How Much Should You Feed Your Dog?
Calculate daily food portions by weight, age, activity level, and food type. Stop guessing and avoid overfeeding.
How Dog Calorie Needs Are Calculated
Veterinary nutritionists use the Resting Energy Requirement (RER) formula: 70 × (body weight in kg)^0.75. This base number is then multiplied by an activity factor to get the Maintenance Energy Requirement (MER). A sedentary 50-lb adult dog needs roughly 900 kcal/day, while an active 50-lb dog needs 1,200-1,500 kcal/day.
Why Bag Feeding Guidelines Are Wrong
The feeding guides on dog food bags are intentionally generous — they are designed to sell more food. Most dogs should eat 10-20% less than the bag suggests. Use the calorie calculation above as your starting point, then adjust based on your dog's body condition over 2-4 weeks. If ribs become hard to feel, reduce by 10%.
Feeding by Life Stage
Puppies: Need 2-3x adult calories per pound because they are growing rapidly. Feed 3-4 times daily until 6 months, then switch to twice daily. Adults: Feed twice daily at the calculated amount. Seniors: Often need 20% fewer calories due to reduced activity and metabolism. May benefit from senior-specific food with joint support and reduced fat.
The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention found that 59% of dogs in the US are overweight or obese. The leading cause is overfeeding — most owners feed based on the bag guidelines (which are too high) and add treats without reducing meal portions.
