PetSci PetSci
With canine obesity becoming a growing problem, it is becoming increasingly important for us to monitor how many calories our dogs are consuming. Much like humans, dogs have a recommended daily calorie intake, which is dependent on their activity and their ideal weight. Use the canine calorie calculator below to calculate how many calories your dog needs and how many calories they should be consuming if they need to lose weight.
You will need to know your dog’s ideal weight, which you can find out from your vet, although you can see the table below for average values based on breed.
See below for some tips on safe weight loss in dogs.
Not working? View the canine calorie calculator in a separate window
About the Canine Calorie Calculator
The canine calorie calculator uses a basic formula to determine the resting energy requirements (RER) of canines. The result is a good estimate of how many calories per day you should feed your dog in order to maintain body weight (calorie requirements). To safely lose weight, it is recommended that you feed your dog no less than 60% of their RER, which is shown in the calculator as ‘Calorie Requirements for Weight Loss’.
If you have any questions or recommendations for the calculator, you can get in touch here.
Average Ideal Weights by Breed
Source: Ideal Pet Weight Ranges Association for Pet Obesity Prevention
| Breed | Average Weight Range (lbs) |
| Afghan hounds | 58–65 |
| Airedale terriers | 40–65 |
| Akitas | 75–115 |
| Alaskan malamutes | 70–95 |
| American Staffordshire terriers | 55–65 |
| Australian cattle dogs | 30–35 |
| Australian shepherds | 40–65 |
| Basenjis | 20–25 |
| Basset hounds | 45–65 |
| Beagles | 18–30 |
| Belgian Malinois | 55–75 |
| Bernese mountain dogs | 85–110 |
| Bichon frises | 7–12 |
| Bloodhounds | 80–110 |
| Border collies | 27–45 |
| Border terriers | 11–15 |
| Borzois | 60–100 |
| Boston terriers | 10–25 |
| Bouviers des Flandres | 95–120 |
| Boxers | 50–75 |
| Brittany spaniels | 30–40 |
| Brussels griffons | 6–12 |
| Bull terriers | Miniature: 24–32; Standard: 45–80 |
| Bulldogs | 40–50 |
| Bullmastiffs | 100–130 |
| Cairn terriers | 13–18 |
| Cardigan Welsh corgis | 25–30 |
| Cavalier King Charles spaniels | 10–18 |
| Chesapeake Bay retrievers | 55–80 |
| Chihuahuas | 4–6 |
| Chinese crested | Less than 10 |
| Chinese Shar-Pei | 45–60 |
| Chow Chows | 45–70 |
| Cocker spaniels | 23–28 |
| Collies | 50–70 |
| Dachshunds | Mini: 8–10; Standard: 10–12 |
| Dalmatians | 50–55 |
| Doberman pinschers | 65–90 |
| English cocker spaniels | 26–34 |
| English setters | 45–80 |
| English springer spaniels | 40–50 |
| Flat-Coated retrievers | 60–70 |
| French bulldogs | Two standards: 19-22 and 22-28 |
| German shepherds | 75–95 |
| German shorthaired pointers | 45–70 |
| German wirehaired pointers | 60–70 |
| Giant schnauzers | 55–80 |
| Golden retrievers | 65–75 |
| Gordon setters | 45–80 |
| Great Danes | 110–180 |
| Great Pyrenees | 85–100 |
| Greater Swiss mountain dogs | 130–135 |
| Havanese | 7–12 |
| Irish setters | 55–75 |
| Irish wolfhounds | 90–150 |
| Italian greyhounds | 6–10 (two sizes: less than 8 or 8–10) |
| Japanese Chin | 4–15; Two classes: under 7 and over 7 |
| Keeshond | Two standards: 35–45 and 55–65 |
| Labrador retrievers | 65–80 |
| Lhasa Apsos | 13–15 |
| Maltese | 4–6 |
| Mastiffs | 150–160 |
| Miniature pinschers | 8–10 |
| Miniature schnauzers | 12–15 |
| Newfoundlands | 100–150 |
| Norwegian elkhounds | 40–60 |
| Norwich terriers | 10–12 |
| Nova Scotia duck tolling retrievers | 37–50 |
| Old English sheepdogs | 60–100 |
| Papillons | 7–10 |
| Parson Russell terriers (Jack Russell terriers) | 14–18 |
| Pekingese | Sleeve: less than 6; Mini: 6–8; Standard: 8–10 |
| Pembroke Welsh corgis | 23–27 |
| Pomeranians | 4–7 |
| Poodles | Mini: 11–17; Standard 45–65 |
| Portuguese water dogs | 35–55 |
| Pugs | 13–18 |
| Rhodesian ridgebacks | 65–90 |
| Rottweilers | 70–135 |
| Samoyeds | 35–65 |
| Schipperkes | 12–18 |
| Scottish terriers | 18–21 |
| Shetland sheepdogs | 18–20 |
| Shiba Inu | 15–25 |
| Shih Tzu | 8–16 |
| Siberian huskies | 35–60 |
| Silky terriers | 8–11 |
| Soft-Coated Wheaten terriers | 30–45 |
| Saint Bernards | 110–200 |
| Staffordshire bull terriers | 23–38 |
| Standard schnauzers | 30–45 |
| Tibetan terriers | 20–24 (18–30 based on conformation) |
| Toy fox terriers | 4–7 |
| Vizsla | 45–60 |
| Weimaraners | 50–70 |
| Welsh terriers | 20–21 |
| West Highland white terriers | 13–21 |
| Whippets | 25–45 |
| Wirehaired fox terriers | 13–20 |
| Yorkshire terriers | Less than 7 |
Safe Canine Weight Loss Tips
Below are some tips for helping your cat to lose weight safely:
- A safe weight loss goal is around 3-5% of total body weight per month
- Avoid rapid weight loss as this can cause additional problems
- Switch to a ‘light’ diet manufactured by a reputable manufacturer
- Don’t give human food as treats (although boiled fish or boneless chicken may be given as a special treat very occasionally)
- Give specially formulated canine treats that are low in calories
- Try using a weight loss supplement
- Put down multiple small meals as opposed to a couple of big meals
- Carefully monitor calorie consumption – including main meals, treats or any additional meals
- Consider keeping a calorie journal
- Offer fresh water if your dog is begging for food, often this alternative will be enough to satisfy them
- If your dog continues to beg, offer a very small food portion
- Try introducing some extra exercise such as an additional walk, or longer walks to get your dog moving more and burning calories
My dog is a Chihuahua/bulldog mix and usually weighs about 16 pounds. How many calories is enough and how many are too much?
We are on a one month vacation feeding dry for breakfast and 1/2 small can for dinner and feel that Sadie who did weigh 12.4 has probably gained. I tried to get the calorie count of the dry food and believe I found the trim and healthy by Purina to be 320 per cup. We do not feed a cup ever. When we get home next week I will investigate to get the true amount of calories we feed them. She has a sister Sophie who is probably 9 lbs. Your calculation and tips are very helpful. I know my vet does not want either to weight more than 10 lbs so I will do what I can to get them to goal. My vet did tell me both girls are very healthy so maybe a bit more walking exercise will be helpful too. Thank you for all the wonderful information I received from you.
I want to make my 12 year old 13.5 lb Chihuahua homemade dog food using these ingredients.Lean ground beef,Beef kidney,Kale,Yellow crookneck squash, Oatmeal, Chicken breasts, Kidney beans, Black beans, Carrots, Tomato paste, Chicken broth,the calorie calculator says she would need 350 calories per day. How much of this cooked mixture would I serve her?
Hi Carol, no easy answer for this one I’m afraid. You’d have to weigh each ingredient and work out its individual calorie contribution to the meal (e.g. Kale has 34kcal per 100g, so 50g would contribute 17kcal to the total).
After that you would need to take the total (let’s say 1400kcal total for example) and divide by 350kcal serving size. In this example that would be 1400/350 = 4 servings.
I hope that helps, let us know how you get on!
Yes it does, thank you very much. 🙂
Only somewhat helpful. A comparison of dog food brands and the nutrition and calorie content would have been a more helpful follow up.
Hello, if you’d like to see a comparison of dog food brands you might be interested in our new calorie tool – HealthTrak.
Hi would you be able to recommend a way to help manage and calculate kcal etc for a dog that needs to gain weight but can’t digest high fats? I’ve been doing dry matter calculation for him but am looking into doing kcal calculation as he really needs more weight but is 15.5years old and sort of active walking around all the time.
Thank you
If your vet hasn’t already checked it would be a good idea to have some blood tests done to check fpr kidney failure, as this can cause weight loss
My Chi Russell is 6 yrs old. She weighs 10.2 lbs. She is lightly active as i am disabled. I do let her off leash once a day and she runs in yard. How many calories per day should she have to maintain her weight ?
I have a 10 week old female Border Terrier. She was the runt of her litter. She weighs 3.72 lbs. She is an excellent eater. She plays and is active like any puppy I have ever owned. I’m feeding her Natural Balance Puppy food. It contains 375 kcal per cup. She receives a 1/4 cup three-times per day. Do you think this is enough food/kcal to promote good growth?
Hello James! I have a 12 1/2 year old female Lhasa Apso. She’s been spayed and leads a sedentary life. I’d like to feed her home cooked food of a mix of rice, lentil, chicken (skinless, lean), bottle gourd and pumpkin. Would be grateful if you could please let me know how much of each type of the above ingredients she should get in a day. She eats 2 meals – lunch and dinner, and has 1/4 cup of skimmed milk + 1 biscuit in the morning. What should be the ideal amount of calories for her, considering that she’s a big built girl ( now overweight at 10 kg)
Thank you!
Hi there,
It looks like your Lhasa Apso needs around 630kcal, or 504kcal for safe weight loss.
The calorie content of what your are giving currently is as follows:
Rice – 204kcal / cup
Lentils – 358kcal / 100g
Chicken – 151kcal / 100g
Gourd – 14kcal / 100g
Pumpkin – 26kcal / 100g
Skimmed Milk – 35kcal / 100ml
As for the mix, you’ll know best what works. So you can use the values above to work out the calorie content and split this across the 2/3 meals.
To make it easier take a look at our HealthTrak tool. Once you’ve set up your pet’s profile, you can then add foods to their diet under the diet page. This will show you how many calories are in each meal.
Good luck!
We have a puppy of indeterminate parentage believed to be almost 6 1/2 months old. He was dumped with siblings at about 3 weeks of age so we’ve really no idea about his parents. His face/coat and behaviour seem quite terrierish but he’s taller and lighter built than most terriers.
He is quite active and quite fast in comparison to most (but not all) puppies we ve met of a similar age. He’s currently about 10.6 kgs. He’s not a big eater and is quite slim. I don’t THINK hes too thin but he’s certain slimmer/leaner than most dogs we meet.
Looking for a best estimate on his calorie needs or is it best to be guided purely by his appetite?
I have a 9 year old Min Pin/Jack Russell mix. He’s not really really active but he goes for walks. We’ve taken him to the vet numerous times and he’s losing weight. She says that he has a heart murmur and his cholesterol is a little high. She’s had us change his food numerous times and today is the 3rd day he has not eaten. Yesterday my husband said he only ate a tiny bit of food and I’m getting pretty worried about this. She got some stays and showed them to us. I wish I knew what exactly is wrong with him. We’ll also start bringing him back to the dog park now that it’s nice out again. I wish he could talk sometimes and tell me what is wrong with him. I love him so very much and I worry about him. I’ve never had a dog when I was younger,just a cat & a bird.
Try “Young Again” dog food brand. Dogs need more protein, less carbs. This food saved my cat from diabetes, and my Rat Terrier has a very sensitive tummy. Eliminate all treats, just water and food. Sincerely, Diana, pet lover. I know how u feel when they hurt and can’t talk.
Have you tried feeding your dog some banana, peanut butter or loraplain yogurt for calories? Just a thought because my dog loves all three of them maybe it would interest yours. Good luck an best wishes with your pup ❤️🧡
Thank you so very much. Sorry about that.
I subscribed to the Farmer’s Dog pet food service and they say my lazy, chunky 20 pound Brussels Griffon needs 231 calories per day. The calculator says he needs 397 calories per day. Which is correct?
Hi. I’ve started making food for my 15 year old Shollie. It consists of boiled boneless chicken thighs, batsmati rice, peas, and butternut squash. He’s 65-70 lbs. How much should I be feeding him and how often? He currently seems to be hungry after every feeding. Given his advanced age and inactive lifestyle, I’d hate to overfeed him. Please advise. Thank you.
I have a shi-chi and is only 4 years old and has lime disease, weighs 16 pounds. I’m having issues getting her to walk and now she has gained weight even after cutting her food way back. No human foods either. I have to help her stand up and take her down steps along with sometime helping her just stand up. Looking for any suggestions what or how I can even cut her food back even more. Only gets freeze dried venison with grizzly for her joints since pain pills from vets not working. Under 1/4 cup dried grain free dry food.
Please looking fr any suggestions or new ideas. tysvm
Hello, I want to use your HealthTrack feature, but I have three dogs. I feed by calorie intake instead of product’s recommended sizes. I normally use an excel sheet, but found your healthtrack and added one of my pups. I really like this feature and I can see this being a very useful tool for me. How much and how can I go about getting a paid account so I can track all three of my pups??