The maths, with your numbers
No guesswork and no brand chart. This is the same calculation a vet does on paper, so you can check it.
A healthy adult German Shepherd Dog weighs 50–90 lb (AKC Breed Weight Chart (combined male/female range; AKC standard gives no weight)). Below are daily amounts for that range, for a typical dry dog food (382 kcal per cup, the middle of the dog foods in our list). For your own food, use the calculator above: it is already set to a German Shepherd Dog weight.
| Weight | Couch potato | Spayed or neutered | Very active |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 lb 22.7 kg | 2 ¼ cups239 g · 873 kcal | 3 cups319 g · 1,164 kcal | 3 ¾ cups398 g · 1,455 kcal |
| 70 lb 31.8 kg | 3 cups308 g · 1,124 kcal | 3 ⅞ cups410 g · 1,498 kcal | 4 ⅞ cups513 g · 1,873 kcal |
| 90 lb 40.8 kg | 3 ½ cups371 g · 1,357 kcal | 4 ¾ cups495 g · 1,809 kcal | 5 ⅞ cups619 g · 2,261 kcal |
Daily totals with no treats. Worked out from resting energy (70 × kg0.75) and the AAHA 2021 life-stage factors. Weight source note: AKC standard gives height only (males 24-26 in, females 22-24 in); weight from AKC Breed Weight Chart.
Good to know
The AKC sums up the German Shepherd Dog in three words: confident, courageous, smart. How active yours really is matters more for the bowl than the breed name, so pick the column that fits your own dog.
German Shepherd Dog puppies are large-breed puppies. VCA Animal Hospitals advises steady, measured feeding of a large-breed puppy food rather than free feeding, and notes that big breeds can take 18 to 24 months to reach adulthood. Use the puppy calculator until then.