Feeding by breed and weight / Herding group
How much to feed a Australian Shepherd
A neutered adult Australian Shepherd at 70 lb needs about 1498 kcal a day, which is 4 cups of a 369 kcal/cup food; at the 35 lb end of the breed's range it is 891 kcal, or 2½ cups. That is the maintenance figure before treats, from the resting energy requirement formula and the Merck Veterinary Manual's factor of 1.6 for a neutered adult.
Australian Shepherd feeding table by weight and life stage
Each row is a Australian Shepherd at that weight. Columns are the Merck factors: a neutered adult (×1.6), an intact adult (×1.8) and a dog that is inactive or gains weight easily (×1.4). Cups assume 369 kcal per cup, the label figure for Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials Shredded Blend Chicken & Rice (adult dry); change it to your bag's number on the sizer.
| Weight | RER | Neutered adult | Cups | Intact adult | Cups | Inactive / weight-prone | Cups |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 lb (15.9 kg) | 557 | 891 kcal | 2½ | 1002 kcal | 2¾ | 779 kcal | 2 |
| 44 lb (20.0 kg) | 661 | 1058 kcal | 2¾ | 1190 kcal | 3¼ | 925 kcal | 2½ |
| 53 lb (24.0 kg) | 760 | 1216 kcal | 3¼ | 1368 kcal | 3¾ | 1064 kcal | 3 |
| 61 lb (27.7 kg) | 844 | 1351 kcal | 3¾ | 1520 kcal | 4 | 1182 kcal | 3¼ |
| 70 lb (31.8 kg) | 936 | 1498 kcal | 4 | 1685 kcal | 4½ | 1311 kcal | 3½ |
RER = 70 × kg0.75; factors from the Merck Veterinary Manual. Calorie density from the Purina product page (3790 kcal/kg, 369 kcal per 8 oz cup, about 96 g). Checked 2026-10-20.
Why the number is lower than the bag says
Bag feeding guides are written for an active, intact adult and often run above the neutered-maintenance figure; for a 70 lb Australian Shepherd the gap between the intact and neutered columns is 187 kcal a day, roughly 0.5 cups. A dog that is already carrying extra weight should start from the inactive column (1311 kcal at 70 lb) and be weighed every two weeks. Treats and chews count: a single dental chew can be 70–100 kcal, which adds up faster than it looks across a week.
Formulas get a healthy adult into the right range; body condition keeps it there. Ribs should be easy to feel under a thin layer of fat, and the dog should have a visible waist from above. If that is not the case after four weeks, adjust by about 10% and re-check — and ask your vet before changing a dog with a medical condition, a pregnant or nursing female, or a working dog in season.
Grams and meals
At 70 lb and 1498 kcal, 4 cups is about 384 g a day of a 96 g/cup kibble — a kitchen scale is more repeatable than a scoop. Split into two meals for an adult; for a deep-chested breed of this size, two or three smaller meals rather than one large one is the usual advice to reduce bloat risk, and your vet can say whether it applies to your dog. Puppies eat more per pound and more often: see the Australian Shepherd puppy feeding chart.
How the Australian Shepherd compares
Calories per pound fall as dogs get bigger, because RER scales with weight to the 0.75 power rather than linearly. A 70 lb Australian Shepherd needs 21 kcal per pound; a 60 lb Siberian Husky needs 1335 kcal (22 per lb), a 60 lb English Springer Spaniel needs 1335 kcal (22 per lb), a 66 lb Vizsla needs 1433 kcal (22 per lb). The breed ranks 28 of 49 by weight on this site.
Adult weight from Wikipedia breed infobox/body, checked 2026-10-20. Figures are maintenance starting points for a healthy adult; they are not veterinary advice.