Puppy feeding charts / Herding group
Shetland Sheepdog puppy feeding chart
A Shetland Sheepdog grows to about 20 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 585 kcal — fewer calories than it did at 8 lb as a growing puppy (368 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% | 5 lb (2.3 kg) | Puppy, under 4 months | × 3 | 388 | 1 | 96 g |
| 40% | 8 lb (3.6 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 368 | 1 | 96 g |
| 55% | 11 lb (5.0 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 467 | 1¼ | 120 g |
| 70% | 14 lb (6.4 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 560 | 1½ | 144 g |
| 85% | 17 lb (7.7 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 648 | 1¾ | 168 g |
| 100% | 20 lb (9.1 kg) | Adult, neutered | × 1.6 | 585 | 1½ | 144 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 Shetland Sheepdog
The 3× factor applies while the puppy is under four months, which for a Shetland Sheepdog usually means the rows up to roughly a quarter or a third of adult weight — around 3–5 lb. Between four months and maturity the factor is 2×, covering the 8–17 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 8 lb and 2× RER the puppy eats 368 kcal, but the same dog at its full 20 lb as a neutered adult needs only 585 kcal. Watch for the hand-off and reduce the ration rather than letting the adult food amount "catch up".
Growth to watch in a Shetland Sheepdog
The standard puts an adult Shetland Sheepdog at 13–16 in at the withers, so a puppy at the 11 lb row — a little over half its adult weight — is typically most of the way to full height and still filling out. The standard gives one weight range for both sexes, so a smaller individual simply stops lower on the chart; switch to the adult factor when growth plateaus on the fortnightly weigh-ins, not at a date. The gap between the 17 lb puppy row (648 kcal) and the adult row (585 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 Shetland Sheepdog ends up in a 24 in crate — see the Shetland Sheepdog 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 Shiba Inu puppy at 9 lb (40% of its 22 lb adult weight) needs 402 kcal; A West Highland White Terrier puppy at 8 lb (40% of its 20 lb adult weight) needs 368 kcal; A Beagle puppy at 10 lb (40% of its 25 lb adult weight) needs 435 kcal.
Adult weight from VCA Animal Hospitals breed page, checked 2026-10-20. Maintenance figures for a healthy puppy; your vet's growth-curve advice comes first.