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No. 05Growth feeding reference

Puppy Feeding Chart

Until four months old, a puppy needs about 3× her resting energy. From four months to a year, about 2×. The chart below turns that WSAVA growth formula into daily calories, cups, and meals, and the calculator personalizes it to your puppy's weight and age this week. Print the chart and stick it on the fridge.

On the bag near the guaranteed analysis. Puppy foods: typically 380–480.

Printable puppy feeding chart

Values below use the WSAVA growth factors and a typical 400 kcal/cup puppy food. For your bag's exact density, use the calculator above.

Daily portions by current weight and age (400 kcal/cup food)
Current weight 2–4 months (3× RER, 3–4 meals) 4–12 months (2× RER, 2–3 meals)
kcal/day cups/day kcal/day cups/day
3 lb 265 0.66 176 0.44
5 lb 388 0.97 259 0.65
10 lb 653 1.6 435 1.1
15 lb 885 2.2 590 1.5
20 lb 1098 2.7 732 1.8
30 lb 1488 3.7 992 2.5
40 lb 1846 4.6 1231 3.1
60 lb 2502 6.3 1668 4.2
80 lb 3105 7.8 2070 5.2

Weigh weekly, adjust monthly

A puppy's portion goes stale fast. The 10 lb puppy you measured three weeks ago might be 14 lb today, and that's a third more food. Weigh her weekly (step on the bathroom scale holding the puppy, then subtract yourself) and recalculate. And keep her lean. In Purina's 14-year Labrador study, the lean-fed dogs lived almost two years longer than their littermates. For picking the food itself and reading labels, see the feeding guide.

Meals per day by age

Feeding frequency while growing
AgeMeals per day
8 weeks – 3 months4
3 – 6 months3
6 – 12 months2

Frequently asked questions

How much should I feed my puppy?

Feed to a calorie target: 3 × RER until four months old, then 2 × RER until roughly a year (RER = 70 × kg^0.75). A 10 lb three-month-old needs about 650 kcal a day. On a 400 kcal/cup puppy food, that's roughly 1.6 cups split across 3 small meals. Use your puppy's current weight and redo the math every couple of weeks, because it changes fast.

How many times a day should a puppy eat?

Four meals a day until about 3 months, three meals from 3–6 months, then two meals from 6 months on. Small and toy breeds need the more frequent schedule longer because they are prone to low blood sugar.

When should I switch from puppy food to adult food?

Small breeds at about 9 to 12 months, medium breeds around 12 months, and large or giant breeds at 12 to 18 months. Big dogs grow for longer and need controlled calcium that whole time. Whenever you switch, do it gradually over a week or so.

Should large-breed puppies eat differently?

Yes. Large and giant breeds should eat a large-breed puppy formula with controlled calcium and calories. Growing too fast is a proven risk factor for hip dysplasia and other joint disease. Keep them lean; you should always be able to feel ribs easily.

My puppy seems hungry all the time. Should I feed more?

Puppies almost always act hungry. Appetite is a terrible portion guide. Judge by body instead: visible waist, ribs easy to feel, belly tucked up. Getting pudgy? Trim portions about 10%. Ribs standing out? Add about 10% and check again in a week.

Is this chart a substitute for the food bag’s puppy chart?

Use both. This chart gives you the vet-formula baseline, and the bag knows its own food. If they disagree a lot, split the difference, let your puppy's growth and body condition decide, and bring both numbers to your next vet visit.

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