We've been jumping around from brand to brand for our 2. But our vet and a dog food specialist definitely said that it was essential to be feeding large breed puppy food to large or giant breed dogs. Your golden retriever definitely needs a large breed puppy food. Now as far as brand goes, we have tried Diamond, Iams, Purina ONE, Purina Puppy Chow, Authority, Eukanuba, Ol' Roy, and Science Diet to name a few for our girls. What I've found to be the best nutrition-wise but have not tried are Eagle Pack, Pro Plan, and Nutro. They contain a good amount of protein (28%), glucosamine, and selenium in them, which is important for keeping large breed dogs' joints healthy. It can prevent hip dysplasia. But these brands are somewhat pricey. Our price range lets us buy Eukanuba and Purina ONE, which also have excellent protein levels and contain selenium and glucosamine. Eukanuba helps our Saint also avoid mushy stools. Authority Large breed Puppy is a really affordable brand with glucosamine in it. I recommend it, but our 2 didn't care for the taste. Maybe your pup will like it. Any dog food, no matter what age dog, should have at least a 22% or 23% protein level and for large dogs, contain glucosamine or selenium. It will pay off in the future to feed your dog a good puppy food now!