# Amounts to feed Large Puppies - greatdanelady.com



## marieb (Mar 24, 2008)

That's crazy, that seems like an insane amount of food!! Maddie is 8 months old and eating 2 cups of innova a day.


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## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

That's crazy! My golden pup would turn right into a little bowling ball!!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

I think it depends on the puppy, their metabolism, and their activity level. My Toby dog at 6 months old was eating 9 cups of Pro Plan a day, and never ever got fat. Now full grown, a lean 80 pounds (he's tall!) he gets 3 cups a day. The Tito monster at 6 months old got 7 cups of food a day, also never overweight, and now at 19 months (65#) gets 3-1/2 cups. My Tiny girl, at 6 months, was eating 4 cups of food a day and now (57#) gets 2 cups. So it seems to vary quite a bit with the dog.


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## Lego&Jacub (Jul 18, 2006)

I think it depends on the quality of the kibble fed too. The lower the quality fed the more you have to feed. That's why the premium kibbles are not necessarily that much more expensive than the cheap ones, b/c you only need to feed 2-3 cups a day instead of the 6 or 7. From what I've heard the Great Dane Lady recommends quality kibbles, so the amounts to feed, according to the chart, seems pretty crazy!


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

marieb said:


> That's crazy, that seems like an insane amount of food!! Maddie is 8 months old and eating 2 cups of innova a day.


Agreed- Tango is 9 months and eating 2 cups of innova a day as well. Finn at 6 and Tally at 14 months both eat 2 1/2 cups of Eagle Pack Holistic a day. Finn works himself hard every day, and is so active that he looks a bit thin at times, and I add some Canidae canned food for him too.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

Penny & Maggie would look like Macy's balloons if they ate that much..... they'd undoubtedly be very HAPPY Macy's balloons though. ROFL


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## HovawartMom (Aug 10, 2006)

These are crazy amounts of food on any dog or breed,even if they are pups!.
Yes,a pup is fed a lot more than an adult,but still!.
My mother's Leonberger is fed 4 to 5 cups a day!.He measures 32in for 140 pds!.
My Hovawart is fed about 3 to 4 cups a day depending on exercise!.He weihs 92pds for 26in!.
My Golden is fed 2 1/4 to 3 cups,a day!.She mesures 23in for 60pds!!.


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## MurphyTeller (Sep 28, 2008)

If you feed a gross low quality food those numbers aren't unreasonable given the low nutrient value in those foods...I know a poodle mix puppy that eats 8 cups of the walmart food every day and is underweight - makes really HUGE doodies.

On the other hand, my intact male when he's in hard working condition - swimming daily, agility, obedience, plus tennis ball play sustains his 65lbs on 3-4 cups of premium food a day...my neutered boy who does all of the same activity under the same conditions sustains his 63lb weight on 1.5 cups a day...depends on the dog and the food.

Erica


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## skylielover (Sep 27, 2008)

MurphyTeller said:


> If you feed a gross low quality food those numbers aren't unreasonable given the low nutrient value in those foods...I know a poodle mix puppy that eats 8 cups of the walmart food every day and is underweight - makes really HUGE doodies.
> 
> On the other hand, my intact male when he's in hard working condition - swimming daily, agility, obedience, plus tennis ball play sustains his 65lbs on 3-4 cups of premium food a day...my neutered boy who does all of the same activity under the same conditions sustains his 63lb weight on 1.5 cups a day...depends on the dog and the food.
> 
> Erica


yes very true. Weird though because I don't see her using a guide relating to low quality food. She recommends higher quality food,.... right? If that's the case, that's a lot of food!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

My guys get Pro Plan, which isn't really a low quality food. But they are very, very active as young dogs, since they run in play groups here at the dog hotel for several hours every day. I suspect that's why they were able to consume such huge amounts of food as puppies.


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## SoGolden (Jul 17, 2008)

*5 cups a day*

Harry is also on ProPlan. He is 16 weeks old, about 30 pounds and eats 5 cups a day. 4 just wasn't enough... He is far from overweight.


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## GoldenOwner12 (Jun 18, 2008)

Shelley will be 7 months old tommorrow if i feed her that amount of any kibble not matter if its low quailty or high she would be that fat she would need a skateboard to get around. My Einstein has just got to look at food and he gains weight, So this is why i'm careful with what my guys eat and how much they get.


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## skylielover (Sep 27, 2008)

hotel4dogs said:


> My guys get Pro Plan, which isn't really a low quality food. But they are very, very active as young dogs, since they run in play groups here at the dog hotel for several hours every day. I suspect that's why they were able to consume such huge amounts of food as puppies.


Skylie eats Pro Plan too! She is 13 weeks and eating 3 cups a day. However, she may can eat more now. She is far from overweight and quite hyper... I may try 4 now and see.. .. I guess it's trial & error...


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## arcane (Sep 18, 2007)

my pups get 2 cups per meal, fed 2x's per day...they are in perfect weight 
fed x 2 
my adults get between 3.5 - 4 c per day ( show dogs - younger crew) 
Adi & Tauri get between 2 .5-3 cups --they are couch potatoes, less active 

7 cups of food blows my mind!!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

I agree it's trial and error in a way. I weigh my guys once a month, and adjust their food slightly up or down if I see any variation in their weight. My oldest (12) was getting 2 cups a day until recently, where I've seen a very slight weight loss, and I"ve increased it to about 2-1/4 cups per day. The pupper was getting 4 cups a day but now was just cut to 3-1/2. And the old man (11), well he's a whole different story since he's protein deficient and I have to supplement his diet with roasted rabbit and dehydrated rabbit....


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## flyaway (Jul 30, 2008)

SoGolden said:


> Harry is also on ProPlan. He is 16 weeks old, about 30 pounds and eats 5 cups a day. 4 just wasn't enough... He is far from overweight.


Wow, that makes me feel better (for other people... Harry is a littermate of my puppies). Zoe is eating like 3 cups a day, and she is still super skinny, but I feel nervous about feeding her more. Riley is roly poly and far behind the other littermates in growth (and has also had HOD), so we aren't giving him as much food. Plus, he's not as active as Zoe, so he doesn't burn it off like she does. He tends to get a big butt when we feed him too much.  Zoe started looking gangly at about 9 or 10 weeks.


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## Ash (Sep 11, 2007)

It depends on the dog. There are many many other factors as well like food quality, exercise levels etc. I have dogs that eat 1 cup a day and dogs that 6 cups a day. Following any chart is just like following the back of the dog food bag. Know one can correctly estimate the amout of food but you.


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## SoGolden (Jul 17, 2008)

*Hungry Harry*

When I started feeding Harry bigger meals he stopped picking up so much off the lawn (leaves, mulch). I thought he was just mouthy; maybe he was hungry...or maybe he is just outgrowing that stage a bit. Now that he is in doggie daycare he burns up a lot more calories and I give him extra food on those days.


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## flyaway (Jul 30, 2008)

Zoe and Riley have stopped picking up quite so much... well... I guess they still pick up a lot of stuff, but they don't try to actually eat the ground as much.

But we can't seem to get Zoe to eat any more, even though she's sooooooo skinny!


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## skylielover (Sep 27, 2008)

Skylie is now 30 pounds, 16 weeks tomorrow, and 3 cups of food just isn't enough for her. She looks great but acts like she is starving.. I am up to almost 4 cups.. She might need more...


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Golden Retrievers are NOT large breeds, and that weight range at maturity of 45-99 pounds should be divided. The Great Dane Lady has some solid advice regarding the nutrition of GIANT breeds, but I very much disagree with this.


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## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

Pointgold said:


> Golden Retrievers are NOT large breeds, and that weight range at maturity of 45-99 pounds should be divided. The Great Dane Lady has some solid advice regarding the nutrition of GIANT breeds, but I very much disagree with this.


 
Even for Giant breeds she is off. I don't think my late Great Pyrenees ever ate close to that much, and in his youth he was 120 lbs. Not all Giant breeds are the same, some have very low metabolism.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

I feed Pro Plan, have for years, and make no apologies for it. I feel it is a very good quality food, and as I have said before, there is a reason that a majority of the Top Winning dogs in all breeds are fed it. 
Feeding a low quality food and feeding more of it to get some sort of nutritional value is a waste of time and money. More food, when it is not digestible, means more stool. It is cheaper in the long run to feed a more expensive food, which is far more digestible, which you feed LESS of, and results in far less stool.
I do not feel that Golden Retrievers are a large breed, certainly not when they are within standard. I do not, and have never, fed a large breed puppy formula. I've had a darn good history of good hips and elbows, and the only dog I ever had with pano was a dog I purchased, not bred. My dogs are in good weight, excellent coat, excellent overall condition, and enjoy good longevity. They are VERY active. They eat no more than 2 cups twice a day. The only thing I supplement with regularly is probiotics.


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## skylielover (Sep 27, 2008)

Pointgold said:


> I feed Pro Plan, have for years, and make no apologies for it. I feel it is a very good quality food, and as I have said before, there is a reason that a majority of the Top Winning dogs in all breeds are fed it.
> Feeding a low quality food and feeding more of it to get some sort of nutritional value is a waste of time and money. More food, when it is not digestible, means more stool. It is cheaper in the long run to feed a more expensive food, which is far more digestible, which you feed LESS of, and results in far less stool.
> I do not feel that Golden Retrievers are a large breed, certainly not when they are within standard. I do not, and have never, fed a large breed puppy formula. I've had a darn good history of good hips and elbows, and the only dog I ever had with pano was a dog I purchased, not bred. My dogs are in good weight, excellent coat, excellent overall condition, and enjoy good longevity. They are VERY active. They eat no more than 2 cups twice a day. The only thing I supplement with regularly is probiotics.



Thanks for the info. I am feeding Skylie Pro Plan Large Breed puppy, eating 3x a day - 4 cups total. She seems to be eating a lot more of a sudden. She is 17 weeks old today.. I was worried how long to feed her puppy food. Did you feed your pups the puppy formula at this age (not large breed) or go straight to the adult ?


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## sifuyono (May 8, 2008)

i don't know how all of you doing well on 3 cup or even more/ day, my bruno sometime even cannot finish 1 cup/ day..... his appetite is really poor, when young he could do 4 cup/day so easily.....


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

skylielover said:


> Thanks for the info. I am feeding Skylie Pro Plan Large Breed puppy, eating 3x a day - 4 cups total. She seems to be eating a lot more of a sudden. She is 17 weeks old today.. I was worried how long to feed her puppy food. Did you feed your pups the puppy formula at this age (not large breed) or go straight to the adult ?


 
I switch from puppy food to adult food at between 4 and 6 months old. I just switch right over.


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## skylielover (Sep 27, 2008)

Pointgold said:


> I switch from puppy food to adult food at between 4 and 6 months old. I just switch right over.


Thanks. That's what I was thinking of doing...


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

skylielover said:


> Thanks. That's what I was thinking of doing...


It must also be noted that puppies, like kids, have appetites that will vary for many reasons - growth spurts, icreased or decreased actitivity levels, etc. They are often more hungry on weekends, when working families are home and their activity level is higher, and then it wanes a bit during the week. I just don't concern myself so much with the _quantity _that a puppy is eating as long as their weight is appropriate.


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## Charlie06 (Feb 10, 2007)

I've never understood the size categories for dogs. I remember the Nutro guy at the pet store saying "Oh, you have a golden, you'll definatley need the large breed food". I always thought of goldens a medium size dog.....what do I know? I didn't listen to the Nutro guy btw.


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## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

When does a medium size dog become a large breed dog?


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## skylielover (Sep 27, 2008)

Vet told me today to feed her only 3 cups a day not 4. ? She is a good weight though very lean. He said she could be eating too much that it's causing loose stools... hmmmmmmm.. I'm not sure about that though..


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## flyaway (Jul 30, 2008)

At not-quite-5 months, the puppies are up to about 4 cups a day... maybe even a little more sometimes. We've started taking them to the dog park, so I think that's contributing to the increased appetite... LOTS of energy burned up.


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