If you are a Golden Retriever owner, you more than likely have noticed that your dog enjoys eating. They will do just about anything for a morsel of food. Given how much Goldens love food, having a feeding chart is a helpful tool to avoid overfeeding and obesity.
Knowing what food and how much to feed your Golden Retriever at different stages of life are two common questions from owners. In this article we will share how much to feed a Golden Retriever from when they are a puppy to a senior. We will also address when is a good time to feed your Golden.
Whether your Golden Retriever is a puppy, adult, or senior there are different nutritional needs at each stage. We will go in depth about what those needs are and how to meet them in the most effective ways.
How Much To Feed A Golden Retriever Puppy
Golden Retriever puppies should eat three to four times a day until they are six months old at scheduled intervals. They require more calories and frequency at this young age. It is not best to feed them extra food as they could become overweight. They should be lanky with long legs at this stage in life.
General Golden Retriever Puppy Food
Because puppies need a diet specifically designed to meet nutritional needs for normal development, all puppies should be fed a puppy food. Feeding them adult food will not give them the adequate nutrients needed at this age.
Below is a general chart for Golden Retriever puppy feeding.
Golden Retriever Puppy Feeding Chart
| Two Months Old | 1 ½ Cups Per Day |
| Three Months Old | 2 Cups Per Day |
| Four Months Old | 2 ½ Cups Per Day |
| Five to Six Months Old | 3 Cups Per Day |
| Six to Seven Months Old (males only) | 3 ½ to 4 Cups Per Day (Females stay on 3 cups) |
This chart is just a general guideline for feeding your puppy. Be sure to ask the breeder what they were feeding the puppy and use that exact food. If you must switch do so gradually over about a week. Start by mixing the old food and a small amount of new food, then adding more new food each day.
Start on the low end of the range and increase if your puppy starts to look thin. Keep in mind that it is healthier for your golden retriever puppy to be a little bit thin than a little bit chunky. Also, speaking with your veterinarian about this is a good idea.
There is a feeding chart on the back of each dog food bag that you can follow. Below are some feeding charts from our top puppy foods article Best Puppy Food for Golden Retrievers (2021).
Purina Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy Food
Purina Pro Plan Large Breed is our top choice of puppy food for Golden Retrievers. It provides a complete, healthy, nutritious diet to your puppy. The number one ingredient is chicken which helps development of strong muscles and healthy body functions. Our staff veterinarians highly recommend this puppy food.
Below is Purina Pro Plan’s feeding chart for a Golden Retriever puppy.
Purina Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy Feeding Chart
| 1 ½ to 3 Months Old | 5/8 – 2 1/3 Cups Per Day |
| 4-5 Months Old | 1 ½ – 4 Cups Per Day |
| 6-8 Months Old | 1 ½- 3 ¾ Cups Per Day |
| 9-11 Months Old | 2 ½ – 4 ¾ Cups Per Day |
| 1-2 Years | 2 5/8 – 6 ¼ Cups Per Day |
Royal Canin Golden Retriever Puppy Food
Royal Canin Golden Retriever Puppy is another great choice of puppy food. It is specially designed to meet the nutritional needs of a purebred Golden Retriever from the ages of 8 weeks to 15 months old. The kibble is actually shaped for a Golden Retriever’s muzzle and scissor bite to encourage chewing. Our staff veterinarians also highly recommend this puppy food.
Below is Royal Canin’s feeding chart for a Golden Retriever puppy.
Royal Canin Golden Retriever Puppy Feeding Chart
| 2 Months Old | 2 ½ Cups Per Day |
| 3 Months Old | 3 3/8 Cups Per Day |
| 4 Months Old | 3 7/8 Cups Per Day |
| 5 Months Old | 4 ½ Cups Per Day |
| 6-7 Months Old | 6 1/8 Cups Per Day |
| 8 Months Old | 4 ¾ Cups Per Day |
| 9 Months Old | 4 ½ Cups Per Day |
| 10 Months Old | 4 1/8 Cups Per Day |
| 11 Months Old | 3 ¾ Cups Per Day |
| 12-14 Months Old | 3 5/8 Cups Per Day |
(Royal Canin is more specific on feeding amounts than some other companies, but this is still just a guideline. Be sure to consult with your veterinarian on whether this is right for your puppy.)
Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy Food
Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy Food is also a great choice of puppy food for Golden Retrievers. This food contains high-quality ingredients and is made in the USA. It supports healthy brain development that increases the intelligence and trainability of your Golden Retriever. This food is highly recommended by our staff veterinarians as well.
Below is Eukanuba’s Large Breed Puppy feeding chart.
Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy Feeding Chart
| 2 Months Old | 2 7/8 Cups Per Day |
| 3 Months Old | 3 5/8 Cups Per Day |
| 4 Months Old | 4 Cups Per Day |
| 5 Months Old | 4 5/8 Cups Per Day |
| 6 Months Old | 5 1/8 Cups Per Day |
| 7-8 Months Old | 4 ¾ Cups Per Day |
| 9-10 Months Old | 4 Cups Per Day |
| 12-24 Months Old | 3 5/8 Cups Per Day |
How Much To Feed A Golden Retriever Adult
Golden Retriever adults should eat around twice a day. What is more important is the portion size of those meals. The portion size will vary depending on age, weight, activity level, and health conditions of your Golden Retriever. After being spayed or neutered, your Golden Retriever may not need as many calories so consulting with your veterinarian would be a good idea.
Golden Retrievers reach their full height and weight between 12 and 18 months old. They will usually weigh between 55 and 75 pounds. When your Golden reaches adulthood, their caloric intake should decrease.
During adulthood, they should be eating two scheduled meals a day. If they do get hungry between meals, give them a good, healthy snack that will tide them over until the next meal. Check out our article Best Dog Treats for Golden Retrievers (2021) for some healthy treat ideas.
General Golden Retriever Adult Food
Overfeeding your Golden Retriever can lead to obesity and health problems, so make sure you are keeping them on a healthy, scheduled diet to help them live their best life. Below is a general feeding chart for adult Golden Retrievers.
Golden Retriever Adult Feeding Chart
| Females | 2 to 2 ½ Cups Per Day |
| Males | 3 to 3 ½ Cups Per Day |
| Active Males | 4 Cups Per Day |
| Nursing Females | 5 to 6 Cups Per Day |
This is a general feeding chart guideline. Be sure to consult with your veterinarian to find the best feeding schedule for you and your Golden. They will be able to tell you exactly how much to feed your Golden based on their individual dietary needs.
Feeding your Golden Retriever high-quality food will give them the best nutritional value to live a healthy life. Cheaper dog foods have a lot of fillers in them that provide them no nutritional value, so you may have to feed them more of it for a meal.
Always look on the back of the dog food for their recommended feeding chart and give your Golden those amounts. A visit with your veterinarian about which food is best can be extremely helpful also.
Below are some of our top choices of food with feeding charts.
Purina Pro Plan Large Breed Adult Food
Purina Pro Plan Large Breed dog food is our first choice for Golden Retriever adults. This food is highly recommended by our staff veterinarians, and it contains ingredients that are highly nutritious with high protein for strengthening muscles.
Below is a feeding chart for Purina Pro Plan Large Breed.
Purina Pro Plan Large Breed Adult Feeding Chart
| 51-75 lbs. | 3 – 3 2/3 Cups Per Day |
| 75-100 lbs. | 3 2/3 – 4 Cups Per Day |
This chart does not give an exact amount based on gender, age, activity level, or health conditions. This chart is based on the weight your dog should be (called lean weight). If you dog is overweight feed less. Be sure to consult your veterinarian to get the exact amount for your Golden.
Royal Canin Golden Retriever Adult Dog Food
Royal Canin Golden Retriever Adult Dog Food is specifically tailored to Golden Retrievers. It contains nutritious ingredients that target healthy skin and coat, cardiac function, and ideal weight. This is another top choice of our staff veterinarians.
Below is a feeding chart for Royal Canin Golden Retriever adult dog food.
Royal Canin Golden Retriever Adult Feeding Chart
| 57 lbs. | 3 ¾ – 5 Cups Per Day |
| 66 lbs. | 4 ¼ – 5 ½ Cups Per Day |
| 75 lbs. | 4 5/8 – 6 1/8 Cups Per Day |
| 84 lbs. | 5- 6 5/8 Cups Per Day |
| 88 lbs. | 5 ¼ – 6 7/8 Cups Per Day |
If you are looking for a dog food that gets down to the precise amounts, then Royal Canin is for you. They are extremely specific on the weight of your Golden Retriever and the number of cups per day.
The range of amount of food can be explained by your dog’s average activity level. If your Golden’s activity is very high (actively hunting, long hikes, running miles with you), you should feed them the higher amount. If their activity for the day is lower, you can feed them the lower amount that day. Normal house pets, going on occasional walks should start with the lower end of the range.
Eukanuba Large Breed Adult Dog Food
Eukanuba Large Breed Adult Dog Food is another top choice of our staff veterinarians. This brand of dog food provides a balanced nutritious meal that fuels an active lifestyle. The ingredients support healthy brain function and lean muscles.
Below is a feeding chart for Eukanuba adult dog food.
Eukanuba Large Breed Adult Feeding Chart
| 55 lbs. | 3-4 Cups Per Day |
| 66 lbs. | 3 ½ – 4 5/8 Cups Per Day |
| 77 lbs. | 3 7/8 – 5 1/8 Cups Per Day |
| 88 lbs. | 4 ¼ – 5 5/8 Cups Per Day |
Eukanuba Adult Dog Food is like Royal Canin in that it provides precise amounts of food based on the level of exercise for that day. On the back of the bag, it explains how much food you should give for low, moderate, and high activity.
How Much To Feed A Golden Retriever Senior
Golden Retriever seniors will need about 900 calories or about 20% less than adult dogs to stay at their ideal weight. Golden Retrievers are seniors at about 8 years old. When entering old age, they may benefit from eating a food with less fat and fewer calories.
During the senior years, Golden Retrievers will become more sedentary therefore not requiring as much food as before. They should still be eating two meals a day, but not as much. There are many senior dog foods out there that help them with maintaining a healthy weight.
As your Golden Retriever progresses from old dog to older dog, you may notice them losing weight and requiring more calories in this stage of life. The fat content in their diet may need increased. Talking with your veterinarian would be a good choice if you notice your Golden losing weight.
If your Golden Retriever suffers from arthritis and has trouble getting around staying lean is important. Discuss with your veterinarian the right body weight, food, supplements, and medications to help your senior dog get around better.
There are some senior dog foods that provide the right healthy eating habits for this stage of life. Below are our top choices for Golden Retriever seniors.
Purina Pro Plan Bright Mind
Purina Pro Plan Bright Mind is our top choice for Golden Retriever senior dog food. It is formulated with botanical oils to increase alertness and mental sharpness in dogs ages 7 and older. Our staff veterinarians recommend this dog food for your aging Golden Retriever.
Below is a feeding chart for Purina Pro Plan Bright Mind.
Purina Pro Plan Bright Might Feeding Chart
| 51 – 75 lbs. | 2 ½ – 2 ¾ Cups Per Day |
| 76 – 100 lbs. | 2 ¾ – 3 ½ Cups Per Day |
| Over 100 lbs. | 3 ½ Cups Per Day plus ¼ cup for each 10 lbs. over 100 lbs. |
This chart is not built for your individual dog. It is best to consult your veterinarian for the right amount of food that will provide your Golden with a healthy lifestyle in the senior years.
Royal Canin Aging Large Breed Dog Food
Royal Canin has an aging large breed dog food formulated for dogs ages 8 and up. It is made for easy chewing and ideal for a senior dog’s jaw. It is an exclusive blend of antioxidants for healthy aging. It contains easy-to-digest proteins and a balanced supply of fiber. Our staff veterinarians recommend this food as well.
Below is a feeding chart for Royal Canin Aging Large Breed dog food.
Royal Canin Aging Large Breed Feeding Chart
| 66.1 lbs. | 3 ¾ – 5 Cups Per Day |
| 70.5 lbs. | 4 – 5 ¼ Cups Per Day |
| 75 lbs. | 4 1/8 – 5 ½ Cups Per Day |
| 79.4 lbs. | 4 3/8- 5 5/8 Cups Per Day |
| 83.8 lbs. | 4 ½- 5 7/8 Cups Per Day |
| 88.2 lbs. | 4 5/8- 6 1/8 Cups Per Day |
| 92.6 lbs. | 4 7/8- 6 3/8 Cups Per Day |
Royal Canin is exact on their servings for aging large breed dogs. The range of the amount of food is dependent on the activity level of your Golden Retriever. The range is from low to high activity. This is a great guide to use with an aging Golden Retriever, they will be active on some days more than others.
Eukanuba Senior Large Breed Dog Food
Eukanuba Senior Large Breed Dog Food is also recommended by our staff veterinarians. It is formulated to fuel your active Golden Retriever’s daily activities with optimal levels of fat and carbohydrates. It also helps maintain their natural defenses with guaranteed antioxidant levels for older dogs.
Below is a feeding chart for Eukanuba Senior Large Breed dog food.
Eukanuba Senior Large Breed Feeding Chart
| 55 lbs. | 3 ¼ – 4 ¼ Cups Per Day |
| 66 lbs. | 3 ¾ – 4 7/8 Cups Per Day |
| 77 lbs. | 4 1/8- 5 ½ Cups Per Day |
| 88 lbs. | 4 5/8- 6 Cups Per Day |
| 110 lbs. | 5 ½- 7 1/8 Cups Per Day |
Eukanuba is like Royal Canin in that it provides precise amounts of food for your aging Golden Retriever. The range of amounts is based on the activity of your Golden for the day, either low, moderate, or high level of activity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Golden Retrievers should have scheduled times to eat daily. The scheduled times will help them with their energy levels and keep them healthy.
You can schedule their eating times as to what works best for your schedule. For example, feeding them before you leave for work and then when you get home.
As a puppy, they will eat three times a day, so you will need to find times in those first few months to feed them more often. When they are an adult or senior, the scheduling of feeding times will be easier because they will only eat twice daily.
For a Golden Retriever puppy, the best feeding schedule is once in the morning, noontime, and in the evening. For example, you could feed their first meal at 7:00 am, lunch at noon, then dinner at 5:00 pm.
Planning their mealtimes around your mealtimes will often make it easier for you and the puppy. Make sure to give them plenty of time after eating to got to the bathroom a couple of times before heading to bed. Hopefully, this will help them sleep for a longer period.
After about six months, your Golden Retriever can go down to two daily feedings. This usually occurs once in the morning and once in the evening. They can usually last about 12 hours between meals. If it goes past 12 hours, they could become nauseated.
Golden Retrievers can experience food allergies often caused from proteins in dairy or meat products. If your dog experiences symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, or itching they may have a food allergy. If the symptoms don’t get better after a few days, be sure to consult your veterinarian.
According to The American Veterinary Medical Association, feeding the raw diet to Golden Retrievers is not recommended. They warn that feeding dogs any raw animal-source protein could cause illness because it has not gone through a process to remove harmful pathogens.
However, a raw diet can be healthy if you are willing to go through the extra cleaning processes of the meat. This is a lot of work and difficult to do correctly and safely. We do not recommend it without expert veterinary help.
Before starting a raw diet with your Golden, be sure to consult a veterinarian. Find one that is familiar with raw foods and can help with the proper handling of the foods.
If you work hard to make sure your homemade foods are rich in the vitamins and minerals that a dog needs, then it might work for your Golden Retriever. It takes a lot more time to find recipes and make sure it has all the nutritional value of a store-bought dog food.
If you are willing to research expertly formulated recipes (internet is making it easier to do this), and take the time to cook for your golden then go for it! Consulting your veterinarian is a must before starting any homemade diet. A veterinary nutritionist should also review your plan before starting.
Feeding your Golden Retriever table food is not the best practice but a small amount of dog healthy table food is fine. Some example table foods that are healthy for them are carrots, blueberries and plain yogurt.
Just be aware that feeding them too much table food can throw their entire diet out of whack. They may not be getting enough vitamins and minerals like they do from their dog food. You will need to reduce the amount of dog food they get and table food should never be more than 10% of their diet.
Conclusion
Making sure your Golden Retriever is getting the right foods at the right amounts will help them live their best life. There are many choices of foods with all the right ingredients. Be sure to choose one that works best for you and your Golden. Consult with your veterinarian on which food will bring the most nutritional value to the health of your Golden Retriever.
If your Golden is experiencing any health issues related to changing foods, visit your veterinarian. You can also check out our article Golden Retriever Health Issues: Common Problems.
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