Puppy feeding charts / Herding group
Australian Shepherd puppy feeding chart
A Australian Shepherd grows to about 70 lb (the standard's range is 35–70 lb). Puppy calories track the puppy's current weight, not its adult weight: 11 lb of puppy under four months needs about 701 kcal a day, and the daily total keeps rising until adult weight, when the factor drops and the dog needs 1498 kcal — fewer calories than it did at 28 lb as a growing puppy (942 kcal).
Chart: calories and cups as the puppy grows
Weigh the puppy, find the nearest row, feed that amount split into three or four meals under four months and two or three after. Re-weigh every two weeks. Cups use 369 kcal/cup (Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials Shredded Blend Chicken & Rice (adult dry)); puppy foods are often denser, so use the kcal/cup on your bag — the sizer accepts it.
| Share of adult weight | Puppy weighs | Stage | Factor | kcal/day | Cups at 369 | Grams |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15% | 11 lb (5.0 kg) | Puppy, under 4 months | × 3 | 701 | 2 | 192 g |
| 25% | 18 lb (8.2 kg) | Puppy, under 4 months | × 3 | 1014 | 2¾ | 264 g |
| 40% | 28 lb (12.7 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 942 | 2½ | 240 g |
| 55% | 39 lb (17.7 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 1208 | 3¼ | 312 g |
| 70% | 49 lb (22.2 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 1433 | 4 | 384 g |
| 85% | 60 lb (27.2 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 1668 | 4½ | 432 g |
| 100% | 70 lb (31.8 kg) | Adult, neutered | × 1.6 | 1498 | 4 | 384 g |
RER = 70 × kg0.75; puppy and adult factors from the Merck Veterinary Manual. The age split (four months) is Merck's; the weight shares are evenly spaced points for reading the curve, not growth milestones for this breed. Calorie density: Purina. Checked 2026-10-20.
Where the stages fall for a Australian Shepherd
The 3× factor applies while the puppy is under four months, which for a Australian Shepherd usually means the rows up to roughly a quarter or a third of adult weight — around 11–18 lb. Between four months and maturity the factor is 2×, covering the 28–60 lb rows. Large and giant breeds like this one keep growing well past a year, and large-breed puppy foods are formulated to slow that growth slightly for joint health; the calorie math is the same, the food choice is the vet conversation.
The peak of the chart is the surprise for most owners: at 28 lb and 2× RER the puppy eats 942 kcal, but the same dog at its full 70 lb as a neutered adult needs only 1498 kcal. Watch for the hand-off and reduce the ration rather than letting the adult food amount "catch up".
Growth to watch in a Australian Shepherd
The standard puts an adult Australian Shepherd at 20–23 in at the withers (18–21 in for females), so a puppy at the 39 lb row — a little over half its adult weight — is typically most of the way to full height and still filling out. The standard gives one weight range for both sexes, so a smaller individual simply stops lower on the chart; switch to the adult factor when growth plateaus on the fortnightly weigh-ins, not at a date. The gap between the 60 lb puppy row (1668 kcal) and the adult row (1498 kcal) is the amount to cut at the switch.
Crate divider positions
The same growth rows are a guide for the divider in the adult-size crate. A Australian Shepherd ends up in a 30 in or 36 in or 42 in crate — see the Australian Shepherd crate size page — and the divider should give the puppy only enough room to stand, turn around and lie flat at each stage, moving back roughly every re-weigh.
Compare with similar breeds
A Siberian Husky puppy at 24 lb (40% of its 60 lb adult weight) needs 839 kcal; A English Springer Spaniel puppy at 24 lb (40% of its 60 lb adult weight) needs 839 kcal; A Vizsla puppy at 26 lb (40% of its 66 lb adult weight) needs 891 kcal.
Adult weight from Wikipedia breed infobox/body, checked 2026-10-20. Maintenance figures for a healthy puppy; your vet's growth-curve advice comes first.