware of it. The FDA as well as other institutes are continuing to research and investigate into the correlation between diets and ingredients. If you are currently feeding one of the brands listed in the report the best thing to do is to contact your veterinarian to discuss their recommendations regarding a diet change.

Consulting with Professionals

You may be asking how to choose a dog food? you start by consulting your veterinarian. Secondly, look for a manufacturer which employs a full-time board certified (ACVN) veterinary diplomate. The Pet Nutrition Alliance (PNA) is a group of board certified veterinary nutritionists, veterinarians, veterinary technician specialists and registered veterinary technicians who promote the importance of nutrition in pets worldwide.

Transitioning to a New Diet

Switching your Boxer from processed food to a raw, biologically aligned diet is one of the most impactful health decisions you can make. During the transition, keep an eye on your dog’s poo (yes, really), energy levels, and appetite. Digest, a dog gut health supplement, can help soothe the gut, reduce gas, and ease the shift to fresh food.

Additional Tips for Boxer Health

Maintain your dog’s hydration.
Consider an elimination diet by replacing common farmed meats like beef and chicken with novel proteins such as venison or goat raw dog food, both available in ProDog’s Exotics range.
Raw food arrives frozen, so ensure you have sufficient freezer space.
Look for good dog food for Boxers that use recipes that include premium ingredients such as lamb, turkey and salmon and contain no artificial colours or added preservatives.
Choose dry kibble food over wet canned food for your Boxer dog or puppy diet can help.

Foods to Avoid

Here are some of the main foods that are dangerous for dogs. You must keep these in mind when feeding your Boxer.

Milk and other dairy products: Some adult dogs do not have sufficient amounts of the enzyme lactase, which breaks down the lactose in milk.
Onions and garlic (raw, cooked, or powder): Contain sulfoxides and disulfides, which can damage red blood cells and cause anaemia.
Potato, rhubarb, and tomato leaves; potato and tomato stems: Contain oxalates, which can affect the digestive, nervous, and urinary systems.
Raw eggs: Contain an enzyme called avidin, which decreases the absorption of biotin (a B vitamin). This can lead to skin and hair coat problems.
Raw fish: Can result in a thiamine (a B vitamin) deficiency leading to loss of appetite, seizures, and in severe cases, death.
Table scraps (in large amounts): Table scraps are not nutritionally balanced and if excessively fed can lead to obesity.
Xylitol: This artificial sweetener sneaks its way into all sorts of foods - from peanut butter to jellies and jams and is highly toxic to canines. After a dog consumes a significant amount of xylitol, there is a massive release of insulin from the pancreas.

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