How much should I feed my dog?

February 3, 2026

I've had this conversation with at least a dozen dog owners in the past year. Someone gets a new dog (or inherits one, or finally starts wondering after three years), and the question is always the same: "Am I feeding this dog the right amount?" The bag says one thing, the vet says another, and Google turns up wildly conflicting advice.

So let's sort through it. The real answer depends on your specific dog, but the process of getting there is more straightforward than most people think.

Start with calories, not cups

Here's where most people go wrong. They read the back of the kibble bag and pour out whatever it says for their dog's weight. The problem is that those feeding guides are averages across all dogs of a given weight. They don't account for whether your dog spends six hours hiking with you or six hours sleeping on the couch.

A better starting point is your dog's Resting Energy Requirement (RER). The formula veterinary nutritionists use is:

RER = 70 x (body weight in kg)^0.75

For a 30-pound dog (about 13.6 kg), that comes out to roughly 490 calories per day at rest. Then you multiply by an activity factor:

• Neutered adult, average activity: RER x 1.6
• Intact adult: RER x 1.8
• Light activity (short daily walks): RER x 1.4
• Heavy activity (working dogs, long runs): RER x 2.0-5.0
• Weight loss: RER x 1.0

So that 30-pound neutered couch potato needs about 784 calories a day. The same dog doing agility training five days a week might need 980 or more.

Why bag recommendations miss the mark

Kibble companies have a financial incentive to recommend slightly larger portions. I'm not saying they're trying to make your dog fat, but feeding on the generous side means you buy more bags per year. The AAFCO requires them to provide feeding guidelines, but those guidelines allow for a wide range.

I've compared bag recommendations to calculated calorie needs across about 20 brands. Most recommend 10-25% more than what a typical pet dog actually needs. For a dog that's already carrying extra weight, that gap gets problematic fast.

How to figure out portions for your food

Once you know your dog's daily calorie target, flip over the bag and find the "calories per cup" or "calories per kg" number. It's usually buried in the fine print near the guaranteed analysis. Divide your dog's daily calories by the food's calories per cup, and that's your daily portion.

Example: your dog needs 800 calories/day, and the food has 400 kcal/cup. That's 2 cups per day, split across two meals.

If you're feeding wet food, canned food typically runs 350-500 calories per 13-ounce can. A lot of people mix wet and dry, which is fine, just do the calorie math for each portion.

Age matters more than you'd think

Puppies need roughly twice the calories per pound of body weight compared to adult dogs. A growing puppy might eat what looks like a comically large amount relative to their size. That's normal.

Senior dogs (roughly 7+ for large breeds, 10+ for small breeds) often need fewer calories as their metabolism slows. But some seniors actually need more if they're losing muscle mass. This is where your vet's input is really worth getting.

The treat problem

Here's something that catches a lot of people off guard. Treats should account for no more than 10% of daily calories. A single large milk bone has about 115 calories. For a small dog eating 500 calories a day, that one treat is already 23% of their intake.

I'm not saying stop giving treats. Just count them. If you're training with treats throughout the day, reduce the meal portions accordingly. Lots of trainers break treats into tiny pieces for this reason.

Signs you're feeding the right amount

Forget the scale for a moment. Run your hands along your dog's sides. You should be able to feel individual ribs without pressing hard, but they shouldn't be visible. When you look at your dog from above, there should be a visible waist behind the ribs. From the side, the belly should tuck up slightly.

If you can grab handfuls of fat over the ribs, cut back 10-15% and reassess in two weeks. If the ribs are sharp and prominent, increase portions by the same amount. Small adjustments over time work better than dramatic changes.

When to weigh your dog

Monthly weigh-ins are enough for most adult dogs. Puppies should be weighed weekly since they're growing so fast that you need to adjust portions frequently. Many vet offices let you pop in and use the scale for free, or you can step on a home scale holding your dog and subtract your own weight.

The bottom line

There's no single right answer to "how much should I feed my dog" because every dog is different. But the process is simple: calculate calorie needs, check your food's calorie density, measure portions, and adjust based on body condition over time. It takes about five minutes to set up, and your dog's waistline will thank you.