Puppy feeding schedule
Feed a puppy four meals a day until about 12 weeks, three until about six months, then two. Start about half an hour after you get up, finish about three hours before bed, and take the puppy out about 25 minutes after every meal.
Enter your own day and your puppy's age. The meal times, and the trip outside after each meal, fill in below.
Puppy feeding chart by age
For a household that gets up at 6:30am and goes to bed at 10pm. Your own times shift with your day.
| Age | Meals a day | Example meal times |
|---|---|---|
| 8 weeks | 4 | 7:00am, 11:00am, 3:00pm, 7:00pm |
| 10 weeks | 4 | 7:00am, 11:00am, 3:00pm, 7:00pm |
| 12 weeks | 4 | 7:00am, 11:00am, 3:00pm, 7:00pm |
| 16 weeks | 3 | 7:00am, 1:00pm, 7:00pm |
| 20 weeks | 3 | 7:00am, 1:00pm, 7:00pm |
| 24 weeks | 3 | 7:00am, 1:00pm, 7:00pm |
| 7 months | 2 | 7:00am, 7:00pm |
| 9 months | 2 | 7:00am, 7:00pm |
| 12 months | 2 | 7:00am, 7:00pm |
Meal counts drop when the puppy can comfortably eat more at once and go longer between meals. Most puppies make the move from four meals to three without trouble. Going from three to two is the step where some leave food in the bowl or seem hungry early, and holding off for a couple of weeks is fine.
Why the meal times decide the rest of the day
A meal is the second most reliable potty signal after waking up: on average a puppy needs to go about 25 minutes after eating. Fixed meal times give you fixed trips outside, and that predictability is most of what makes house training work. Food left down all day makes those windows impossible to predict.
The last meal matters most. A meal about three hours before bed has its window over before the last trip out. Feeding at 9pm before a 10pm bedtime means a night trip is very likely.
How much to feed
This page gives you the times, not the amounts. The right amount depends on the food's calories, so use the chart printed on your puppy food and split the daily total across the meals above. Then check the puppy's body: you should be able to feel the ribs without seeing them. If you are unsure, your vet can check at the next visit.
Where these numbers come from
Meals per day follow the general guidance published by the American Kennel Club and VCA Animal Hospitals for growing puppies. The ages for switching to adult food by size come from the same sources. The 25-minute window after a meal is the average the Puppy Routine app starts from, before it has any logs for your puppy.
Questions people ask
How many times a day should I feed my puppy?
Four small meals until about 12 weeks, three until about six months, then two. That is the general guidance from the AKC and VCA, and it is the same count Puppy Routine starts from. Very small breeds are often kept on more frequent small meals a little longer; ask your vet.
What times should I feed my puppy?
Start about half an hour after you get up and finish about three hours before bed, with the other meals spaced evenly between. For a 6:30am wake-up and a 10pm bedtime, an 8-week-old eats around 7:00am, 11:00am, 3:00pm and 7:00pm.
How long after eating does a puppy need to go out?
About 25 minutes on average, which is why every meal in the schedule above has its own trip outside. Some puppies go in ten minutes and some take forty; your own dog's gap is the number worth learning.
How late should a puppy's last meal be?
About three hours before bed. That gives the meal's potty window time to pass before the last trip out, which makes a dry night much more likely.
How much should I feed my puppy?
Follow the feeding chart on your puppy food, which is worked out for that food's calories, and split the daily amount across the meals. Then adjust to the puppy's body: you should be able to feel the ribs without seeing them. Your vet can check this at each visit.
When should a puppy switch to adult food?
Usually around 9 to 12 months for toy and small breeds, about 12 months for medium breeds, 12 to 18 months for large breeds and 18 to 24 months for giant breeds. The food's label and your vet decide for your dog.
Should I leave food out all day for my puppy?
Most trainers advise against it. Set meal times make the potty schedule predictable, because you know when the after-meal window starts. Put the bowl down for about 15 minutes, then pick it up.
Puppy Routine is not veterinary advice, and neither is this page. Anything about your puppy's health or a behaviour that worries you is a conversation with a veterinarian or a qualified, reward-based behaviour professional.