Puppy feeding charts / Non-Sporting group
Bulldog puppy feeding chart
A Bulldog grows to about 50 lb (the standard's range is 40–50 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 1164 kcal — fewer calories than it did at 20 lb as a growing puppy (732 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% | 13 lb (5.9 kg) | Puppy, under 4 months | × 3 | 795 | 2¼ | 216 g |
| 40% | 20 lb (9.1 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 732 | 2 | 192 g |
| 55% | 28 lb (12.7 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 942 | 2½ | 240 g |
| 70% | 35 lb (15.9 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 1113 | 3 | 288 g |
| 85% | 43 lb (19.5 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 1299 | 3½ | 336 g |
| 100% | 50 lb (22.7 kg) | Adult, neutered | × 1.6 | 1164 | 3¼ | 312 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 Bulldog
The 3× factor applies while the puppy is under four months, which for a Bulldog usually means the rows up to roughly a quarter or a third of adult weight — around 8–13 lb. Between four months and maturity the factor is 2×, covering the 20–43 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 20 lb and 2× RER the puppy eats 732 kcal, but the same dog at its full 50 lb as a neutered adult needs only 1164 kcal. Watch for the hand-off and reduce the ration rather than letting the adult food amount "catch up".
Growth to watch in a Bulldog
The standard puts an adult Bulldog at 12–15 in at the withers, so a puppy at the 28 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 43 lb puppy row (1299 kcal) and the adult row (1164 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 Bulldog ends up in a 30 in or 36 in crate — see the Bulldog 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 Border Collie puppy at 22 lb (40% of its 55 lb adult weight) needs 786 kcal; A English Springer Spaniel puppy at 24 lb (40% of its 60 lb adult weight) needs 839 kcal; A Australian Shepherd puppy at 28 lb (40% of its 70 lb adult weight) needs 942 kcal.
Adult weight from AKC breed standard (PDF), checked 2026-10-20. Maintenance figures for a healthy puppy; your vet's growth-curve advice comes first.