What's the best food for my Doberman puppy, including homemade?

Raw diets are really not recommended. There is an extremely high chance he could get salmonella or E. coli poisoning just like if we ate raw meat. Despite what TV commercials would lead you to believe, your dog is not a wolf. Dogs have been domesticated a very long time now and their GI tracts have evolved to reflect that. If you want to feed a homemade diet you can do that but the food must be cooked an you need to have a veterinary nutritionist formulate the diet so that is properly balanced with all the vitamins and minerals a dog needs - especially a large breed puppy. I just recommend you feed him a large breed puppy food that is already formulated with everything he needs. A premium brand (not boutique) that is within your budget. Stay away from grain free diets unless he has a DOCUMENTED grain allergy that is proven with testing later on down the line. https://www.chewy.com/royal-canin-large-puppy-dry-dog-food/dp/115775

Aw, what a cutie. 6 weeks old is pretty young to be away from his mama. These guys are often fed by their mom until closer to 8 weeks. A good quality puppy food, probably canned or kibble soaked in warm water will be necessary. At this age he probable won’t eat dry kibble. It is best if you feed the same thing the breeder fed in the beginning. This will help with the soft stool and keep him from diarrhea. Once he eats that well, you can transition. I would choose a high quality large breed puppy food for the first year. I like Merrick, if your budget allows. If you need a grocery store available food, try Purina One. If his stool is really soft, he needs to have a fecal check with your vet as he may need deworming.

As long as he is eating a quality large breed puppy food at all other times, it should be fine. Feeding raw is a controversial subject, but as long as the meat is fresh, handled properly and does not cause Tyson any GI upset then supplementing with chicken is fine as well.

Great question! I personally never recommend a grain free diet for dogs unless they have a proven (i.e. diagnosed by a vet) grain allergy. Grain allergies are actually very rare in dogs. Only about 5% of dogs with allergies have a food allergies, and of that 5%, the majority of the allergies are protein. Grains are beneficial to dogs, they provide a sustained source of energy and help them keep fuller longer. When feeding a puppy like Zeus, I recommend a puppy formulated food. Puppies need higher amounts of protein, calories, and calcium than adult dogs, and a puppy formulated food will provide that. Once he's 12 months old, he can have an adult formulated food. He needs protein, fat, and carbs as well as many vitamins and minerals to have a balanced diet, which is why feeding a dog food is easier. Brands of dog food I recommend include Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina ProPlan, and Iams. If you want to do a home cooked diet, I will put links below to two websites that provide recipes for homemade diets. Keep in mind that finding the correct balance of nutrients for a dog is hard with a homemade diet, so that's why these websites are excellent sources of information. The recipes are formulated by veterinary nutritionists. Good luck, I hope this helps! https://secure.balanceit.com https://www.petdiets.com

Brands I like include Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina ProPlan, and Iams. I would feed Gotham one of those. No, I wouldn't add cooked meats to his diet, he doesn't need them. You can give it to him as an occasional treat. Giving it too often will lead him to not each his dog food. I hope this helps!

I'm not very familiar with Drools food, but Purina is probably a better food since it meets WSAVA guidelines (see link below for more information). For a Great Dane puppy choosing a food that is intended for large breed puppies would be best - these foods have an adjusted calcium and phosphorus content to help with bone and joint development. https://www.wsava.org/WSAVA/media/Arpita-and-Emma-editorial/Selecting-the-Best-Food-for-your-Pet.pdf

I actually prefer commercial dog food as it includes the proper balance of nutrition that they need. A lot of raw food diets don’t have the proper studies to back it up and they don’t have the proper nutrients in them. Also, dogs who eat raw food diet are st higher risk for bacterial infections like salmonella. I think as long a syou are giving a high quality large breed or giant breed puppy food like science diet, Iams, or royal canin then he should grown normally. I hope this helps!