Puppy feeding charts / Working group
Puppy growth · Working group
Leonberger puppy feeding chart
A Leonberger grows to about 170 lb (the standard's range is 120–170 lb). Puppy calories track the puppy's current weight, not its adult weight: 26 lb of puppy under four months needs about 1336 kcal a day, and the daily total keeps rising until adult weight, when the factor drops and the dog needs 2914 kcal — fewer calories than it did at 68 lb as a growing puppy (1832 kcal).
- 1Under 4 months 26 lb · 1336 kcal
- 2Most calories 145 lb · 3233 kcal
- 3Adult 170 lb · 2914 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% | 26 lb (11.8 kg) | Puppy, under 4 months | × 3 | 1336 | 3½ | 336 g |
| 25% | 43 lb (19.5 kg) | Puppy, under 4 months | × 3 | 1949 | 5¼ | 504 g |
| 40% | 68 lb (30.8 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 1832 | 5 | 480 g |
| 55% | 94 lb (42.6 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 2336 | 6¼ | 600 g |
| 70% | 119 lb (54.0 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 2788 | 7½ | 720 g |
| 85% | 145 lb (65.8 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 3233 | 8¾ | 840 g |
| 100% | 170 lb (77.1 kg) | Adult, neutered | × 1.6 | 2914 | 8 | 768 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 Leonberger
The 3× factor applies while the puppy is under four months, which for a Leonberger usually means the rows up to roughly a quarter or a third of adult weight — around 26–43 lb. Between four months and maturity the factor is 2×, covering the 68–145 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 68 lb and 2× RER the puppy eats 1832 kcal, but the same dog at its full 170 lb as a neutered adult needs only 2914 kcal. Watch for the hand-off and reduce the ration rather than letting the adult food amount "catch up".
Growth to watch in a Leonberger
The standard puts an adult Leonberger at 28–31½ in at the withers (25½–29½ in for females), so a puppy at the 94 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 135 lb rather than 170 lb, a female puppy's rows stop short: read the chart to about 115 lb before switching to the adult factor. At this adult size the 2× stage lasts longest and the kcal totals run past 3233, 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 Leonberger ends up in a 54 in crate — see the Leonberger 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 Dane puppy at 72 lb (40% of its 180 lb adult weight) needs 1913 kcal; A Great Pyrenees puppy at 66 lb (40% of its 165 lb adult weight) needs 1792 kcal; A Neapolitan Mastiff puppy at 60 lb (40% of its 150 lb adult weight) needs 1668 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.