Puppy feeding charts / Working group
Puppy growth · Working group
Greater Swiss Mountain Dog puppy feeding chart
A Greater Swiss Mountain Dog grows to about 140 lb (the standard's range is 90–140 lb). Puppy calories track the puppy's current weight, not its adult weight: 21 lb of puppy under four months needs about 1139 kcal a day, and the daily total keeps rising until adult weight, when the factor drops and the dog needs 2519 kcal — fewer calories than it did at 56 lb as a growing puppy (1584 kcal).
- 1Under 4 months 21 lb · 1139 kcal
- 2Most calories 119 lb · 2788 kcal
- 3Adult 140 lb · 2519 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% | 21 lb (9.5 kg) | Puppy, under 4 months | × 3 | 1139 | 3 | 288 g |
| 25% | 35 lb (15.9 kg) | Puppy, under 4 months | × 3 | 1670 | 4½ | 432 g |
| 40% | 56 lb (25.4 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 1584 | 4¼ | 408 g |
| 55% | 77 lb (34.9 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 2011 | 5½ | 528 g |
| 70% | 98 lb (44.5 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 2410 | 6½ | 624 g |
| 85% | 119 lb (54.0 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 2788 | 7½ | 720 g |
| 100% | 140 lb (63.5 kg) | Adult, neutered | × 1.6 | 2519 | 6¾ | 648 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 Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
The 3× factor applies while the puppy is under four months, which for a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog usually means the rows up to roughly a quarter or a third of adult weight — around 21–35 lb. Between four months and maturity the factor is 2×, covering the 56–119 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 56 lb and 2× RER the puppy eats 1584 kcal, but the same dog at its full 140 lb as a neutered adult needs only 2519 kcal. Watch for the hand-off and reduce the ration rather than letting the adult food amount "catch up".
Growth to watch in a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
The standard puts an adult Greater Swiss Mountain Dog at 25½–28½ in at the withers (23½–27 in for females), so a puppy at the 77 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 110 lb rather than 140 lb, a female puppy's rows stop short: read the chart to about 94 lb before switching to the adult factor. At this adult size the 2× stage lasts longest and the kcal totals run past 2788, 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 Greater Swiss Mountain Dog ends up in a 54 in crate — see the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog 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 Akita (American) puppy at 52 lb (40% of its 130 lb adult weight) needs 1498 kcal; A Bullmastiff puppy at 52 lb (40% of its 130 lb adult weight) needs 1498 kcal; A Black Russian Terrier puppy at 52 lb (40% of its 130 lb adult weight) needs 1498 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.