Puppy feeding charts / Hound group
Puppy growth · Hound group
Basenji puppy feeding chart
A Basenji grows to about 24 lb. Puppy calories track the puppy's current weight, not its adult weight: 4 lb of puppy under four months needs about 328 kcal a day, and the daily total keeps rising until adult weight, when the factor drops and the dog needs 671 kcal — fewer calories than it did at 10 lb as a growing puppy (435 kcal).
- 1Under 4 months 4 lb · 328 kcal
- 2Most calories 20 lb · 732 kcal
- 3Adult 24 lb · 671 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% | 4 lb (1.8 kg) | Puppy, under 4 months | × 3 | 328 | 1 | 96 g |
| 25% | 6 lb (2.7 kg) | Puppy, under 4 months | × 3 | 445 | 1¼ | 120 g |
| 40% | 10 lb (4.5 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 435 | 1¼ | 120 g |
| 55% | 13 lb (5.9 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 530 | 1½ | 144 g |
| 70% | 17 lb (7.7 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 648 | 1¾ | 168 g |
| 85% | 20 lb (9.1 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 732 | 2 | 192 g |
| 100% | 24 lb (10.9 kg) | Adult, neutered | × 1.6 | 671 | 1¾ | 168 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 Basenji
The 3× factor applies while the puppy is under four months, which for a Basenji usually means the rows up to roughly a quarter or a third of adult weight — around 4–6 lb. Between four months and maturity the factor is 2×, covering the 10–20 lb rows. Small breeds reach adult weight early — often by eight to ten months — so the drop to the adult factor comes sooner than owners expect, and continuing the puppy amount is the usual route to a chubby small dog.
The peak of the chart is the surprise for most owners: at 10 lb and 2× RER the puppy eats 435 kcal, but the same dog at its full 24 lb as a neutered adult needs only 671 kcal. Watch for the hand-off and reduce the ration rather than letting the adult food amount "catch up".
Growth to watch in a Basenji
The standard puts an adult Basenji at 17 in at the withers (16 in for females), so a puppy at the 13 lb row — a little over half its adult weight — is typically most of the way to full height and still filling out. Because females of the breed finish around 22 lb rather than 24 lb, a female puppy's rows stop short: read the chart to about 19 lb before switching to the adult factor. The gap between the 20 lb puppy row (732 kcal) and the adult row (671 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 Basenji ends up in a 24 in crate — see the Basenji 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 Dachshund (Standard) puppy at 13 lb (40% of its 32 lb adult weight) needs 530 kcal; A Tibetan Terrier puppy at 12 lb (40% of its 30 lb adult weight) needs 499 kcal; A Beagle puppy at 10 lb (40% of its 25 lb adult weight) needs 435 kcal.
Adult weight from AKC breed standard (PDF), checked 2026-10-21. Maintenance figures for a healthy puppy; your vet's growth-curve advice comes first.