How much should I feed my puppy?

Take the resting need (RER = 70 × weight-in-kg^0.75 kcal) and multiply by the growth factor for its age — about ×3.0 under 4 months, ×2.0 from 4 to 8 months, then ×1.6 near adult size. Divide by your food’s calories-per-cup and feed it across 3–4 meals while young.

How often should a puppy eat?

Young puppies do best on three to four small meals a day, dropping to two by around six months. Frequent meals suit their small stomachs and fast metabolism.

How do I adjust as my puppy grows?

Re-weigh weekly and recalculate — a growing puppy can outgrow its portion in days. Feed to a healthy body condition (a light covering over the ribs) rather than to a fixed number.

When do I switch to adult food and amounts?

Most dogs move to adult feeding as they finish growing — around 10–12 months for small breeds and up to 18–24 months for giant breeds. Use the adult feeding calculator from then on.

Puppy feeding

How much to feed a puppy

Enter your puppy’s weight and age for a daily calorie target and cups per meal. Puppies need far more than adults — and it changes fast, so check back often.

A puppy eating from a bowl — Photo: MART PRODUCTION / Pexels

Current weight

Age (months)

Puppies need far more energy than adults — it tapers as they grow.

Your food (optional — turns calories into portions)

Mix wet & dry

Daily calories to feed

— kcal

Resting need (RER) — kcal · ×— for activity

Good to know

General guidance only — an estimate, not veterinary advice. Always check with your vet about your pet’s growth, weight and diet.

How this was calculated

Puppies burn energy fast. We take the resting need — RER = 70 × (weight in kg)^0.75 kcal/day — and multiply by a growth factor that falls with age: ×3.0 under 4 months, ×2.0 from 4–8 months, then ×1.6 as they approach adult size. Because a puppy’s weight changes weekly, re-check the number often.

Source: WSAVA & AAHA nutrition guidelines. Full method on our methodology page.

How big will they get? →Adult feeding →

Built by the PawGauge team, reviewed against cited veterinary sources. Last reviewed 29 June 2026.

About our figures →

Feeding a growing puppy

Growth is expensive. A young puppy can need two to three times the calories of an adult dog the same weight, because it’s building bone, muscle and organs as well as running around. That demand is highest under four months and eases as growth slows, which is why the multiplier drops from ×3.0 to ×2.0 and then toward the adult ×1.6.

Because the weight in the sum keeps changing, the single most useful habit is to re-weigh weekly and recalculate. Feed three to four small meals a day while they’re little, use a food labelled for growth or “all life stages,” and aim for a lean, well-covered body — not a round belly. When your puppy is close to its adult size, switch to the adult feeding calculator.

Puppy feeding questions

How much should I feed my puppy?: Take the resting need (RER = 70 × weight-in-kg^0.75 kcal) and multiply by the growth factor for its age — about ×3.0 under 4 months, ×2.0 from 4 to 8 months, then ×1.6 near adult size. Divide by your food’s calories-per-cup and feed it across 3–4 meals while young.
How often should a puppy eat?: Young puppies do best on three to four small meals a day, dropping to two by around six months. Frequent meals suit their small stomachs and fast metabolism.
How do I adjust as my puppy grows?: Re-weigh weekly and recalculate — a growing puppy can outgrow its portion in days. Feed to a healthy body condition (a light covering over the ribs) rather than to a fixed number.
When do I switch to adult food and amounts?: Most dogs move to adult feeding as they finish growing — around 10–12 months for small breeds and up to 18–24 months for giant breeds. Use the adult feeding calculator from then on.