Puppy feeding charts / Terrier group
Puppy growth · Terrier group
Cairn Terrier puppy feeding chart
A Cairn Terrier grows to about 14 lb. Puppy calories track the puppy's current weight, not its adult weight: 2 lb of puppy under four months needs about 195 kcal a day, and the daily total keeps rising until adult weight, when the factor drops and the dog needs 448 kcal — fewer calories than it did at 6 lb as a growing puppy (297 kcal).
- 1Under 4 months 2 lb · 195 kcal
- 2Most calories 12 lb · 499 kcal
- 3Adult 14 lb · 448 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% | 2 lb (0.9 kg) | Puppy, under 4 months | × 3 | 195 | ½ | 48 g |
| 25% | 4 lb (1.8 kg) | Puppy, under 4 months | × 3 | 328 | 1 | 96 g |
| 40% | 6 lb (2.7 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 297 | ¾ | 72 g |
| 55% | 8 lb (3.6 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 368 | 1 | 96 g |
| 70% | 10 lb (4.5 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 435 | 1¼ | 120 g |
| 85% | 12 lb (5.4 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 499 | 1¼ | 120 g |
| 100% | 14 lb (6.4 kg) | Adult, neutered | × 1.6 | 448 | 1¼ | 120 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 Cairn Terrier
The 3× factor applies while the puppy is under four months, which for a Cairn Terrier usually means the rows up to roughly a quarter or a third of adult weight — around 2–4 lb. Between four months and maturity the factor is 2×, covering the 6–12 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 6 lb and 2× RER the puppy eats 297 kcal, but the same dog at its full 14 lb as a neutered adult needs only 448 kcal. Watch for the hand-off and reduce the ration rather than letting the adult food amount "catch up".
Growth to watch in a Cairn Terrier
The standard puts an adult Cairn Terrier at 10 in at the withers (9½ in for females), so a puppy at the 8 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 13 lb rather than 14 lb, a female puppy's rows stop short: read the chart to about 11 lb before switching to the adult factor. The gap between the 12 lb puppy row (499 kcal) and the adult row (448 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 Cairn Terrier ends up in a 24 in crate — see the Cairn Terrier 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 Toy Fox Terrier puppy at 8 lb (40% of its 20 lb adult weight) needs 368 kcal; A Lhasa Apso puppy at 6 lb (40% of its 15 lb adult weight) needs 297 kcal; A Pekingese puppy at 6 lb (40% of its 14 lb adult weight) needs 297 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.