Puppy feeding charts / Working group
Puppy growth · Working group
Standard Schnauzer puppy feeding chart
A Standard Schnauzer grows to about 45 lb (the standard's range is 30–45 lb). Puppy calories track the puppy's current weight, not its adult weight: 7 lb of puppy under four months needs about 500 kcal a day, and the daily total keeps rising until adult weight, when the factor drops and the dog needs 1076 kcal — fewer calories than it did at 18 lb as a growing puppy (676 kcal).
- 1Under 4 months 7 lb · 500 kcal
- 2Most calories 38 lb · 1184 kcal
- 3Adult 45 lb · 1076 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% | 7 lb (3.2 kg) | Puppy, under 4 months | × 3 | 500 | 1¼ | 120 g |
| 25% | 11 lb (5.0 kg) | Puppy, under 4 months | × 3 | 701 | 2 | 192 g |
| 40% | 18 lb (8.2 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 676 | 1¾ | 168 g |
| 55% | 25 lb (11.3 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 865 | 2¼ | 216 g |
| 70% | 31 lb (14.1 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 1017 | 2¾ | 264 g |
| 85% | 38 lb (17.2 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 1184 | 3¼ | 312 g |
| 100% | 45 lb (20.4 kg) | Adult, neutered | × 1.6 | 1076 | 3 | 288 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 Standard Schnauzer
The 3× factor applies while the puppy is under four months, which for a Standard Schnauzer usually means the rows up to roughly a quarter or a third of adult weight — around 7–11 lb. Between four months and maturity the factor is 2×, covering the 18–38 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 18 lb and 2× RER the puppy eats 676 kcal, but the same dog at its full 45 lb as a neutered adult needs only 1076 kcal. Watch for the hand-off and reduce the ration rather than letting the adult food amount "catch up".
Growth to watch in a Standard Schnauzer
The standard puts an adult Standard Schnauzer at 18½–19½ in at the withers (17½–18½ in for females), so a puppy at the 25 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 38 lb puppy row (1184 kcal) and the adult row (1076 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 Standard Schnauzer ends up in a 30 in or 36 in crate — see the Standard Schnauzer 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 Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier puppy at 16 lb (40% of its 40 lb adult weight) needs 619 kcal; A Kerry Blue Terrier puppy at 16 lb (40% of its 40 lb adult weight) needs 619 kcal; A Keeshond puppy at 18 lb (40% of its 44 lb adult weight) needs 676 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.