Well, there are a lot of theories as to how often a GSD Puppy/Adult should be fed. This could be very confusing especially if you are a new German Shepherd owner. This is the main reason why we have decided to write this post. The answer we are about to give you is based on extensive research and overall experience breeding and caring for German Shepherd puppies/adults. So how often should a German Shepherd p be fed?
Generally, it is very okay to feed a German Shepherd puppy 4 times a day. But of course, doing this will depend on a number of factors, like age, sex, and quality of food. It is a different story for a much older German Shepherd which could be fed 1-2 times a day. there are a lot of factors that could influence and greatly change how often you should feed your German Shepherd dog
So instead of just telling you word for word how your German Shepherd should be fed, this post will help you correctly decide how many times your German Shepherd should be fed. Yes! More like ” teaching you how to fish.”
This we will do by teaching you how to carefully examine all factors in your own local environment. If this is something that interests you, we recommend you stick around till the end.
FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN DECIDING HOW OFTEN YOU FEED YOUR GERMAN SHEPHERD PUPPY
There are five factors you need to consider how often you feed each German Shepherd puppy. This means that each of your puppies could be fed at different times and some more or less often than others. Factors that influence how often a German Shepherd puppy is fed include
- Age
- Size
- Gender
- Appetite
- Dog food quality
Let’s consider how each of these factors can affect how your dog is fed, and what quantity of food is appropriate for each possible scenario.
Table of Contents
Why Age Affects How Often GSD Puppies Are Fed
It is no secret that your GSD puppy’s age can greatly affect how often it is fed. For starters, younger puppies are likely able to stomach less quantity of food. This means that ultimately you would need to feed young puppies less portions but more times a day.
That’s why most people would recommend feeding young puppies 4 times a day but in small portions. Here’s a table below explaining how feeding would normally progress with only your puppy’s age as the differential factor.
GSD Feeding Table (Age Based)
|
MONTHS |
PORTIONS |
|---|---|
|
1-3 Months |
4 Meals per day |
|
4-6 Months |
3 Meals per day |
|
7-12 Months |
2 Meals day |
|
12 Months to Adulthood |
1 Large Meal per day |
Feeding your dog solely based on this table is not bad and would most likely yield great results. But we have seen that your German Shepherd puppy can look a lot better than great if you put a lot more into consideration into other factors when deciding how often to feed. Another very important factor to consider is size. But how can size influence how often your GSD puppy is fed per day? Let’s find out.
Size Decides How Often German Shepherd Puppies Should be Fed
Well, this may sound strange but will make a lot of sense in a minute. How can your German Shepherd’s size affect how often it should be fed? Well, we generally see two types of German Shepherd’s bone structure around.
There are big and small-bone German Shepherds in any breeding variant. Any big-boned German Shepherd will usually have larger paws and bigger heads than that of the small bone.
This also affects how their bodies react to the food they consume. German Shepherds with big bones will often eat less and still look and grow massive, while ones with a smaller bone structure will often have to eat more in order to look anything like a big bone.
We once had both a big and small bone German Shepherd from the same line and parents which grew side by side. Well, let’s just say the German Shepherd with big bones grew to be bigger and fatter than the German Shepherd with much smaller bones.
In fact, when they both were fed the same quantity of food and at the same time, the German Shepherd with bigger bones was looking almost obsessed.
As a result of this, we had to adjust the way he was fed. Still, on weight, you might need to change your German Shepherd’s feeding frequency and quantity based on how big in size it is.
It is also important to note that if your German Shepherd is the energetic type, it will need to consume more food to meet its body’s high demand.
This too will greatly influence its size and how often you should feed it. Below is a table that will try to illustrate how drastic changes can be made to help keep your dog healthy and in good shape when sizes change.
GSD Feeding Table (Size Based)
|
GSD PUP SIZES |
MEALS |
|---|---|
|
Skinny GSD PUPS |
4-5 Meals Per Day |
|
Regular GSD PUPS |
3-4 Meals Per Day |
|
Obese GSD PUPS |
2 Small Meal Portions Per Day |
The table above is purely an example. Before making any drastic changes in how often your puppy eats, it is important to consult your veterinarian for advice. He will be more informed and able to give a more personalized diet schedule for your dog.
Another very strong influence on how often a German Shepherd is fed is its gender and general appetite. Let’s consider how gender and appetite affect how often a German Shepherd is fed next.
Gender and Appetite Level Should Affect How Often GSDs Are Fed
Well, it’s very obvious that the gender and appetite of a dog can affect how often it is fed. In fact, most times these two things work hand in hand, most especially in German Shepherd dogs.
We have noticed that female German Shepherds tend to have lesser appetite than males, and are less active. This means they burn less energy and thus, would require less food in general to keep them happy and in shape.
Figuring out just how much food your German Shepherd can consume could seem challenging, but here are some easy ways to figure out how much food it can consume.
Gradual Food Measuring.
This is a very good way to know how much food your dog can consume. It could be done by carefully measuring out your dog’s food with your dog measuring cup while keeping tabs on how much food has been measured.
We recommend starting with a small portion and keep increasing your dog’s portions until you can accurately get the amount of food it can consume at a go. Once you have been able to get the exact measurement of food your German Shepherd can consume at a go, feed it that.
It is very important to carry out this measurement every month as your German Shepherd gets older. So as to swiftly adjust the quantity of the meal served to suit your dog’s needs.
Weigh Your German Shepherd.
Another good and easy way to determine how much food your German Shepherd can consume at a time would be to get your dog weighed.
This method is even more effective than the first because it will help you know how much your dog actually needs to reach the standard weight of a German Shepherd male or female at any stage in life.
This will help you know whether your dog needs a food increase or not. So what should be the standard weight of a growing German Shepherd at any given stage? The table below explains just that.
GSD Average Weight and Height 2 – 12 Months
|
Age (Months) |
Average Weight (Male) |
Average Weight (Female) |
Average Height (Male) |
Average Height (Female) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2 Months |
18-26 pounds (8-12 kg) |
16-24 pounds (7-11 kg) |
12-15 inches (30-38 cm) |
10-14 inches (25-35 cm) |
|
4 Months |
35-48 pounds (16-22 kg) |
32-44 pounds (14-20 kg) |
17-20 inches (43-51 cm) |
14-18 inches (35-46 cm) |
|
6 Months |
48-64 pounds (22-29 kg) |
44-58 pounds (20-26 kg) |
19-22 inches (48-56 cm) |
18-22 inches (46-56 cm) |
|
8 Months |
56-76 pounds (25-34 kg) |
52-70 pounds (24-32 kg) |
21-24 inches (53-61 cm) |
20-24 inches (51-61 cm) |
|
10 M0nths |
64-88 pounds (29-40 kg) |
60-82 pounds (27-37 kg) |
23-26 inches (58-66 cm) |
22-26 inches (56-66 cm) |
|
12 Months |
72-100 pounds (33-45 kg) |
68-94 pounds (31-43 kg) |
25-28 inches (64-71 cm) |
24-28 inches (61-71 cm) |
The weight and height measurements in the table above are just an average. If your German Shepherd gets measured slightly below or above these estimates at any given month it’s fine. But if your German Shepherd’s weight is way off, you might want to consider increasing or reducing your German Shepherd’s food as the case may demand.
There is a final factor that will affect how often your dog is fed per day. This is the dog food quality. Let’s find out how this affects next.
Dog Food Quality Affects How Often Your GSD Should Be Fed
Another thing that should affect how often your dog should be fed is the quality of Dog food. Low-quality dog food would often offer little nutritional value to your dog at a time.
This means that if you are using a cheaper quality brand of kibble or wet dog food brand, you might need to up the quantity or frequency of meals served per day. This will be necessary if your dog meets the required standard of both weight and size at any given age.
Feeding with a higher, more expensive brand of dog food is actually more economical because though you might pay more for it, a small quantity of it provides 15 – 20% more nutrients per meal than low-quality brands.
This means you will likely feed a lesser quantity per meal and still get a better-looking, healthier dog than that of the lower brand served at a larger quantity per meal. For this reason, we often recommend getting your dog higher quality dog food for an overall good-looking dog.
The best way to know if your dog food brand is good enough for your dog is to get your dog weighed and health checked by your vet. High-quality dog foods are not only a source of nutrients to your dog, but also provide a lot of health benefits. Your vet can do a check and recommend a dog food brand that is best suited for your dog.
Ultimately, if you already feed your dog a large portion of meals per day and still no real change in its look and size, this may signal the need to change your dog’s diet. For tips on some healthy dog food brands to try out, check out our post on the top ten kibble dog food brands in the US.
Conclusion
In this post, we have tried to cover some key factors to consider when deciding whether or not you need to increase or reduce your GSD feeding.
Ultimately, when deciding whether or not to take this step we recommend consulting with your vet, as he will be able to give you a more practical and personalized tip on just the diet your dog needs.
The scenarios above are helpful if you just want to change the number of times your GSD eats per day. For puppies 3-4 times a day is okay, and for adults, 1 – 2 meals per day is fine. Please only make a decision after you have carefully evaluated all the scenarios above and are completely sure your dog needs a meal change.
