Puppy feeding charts / Terrier group
Puppy growth · Terrier group
Scottish Terrier puppy feeding chart
A Scottish Terrier grows to about 22 lb (the standard's range is 19–22 lb). Puppy calories track the puppy's current weight, not its adult weight: 3 lb of puppy under four months needs about 265 kcal a day, and the daily total keeps rising until adult weight, when the factor drops and the dog needs 629 kcal — fewer calories than it did at 9 lb as a growing puppy (402 kcal).
- 1Under 4 months 3 lb · 265 kcal
- 2Most calories 19 lb · 704 kcal
- 3Adult 22 lb · 629 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% | 3 lb (1.4 kg) | Puppy, under 4 months | × 3 | 265 | ¾ | 72 g |
| 25% | 6 lb (2.7 kg) | Puppy, under 4 months | × 3 | 445 | 1¼ | 120 g |
| 40% | 9 lb (4.1 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 402 | 1 | 96 g |
| 55% | 12 lb (5.4 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 499 | 1¼ | 120 g |
| 70% | 15 lb (6.8 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 590 | 1½ | 144 g |
| 85% | 19 lb (8.6 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 704 | 2 | 192 g |
| 100% | 22 lb (10.0 kg) | Adult, neutered | × 1.6 | 629 | 1¾ | 168 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 Scottish Terrier
The 3× factor applies while the puppy is under four months, which for a Scottish Terrier usually means the rows up to roughly a quarter or a third of adult weight — around 3–6 lb. Between four months and maturity the factor is 2×, covering the 9–19 lb rows. Small breeds reach adult weight early — often by eight to ten months — so the drop to the adult factor comes sooner than owners expect, and continuing the puppy amount is the usual route to a chubby small dog.
The peak of the chart is the surprise for most owners: at 9 lb and 2× RER the puppy eats 402 kcal, but the same dog at its full 22 lb as a neutered adult needs only 629 kcal. Watch for the hand-off and reduce the ration rather than letting the adult food amount "catch up".
Growth to watch in a Scottish Terrier
The standard puts an adult Scottish Terrier at 10 in at the withers, so a puppy at the 12 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 21 lb rather than 22 lb, a female puppy's rows stop short: read the chart to about 18 lb before switching to the adult factor. The gap between the 19 lb puppy row (704 kcal) and the adult row (629 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 Scottish Terrier ends up in a 24 in crate — see the Scottish Terrier 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 Shetland Sheepdog puppy at 8 lb (40% of its 20 lb adult weight) needs 368 kcal; A Shiba Inu puppy at 9 lb (40% of its 22 lb adult weight) needs 402 kcal; A Welsh Terrier puppy at 8 lb (40% of its 20 lb adult weight) needs 368 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.