How Much Should I Feed My Dog in Australia?

If you want the short answer, start with the feeding guide on the food bag, then adjust based on your dog's weight, body condition and activity. The bag gives you the starting point. Your actual dog tells you whether it is too much or too little.

The catch is dog owners often treat the feeding guide like a fixed law, then quietly add heaps of treats on top. That is how dogs get fat without anyone feeling like they are overfeeding.

What actually changes the amount?

• Weight: bigger dogs need more food, obviously.
• Food density: not every kibble is the same.
• Activity: couch dogs and working dogs do not eat the same way.
• Age: puppies, adults and seniors usually need different feeding plans.

A simple example

If your dog weighs 20kg and the feeding guide works out to roughly 12g per kilo per day, that lands at about 240g per day. Over a 30 day month, that is about 7.2kg of food.

Signs you are feeding too much

If your dog is soft around the ribs, gaining weight steadily, or leaving less exercise tolerance than normal, you might be overdoing it. A lot of owners assume their dog is just “solid” when the real issue is portion creep.

Bottom line

Start with the bag. Watch the dog. Adjust from there. If you want a fast rough estimate, use the calculator and then sanity-check it against the actual food you buy.