How much do you feed your heavyweight doodle?

[Anne]

Im struggling with finding the "just right" amount of food to feed my 7 mos old doodle.  He's a big guy (75 lbs) and would eat whatever I gave him.  The recommended range on the package (Blue buffalo puppy) is 3 1/2 to 5  cups a day.  Its such a big range and also seems like so much.  I know several others who just feed one cup in the morning and one cup at night.

Would love to get an idea of how much others feed their large doodles.

[Julie Kudron]

It depends on the food you feed him. The more "pricey" and high quality food don't require as much feeding, so in actuality you pay the same if not less than the cheap food. Plus it's much better for him.
Maxwell weighs 80lbs and is 1 1/2 years old. We feed him Taste of The Wild food and he eats 3-4 cups a day. He's not a big eater though, the package says he should eat about 4 cups a day.

[charlotte bednarsh]

My doodle Paz is three and weighs about 75lbs.  I feed him Natural Balance Limited Lamb and Rice, and feed him about 11/2 cups two times per day.  Paz is also a therapy dog, and is on a rigorous training schedule, so he receives treats as part of his training.  I only use the lamb treats, which are low in calorie, with no preservatives, but the treats add to his daily caloric intake.  I'm careful because I don't want him to get heavy, which would place undue stress on his health, so I agree that a high quality food is a critical component of a healthy diet.

[Marnie, Stanlee's Mom]

Stanlee just turn a year old and is between 75 and 80 pounds.  I feed him Earthborn Coastal Catch, two cups twice a day.  He's a food motiviated dog so he eats whatever is put in front of him.  One of his favorite treats is raw carrots so he gets a few of those a day as well.  That's it other than fish oil capsules (which he eats like candy). 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There are a lot of variables involved here, so knowing how much others feed won't do you much good, because their dogs may require fewer or more calories than your does, and the foods they feed may contain more or less calories per cup.

Younger dogs require more calories per lb. of body weight than older dogs do. Smaller breeds require more calories per lb. of body weight than larger breeds do. You always feed a puppy more than an adult dog of the same weight. 

We have lots of information in The Food Group about this.

Without knowing exactly what formula you're using, I can't say for sure what amount you should be feeding, but according to the BB package guidelines for the Life Protection Chicken & Brown Rice formula, the feeding guidelines are for the puppy's expected adult weight, not his current weight. I'd say he should be getting at least 4 cups a day if that's the formula you're feeding. 

When did your puppy last see the vet? Vets are usually very good at assessing body condition and whether or not a dog is too thin or too heavy. 

[Debi and Monty Moose]

Hey Anne!  Monty is about two weeks shy of turning 7 months old and also on Large Breed Puppy food by Blue Buffalo (coral colored bag).  He is 60 lbs right now.  I was told by the Rescue back in January that he had been eating two cups twice a day.  I have continued him on this amount and he is doing real well.  He is gaining weight, but not too quickly, so as not to put a strain on his frame.  My Vet also told me the amount was perfect.  Monty would also eat anything you put in front of him, so I need to make sure to monitor him.  He seems totally satisfied after eating, but his sister needs to make sure her bowl is empty before his.....or he would go finish hers as well!  :O

[Ron Carnes]

Zack just turned 4 and is a picku eater. He has 1 cup of Halo Salmon 2X daily. Sometimes we have to top the 2 cups to get him to eat. The ver says he is at the ideal weight of 90#.

[Lynda Kamrath]

If he is 7 months old, he should be on two feedings a day.  I would say that at 75 pounds, he needs more than 1 cup in the morning and 1 cup at night.  My 50-lb. 3-yr-old doodle eats 1 and 1.  My 85-lb 7-yr-old doodle eats 1 1/2 cup morning and night.  However, since your guy is young and probably still growing, I would try 2 cups in the morning and 1 1/2 at night.  See how that works and up the amount by 1/2 cup at a time.  Sounds like you are going to have a big dog.