Puppy feeding schedule by age
Puppy feeding schedules are not just about how much — they are about when and how often. A 6-week-old puppy and a 6-month-old puppy have completely different metabolic needs, stomach capacities, and blood sugar regulation. Getting the schedule right prevents everything from hypoglycemia in tiny puppies to obesity in older ones.
Here is the schedule that most veterinary nutritionists recommend, broken down by age.
4-8 weeks: weaning phase
Puppies start transitioning from mother’s milk to solid food around 3-4 weeks. By 6-8 weeks, most puppies are fully weaned. During this phase:
- Feed 4-6 small meals per day
- Mix puppy food with warm water or puppy milk replacer to create a gruel consistency
- Gradually reduce liquid and increase solid food over 2-3 weeks
- By 8 weeks, food should be fully solid (or lightly moistened)
Most people get their puppy at 8 weeks, so this phase is handled by the breeder. Ask your breeder what food and schedule they used — sticking with the same brand for the first few weeks reduces digestive upset during the transition to a new home.
8-12 weeks: settling in
Feed 3-4 times daily. Small and toy breeds (under 10 lbs as adults) should stay at 4 meals to prevent hypoglycemia — their tiny bodies cannot store enough glucose for long gaps between meals. Medium and large breed puppies can usually go to 3 meals by 10 weeks.
A sample schedule:
- 7:00 AM — Breakfast
- 11:30 AM — Lunch
- 4:00 PM — Afternoon meal
- 7:30 PM — Dinner (4th meal if needed)
At this age, feed about 2x the calories per pound that an adult would need. Your puppy is growing explosively and burning energy like crazy.
3-6 months: rapid growth
Drop to 3 meals per day for most breeds. This is the fastest growth period for medium and large breed puppies — they can double or triple their weight during this window. Portions increase significantly every 2-3 weeks.
Weigh your puppy weekly and adjust portions based on actual growth. If the puppy is getting pudgy, cut back 10%. If ribs are becoming prominent, add 10%. Growth should be steady, not explosive.
6-12 months: maturing
Move to 2 meals per day. Small breeds may be nearing adult size. Large and giant breeds are still growing significantly but at a slower rate. This is when many owners accidentally overfeed — the puppy is getting bigger but the growth rate is slowing, so calorie needs per pound start decreasing.
At this age, most puppies eat close to their adult portion size. The difference is in the food formula (puppy vs adult) and the calorie density rather than the volume.
12+ months: transition to adult
Small and medium breeds can switch to adult food around 12 months. Large breeds should wait until 12-15 months, and giant breeds until 15-24 months. The transition takes 7-14 days of gradual mixing.
Once on adult food, most dogs do well on 2 meals per day for the rest of their lives. Some owners feed once daily — this is fine for healthy adults but not recommended for breeds prone to bloat.
Consistency matters more than perfection
The exact clock times matter less than the intervals between meals. A puppy on 3 meals per day should have roughly equal gaps — not breakfast at 7 AM, lunch at noon, and dinner at 9 PM. Uneven spacing leads to blood sugar swings and can cause behavioral issues (the dreaded "hangry puppy").
Pick a schedule that works with your life and stick to it. Dogs are creatures of habit, and a predictable feeding schedule helps with house training too — puppies usually need to go out 15-30 minutes after eating.
Get personalized portions for your puppy’s age and breed with our feeding calculator.
For breed-specific puppy feeding guides, see our posts on Golden Retrievers, Labradors, German Shepherds, and French Bulldogs.