The 6 Best Border Collie Dog Foods Australia: Tested & Evaluated 2024

Border Collies are a wonderful breed. Beautiful, clever, and energetic, they are the epitome of a wonder dog. And when you have such a star in your family, you’ll want to ensure that they get the best nutrition possible.

To help you provide the best Border Collie dog food, our expert team collaborated with other authorities to study which brands in Australia are the most nutritious ones. We spent months to come up with a list to help you decide.

Today, we’ll reveal the results of our research and help you find the best Border Collie food available. 

Australia's Best Dog Food for Border Collies Reviewed

Kibble That Counts by Petzyo is one of the best locally-sourced dry food options in Australia. According to the Petzyo website, their kibble is made with “at least 99% Australian ingredients” which are carefully picked from sustainable sources to provide optimal nutrition for your pooch.

Related: Petzyo Dog Food Review

We love the Salmon & Oceanfish recipe as an option for Border Collies because the formula is super rich in Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids which are bound to make your Border’s coat extra beautiful and shiny.

The recipe also contains lots of protein (26%) and a decent amount of fat (12%) which is exactly what Border Collies need to fuel their active personalities.

Compared to Eureka, Petzyo is more affordable and has lower fat content, which makes it our first choice among foods for border collies in Australia.

What we love about this dog food is its rich protein content which is the primary need for our border collies, considering their active personalities.

Besides the fish, this Petzyo formula also contains a mix of vitamin-rich veggies as well as a few superfood extras like the green-lipped mussels which support healthy joints.

Even if they are not working dogs, Border Collies are usually very active, and they need food that can give them enough energy for all that action. Eureka is just such a food: with 37% protein and 28% fat, the numbers are hard to beat.

But what’s perhaps even more important is the fact that all those calories come from high-quality sources. Eureka is made with locally sourced meat coming from the best possible sources: wild-caught (roo) or grass-fed (lamb). It’s not only meat included, but also lots of offal and some ground bone, which are all necessary for a healthy canine diet.

Compared to the first option Petzyo, Eureka has more protein content, making it one of the best for Border Collies, mainly because their protein source comes from high-quality meat.

Related: Eureka Dog Food Review

With only a few select ingredients added on top of the meat and offal, we can safely say Eureka is a top choice for Border Collies. The only real downside is the price which quickly adds up, especially if you have more than one dog in your household.

However, we love how this brand does not compromise its ingredients and chooses high-quality meat for our dogs, so the higher price is reasonable.

Also, it considers all life stages, so you can feed this to your Border Collie and be confident that they have formulated it according to your dog's needs.

Ziwi Peak is the cream of the crop when it comes to quality dog food. All of their formulas are nutritionally balanced and made with the best possible ingredients. Throughout the process of making their air-dried food, Ziwi ensure your pooch gets only the best.

Related: Ziwi Peak Dog Food Review

In the case of the Tripe & Lamb recipe, it all starts with free-range grass-fed New Zealand lamb. This recipe is especially rich in green tripe which is a nutrient bomb for dogs, containing everything from vitamins and minerals to natural probiotics. On top of that, there is actual lamb meat, offal and bone. In short, different parts of lamb make up the majority of this formula, combined with a few nice additions like green-lipped mussels and inulin derived from chicory.

Compared to Eureka, which is our second option, we included Ziwi Peak on the list because they have a top-quality protein first, making it one of the best dog food for Border Collies with almost similar protein content to Eureka.

Another thing to keep in mind about Ziwi Peak is that although it’s dry, this is not kibble. The food has been gently air-dried at a low temperature to preserve all the nutrients. The end product is dry pieces that are extremely nutrient dense and high in calories. Because of this, the daily amount of Ziwi food your dog needs to eat to satisfy their needs will be considerably smaller than when you are feeding dry kibble.

What we love about this brand is it does not incorporate additional additives to the ingredient, so you can ensure that their formula is safe and nutrient-loaded.

We can also use this as a supplement to our dog's raw diets so you can adjust the portion of the dog food being served to complete your dog's meal.

Yes, this is the second entry from Ziwi Peak on this list, but when it comes to canned food, their line is definitely at the top of what you can find in Australia.

The beef recipe features locally sourced free-range beef as well as organs (including cold-washed tripe) and some bone to ensure complete nutrition for your dog. The only additions are chickpeas, green-lipped mussels and select vitamin, mineral, and amino acid supplements.

Compared to the brands on this list, this has the highest protein content because it's primarily made of meat with no grains, so your dog can enjoy a high-protein meal.

In short, it’s a can of goodness! We chose to showcase the beef recipe here as it’s very rich in protein, but each canned food flavour from Ziwi is equally awesome and food of quality meat and offal.

We love that their dog food is sealed in cans because it keeps the moisture and freshness of the food, considering the amount of meat it contains.

Also, we like that this brand does not include low-cost fillers, so your dogs, especially those with allergies, are perfectly safe consuming their dog food.

All of this does come at a price, but there is nothing better for picky eaters. Dogs just can’t resist this food. These cans also work great when used as a topping.

What’s the secret behind the best working dog foods? Well, according to Meals for Mutts, creating the optimal recipe requires achieving the perfect balance between BCAA’s, glutamine, and creatine in the food.

While we haven’t checked the exact levels of these compounds, we do know that a high-energy diet for dogs must contain lots of quality protein as well as a decent amount of fat to keep the dog going throughout the day. The Meals for Mutts High Performance recipe offers exactly that with a whopping 32% protein and 20% fat.

The base of this recipe is turkey meat, combined with chickpeas which are also very energy-dense. The ingredient list is quite short, which is something we typically like to see, and it also manages to include a couple of superfoods like coconut oil and turmeric.

Unlike Ziwi Peak, which has low-fat content, this brand has enough fats for your dogs to energise them throughout their activities, considering they are a very active breed, making it the fifth option on our list.

Related: Meals For Mutts Dog Food Review

What we don’t like too much is that some of the ingredients are not clearly specified - the label lists “seasonal vegetables” and “natural fats and oils” as the main ingredients. With no way of identifying the exact ingredients, we can’t help but be a bit suspicious. However, the Meals for Mutts website states that “natural fats and oils are derived from our main protein source listed in the ingredient list” which helps clear up the mystery at least a bit.

We love how they use natural preservatives because dog foods in the supermarket usually contain artificial ingredients to keep their products fresh.

We also like that it is grain-free and contains Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids as healthy sources of fats to ensure that our dogs are getting enough fats to stay active.

Look at that ingredient list! It sure is long, but once you get into it, you’ll realise it’s a pretty nice list.

Usually, when we see an extra long ingredient list on a dog food label, we find that it contains lots of strange-sounding additives and preservatives. But that’s not the case with Orijen! Instead, they clearly name every single ingredient which is why the list is so long.

The Orijen brand is focused on creating a biologically appropriate diet following the whole prey model, so they aim to include as much real meat and organs as possible. In the case of this formula for puppies, they’ve chosen a whole range of protein sources from protein and fish. That’s why not only the first ingredient, but the whole first half of the ingredient lists contain wholesome sources of protein.

Compared to all of the options on this list, this dog food is specifically formulated for puppies, with high protein and fat content to give puppies enough energy throughout the day, which is why we included this one in our list.

According to Orijen, this formula contains 85% meat, and the rest is a mix of wholesome fruits and veggies to ensure your pup gets all the nutrients they need. This feed is on the pricer side, but it is well worth it if you want the best for your pup.

What we like about this brand is its variety of ingredients, as it contains various protein sources, fruits and vegetables while being low on carbs, making it a perfect food for our puppies.

Also, our puppies LOVE this dog food because it contains real meat and organs.

Do Border Collies Have Any Special Dietary Requirements?

Border Collies were bred to be working dogs, but they also make great pets for any active individual or family. The keyword here is active as these dogs truly are very energetic and always looking for some kind of action.

The breed is also known to be very healthy. They are not typically prone to any diseases (except for some that have nothing to do with their diet). They also typically don’t have any food sensitivities and aren’t likely to get overweight.

Related: Choosing Dog Food
Related: What is AAFCO? The Association of American Feed Control Officials
Related: What Is the Pet Food Industry Association of Australia (PFIAA)?
Related: AAFCO vs PFIAA: Dog Food Standards Comparison Australia

In short, there are not too many special things you need to worry about when creating a diet for a Border Collie. A typical high-quality dog diet with lots of protein and wholesome ingredients should be all they need.

How To Choose The Best Option for Your BC

One thing to keep in mind when choosing food for a Border Collie is that, as mentioned, they are a very active breed. But what does that mean? Well, there is a big difference between a working dog and a sedentary animal and there is everything in between.

Still, Border Collies are typically always energetic no matter what kind of life they live, which means they will benefit from a food that’s rich in protein and has a decent amount of fat. If your dog spends their time working on the farm or doing lots of sporty activities with you, then they might even need an extra boost of energy. It’s best to choose a dog food that fits your dog's lifestyle.

Although we often tend to associate fats with junk food (at least in the human world), they are the most concentrated form of energy in food and can provide the strength active dogs need. So don’t shy away from high-fat dog foods for Border collies who are very active.

In general, choosing good dog food for a Border Collie follows the same principle as choosing food for any dog. Choose reputable manufacturers and those that are transparent about their ingredients and manufacturing processes.

No matter what, protein is the most important part of the canine diet, so always look for food that has a high-quality protein source as the first ingredient on the list. Other than that, we always want to see more wholesome, easily identifiable ingredients, and fewer preservatives and artificial additives.

My Final Verdict

The best food for a Border Collie? The one your dog likes, of course. But besides that, it should be easily available and offer the optimal nutrient balance to your dog. If you live in Australia, Petzyo is a dry dog food that fits the description.

We highly recommend this dog food considering the price and the quality of ingredients we are getting, not to mention that our dogs love the taste.

On the other hand, if you are looking for canned dog food, for example, definitely check out the Ziwi Peak Wet Food line. Although quite expensive, they are definitely among the best of the best.

References

1. Paul, T. June 8, 2022. “Border Collie”. PetMD. Retrieved January 23, 2024. https://www.petmd.com/dog/breeds/c_dg_border_collie
2. Reynolds, G. August 20, 2014. “Feeding Your Canine Athlete”. New York Times. Retrieved January 23, 2024. https://archive.nytimes.com/well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/08/20/the-science-behind-your-dogs-special-exercise-needs/?_r=0