Guides
Short, plain-English answers to the questions puppy and dog owners search for most. Each guide cites the veterinary references it uses, with the date we checked them, and ends with a calculator that gives you a range for your own dog.
Puppy weight
Puppy growth
-
How much exercise does a puppy need?
The 5-minutes-per-month puppy exercise rule has no study behind it. What the research and vet sources do say, with jogging ages by size.
-
When do puppies stop growing?
Small dogs finish growing near their first birthday, giants closer to two. Ages by size class, why weight keeps rising after height stops, and when to worry.
Dog pregnancy
Dog age
-
How long is a dog a puppy?
Puppyhood ends at different times for the body, for puberty and for behavior. Ages by size, the 8-month teenage phase, and what changes when it ends.
-
Dog years to human years, by size
A dog years to human years chart for small, medium, large and giant dogs, year by year, with the vet rule, the DNA clock and why ×7 is wrong.
Puppy feeding
-
How many times a day to feed a puppy
Four meals, then three, then two: a puppy meal schedule by age, example meal times, when to drop a meal, and why toy puppies need to eat more often.
-
When to switch a puppy to adult food
When to switch a puppy to adult food by size, where vet and breed sources disagree, what the label must say for big dogs, and a one-week switch plan.
Dog food
-
How to calculate how many calories your dog needs
Work out your dog’s daily calories with the RER formula and a life-stage factor, with worked examples from 10 to 90 lb and the reasons real dogs differ.
-
How much to feed a dog to lose weight
How many calories and cups to feed an overweight dog, worked through for a 70 lb dog: target weight, daily calories, treats, weekly weigh-ins and stalls.
-
How much wet food to feed a dog
How many cans of wet food a day, worked from the calorie line on the label, plus how to split calories when you mix wet and dry food, and how long cans keep.
-
Is my dog overweight?
Check your dog’s body condition at home on the 9-point scale vets use, see how much extra weight each score means, and know when to call your vet.