Nutritionists employ a number of methods and formulas to determine the average total caloric intake for dogs based upon the dog’s ideal body weight. Any estimate of “how much” to feed is inherently subjective and lots of variables will apply to each individual dog.

Some nutritionists rely on the (RER) Resting Energy Requirement to determine approximately how much food (actually how many calories) an average dog needs on a daily basis to maintain body weight. In spite of exceptions and variables, calculating the RER is sensible and useful.

Below is an approximation for an average dog’s resting daily caloric requirements:

Dogs Weight in Pounds	Total Calories Needed per Day
11	456
22	725
44	1151
66	1508
88	1827
132	2394