Puppy feeding charts / Working group
Great Dane puppy feeding chart
A Great Dane grows to about 180 lb (the standard's range is 110–180 lb). Puppy calories track the puppy's current weight, not its adult weight: 27 lb of puppy under four months needs about 1375 kcal a day, and the daily total keeps rising until adult weight, when the factor drops and the dog needs 3042 kcal — fewer calories than it did at 72 lb as a growing puppy (1913 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% | 27 lb (12.2 kg) | Puppy, under 4 months | × 3 | 1375 | 3¾ | 360 g |
| 25% | 45 lb (20.4 kg) | Puppy, under 4 months | × 3 | 2017 | 5½ | 528 g |
| 40% | 72 lb (32.7 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 1913 | 5¼ | 504 g |
| 55% | 99 lb (44.9 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 2429 | 6½ | 624 g |
| 70% | 126 lb (57.2 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 2910 | 8 | 768 g |
| 85% | 153 lb (69.4 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 3366 | 9 | 864 g |
| 100% | 180 lb (81.6 kg) | Adult, neutered | × 1.6 | 3042 | 8¼ | 792 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 Great Dane
The 3× factor applies while the puppy is under four months, which for a Great Dane usually means the rows up to roughly a quarter or a third of adult weight — around 27–45 lb. Between four months and maturity the factor is 2×, covering the 72–153 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 72 lb and 2× RER the puppy eats 1913 kcal, but the same dog at its full 180 lb as a neutered adult needs only 3042 kcal. Watch for the hand-off and reduce the ration rather than letting the adult food amount "catch up".
Growth to watch in a Great Dane
The standard puts an adult Great Dane at 28–32 in at the withers, so a puppy at the 99 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. At this adult size the 2× stage lasts longest and the kcal totals run past 3366, 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 Great Dane ends up in a 54 in crate — see the Great Dane 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 Great Pyrenees puppy at 66 lb (40% of its 165 lb adult weight) needs 1792 kcal; A Newfoundland puppy at 70 lb (40% of its 176 lb adult weight) needs 1873 kcal; A Saint Bernard puppy at 80 lb (40% of its 200 lb adult weight) needs 2070 kcal.
Adult weight from VCA Animal Hospitals breed page, checked 2026-10-20. Maintenance figures for a healthy puppy; your vet's growth-curve advice comes first.