Feeding a Border Collie puppy
Intensely energetic, whip-smart herding dogs that rarely stop moving. Growing puppys need more energy per kilogram than adults to fuel rapid development — but the goal is always a lean, steadily-growing animal, not a chubby one. The chart below uses the puppy growth lifestyle factor (×2.5) across a typical growth-weight range.
| Body weight | Daily calories | Dry kibble ~3,500 kcal/kg | Wet ~1,050 kcal/kg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.8 kg | 379 kcal | 108 g | 361 g |
| 5.971 kg | 668 kcal | 191 g | 637 g |
| 9.143 kg | 920 kcal | 263 g | 876 g |
| 12.314 kg | 1150 kcal | 329 g | 1096 g |
| 15.486 kg | 1366 kcal | 390 g | 1301 g |
| 18.657 kg | 1571 kcal | 449 g | 1496 g |
| 21.829 kg | 1767 kcal | 505 g | 1683 g |
| 25 kg | 1957 kcal | 559 g | 1863 g |
What to feed a Border Collie puppy
Dogs are facultative carnivores: they thrive on meat-forward diets but can use carbohydrate and plant matter. A complete-and-balanced food (dry, wet, fresh, or properly-formulated raw) meeting AAFCO or FEDIAF standards should make up the vast majority of intake, with treats capped at 10% of daily calories.
Watch the growth curve
Border Collies burn a lot of energy and need diet matched to their genuinely high activity. Under-exercised Collies can gain weight; hard-working ones need substantially more calories than average.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I feed a Border Collie puppy?
Puppys need far more energy per kilogram than adults — often around double. Feed a puppy-appropriate formula to maintain a lean body condition (never fat), split across three to four meals a day, and use the chart above for their current weight.
How many times a day should a Border Collie puppy eat?
Young dogs do best on frequent small meals — commonly three to four a day — because their small stomachs and fast growth need steady fuel.