Feeding by breed and weight / Sporting group
How much to feed a German Shorthaired Pointer
A neutered adult German Shorthaired Pointer at 70 lb needs about 1498 kcal a day, which is 4 cups of a 369 kcal/cup food; at the 55 lb end of the breed's range it is 1250 kcal, or 3½ 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 Shorthaired Pointer feeding table by weight and life stage
Each row is a German Shorthaired Pointer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 lb (24.9 kg) | 781 | 1250 kcal | 3½ | 1407 kcal | 3¾ | 1094 kcal | 3 |
| 59 lb (26.8 kg) | 824 | 1318 kcal | 3½ | 1483 kcal | 4 | 1153 kcal | 3 |
| 63 lb (28.6 kg) | 865 | 1384 kcal | 3¾ | 1557 kcal | 4¼ | 1211 kcal | 3¼ |
| 66 lb (29.9 kg) | 896 | 1433 kcal | 4 | 1613 kcal | 4¼ | 1254 kcal | 3½ |
| 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 German Shorthaired Pointer 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 German Shorthaired Pointer puppy feeding chart.
How the German Shorthaired Pointer 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 German Shorthaired Pointer needs 21 kcal per pound; a 75 lb Basset Hound needs 1578 kcal (21 per lb), a 65 lb Belgian Malinois needs 1417 kcal (22 per lb), a 71 lb Poodle (Standard) needs 1514 kcal (21 per lb). The breed ranks 33 of 49 by weight on this site. Females of the breed top out around 60 lb, which is 1335 kcal a day neutered.
Adult weight from AKC breed standard (PDF), checked 2026-10-20. Figures are maintenance starting points for a healthy adult; they are not veterinary advice.