Puppy feeding charts / Hound group
Puppy growth · Hound group
Norwegian Elkhound puppy feeding chart
A Norwegian Elkhound grows to about 55 lb. Puppy calories track the puppy's current weight, not its adult weight: 8 lb of puppy under four months needs about 552 kcal a day, and the daily total keeps rising until adult weight, when the factor drops and the dog needs 1250 kcal — fewer calories than it did at 22 lb as a growing puppy (786 kcal).
- 1Under 4 months 8 lb · 552 kcal
- 2Most calories 47 lb · 1389 kcal
- 3Adult 55 lb · 1250 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% | 8 lb (3.6 kg) | Puppy, under 4 months | × 3 | 552 | 1½ | 144 g |
| 25% | 14 lb (6.4 kg) | Puppy, under 4 months | × 3 | 840 | 2¼ | 216 g |
| 40% | 22 lb (10.0 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 786 | 2¼ | 216 g |
| 55% | 30 lb (13.6 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 992 | 2¾ | 264 g |
| 70% | 39 lb (17.7 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 1208 | 3¼ | 312 g |
| 85% | 47 lb (21.3 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 1389 | 3¾ | 360 g |
| 100% | 55 lb (24.9 kg) | Adult, neutered | × 1.6 | 1250 | 3½ | 336 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 Norwegian Elkhound
The 3× factor applies while the puppy is under four months, which for a Norwegian Elkhound usually means the rows up to roughly a quarter or a third of adult weight — around 8–14 lb. Between four months and maturity the factor is 2×, covering the 22–47 lb rows. Medium breeds like this one typically reach adult weight around a year, when the factor drops to the adult 1.6× and the daily amount falls even though the dog is at its biggest.
The peak of the chart is the surprise for most owners: at 22 lb and 2× RER the puppy eats 786 kcal, but the same dog at its full 55 lb as a neutered adult needs only 1250 kcal. Watch for the hand-off and reduce the ration rather than letting the adult food amount "catch up".
Growth to watch in a Norwegian Elkhound
The standard puts an adult Norwegian Elkhound at 20½ in at the withers (19½ in for females), so a puppy at the 30 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 48 lb rather than 55 lb, a female puppy's rows stop short: read the chart to about 41 lb before switching to the adult factor. The gap between the 47 lb puppy row (1389 kcal) and the adult row (1250 kcal) is the amount to cut at the switch.
Crate divider positions
The same growth rows are a guide for the divider in the adult-size crate. A Norwegian Elkhound ends up in a 36 in crate — see the Norwegian Elkhound 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 Samoyed puppy at 26 lb (40% of its 66 lb adult weight) needs 891 kcal; A Vizsla puppy at 26 lb (40% of its 66 lb adult weight) needs 891 kcal; A Poodle (Standard) puppy at 28 lb (40% of its 71 lb adult weight) needs 942 kcal.
Adult weight from AKC breed standard (PDF), checked 2026-10-21. Maintenance figures for a healthy puppy; your vet's growth-curve advice comes first.