Feeding by breed and weight / Working group
Feeding · Working group
How much to feed a Portuguese Water Dog
A neutered adult Portuguese Water Dog at 60 lb needs about 1335 kcal a day, which is 3½ cups of a 369 kcal/cup food; at the 42 lb end of the breed's range it is 1021 kcal, or 2¾ 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 42–60 lb
- 2At 60 lb 1335 kcal a day
- 3Cups 3½ cups at 369 kcal/cup
Portuguese Water Dog feeding table by weight and life stage
Each row is a Portuguese Water 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42 lb (19.1 kg) | 638 | 1021 kcal | 2¾ | 1149 kcal | 3 | 894 kcal | 2½ |
| 47 lb (21.3 kg) | 694 | 1111 kcal | 3 | 1250 kcal | 3½ | 972 kcal | 2¾ |
| 51 lb (23.1 kg) | 738 | 1181 kcal | 3¼ | 1329 kcal | 3½ | 1034 kcal | 2¾ |
| 56 lb (25.4 kg) | 792 | 1267 kcal | 3½ | 1426 kcal | 3¾ | 1109 kcal | 3 |
| 60 lb (27.2 kg) | 834 | 1335 kcal | 3½ | 1501 kcal | 4 | 1168 kcal | 3¼ |
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 60 lb Portuguese Water Dog the gap between the intact and neutered columns is 166 kcal a day, roughly 0.4 cups. A dog that is already carrying extra weight should start from the inactive column (1168 kcal at 60 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 60 lb and 1335 kcal, 3½ cups is about 336 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. Puppies eat more per pound and more often: see the Portuguese Water Dog puppy feeding chart.
How the Portuguese Water Dog compares
Calories per pound fall as dogs get bigger, because RER scales with weight to the 0.75 power rather than linearly. A 60 lb Portuguese Water Dog needs 22 kcal per pound; a 60 lb English Springer Spaniel needs 1335 kcal (22 per lb), a 60 lb Dalmatian needs 1335 kcal (22 per lb), a 60 lb Bearded Collie needs 1335 kcal (22 per lb). The breed ranks 77 of 132 by weight on this site. Females of the breed top out around 50 lb, which is 1164 kcal a day neutered.
Adult weight from AKC breed standard (PDF), checked 2026-10-21. Figures are maintenance starting points for a healthy adult; they are not veterinary advice.