Use this puppy feeding schedule calculator to find out how much to feed your puppy and when. Simply enter your puppy’s age, the puppy’s current weight, and the calories in your puppy food. The tool will give you a daily amount in cups or grams, the number of meals, the portion for each meal, and feeding times built around your own day.
Feeding guides on the bag are only a rough estimate, since they cannot know how many calories your particular food has per cup compared with another brand, or how fast your pup is growing. Vets work from calories to determine how much to feed, and it only takes one additional number from the food label.
Puppy Feeding Schedule Calculator
Enter your puppy’s age and weight and the calories in your food to get amounts and meal times.
The calorie figure is printed on the bag or can as “kcal/cup” or “kcal/kg” under Calorie Content. If you cannot find it, 400 kcal per cup is a typical dry puppy food. This is a starting amount, to be adjusted to your puppy’s body condition.
How Much Should I Feed My Puppy?
The puppy feeding schedule calculator uses the standard veterinary formula. First it finds the resting energy requirement (RER): 70 x (body weight in kg) to the power of 0.75. Then it multiplies by a growth factor: 3 for puppies under 4 months, 2 from 4 months until adult size, and about 1.6 once growth is finished. The result is the daily calories. Dividing by the calories in a cup, or in 100 grams, of your food gives the amount to feed.
| Puppy’s weight | Under 4 months: calories | Cups a day* | 4 months and over: calories | Cups a day* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 lb | 388 kcal | 1 | 259 kcal | 0.75 |
| 10 lb | 653 kcal | 1.75 | 435 kcal | 1 |
| 20 lb | 1098 kcal | 2.75 | 732 kcal | 1.75 |
| 30 lb | 1488 kcal | 3.75 | 992 kcal | 2.5 |
| 40 lb | 1846 kcal | 4.5 | 1231 kcal | 3 |
| 60 lb | 2502 kcal | 6.25 | 1668 kcal | 4.25 |
Treat the answer as a starting point and plan for a variation of about 10 percent either side, based on factors such as breed, activity level and metabolism. Two pups of the same weight can need different amounts of food. The key is to look at the pattern over a couple of weeks: steady weight gain, ribs you can feel but not see, and a visible waistline when viewed from above.
How Often to Feed a Puppy: Meals by Age
| Puppy’s age | Meals a day | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 6 to 12 weeks | 4 | Tiny stomach and fast growth. Small, frequent meals keep energy steady. |
| 3 to 6 months | 3 | Stomach capacity grows. Toy breeds may stay on 4 a little longer. |
| 6 to 12 months | 2 | Most puppies are ready for breakfast and dinner. |
| Adult | 2 | Twice a day suits most dogs for life. |
Keep the gaps between meals even and feed at the same times every day. Regular meals produce regular toilet trips, which is the quiet secret of fast house training. Feed the last meal about three hours before bedtime, so your puppy has time to digest and empty out before the night.
Sample Puppy Feeding Schedule
| Age | Breakfast | Lunch | Afternoon | Dinner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 to 12 weeks | 7:30 AM | 11:30 AM | 3:00 PM | 7:00 PM |
| 3 to 6 months | 7:30 AM | 1:00 PM | No meal | 7:00 PM |
| 6 months and over | 7:30 AM | No meal | No meal | 7:00 PM |
- Put the bowl down for 15 to 20 minutes, then pick it up, even if food is left. This teaches a puppy to eat at mealtimes.
- Take your puppy out to potty 10 to 20 minutes after every meal.
- Keep things calm for half an hour after eating. Save rough play and running for later.
- Leave fresh water down all day and take it up about two hours before bed while house training.
How to Find the Calories in Your Puppy Food
Look for the words Calorie Content on the bag or can; this will usually be close to the feeding guide and ingredients. It will be written as kcal/kg and, on most dry foods, also as kcal/cup. Dry puppy foods usually fall between 350 and 450 kcal per cup, and wet foods are given per can or per kg. If the label only has kcal/kg, divide by ten to get kcal per 100 grams and choose that option in the calculator.
A cup refers to a level, standard 8-ounce measuring cup. It does not refer to a mug, nor to a scoop left over from the last bag of dog food. The amount of food in a scoop varies greatly depending on how high you fill it, and a heaped scoop twice a day can add approximately twenty percent to what you think you are feeding. Kitchen scales are more accurate still, which is why the calculator also works in grams.
Large-Breed Puppies Need a Different Approach
Large-breed puppies (over 50 to 70 lbs at maturity) need steady growth, not fast growth. Too many calories or too much calcium during the growing months is linked to hip and elbow problems along with other bone disorders. Choose a food made specifically for large-breed puppies, feed measured meals, and aim to keep your puppy on the lean side of normal. A slim large-breed puppy still reaches full adult size; it just gets there a little later, with healthier joints.
To see how much growing your puppy has left, use the puppy weight calculator.
Treats, Training Rewards and Table Scraps
Treats should make up no more than 10 percent of a puppy’s daily calories, a limit recommended by veterinary nutrition guidelines. The calculator shows that number for your puppy.
Training uses many rewards, so you should plan for it. One easy way is to measure out your puppy’s daily food in the morning and set aside part of it as training rewards, so every reward comes off the total. Use small pea-sized pieces. Small bits of plain cooked chicken can be used for more difficult exercises and add very few calories.
Is My Puppy Eating the Right Amount?
- About right: ribs easy to feel under a thin layer, a waist behind the ribs from above, a tuck-up from the side, steady weight gain, firm stools.
- Too much: ribs hard to find, no waist, soft stools or a puppy that leaves food. Cut the daily amount by 10 percent.
- Too little: ribs, spine or hip bones visible, low energy, always frantic for food. Raise the amount by 10 percent and speak to your vet.
Weigh your puppy every week or two and run the puppy feeding schedule calculator again with the new weight. The amount of food will increase as your puppy grows, then level off. There will also be a drop at about four months of age, because although the puppy is bigger than before, its growth rate slows down. That dip surprises many owners, but it is expected. For food types, switching foods and common mistakes, read the full puppy feeding schedule guide.
Related Reading
- Puppy Feeding Schedule Guide
- Raw Diet vs Kibble for Dogs
- Best Dog Food for Active Dogs
- How to Potty Train a Puppy Fast
- How to Train a Puppy Without Treats
FAQs
How many times a day should a puppy eat?
Feed 4 meals a day from 6 to 12 weeks old, 3 meals a day from 3 to 6 months, and 2 meals a day after six months. Toy breeds may need 4 meals daily until around 16 weeks, because very small puppies are at risk of low blood sugar if they go too long between meals.
How many cups of food should I feed my puppy?
It depends on how much your puppy weighs, how old he or she is and the calories in your food. For instance, a 10-pound puppy that is less than four months old needs approximately 653 kcal each day, which is roughly 1.75 cups of a food that has 400 kcal per cup. For an exact amount, use the calculator above with the calorie figure from your own bag.
What is the best feeding schedule for an 8-week-old puppy?
Four meals spaced out evenly through the day. For example, breakfast at 7:30 AM, lunch at 11:30 AM, an afternoon meal at 3:00 PM, and dinner at 7:00 PM. Take your puppy outside ten to twenty minutes after every meal. The last meal should be about three hours before bedtime, allowing time for one final toilet trip.
When should I switch my puppy from three meals to two?
Most puppies can move from three meals a day to two at approximately six months old. Make the change gradually over a week by shrinking the midday meal and adding that food to breakfast and dinner. If your puppy seems hungry on two meals, or vomits yellow bile in the morning, keep feeding three times a day for a bit longer.
Should I leave food out for my puppy all day?
No. When you free-feed (leave food available all day), house training becomes harder, because you cannot predict when your puppy will need to go. It also hides changes in appetite that can be a sign of illness, and many breeds are prone to overeating. Offer measured meals at set times and pick up the bowl after 15 to 20 minutes.
When do I switch from puppy food to adult food?
Switch when your dog is close to adult size: approximately 9 to 12 months of age for toy and small breeds, 12 months for medium breeds, and 12 to 24 months for large and giant breeds. The change should be made gradually over 7 to 10 days, mixing in a little more of the adult food each day.