sadder but wiser girl
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 9,688
Location: Dog Canyon
Dogs Name: Odie & Reyna; RIP precious Annie; RIP beloved Alex & Melody, Rocky baby & darling Willie
Titles: Annie - my angel; Odie - golden boy; Reyna - fruit bat
Dogs Age: b 1/13/13; b 3/13/14; b 7/10/09 - d 1/4/16
Gallery Pics: 66
Visit lolonurse's Gallery Thanks: 26,387
Thanked 22,609 Times in 6,646 Posts
Well, everyone said it very well... a "cup" is a standard measuring cup, even if that's not the utensil you use to measure it. The type and quality of kibble, as well as whether you add any 'wet' food, extra meat, vegies, etc., also impacts the amounts, as do the dog's activity level, natural metabolism, the climate (animals in cold climates need more calories to maintain body temperature, just like humans), etc. A lot of us feed our adult Dobes twice a day (puppies need to eat more often), because it's healthier on their digestive systems, and also may help avoid bloat. There are a lot of variables, so the best idea is to know your dog very well, observe their appearance, condition of coat, energy level, stools, etc - if the pup is growing, happy, active, has good poops, seems bright and cheerful - well, keep up the good work, and add to the amount fed as needed. If he's hungry, you'll know it - he'll finish his food, then try to eat the dish, or pester you for more.
their pawprints in our hearts never fade