The short answer is, it depends. When it comes to dog food one size fits none. Your dog’s food intake should match her weight, age, overall health, living conditions, and activity level. Recommendations on the back of food packaging are usually a poor guide, first of all because they’re general – they deal in averages. Second, the amounts are based on weight, which is just one factor of many. And third, there are wide discrepancies between what individual manufacturers recommend for a certain weight.
Instead of relying on such recommendations, consider them a starting point only, monitor your dog’s weight and health, and adjust her food intake as needed. Some guidelines:
Dogs that need more food.
- Puppies (growing up is hard work).
- Pregnant and lactating bitches (nurturing puppies is hard work).
- Service- and -guide dogs, hunting dogs, dogs that engage in high-level dog sports.
Dogs that need less food.
- Couch potato dogs (a stroll around the block doesn’t burn many calories).
- Older dogs (age 7+).
How to proceed.
1. Find out what your dog’s ideal weight should be, roughly speaking. You can ask your vet, your breeder, or a canine nutritionist.
2. Factor in your dog’s age, activity level (moderate walks? 3-mile run every day?), living conditions (heated apartment? Outdoor kennel?), etc. and adjust the amount of food up or down accordingly.
3. Weigh your dog every month and adjust in small increments. This also helps to build sensitivity to your dog’s ongoing nutritional requirements, which will change over time.
