Puppy Feeding Chart by Weight and Age
Last reviewed: August 2026
Feed a puppy roughly three times its Resting Energy Requirement each day until 4 months old, then about twice. For a 20 lb puppy that is 1,098 kcal a day, dropping to 732. Find your puppy's weight in the chart below, then set your food's kcal per cup and the cups column rewrites itself for the bag you actually own.
This page is a reference chart organised by weight. To get one exact figure for your own puppy, including the 4-month taper and mixed wet and dry feeding, use the puppy feeding calculator instead.
Printed on your bag near the guaranteed analysis as "kcal ME/cup".
| Puppy's weight | Under 4 months | 4 months to adult | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | Cups | Calories | Cups | |
| 3 lb | 265 kcal | 0.66 | 176 kcal | 0.44 |
| 5 lb | 388 kcal | 0.97 | 259 kcal | 0.65 |
| 7.5 lb | 526 kcal | 1.32 | 351 kcal | 0.88 |
| 10 lb | 653 kcal | 1.63 | 435 kcal | 1.09 |
| 15 lb | 885 kcal | 2.21 | 590 kcal | 1.48 |
| 20 lb | 1,098 kcal | 2.75 | 732 kcal | 1.83 |
| 25 lb | 1,298 kcal | 3.25 | 865 kcal | 2.16 |
| 30 lb | 1,488 kcal | 3.72 | 992 kcal | 2.48 |
| 40 lb | 1,846 kcal | 4.62 | 1,231 kcal | 3.08 |
| 50 lb | 2,182 kcal | 5.46 | 1,455 kcal | 3.64 |
| 60 lb | 2,502 kcal | 6.26 | 1,668 kcal | 4.17 |
| 80 lb | 3,105 kcal | 7.76 | 2,070 kcal | 5.18 |
| 100 lb | 3,670 kcal | 9.18 | 2,447 kcal | 6.12 |
Cups are calculated at 400 kcal per cup. Change the density above and every row updates. Calories are the stable number, cups are not.
Meals per day by age
| Age | Meals per day | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 6 to 12 weeks | 4 | Small stomach, high demand, unstable blood sugar |
| 3 to 6 months | 3 | Capacity growing, energy needs still peaking |
| 6 to 12 months | 2 | Approaching the adult pattern |
| Toy breeds under 5 lb | 3 to 4, often past 6 months | Very low glycogen reserves, real hypoglycemia risk |
Population averages for healthy growing puppies, not veterinary advice. Body condition overrides the chart, and any puppy losing weight or refusing food needs a vet rather than a different row.
What a Puppy Feeding Chart Actually Tells You
A puppy feeding chart converts body weight and age into a daily food amount. This one gives calories first and cups second, because a cup is a unit of volume rather than energy. Two puppy foods measured with the same scoop can differ by half in what they actually deliver.
That is why most printed charts hedge with wide ranges, and why they tell you to check the back of the bag immediately after giving you a number. The chart above removes the hedge by asking for the one figure the chart cannot know: your food's kcal per cup.
Why the Same Chart Row Gives Different Cups
Divide the daily calories by the kcal per cup printed on your food label. Skipping that step is why two owners following the identical chart feed materially different amounts.
cups per day = daily calories / kcal per cup
Here is the same 20 lb, four-month-old puppy needing 732 kcal per day, fed five different foods:
| Food's caloric density | Cups per day |
|---|---|
| 330 kcal/cup | 2.22 cups |
| 350 kcal/cup | 2.09 cups |
| 400 kcal/cup | 1.83 cups |
| 450 kcal/cup | 1.63 cups |
| 500 kcal/cup | 1.46 cups |
Same puppy, same chart, same day: 2.22 cups or 1.46 cups, a 52% difference decided entirely by which bag is in the cupboard. If you switch foods and keep the scoop the same, you have just changed your puppy's intake by up to half without noticing. Weighing in grams is more accurate than any measuring cup, because kibble settles differently every time you scoop.
The Formula Behind the Chart
Every row is Resting Energy Requirement multiplied by an age factor. RER is what a dog burns at rest, and it scales to body weight raised to the three-quarter power rather than to weight directly, because metabolism does not scale linearly with size.
RER (kcal/day) = 70 x (body weight in kg) ^ 0.75
Daily calories = RER x 3.0 (weaning to 4 months)
Daily calories = RER x 2.0 (4 months to adult size)
Daily calories = RER x 1.6 (adult, neutered)
Daily calories = RER x 1.8 (adult, intact)Worked example, 20 lb puppy: 20 / 2.2046 = 9.07 kg. 9.07^0.75 = 5.23. 70 x 5.23 = 366 kcal RER. Under 4 months, 366 x 3 = 1,098 kcal per day.
You can check this chart against a published veterinary one. PetMD's puppy feeding guide lists 392 kcal per day for a 5 lb puppy and 526 kcal per day for a 7.5 lb puppy. The formula above independently produces 388 and 526. That is a 1% and a 0% difference, which tells you the ranges you see across the major feeding charts are all the same equation wearing different clothes.
What the formula cannot do is account for your individual puppy's metabolism, activity, or environment. It is a population average and a starting point. The body condition check below is what turns it into the right number for your dog.
The 4-Month Cliff and How to Read Across It
Do not cut your puppy's food by a third on their four-month birthday. The multiplier drops from 3.0 to 2.0 at 4 months, which on paper takes a 20 lb puppy from 1,098 kcal to 732 kcal overnight, a 33% reduction. Nothing biological happens that fast.
Read the two columns as the endpoints of a taper rather than a switch. Real energy needs decline gradually as growth velocity slows from its peak, so reduce by roughly 10% every week or two through months 4 and 5, watching body condition as you go. The same logic applies at the other end: large and giant breed puppies are still growing at 12 months when small breeds have finished, so the right-hand column applies to them for far longer.
How Do I Know If I Am Feeding Enough?
Feel the ribs. With flat palms and light pressure along your puppy's side, you should feel each rib easily, the way you feel the backs of your knuckles, but not see them standing out. Looking down from above, there should be a visible waist behind the ribcage. From the side, the belly should tuck up rather than hang level.
- Ribs hard to find, no waist: reduce the daily amount by about 10% and recheck in two weeks.
- Ribs sharply visible, prominent hips or spine: increase by about 10% and recheck.
- Ribs easy to feel, clear waist: the row is right. Keep it until the weekly weigh-in moves.
If you are not confident calling it by hand, score the rib-and-waist check on the 9-point scale and feed to the row above or below depending on where your puppy lands.
Two additional signs the amount is working: firm, consistent stools, and steady weekly weight gain rather than sharp jumps or plateaus. A large-breed puppy gaining 2 lb in a week is normal, while a Chihuahua puppy doing the same is not, which is why gain is judged against expected adult size rather than as an absolute. Treats should stay at or under 10% of daily calories, and using kibble from the daily ration as training rewards keeps the math honest.
Large and Giant Breed Puppies Are the Exception
Feed large-breed puppies to grow slowly, not quickly. Overfeeding a puppy whose adult weight will exceed about 50 lb accelerates skeletal growth beyond what developing joints can support, and is associated with developmental orthopedic problems including hip dysplasia and osteochondrosis. If your puppy is a large breed, check how much of that joint risk is already baked in by breed and weight before deciding how lean to keep them, and note that spay and neuter timing shifts growth-plate closure in large breeds, which changes both the adult weight you should be feeding toward and how long the growth brackets apply.
- Use a large-breed puppy formula. These are formulated with controlled calcium and energy density specifically to moderate growth rate.
- Aim for lean, not chunky. A round large-breed puppy is a risk factor, not a healthy one.
- Stay on puppy food longer. Large and giant breeds keep growing to 18 to 24 months, so the transition to adult food comes much later than for a small breed at 9 to 12 months. Expected adult weight is what decides that date, so predict the adult weight your puppy is heading for before you plan the switch.
Breed name matters less here than expected adult weight. A Labrador and a Boxer of the same projected adult size read the same chart rows, which is why per-breed feeding charts add precision they cannot actually deliver. What matters is the adult weight your puppy is heading toward, so if you do not know it, estimate it with the puppy weight predictor first.
Related Calculators
Explore these related tools to get a complete picture of your dog's care:
Frequently Asked Questions
Basic Understanding
What is a puppy feeding chart?
A puppy feeding chart is a reference table that converts a growing dog’s body weight and age into a daily food amount. This one gives calories first, because a cup is a unit of volume rather than energy, then converts to cups once you tell it how many calories your food holds per cup.
What is the recommended weight and feeding chart for puppies?
Daily calories run from about 265 kcal at 3 lb to 3,670 kcal at 100 lb for puppies under 4 months, and roughly two-thirds of those figures from 4 months onward. The full table is above, and the cups column updates to match your own food.
How-To Questions
How much should I feed my puppy per feeding?
Divide the daily total by the number of meals for their age. A 20 lb four-month-old needing 732 kcal per day on a 400 kcal per cup food eats 1.83 cups daily, split into three meals of about 0.61 cups each.
Should a puppy be fed 2 or 3 times a day?
Three times a day from 3 to 6 months, then twice from 6 months. Four times a day before 12 weeks. Toy breeds often need more frequent meals well past 6 months to avoid low blood sugar.
Is 3 meals a day too much for a puppy?
No. Three meals is the standard for puppies aged 3 to 6 months. What matters is that the daily total is correct, because splitting the same total into more meals does not increase intake.
How do I know if I am feeding my puppy enough?
Feel for ribs under light pressure and look for a waist from above. Easy to feel but not visible means the amount is right. Check every two weeks and adjust by about 10% at a time.
Comparison Questions
Is 2 cups of food enough for a puppy?
It depends on two things the question leaves out: the puppy’s weight and the food’s calorie density. Two cups is about right for a 20 lb four-month-old on a 350 kcal per cup food, and a 37% overfeed for the same puppy on a 500 kcal per cup food.
Can a puppy gain 2 pounds in a week?
For a large or giant breed puppy in a growth phase, yes, that is normal. For a toy or small breed it would be excessive. Judge weekly gain against expected adult size using a growth chart rather than as a raw number.
How much should I feed a puppy by weight in kg?
Switch the chart above to kilograms. The underlying formula is the same: 70 x kg^0.75, multiplied by 3.0 under 4 months or 2.0 after. A 9 kg puppy needs about 1,090 kcal per day under 4 months.
Technical Questions
What formula do puppy feeding charts use?
Resting Energy Requirement, calculated as 70 x (body weight in kg)^0.75, multiplied by 3.0 for puppies under 4 months and 2.0 from 4 months to adult size. Adult dogs use 1.6 when neutered and 1.8 when intact.
Why do feeding charts give ranges instead of a number?
Because a cup is a unit of volume, not energy, and puppy foods vary from roughly 330 to 500 kcal per cup. A chart that does not know your food can only publish the span that covers all of them. Setting your own kcal per cup above collapses that range to one number.
How long after a puppy eats do they poop?
Commonly within 5 to 30 minutes after a meal, because eating stimulates the gastrocolic reflex. Consistent timing is a useful house-training tool, and a change in that pattern is worth noting.
What is the 7-7-7 rule for puppies?
It is a socialization guideline, not a feeding one: exposing a puppy to seven new surfaces, objects, locations, people, and experiences during the early socialization window. It has no bearing on portion size.
What to Check Next
Feeding amounts follow expected adult weight, so the next questions are usually about growth rather than food.
- Puppy Weight Chart: expected growth by week for all five size classes, which gives you the adult weight the large-breed guidance above depends on.
- Puppy Weight Predictor: turns a current weight and age into a projected adult size.
- Body Condition Score Calculator: turns the rib-and-waist check into a 9-point score you can track over time.
- Daily Calorie Calculator: applies the adult multipliers once your puppy finishes growing.
Read the Calories, Not the Cups
A puppy feeding chart is only half an answer while it is printed in cups, because a cup measures volume and your puppy needs energy. Read the calorie column, set your own bag's density, split by age, and then let body condition overrule the table whenever the two disagree. Reweigh weekly, move down a row as your puppy grows, and pair this chart with the puppy weight chart to confirm the growth curve is on track as well as the bowl.