The Best Blue Buffalo Puppy Foods

Written by Susan Olayode
Updated: January 28, 2023
© Eric Isselee/Shutterstock.com

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Having a new puppy is like being a new parent. On one hand, you can’t wait to spend every spare minute with your fur baby. On the other, you worry whether you’re giving your puppy everything they need to develop into a healthy adult dog.

Of course, one of your main concerns is what you should feed your puppy. This review will help you put that concern to rest.

We believe that Blue Buffalo makes some of the highest-quality pet food available. They formulated their puppy foods to provide the targeted nutrition that puppies require for optimal growth and development. Each recipe starts with real animal protein as the first ingredient. They’re enhanced with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other nutrients that your puppy needs…without any of the ingredients that they don’t. For example, you’ll never find chicken (or poultry) by-product meals, corn, wheat, or soy in any BLUE pet food.

Blue Buffalo offers many different puppy food varieties. Your options are numerous, from dry food to wet food, grain-free options, and various flavors. So even after you decide on BLUE, you still may find it difficult to choose recipe that’s right for your puppy.

That’s why we researched and reviewed the best Blue Buffalo puppy foods based on their nutritional profiles and reviews from actual pet parents just like you. We clearly laid out the pros and cons of each formula so you can make an educated decision and get back to enjoying your new puppy.

  1. Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Puppy Chicken Dinner with Garden Vegetables Canned Dog Food
    • Perfect for all breeds regardless of size
    • Contains real chicken, chicken broth, and chicken liver
    • Also contains nutritious veggies
    • Formulated to support a puppy's immune, skin, and coat health
    • Provides energy (calories), vital vitamins, and minerals
    Check Chewy Check Amazon
  2. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Puppy Chicken & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food
    • Designed to promote cognitive development with DHA and ARA
    • Supports muscle and bone development
    • High-quality chicken is the first ingredient
    • No byproduct chicken meals, corn, wheat, and soy
    Check Chewy
  3. Blue Buffalo Baby BLUE High Protein Grain-Free
    • Perfect for puppies with grain allergies
    • Includes real chicken, veggies, and fruit
    • Contains the essential fatty acids found in mother's milk
    • Also contains omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids for healthy skin and coat
    • Enriched with vitamins, minerals, calcium, and protein
    Check Chewy Check Amazon
  4. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Canned Puppy Food
    • Gluten-free
    • Reasonably priced
    • Nourishes and hydrates your puppy
    • Made with grilled turkey, chicken, veggies, and fruit
    • Includes essential proteins and fatty acids and no artificial flavors, additives, or byproducts
    Check Chewy

A-Z-Animals Top Picks for the Best Blue Buffalo Puppy Food

#1 Best Overall: Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Puppy

Our choice for the #1 Best Overall Blue Buffalo puppy food is Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Puppy. This pâte-style wet puppy food features deboned chicken as the first ingredient to support healthy muscle development. You’ll also find nutrient-rich garden fruits and veggies like whole carrots, sweet potatoes, blueberries, and cranberries!

This recipe includes DHA, an essential fatty acid found in mothers’ milk to support your puppy’s brain and eye development. It’s enhanced with vitamins and minerals and tailored to meet the nutritional needs of growing puppies.

You can feed this delicious, nutritious canned food to your puppy as a complete meal, mix it with their kibble to make it more appetizing, or serve it between meals as a tasty treat.

There were no reviewer complaints about the quality of this puppy food.

Pros and Cons of Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Puppy

ProsCons
The first ingredient in this pâte-style food is deboned chicken to support your puppy’s muscle development.None
It also includes nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables.
This recipe includes DHA, an essential fatty acid found in mothers’ milk that supports puppies’ brain and eye development.
You can feed this food to your puppy three ways: as a complete meal, mixed with kibble, or as a reward between meals.
Best Overall
Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Puppy Chicken Dinner with Garden Vegetables Canned Dog Food
  • Perfect for all breeds regardless of size
  • Contains real chicken, chicken broth, and chicken liver
  • Also contains nutritious veggies
  • Formulated to support a puppy's immune, skin, and coat health
  • Provides energy (calories), vital vitamins, and minerals
Check Chewy Check Amazon

2. Best Dry: Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Puppy Chicken & Brown Rice

Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Puppy Chicken & Brown Rice is everything you could want in your puppy’s first dry food. It includes DHA and ARA, essential fatty acids found in mothers’ milk that support puppies’ brain and eye development. The kibble itself is designed especially for puppies’ smaller mouths and jaws. Plus, it will help keep your puppy’s teeth clean by removing tartar every time it chews!

Deboned chicken is the first ingredient to provide your puppy with the protein it needs to build strong muscles. Fruits and vegetables provide antioxidants and other nutrients. And this recipe includes LifeSource Bits, BLUE’s proprietary blend of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants blended to meet your puppy’s life-stage needs and support their immune system and oxidative balance.

A few reviewers reported that their puppies developed diarrhea after eating this food.

Pros and Cons of Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Puppy Chicken & Brown Rice

ProsCons
This kibble includes DHA and ARA, essential fatty acids that are found in mothers’ milk that support brain and eye development.A few reviewers reported that their puppies developed diarrhea after eating this food.
The kibble is designed specifically for puppies’ smaller mouths and jaws and will help clean their teeth by removing tartar with every bite.
Deboned chicken is the first ingredient and provides the protein puppies need to build strong muscles.
Fruits and veggies provide antioxidants and other nutrients.
This recipe includes LifeSource Bits, the company’s proprietary blend of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants your puppy needs to support their life-stage needs, and support their immune system and oxidative balance.
Best Dry Puppy Food
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Puppy Chicken & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food
  • Designed to promote cognitive development with DHA and ARA
  • Supports muscle and bone development
  • High-quality chicken is the first ingredient
  • No byproduct chicken meals, corn, wheat, and soy
Check Chewy

3. Best Grain-Free: Blue Buffalo Baby BLUE High Protein Grain-Free

If your puppy is sensitive or allergic to grains, Blue Buffalo Baby BLUE High Protein Grain-Free is the puppy food you’ve been searching for. This grain-free, high-protein puppy food includes includes chicken as the first ingredient to provide the high-quality protein your puppy needs to develop strong, healthy muscles. Fruits and vegetables are a natural source of antioxidants. And the formula includes DHA and ARA, essential fatty acids found in mothers’ milk that help support cognitive development and retinal health.

Like all BLUE dry dog foods, this recipe contains LifeSource Bits, the company’s precise blend of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals required to support your puppy’s immune system. And what this formula doesn’t include is just as important as what it does. It’s free from chicken (or poultry) by-product meals, corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors, and preservatives.

A few reviewers reported that their puppies developed diarrhea after eating this food. Others said that this food was too expensive.

Pros and Cons of Blue Buffalo Baby BLUE High Protein Grain-Free

ProsCons
This high-protein puppy food is grain-free.A few reviewers reported that their puppies developed diarrhea after eating this food.
Chicken is the first ingredient for the protein puppies need to develop healthy muscles.Others said that this food was too expensive.
Fruits and veggies provide antioxidants.
The recipe includes DHA and ARA, essential fatty acids found in mothers’ milk that support cognitive development and retinal health.
LifeSource Bits supplement the recipe with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals for puppies’ immune system health.
It’s free from chicken (or poultry) by-product meals, corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors, and preservatives.
Best Grain-Free
Blue Buffalo Baby BLUE High Protein Grain-Free
  • Perfect for puppies with grain allergies
  • Includes real chicken, veggies, and fruit
  • Contains the essential fatty acids found in mother's milk
  • Also contains omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids for healthy skin and coat
  • Enriched with vitamins, minerals, calcium, and protein
Check Chewy Check Amazon

4. Best Puppy Wet Food: Blue Buffalo Wilderness Canned Puppy Food

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Canned Puppy Food is grain-free and gluten-free and comes at a great price. It’s just what you need to nourish and hydrate your puppy. It is irresistibly tasty and will have your puppy running to you at mealtimes. Who wouldn’t love grilled turkey and chicken with veggies and garden fruits?

Like the previous options, this puppy food is formulated with DHA to support brain, eye, and cognitive development.

This meal is also formulated with the essential protein and fatty acids that your puppy needs. You can serve it as a complete meal or mix it with kibble. There are no artificial flavors, additives, or by-products. When you purchase this option, your puppy will get an all-natural enriched meal.

A few reviewers reported that their puppies didn’t like this food.

Pros and Cons of Blue Buffalo Wilderness Canned Puppy Food

ProsCons
This affordable wet puppy food is grain-free and gluten-free.A few reviewers reported that their puppies didn’t like this food.
It includes grilled turkey and chicken for protein as well as fruits and vegetables for antioxidants and other nutrients.
It’s formulated with DHA to support your puppy’s brain, eye, and cognitive developments.
It includes the essential protein and fatty acids your puppy needs for growth and development.
You can serve it as a complete meal or mix it with kibble.
It’s free from artificial flavors, additives, and by-products. .
Best Puppy Wet Food
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Canned Puppy Food
  • Gluten-free
  • Reasonably priced
  • Nourishes and hydrates your puppy
  • Made with grilled turkey, chicken, veggies, and fruit
  • Includes essential proteins and fatty acids and no artificial flavors, additives, or byproducts
Check Chewy

Choosing the Best Blue Buffalo Puppy Food What to Look For

Even though we’ve narrowed our recommendations down to the best Blue Buffalo puppy food recipes, it still may be a little difficult to choose. That’s why we always advise that puppy parents keep the following criterion in mind when selecting food for their puppy: flavor, allergies, and price.

Flavor

Even though your puppy is just a baby, they still may have a flavor preference. So, if you find that they are turning away certain foods, you could vary the flavors to figure out what they prefer. Blue Buffalo has many different recipes, including chicken, turkey, lamb, beef, and even trout.

Allergies

Some puppies are sensitive or allergic to certain grains or even specific animal proteins. If your puppy falls into either category, you should select food that takes this into account. Blue Buffalo offers several grain-free and gluten-free options for puppies.

Price

Try to strike a balance between nutritious and moderately priced puppy food. You don’t want to buy a cheap food that includes ingredients that may be detrimental to your puppy’s health such chicken (or poultry) by-product meals, corn, wheat, or soy. All Blue Buffalo recipes are free from these ingredients, plus, they’re made with the nutritious, high-quality ingredients you do want at a reasonable price.

The Different Types of Blue Buffalo Puppy Food: Pros and Cons Compared

Have you decided which type of Blue Buffalo puppy food you’ll purchase for your puppy yet? We included the best dry and wet options in our list. Here are the pros and cons of each to further assist you with your decision.

Dry Puppy Food

Dry puppy food is crunchy, delicious, and has negligible or no moisture content.

ProsCons
Easy to preserve when openedIt doesn’t provide hydration like wet food does
Improves puppies’ oral health by removing tartar and plaque when chewed 
Affordable 

Wet

Wet dog food has a high moisture content and comes in cans or pouches.

ProsCons
High moisture contentA bit more expensive
High nutritional contentMust be refrigerated after opening and consumed within five days
Delicious flavors 

Up Next

The Best Blue Buffalo Puppy Foods FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) 

Is Blue Buffalo okay for puppies?

Yes. Blue Buffalo has fabulous dry and wet foods specially created for puppies. They contain the nutrients your puppy needs to grow healthy and strong.

What puppy food do vets recommend most?

Blue Buffalo is a brand that is recognized for its healthy, all-natural approach to pet food. Many professionals and puppy owners recommend it.

Is Blue Buffalo good for dogs?

Blue Buffalo meals are formulated to provide your dog with the best nutrition. Their recipes are made with natural, wholesome ingredients and never includes chicken (or poultry) by-product meals, corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors, and preservatives.

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