How Much Should I Feed My Puppy? Amounts, Meals and a Simple Check
"How much should I feed my puppy?" is one of the first questions every new owner asks, usually while staring at a bag of food and the measuring cup that came free with it. It's a sensible thing to worry about, because too little and your puppy is hungry, grumpy and harder to train, and too much and they grow faster than their joints would like, with a round belly and loose tummies to match. There's never one number that fits every puppy, because foods differ so much, but there is a simple way to get it right for the puppy in front of you. Here's how much to feed, how many meals a day by age, and the quick check I use to know if a puppy is getting the right amount.
THE SHORT ANSWER
How much to feed a puppy depends on the food, so start with the feeding chart on the bag. Find your puppy's age and their expected adult weight, and that gives you the total amount for the whole day. Weigh it on kitchen scales rather than using a cup, then split it into meals: four a day from 8 to 12 weeks, three a day from about 3 to 6 months, then two a day from around 6 months (a little later for big breeds). Take your training treats out of that daily amount. Then check your puppy every week or two: you should be able to feel their ribs easily under a thin layer, and see a waist from above. If you can't, cut back a little. If the ribs and hips stick out, feed a little more. Ask your vet if you're unsure.
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Why there's no single answer
People often search for an exact figure, like how much to feed a 4 kg (9 lb) puppy. The trouble is that two foods can be very different in how much energy they pack into each bowl. A rich food might need half the amount of a lighter one to give the same calories. So 100 grams of one food is not the same meal as 100 grams of another.
Breed matters too. A 4 kg puppy who will be a 6 kg adult is nearly grown, while a 4 kg puppy who'll be a 40 kg adult has a long way to go. That's why the packet is your starting point, not a chart from the internet or what your friend feeds their puppy.
How to read the feeding chart
Most puppy food charts work in one of two ways. Some go by your puppy's age and the weight they're expected to be as an adult. Others go by your puppy's current weight. Check which one your food uses, because mixing them up is a very common mistake.
The amount on the chart is for the whole day, not each meal. If the chart says 240 grams, and your puppy has four meals, that's 60 grams per meal. Your breeder or rescue can usually tell you what your puppy was eating and roughly how big the parents were, which helps with the adult weight.
Weigh it, don't scoop it
Measuring cups and scoops are surprisingly inaccurate. A heaped scoop and a level one can be very different, and it's easy to drift upwards over a few weeks without noticing. Cheap digital kitchen scales take the guesswork out.
I weigh out the whole day's food each morning and keep it in a pot. Meals come out of it, and so do training rewards. When the pot is empty, that's the day's food done. It makes life easy for the whole family, as nobody accidentally feeds the puppy twice.
How many meals a day by age
Young puppies have small tummies and need their food spread out. As they grow, you can gradually drop a meal.
8 to 12 weeks: four meals a day
3 to 6 months: three meals a day
6 to 12 months: two meals a day
Adults: usually two meals a day
Small breeds often move to two meals a little sooner, and very tiny toy breeds may need small, frequent meals for longer, because their blood sugar can drop if they go too long without food. Large and giant breeds often stay on three meals for a bit longer. In Lexi's Puppy Diaries, Lexi moved to two meals a day at eight months. Drop a meal by sharing its food between the others, not by cutting the total.
The rib and waist check
The chart gets you started, but your puppy tells you whether it's right. Every week or two, run your hands along their sides. You should feel the ribs easily, as if through a thin jumper, without pressing hard. Looking down from above, you should see a gentle waist behind the ribs. From the side, the tummy should tuck up a little.
If you can't feel the ribs, reduce the daily amount by about 10% and check again in a week or two. If the ribs, spine or hip bones stick out, add about 10%. Many vets use a body condition chart, such as the one from the World Small Animal Veterinary Association, and they're happy to show you what to look for at your puppy's check-ups.
Treats and training count too
Training treats add up quickly, especially in the first few months when you're rewarding your puppy a lot. A common guide from vets is that treats should be no more than about 10% of your puppy's daily food.
The easiest way to stay on track is to use part of your puppy's daily food for training. Kibble works brilliantly for easy things at home, and you can save the tasty treats for harder work, like recall in the garden. If you're using a lot of extra treats, take a little out of their meals.
Make mealtimes useful
A bowl of food gone in eight seconds is a missed chance. Some of your puppy's food can go into a snuffle mat, a scatter feed on the grass, a stuffed food toy or a short training game. It slows down fast eaters, tires their brain in a good way and helps them settle afterwards.
I wouldn't do all of it this way. Puppies still need some simple, calm meals, and you'll want to notice if they go off their food. It's games plus step-by-step teaching, a bit of both.
Set meals, not a full bowl all day
Leaving food down all day makes it hard to know how much your puppy has eaten, and harder to spot when they're off their food. Set meals also make toilet training easier, because what goes in at regular times tends to come out at regular times.
Put the bowl down, give your puppy about 15 to 20 minutes, then pick it up. Water should always be available. Read should you leave dog food out all day for more on why set meals work better.
Big breeds need a bit of extra care
Large and giant breed puppies, like Labradors, German Shepherds, Great Danes and Bernese, do best growing steadily rather than fast. Feeding a food made for large breed puppies helps, as these are balanced for slower growth.
Don't add extra calcium or supplements unless your vet suggests them. Too much calcium can affect how their bones and joints develop. Keeping a big puppy lean is one of the kindest things you can do for their joints. Read puppy growth plates and safe exercise.
Changing your puppy's food
Most puppies come home with a few days of the food they're used to. Keep feeding that at first, as your puppy already has a lot to get used to. If you want to change, do it slowly over about a week to ten days, mixing a little more of the new food in each day.
Sudden changes often cause loose poos, which is the last thing you need when you're toilet training. Read what to do in the first 24 hours for settling your puppy in.
When to speak to your vet
Young puppies shouldn't skip meals for long. Call your vet if your puppy refuses more than one meal, is being sick, has diarrhoea for more than a day, has a swollen belly or seems weak or flat.
Also ask at your vet check-ups if your puppy is gaining weight very fast, isn't growing, or if you're just not sure what they should be weighing. Your vet can weigh them and talk you through it, and that's what they're there for.
RENEE'S TIP
Weigh your puppy every week or two and write it down, along with how much you're feeding. You'll see straight away if growth is steady, and it's much easier to make small changes early than big ones later. Most vet practices are happy for you to pop in and use their scales.
QUICK CHECK
ā Use the chart on your puppy's food bag as your starting point
ā Weigh the daily amount on kitchen scales
ā Split it into the right number of meals for their age
ā Take training treats out of the daily amount
ā Check ribs and waist every week or two and adjust
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FAQs
How much should I feed my puppy?
Start with the chart on your puppy's food, using their age and expected adult weight, then adjust using the rib check.
How many times a day should a puppy eat?
Four meals from 8 to 12 weeks, three from about 3 to 6 months, then two from around 6 months.
How much should a 4 kg puppy eat?
It depends on the food and their adult size, so follow the chart on the bag and weigh it on scales.
Should I leave food out for my puppy all day?
No. Set meals help toilet training and make it easier to notice if your puppy is off their food.
How do I know if my puppy is the right weight?
You should feel their ribs easily under a thin layer and see a waist from above.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Renee Patience Ā· National Dog Trainer of the Year 2025
Founder and head trainer of Paws Academy, with more than 30 years training dogs and a Level 6 Diploma in Applied Canine Behaviour. Renee has competed in agility, obedience and heelwork to music across the UK, including at Crufts and Olympia, has appeared on CBBC, and is the author of the Modern Training Guides and the Modern Breed Handbook series. Pictured with her boxer, Kookie.
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