Puppy feeding charts / Herding group
Border Collie puppy feeding chart
A Border Collie grows to about 55 lb (the standard's range is 31–55 lb). Puppy calories track the puppy's current weight, not its adult weight: 8 lb of puppy under four months needs about 552 kcal a day, and the daily total keeps rising until adult weight, when the factor drops and the dog needs 1250 kcal — fewer calories than it did at 22 lb as a growing puppy (786 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% | 8 lb (3.6 kg) | Puppy, under 4 months | × 3 | 552 | 1½ | 144 g |
| 25% | 14 lb (6.4 kg) | Puppy, under 4 months | × 3 | 840 | 2¼ | 216 g |
| 40% | 22 lb (10.0 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 786 | 2¼ | 216 g |
| 55% | 30 lb (13.6 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 992 | 2¾ | 264 g |
| 70% | 39 lb (17.7 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 1208 | 3¼ | 312 g |
| 85% | 47 lb (21.3 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 1389 | 3¾ | 360 g |
| 100% | 55 lb (24.9 kg) | Adult, neutered | × 1.6 | 1250 | 3½ | 336 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 Border Collie
The 3× factor applies while the puppy is under four months, which for a Border Collie usually means the rows up to roughly a quarter or a third of adult weight — around 8–14 lb. Between four months and maturity the factor is 2×, covering the 22–47 lb rows. Medium breeds like this one typically reach adult weight around a year, when the factor drops to the adult 1.6× and the daily amount falls even though the dog is at its biggest.
The peak of the chart is the surprise for most owners: at 22 lb and 2× RER the puppy eats 786 kcal, but the same dog at its full 55 lb as a neutered adult needs only 1250 kcal. Watch for the hand-off and reduce the ration rather than letting the adult food amount "catch up".
Growth to watch in a Border Collie
The standard puts an adult Border Collie at 19–22 in at the withers (18–21 in for females), so a puppy at the 30 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 42 lb rather than 55 lb, a female puppy's rows stop short: read the chart to about 36 lb before switching to the adult factor. The gap between the 47 lb puppy row (1389 kcal) and the adult row (1250 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 Border Collie ends up in a 30 in or 36 in crate — see the Border Collie 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 Bulldog puppy at 20 lb (40% of its 50 lb adult weight) needs 732 kcal; A English Springer Spaniel puppy at 24 lb (40% of its 60 lb adult weight) needs 839 kcal; A Brittany puppy at 16 lb (40% of its 40 lb adult weight) needs 619 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.