Ever watched your dog eyeball your dinner like it’s their last meal on earth? At The Pets Table, we get it.
Figuring out just how much to feed that fur-covered vacuum cleaner can feel like you’re solving a complex math problem. You want to make sure they’re getting enough to fuel their tail wags and squirrel chases, but not so much that they start resembling a furry beach ball. In fact, keeping your pet in a lean and healthy body condition has been shown to result in a longer life (Kealy et al. 2002), and who doesn’t want an extra couple of years with their beloved fur family?
We know it’s not just about filling the bowl but matching their munchies to their needs — age, weight, the whole nine yards. And let’s face it, whether it’s a nibble of steak or a chomp of kibble, your pup doesn’t care; they just know they’re hungry…again.
So, how do you keep your four-legged dynamo well-fed and in tip-top shape? Keep reading to find out! Or, if you want to spare yourself from doing the math, you can take our 3-minute quiz to customize a plan to your pup’s needs.
How Much Should I Feed a Puppy?
Dishing out dinner for a puppy is a bit like feeding a tiny tornado — nonstop action and always circling back for more. When you’re plotting out your pup’s meal plan, think of it as tuning into their growth channel: every month, they’re hitting new frequencies.
Puppies have growth spurts and times of more gradual growth and adjustments to intake are needed to help them maintain a healthy body condition through their entire growth phase, which helps mitigate health problems when they get older. While it would be nice to say every two-month-old puppy needs this much food, or every 10 lb dog needs this much, a lot plays into how much is necessary for each individual.
Activity level, neuter status, breed, stage of development, and digestibility of the diet (within each individual) all play a role in determining how much should be fed. Some pups need smaller meals fed more frequently, and pups younger than five months may need to be fed three or more smaller meals daily depending on what is being fed.
The goal isn’t just to keep the bowl full but to match their puppy energy levels and growth needs without overdoing it. At The Pets Table, we encourage customers with puppies to frequently update their dog’s profile with their latest weight and age.
How Much Should I Feed My Adult Dog?
Transitioning your grown-up dog to an adult eating schedule is all about pace. Usually, by the time your dog achieves adult size — full skeletal growth is around one year but can be up to two years in some giant breed dogs — you can generally ease them into eating once, or more commonly, twice a day. It’s less about growing up and more about maintaining a healthy body condition, and that perfect blend of pep and plush.
How much should be fed? Depends on how much your dog runs, plays, or lounges. Keep an eye on their waistline and adjust the portions to keep them feeling good and looking sharp.
You can do this by taking a look at their Body Condition Score. Maintaining a healthy body condition is essential to a long healthy life. Whether they’re a window watcher or a park prowler, what you put in their bowl helps keep them bouncing happily through life.
But does how much only depend on how active a dog is? Not entirely. What you feed also impacts how much needs to be fed. Pay attention to caloric density or the number of calories from a specific amount of food.
Pet food should have how many calories are provided in a common unit — like per gram or per cup. If switching foods you may need to feed more or less depending on the difference in caloric density. Luckily, here at the Pets Table, we can help with the switch and take confusion out of the equation.
How Does Your Dog’s Breed Impact Their Food Bowl?
Got a little dynamo or a gentle giant on your hands? When we talk puppy chow and grown-up grub, breed size throws a whole new flavor into the mix.
Here’s how to whip up the perfect diet plan that keeps their tail wagging and not dragging.
Toy and Small Breeds
These pint-sized pups, like Yorkies and Frenchies, need bites packed with nutrients but served in tiny portions. Why? They may benefit from multiple smaller meals due to their significant difference in digestive tract weight-to-body ratio (as compared to their larger dog counterparts).
But keep a hawk-eye on their food bowl — too much and they’ll balloon quicker than you can say “no treats!” And in these small dogs, even just a tiny amount of overfeeding can lead to big gains. Small breeds need a high-quality diet that’s dense in nutrients but light in calories to avoid obesity.
Mid-Sized Dogs
Here come the Bulldogs and Beagles, not too large, not too small; they need a Goldilocks diet that’s just right. These dogs can thrive on a mix of dry and wet food, as they are often considered “easy keepers” and can gain weight easily.
Feeding higher moisture foods such as fresh diets, can help these dogs with more appropriate meal feeding and help them maintain a healthy body condition. Whether they’re sofa snoozers or backyard frolickers, the right amount of food keeps them healthy without tipping into overfeeding.
Large Breeds and Lovable Giants
Think Labradors and Great Danes, whose size demands more from their diet, especially to support bones and joints without encouraging rapid weight gain. They benefit immensely from large breed-specific dog food that balances nutrient content appropriately and provides adequate caloric content to support slow, steady, and healthy growth rate.
Overfeeding is a no-go as it can lead to health issues, so keeping an eye on their dog’s growth chart is key for maintaining their ideal body condition. Particularly for large breed dogs, maintaining a body condition score of 4/9 throughout life will ensure a longer and healthier life!
How Does Your Dog’s Activity Level Affect How Much Food They Need?
We’ve navigated the wild whirlwind of puppy feeding and sorted the grown-up dog diet, but what about matching your dog’s munching to their mojo? Whether your pal is a sprinter or more of a stroller affects how you fill that bowl.
For the Go-Getters
If your pup is the type that zips from sunup to sundown — squirrel chaser, park prowler, the ultimate fetch champion — they need the fuel to keep those energy levels sky-high. Dogs that pack a lot of activity into their day might need a boost in their bowl.
We’re talking more protein, more calories, and, yes, a bigger scoop of that delicious dog food. It’s not just about keeping their tails wagging but fueling their muscle maintenance and overall health without tipping the scales into overfeeding.
For the Dreamy Loungers
And then there are the chill champs, the masters of the cozy corner. If your dog’s perfect day includes a lot of lounging, sunbathing, or just hanging out, their dietary needs are a bit different.
Less sprinting means fewer calories needed. It’s all about finding that sweet spot where they’re getting just enough high-quality food to maintain a healthy weight without crossing into couch potato weight gain territory. A light tweak to the feeding guide, reducing those portion sizes ever so slightly, can keep them happy and healthy, and if you keep them lean — even live longer!
What’s the Scoop on Feeding Your Senior Sidekick?
We’ve talked puppies, we’ve covered adult dogs, and we’ve dialed in on the high-flyers and the chill seekers. But what happens when your dog starts to get those distinguished gray whiskers?
As dogs grow older, just like us, their metabolism slows down, they might not bounce around as much, and there are digestive system changes that can impact their intake. It is important to remember that age is not a disease and there can be healthy seniors and senior pets with disease.
As always if your dog has a disease(s), please discuss your feeding plan with your veterinarian as many nutritional options exist for disease management in pets. But if you have a healthy senior, what does this mean for their dinner bowl?
Typically there are two types of senior dogs: the “easy keepers” and the “lean-mean-picky eating machines.”
- The easy keepers are the senior pets that are fairly low-energy, maybe obese-prone, couch potato seniors. These lovable dogs have decreased energy needs, but still need to meet their essential nutrient requirements. Choosing higher moisture (or fiber) diets that are highly digestible, such as The Pets Table Fresh food recipes, is recommended for these senior pups.
- The lean-mean-picky eating machines may have some age-related muscle loss, known as sarcopenia. They often are picky eaters and need to have nutrient-dense food to support them when they don’t want to eat as much. Essentially they need power-packed food so they get the most bang for each bite! The Pets Table Air-Dried recipes can offer some power-packed nutrition to support these seniors as well!
- All senior pets will benefit from eating a highly-digestible, complete and balanced diet with healthy ingredients that include beneficial nutrients such as EPA & DHA, which are found in all our recipes.
Not sure what to feed your senior pal? While there are a ton of options out there, be sure to find something complete and palatable to your dog. You can use your dog’s skin and coat quality as a guideline and monitor for healthy bowel movements. Remember too, that some seniors may have health issues such as osteoarthritis, which can lead to mobility issues and difficulty posturing to defecate, so choosing a highly digestible, lower-fiber food may be preferred for these dogs.
And if you still need a little help, don’t stress. Just reach out to your vet; they’re there to guide you and ensure your dog’s diet supports their health and well-being through every life stage.
So, Which Food’s Gonna Make That Tail Wag the Most?
After all this talk about how much, how often, and all the who-what-when of feeding, you’re probably pawing for the inside scoop on the best type of food for your dog’s age and needs. We’re glad you asked!
At The Pets Table, we take pride in serving up high-quality pet food options that check every box on your dog’s wishlist. Our Fresh Plan is packed with human-grade goodness and is carefully balanced to provide all the essential nutrients in the right amounts — using real ingredients your dog’s body needs to thrive.
Delivered frozen, our recipes like Chicken Casserole with Green Beans, Turkey Casserole with Broccoli, and Beef Stew with Carrots are perfect for even the pickiest eaters. It’s fresh food that makes your dog’s taste buds do a happy dance while supporting their nutritional needs.
Not ready to go full-on fresh? Our Air-Dried Plan is where convenience meets quality. Think of it as the ultimate upgrade from dry dog food — an affordable alternative to our Fresh recipes that’s shelf-stable and made with natural ingredients, gently air-dried to lock in flavor and nutrition. Options like Air-Dried Chicken & Sweet Potato or Beef & Berries make it easy to keep your dog’s weight in check and meet their body condition goals without sacrificing taste.
So, whether you’re choosing fresh, air-dried, or a little mix of both, our feeding guidelines and tasty plans help dog owners nail the perfect feeding schedule for any breed, life stage, or activity level. What’s not to love?
Conclusion
So, how much should you feed your dog? The short answer is just the right amount to keep their tail wagging and their health on point.
At The Pets Table, we know that mealtime isn’t just about filling the bowl but giving your pup the fuel they need to live their best, zoomiest life – while keeping them lean so they can zoom for years to come. From playful puppies to chill senior dogs, the secret is in serving high-quality, highly-digestible meals that meet their unique needs and keep them looking and feeling their best.
Ready to upgrade your dog’s dinner game? Check out our vet-approved, drool-worthy options and make mealtime pawsitively perfect today!
Sources:
Increase in weight and water retention on overfeeding dogs | PubMed