How much to feed a dog by breed? Cups, calories and grams for 20 breeds
A Labrador Retriever at the AKC standard weight of 55-80 lb (25-36 kg) needs about 1,060-1,405 kcal a day as a neutered or ordinary adult, 2.8-3.7 cups of a 380 kcal per cup kibble, and 1,451-1,922 kcal if it works or runs an hour a day; a Chihuahua at up to 6 lb needs 201 kcal, 0.5 cup. Breed sets the weight and weight sets the calories, through the same NRC 2006 equations for every breed, so the table is the standard weight of 20 popular breeds run through those equations. Your own dog's weight beats the breed range.
Calories and grams a day for 20 breeds
Weights are the AKC breed standard, across both sexes; where the standard gives only a ceiling the row shows that figure. Calories are the NRC 2006 adult equations at those weights, inactive (neutered or a pet that walks) and active (an hour or more of real exercise a day); grams are for a 3,600 kcal/kg food on the inactive line. Two meals a day is the norm for all of them.
| Breed | AKC weight | Kcal a day, inactive | Kcal a day, active | Grams a day (3,600 kcal/kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chihuahua | up to 6 lb (2.7 kg) | 201 | 275 | 56 |
| Yorkshire Terrier | up to 7 lb (3.2 kg) | 226 | 309 | 63 |
| Shih Tzu | 9-16 lb (4-7 kg) | 273-420 | 373-575 | 76-117 |
| Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | 13-18 lb (6-8 kg) | 359-459 | 492-628 | 100-127 |
| Pug | 14-18 lb (6-8 kg) | 380-459 | 520-628 | 106-127 |
| Dachshund (standard) | 16-32 lb (7-15 kg) | 420-706 | 575-967 | 117-196 |
| Beagle (13-15 in) | 20-30 lb (9-14 kg) | 497-673 | 680-921 | 138-187 |
| Cocker Spaniel | 20-30 lb (9-14 kg) | 497-673 | 680-921 | 138-187 |
| French Bulldog | up to 28 lb (12.7 kg) | 639 | 875 | 178 |
| Border Collie | 30-55 lb (14-25 kg) | 673-1,060 | 921-1,451 | 187-295 |
| Siberian Husky | 35-60 lb (16-27 kg) | 756-1,132 | 1,034-1,549 | 210-314 |
| Australian Shepherd | 40-65 lb (18-29 kg) | 835-1,202 | 1,143-1,645 | 232-334 |
| Poodle (standard) | 40-70 lb (18-32 kg) | 835-1,271 | 1,143-1,739 | 232-353 |
| Boxer | 50-80 lb (23-36 kg) | 987-1,405 | 1,351-1,922 | 274-390 |
| Golden Retriever | 55-75 lb (25-34 kg) | 1,060-1,338 | 1,451-1,831 | 295-372 |
| Labrador Retriever | 55-80 lb (25-36 kg) | 1,060-1,405 | 1,451-1,922 | 295-390 |
| German Shepherd Dog | 50-90 lb (23-41 kg) | 987-1,534 | 1,351-2,100 | 274-426 |
| Bernese Mountain Dog | 70-115 lb (32-52 kg) | 1,271-1,844 | 1,739-2,523 | 353-512 |
| Rottweiler | 80-135 lb (36-61 kg) | 1,405-2,080 | 1,922-2,846 | 390-578 |
| Great Dane | 110-175 lb (50-79 kg) | 1,783-2,526 | 2,441-3,457 | 495-702 |
Cups a day by breed
Level cups of a 380 kcal per cup kibble, the middle column of the dog feeding chart by weight in lbs, worked out by the same code as the dog food calculator. Bags run from about 340 to 460 kcal per cup, so a denser food means fewer cups: for your own bag, find the dog's weight in that chart and read your column.
| Breed | AKC weight | Cups a day, neutered or ordinary | Cups a day, active | Per meal (2 meals, neutered) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chihuahua | up to 6 lb (2.7 kg) | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.3 |
| Yorkshire Terrier | up to 7 lb (3.2 kg) | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.3 |
| Shih Tzu | 9-16 lb (4-7 kg) | 0.7-1.1 | 1.0-1.5 | 0.4-0.6 |
| Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | 13-18 lb (6-8 kg) | 0.9-1.2 | 1.3-1.7 | 0.5-0.6 |
| Pug | 14-18 lb (6-8 kg) | 1.0-1.2 | 1.4-1.7 | 0.5-0.6 |
| Dachshund (standard) | 16-32 lb (7-15 kg) | 1.1-1.9 | 1.5-2.5 | 0.6-0.9 |
| Beagle (13-15 in) | 20-30 lb (9-14 kg) | 1.3-1.8 | 1.8-2.4 | 0.7-0.9 |
| Cocker Spaniel | 20-30 lb (9-14 kg) | 1.3-1.8 | 1.8-2.4 | 0.7-0.9 |
| French Bulldog | up to 28 lb (12.7 kg) | 1.7 | 2.3 | 0.8 |
| Border Collie | 30-55 lb (14-25 kg) | 1.8-2.8 | 2.4-3.8 | 0.9-1.4 |
| Siberian Husky | 35-60 lb (16-27 kg) | 2.0-3.0 | 2.7-4.1 | 1.0-1.5 |
| Australian Shepherd | 40-65 lb (18-29 kg) | 2.2-3.2 | 3.0-4.3 | 1.1-1.6 |
| Poodle (standard) | 40-70 lb (18-32 kg) | 2.2-3.3 | 3.0-4.6 | 1.1-1.7 |
| Boxer | 50-80 lb (23-36 kg) | 2.6-3.7 | 3.6-5.1 | 1.3-1.8 |
| Golden Retriever | 55-75 lb (25-34 kg) | 2.8-3.5 | 3.8-4.8 | 1.4-1.8 |
| Labrador Retriever | 55-80 lb (25-36 kg) | 2.8-3.7 | 3.8-5.1 | 1.4-1.8 |
| German Shepherd Dog | 50-90 lb (23-41 kg) | 2.6-4.0 | 3.6-5.5 | 1.3-2.0 |
| Bernese Mountain Dog | 70-115 lb (32-52 kg) | 3.3-4.9 | 4.6-6.6 | 1.7-2.4 |
| Rottweiler | 80-135 lb (36-61 kg) | 3.7-5.5 | 5.1-7.5 | 1.8-2.7 |
| Great Dane | 110-175 lb (50-79 kg) | 4.7-6.6 | 6.4-9.1 | 2.3-3.3 |
How to use the table
Weigh the dog. If it sits inside the breed range, read the calories at its weight, not at the middle of the range; if it sits above the range and has no waist, feed for the weight it should be and see how many calories should a dog eat to lose weight. Then read the kcal per kg on your bag and let the dog food calculator turn the calories into grams and cups for that food, or take the grams from how much should I feed my dog for other densities.
Small breeds eat more per kilogram
A 6 lb Chihuahua needs about 74 kcal per kilogram of body weight a day and a 175 lb Great Dane about 32: the giant needs far more food, but far less for each kilogram it carries, because energy need scales with weight to the power 0.75, not with weight itself. That is why small-breed foods are denser (more kcal per kg) and large-breed foods lighter, and why a feeding chart in cups without a weight column is never right for both.
Puppies by breed
A puppy is fed for the size it is growing into, so each row takes the top of the breed range as the expected adult weight; for a smaller puppy use the low end or the parents' weight in the calculator. Cups are for a 400 kcal per cup puppy food at half and three quarters of that weight, from the NRC 2006 growth equation of the calculator's puppy setting; the puppy feeding chart has three puppy foods and meals a day.
| Breed | Expected adult weight | At half | At three quarters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chihuahua | 6 lb (2.7 kg) | 0.7 cups at 3 lb (287 kcal) | 0.7 cups at 4.5 lb (299 kcal) |
| Yorkshire Terrier | 7 lb (3.2 kg) | 0.8 cups at 3.5 lb (322 kcal) | 0.8 cups at 5.3 lb (336 kcal) |
| Shih Tzu | 16 lb (7.3 kg) | 1.5 cups at 8 lb (599 kcal) | 1.6 cups at 12 lb (624 kcal) |
| Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | 18 lb (8.2 kg) | 1.6 cups at 9 lb (654 kcal) | 1.7 cups at 13.5 lb (681 kcal) |
| Pug | 18 lb (8.2 kg) | 1.6 cups at 9 lb (654 kcal) | 1.7 cups at 13.5 lb (681 kcal) |
| Dachshund (standard) | 32 lb (14.5 kg) | 2.5 cups at 16 lb (1,007 kcal) | 2.6 cups at 24 lb (1,049 kcal) |
| Beagle (13-15 in) | 30 lb (13.6 kg) | 2.4 cups at 15 lb (959 kcal) | 2.5 cups at 22.5 lb (999 kcal) |
| Cocker Spaniel | 30 lb (13.6 kg) | 2.4 cups at 15 lb (959 kcal) | 2.5 cups at 22.5 lb (999 kcal) |
| French Bulldog | 28 lb (12.7 kg) | 2.3 cups at 14 lb (911 kcal) | 2.4 cups at 21 lb (949 kcal) |
| Border Collie | 55 lb (24.9 kg) | 3.8 cups at 27.5 lb (1,511 kcal) | 3.9 cups at 41.3 lb (1,575 kcal) |
| Siberian Husky | 60 lb (27.2 kg) | 4.0 cups at 30 lb (1,613 kcal) | 4.2 cups at 45 lb (1,681 kcal) |
| Australian Shepherd | 65 lb (29.5 kg) | 4.3 cups at 32.5 lb (1,713 kcal) | 4.5 cups at 48.8 lb (1,785 kcal) |
| Poodle (standard) | 70 lb (31.8 kg) | 4.5 cups at 35 lb (1,811 kcal) | 4.7 cups at 52.5 lb (1,887 kcal) |
| Boxer | 80 lb (36.3 kg) | 5.0 cups at 40 lb (2,001 kcal) | 5.2 cups at 60 lb (2,086 kcal) |
| Golden Retriever | 75 lb (34 kg) | 4.8 cups at 37.5 lb (1,907 kcal) | 5.0 cups at 56.3 lb (1,987 kcal) |
| Labrador Retriever | 80 lb (36.3 kg) | 5.0 cups at 40 lb (2,001 kcal) | 5.2 cups at 60 lb (2,086 kcal) |
| German Shepherd Dog | 90 lb (40.8 kg) | 5.5 cups at 45 lb (2,186 kcal) | 5.7 cups at 67.5 lb (2,278 kcal) |
| Bernese Mountain Dog | 115 lb (52.2 kg) | 6.6 cups at 57.5 lb (2,627 kcal) | 6.8 cups at 86.3 lb (2,738 kcal) |
| Rottweiler | 135 lb (61.2 kg) | 7.4 cups at 67.5 lb (2,963 kcal) | 7.7 cups at 101.3 lb (3,088 kcal) |
| Great Dane | 175 lb (79.4 kg) | 9.0 cups at 87.5 lb (3,600 kcal) | 9.4 cups at 131.3 lb (3,751 kcal) |
Frequently asked questions
- How much should a Labrador eat a day?
- 1,060-1,405 kcal for a neutered adult at 55-80 lb, 295-390 g of a 3,600 kcal/kg food (2.8-3.7 cups of a 380 kcal per cup one), or 1,451-1,922 kcal if genuinely active. Labradors gain weight easily (a POMC gene variant common in the breed raises appetite), so weigh the portion and the dog.
- How much should a German Shepherd eat?
- 987-1,534 kcal a day at 50-90 lb for a pet that walks, 1,351-2,100 for a working dog; on a 3,600 kcal/kg food that is 274-426 g a day for the pet, or 2.6-4.0 cups of a 380 kcal per cup kibble. The range is wide because the standard is: a 50 lb female and a 90 lb male are both in it.
- How much should a Chihuahua eat?
- About 201 kcal a day at 6 lb (2.7 kg), only 56 g of kibble (0.5 cup at 380 kcal per cup), so a few treats are a large share of the day. Small breeds need more calories per kilogram than large ones, which the kg^0.75 in the equation captures.
- Does breed change the equation?
- No. NRC 2006 has one family of adult equations for all dogs, adjusted by activity and neutering, and the WSAVA charts use it for every breed. Breed matters through weight, coat and typical activity (a working Border Collie sits on the active line, a pet one on the inactive line), and through a tendency to gain weight in some breeds.
- What about mixed breeds and dogs outside the standard?
- Use the dog's own weight, or its ideal weight if it is overweight, in the dog food calculator. The breed ranges are only a way to find the right row when the dog is a healthy adult of typical size; a 100 lb Labrador is not a large Labrador, it is an overweight one.
- How much should a puppy of my breed eat?
- More than the adult table for the same weight: a puppy's calories depend on how far it is from its adult weight, so take the expected adult weight from this table (the top of the range for males) into the puppy setting of the calculator, or use the puppy feeding chart. A Labrador puppy heading for 80 lb needs about 2,001 kcal a day at 40 lb, 5.0 cups of a 400 kcal per cup puppy food; the puppy table has every breed.
- Is there a dog food calculator by breed?
- Not one that needs the breed: the NRC 2006 equations behind the WSAVA charts use weight and activity, not breed, so a calculator by breed is a weight calculator with the breed's standard weight filled in. Check that your dog sits in its breed range here, then type its own weight and the kcal per cup on your bag into the dog food calculator: a 65 lb Labrador needs about 1,202 kcal a day, 3.2 cups of a 380 kcal per cup kibble.
- How much should a Golden Retriever eat a day?
- 1,060-1,338 kcal for a neutered or ordinary adult at 55-75 lb, 2.8-3.5 cups of a 380 kcal per cup kibble or 295-372 g of a 3,600 kcal/kg food; 1,451-1,831 kcal (3.8-4.8 cups) if it works, hunts or runs an hour a day. Weigh the dog and read its own weight, not the middle of the range.
- How much should a Beagle eat?
- 497-673 kcal a day for a Beagle of the 13-15 inch variety at 20-30 lb, 1.3-1.8 cups of a 380 kcal per cup kibble or 138-187 g of a 3,600 kcal/kg food, in two meals. An active Beagle needs 680-921 kcal.
- How much should a French Bulldog eat?
- About 639 kcal a day at the 28 lb ceiling of the standard, 1.7 cups of a 380 kcal per cup kibble or 178 g of a 3,600 kcal/kg food, two meals of 0.8 cup. A lighter dog needs less: read its own weight in the dog feeding chart by weight in lbs.
- How much should a Great Dane eat?
- 1,783-2,526 kcal a day as a neutered or ordinary adult at 110-175 lb, 4.7-6.6 cups of a 380 kcal per cup kibble, and 2,441-3,457 kcal if active. Per kilogram that is far less than a small dog: about 32 kcal per kg at 175 lb against 74 for a Chihuahua.
More guides
- How many cups of dog food per day?
Cups of kibble a day by dog weight from the calories on your bag: tables for 300 to 450 kcal per cup, inactive and active adults, and meals.
- How much should I feed my dog? Grams and cups by weight
Daily calories and grams of dry food for dogs from 2 to 50 kg, inactive and active, on foods from 3,400 to 4,000 kcal/kg, with the WSAVA chart range.
- How many calories does a dog need per day?
Calories a day by weight and life stage from the NRC 2006 equations behind the WSAVA charts: adults 2 to 60 kg, puppies by adult size, weight loss.
- Puppy feeding chart: calories and cups by adult weight
Calories and cups a day for puppies at a quarter, half and three quarters of adult weight, for adult sizes 5 to 40 kg, with meals per day by age.
Sources
- NRC 2006, Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats — adult, puppy and kitten energy equations
- WSAVA, Calorie Needs for Healthy Adult Dogs (July 2020) — chart range for dogs
- WSAVA, Calorie Needs for Healthy Adult Cats (July 2020) — chart range for cats
- AAHA 2021 Nutrition and Weight Management Guidelines — weight loss at the resting requirement of the target weight
- American Kennel Club, breed standards (weight) — the weight range of each breed in the table, read 2026-09-17
Published 2026-09-17, last updated 2026-10-13. Figures are starting points from the published equations: individual animals vary by up to 30%, so adjust by body condition and ask your vet for puppies under 8 weeks, pregnancy, lactation or any illness.