Feeding by breed and weight / Herding group
How much to feed a German Shepherd Dog
A neutered adult German Shepherd Dog at 88 lb needs about 1779 kcal a day, which is 4¾ cups of a 369 kcal/cup food; at the 66 lb end of the breed's range it is 1433 kcal, or 4 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.
German Shepherd Dog feeding table by weight and life stage
Each row is a German Shepherd Dog 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 66 lb (29.9 kg) | 896 | 1433 kcal | 4 | 1613 kcal | 4¼ | 1254 kcal | 3½ |
| 72 lb (32.7 kg) | 956 | 1530 kcal | 4¼ | 1721 kcal | 4¾ | 1339 kcal | 3¾ |
| 77 lb (34.9 kg) | 1006 | 1609 kcal | 4¼ | 1810 kcal | 5 | 1408 kcal | 3¾ |
| 83 lb (37.6 kg) | 1064 | 1702 kcal | 4½ | 1915 kcal | 5¼ | 1489 kcal | 4 |
| 88 lb (39.9 kg) | 1112 | 1779 kcal | 4¾ | 2001 kcal | 5½ | 1556 kcal | 4¼ |
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 88 lb German Shepherd Dog the gap between the intact and neutered columns is 222 kcal a day, roughly 0.6 cups. A dog that is already carrying extra weight should start from the inactive column (1556 kcal at 88 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 88 lb and 1779 kcal, 4¾ cups is about 456 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 German Shepherd Dog puppy feeding chart.
How the German Shepherd Dog compares
Calories per pound fall as dogs get bigger, because RER scales with weight to the 0.75 power rather than linearly. A 88 lb German Shepherd Dog needs 20 kcal per pound; a 88 lb Weimaraner needs 1779 kcal (20 per lb), a 80 lb Labrador Retriever needs 1656 kcal (21 per lb), a 75 lb Golden Retriever needs 1578 kcal (21 per lb). The breed ranks 38 of 49 by weight on this site. Females of the breed top out around 71 lb, which is 1514 kcal a day neutered.
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.