How much should my dog actually eat?

Feeding guidelines on a pack are calculated for an average, intact, moderately active dog. Your dog is probably none of those things. A neutered, apartment-living Labrador may need twenty to thirty percent less than the bag suggests.

Start with body condition, not the scale

Weight alone tells you little. Body condition scoring tells you a lot, and you can do it at home in thirty seconds.

• Ribs. You should feel them easily under a thin layer of fat, with light pressure. Like the back of your hand, not your knuckles and not your palm.
• Waist. Looking down from above, there should be a visible narrowing behind the ribs.
• Tuck. From the side, the belly should rise from the ribcage towards the hind legs.

If you cannot feel ribs without pressing, your dog is carrying excess weight. If ribs are visible from across the room, there is too little.

Adjusting

Change the quantity by about ten percent, then hold it there for three to four weeks before judging. Weekly weigh-ins on a changing diet tell you about water and gut contents, not about fat.

Weigh food rather than scooping it. Two "cups" measured by two people differ by more than most diets do.

Treats count

This is where most well-fed dogs become overweight dogs. Treats should stay under ten percent of daily calories. Training sessions are the usual culprit — use the smallest piece that still motivates, and subtract it from the meal.

Meal frequency

Adult dogs: twice daily. Puppies under four months: three to four times. Large, deep-chested breeds: split meals and avoid vigorous exercise immediately around them, because bloat risk is real and sudden.

When weight won't shift

If you have reduced intake honestly for two months and nothing has changed, stop adjusting the food and see a vet. Hypothyroidism and Cushing's both present this way, and neither responds to portion control.