Feeding by breed and weight / Working group
Feeding · Working group
How much to feed a Leonberger
A neutered adult Leonberger at 170 lb needs about 2914 kcal a day, which is 8 cups of a 369 kcal/cup food; at the 120 lb end of the breed's range it is 2244 kcal, or 6 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.
- 1Adult weight 120–170 lb
- 2At 170 lb 2914 kcal a day
- 3Cups 8 cups at 369 kcal/cup
Leonberger feeding table by weight and life stage
Each row is a Leonberger 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 lb (54.4 kg) | 1403 | 2244 kcal | 6 | 2525 kcal | 6¾ | 1964 kcal | 5¼ |
| 133 lb (60.3 kg) | 1515 | 2424 kcal | 6½ | 2727 kcal | 7½ | 2121 kcal | 5¾ |
| 145 lb (65.8 kg) | 1617 | 2587 kcal | 7 | 2910 kcal | 8 | 2263 kcal | 6¼ |
| 158 lb (71.7 kg) | 1724 | 2759 kcal | 7½ | 3104 kcal | 8½ | 2414 kcal | 6½ |
| 170 lb (77.1 kg) | 1822 | 2914 kcal | 8 | 3279 kcal | 9 | 2550 kcal | 7 |
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 170 lb Leonberger the gap between the intact and neutered columns is 365 kcal a day, roughly 1 cups. A dog that is already carrying extra weight should start from the inactive column (2550 kcal at 170 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 170 lb and 2914 kcal, 8 cups is about 768 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 Leonberger puppy feeding chart.
How the Leonberger compares
Calories per pound fall as dogs get bigger, because RER scales with weight to the 0.75 power rather than linearly. A 170 lb Leonberger needs 17 kcal per pound; a 180 lb Great Dane needs 3042 kcal (17 per lb), a 165 lb Great Pyrenees needs 2850 kcal (17 per lb), a 150 lb Neapolitan Mastiff needs 2653 kcal (18 per lb). The breed ranks 128 of 132 by weight on this site. Females of the breed top out around 135 lb, which is 2452 kcal a day neutered.
Adult weight from Wikipedia breed infobox/body, checked 2026-10-21. The AKC standard states the height but not the weight, so the weight here is from Wikipedia breed infobox/body. Figures are maintenance starting points for a healthy adult; they are not veterinary advice.