Puppy feeding charts / Working group
Newfoundland puppy feeding chart
A Newfoundland grows to about 176 lb (the standard's range is 143–176 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 2991 kcal — fewer calories than it did at 70 lb as a growing puppy (1873 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% | 44 lb (20.0 kg) | Puppy, under 4 months | × 3 | 1983 | 5¼ | 504 g |
| 40% | 70 lb (31.8 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 1873 | 5 | 480 g |
| 55% | 97 lb (44.0 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 2392 | 6½ | 624 g |
| 70% | 123 lb (55.8 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 2858 | 7¾ | 744 g |
| 85% | 150 lb (68.0 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 3317 | 9 | 864 g |
| 100% | 176 lb (79.8 kg) | Adult, neutered | × 1.6 | 2991 | 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 Newfoundland
The 3× factor applies while the puppy is under four months, which for a Newfoundland usually means the rows up to roughly a quarter or a third of adult weight — around 26–44 lb. Between four months and maturity the factor is 2×, covering the 70–150 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 70 lb and 2× RER the puppy eats 1873 kcal, but the same dog at its full 176 lb as a neutered adult needs only 2991 kcal. Watch for the hand-off and reduce the ration rather than letting the adult food amount "catch up".
Growth to watch in a Newfoundland
The standard puts an adult Newfoundland at 28 in at the withers (26 in for females), so a puppy at the 97 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 143 lb rather than 176 lb, a female puppy's rows stop short: read the chart to about 122 lb before switching to the adult factor. At this adult size the 2× stage lasts longest and the kcal totals run past 3317, 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 Newfoundland ends up in a 54 in crate — see the Newfoundland 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 Saint Bernard puppy at 80 lb (40% of its 200 lb adult weight) needs 2070 kcal; 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.
Adult weight from Wikipedia breed infobox/body, checked 2026-10-20. Maintenance figures for a healthy puppy; your vet's growth-curve advice comes first.