Puppy feeding charts / Non-Sporting group
Puppy growth · Non-Sporting group
Chow Chow puppy feeding chart
A Chow Chow grows to about 90 lb (the standard's range is 40–90 lb). Puppy calories track the puppy's current weight, not its adult weight: 14 lb of puppy under four months needs about 840 kcal a day, and the daily total keeps rising until adult weight, when the factor drops and the dog needs 1809 kcal — fewer calories than it did at 36 lb as a growing puppy (1137 kcal).
- 1Under 4 months 14 lb · 840 kcal
- 2Most calories 77 lb · 2011 kcal
- 3Adult 90 lb · 1809 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% | 14 lb (6.4 kg) | Puppy, under 4 months | × 3 | 840 | 2¼ | 216 g |
| 25% | 23 lb (10.4 kg) | Puppy, under 4 months | × 3 | 1219 | 3¼ | 312 g |
| 40% | 36 lb (16.3 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 1137 | 3 | 288 g |
| 55% | 50 lb (22.7 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 1455 | 4 | 384 g |
| 70% | 63 lb (28.6 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 1730 | 4¾ | 456 g |
| 85% | 77 lb (34.9 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 2011 | 5½ | 528 g |
| 100% | 90 lb (40.8 kg) | Adult, neutered | × 1.6 | 1809 | 5 | 480 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 Chow Chow
The 3× factor applies while the puppy is under four months, which for a Chow Chow usually means the rows up to roughly a quarter or a third of adult weight — around 14–23 lb. Between four months and maturity the factor is 2×, covering the 36–77 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 36 lb and 2× RER the puppy eats 1137 kcal, but the same dog at its full 90 lb as a neutered adult needs only 1809 kcal. Watch for the hand-off and reduce the ration rather than letting the adult food amount "catch up".
Growth to watch in a Chow Chow
The standard puts an adult Chow Chow at 17–20 in at the withers, so a puppy at the 50 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 85 lb rather than 90 lb, a female puppy's rows stop short: read the chart to about 72 lb before switching to the adult factor. At this adult size the 2× stage lasts longest and the kcal totals run past 2011, so buy puppy food by the large bag and weigh it in grams.
Crate divider positions
The same growth rows are a guide for the divider in the adult-size crate. A Chow Chow ends up in a 30 in or 36 in or 42 in or 48 in crate — see the Chow Chow 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 Basset Hound puppy at 30 lb (40% of its 75 lb adult weight) needs 992 kcal; A Pointer puppy at 30 lb (40% of its 75 lb adult weight) needs 992 kcal; A American Staffordshire Terrier puppy at 32 lb (40% of its 80 lb adult weight) needs 1041 kcal.
Adult weight from Wikipedia breed infobox/body, checked 2026-10-21. The AKC standard states the height but not the weight, so the weight here is from Wikipedia breed infobox/body. Maintenance figures for a healthy puppy; your vet's growth-curve advice comes first.