The Complete Feeding Guide for Your Breed

★ A Timberwolf Field Guide

The Complete Feeding Guide
for Your Breed

Calorie tables, transition timelines, and breed-specific feeding charts for the eight breeds our owners ask about most. Save this, share it, come back to it.

Jump to your breed

German Shepherd Husky Belgian Malinois Australian Shepherd Border Collie Doberman Pinscher Working / Sport Dogs Senior Dogs Body Condition Score
★ Breed Profile

German Shepherd

Adult weight 50–90 lb · Life expectancy 9–13 years · Activity: moderate to high
Life stage Active dog (kcal/day) Pet dog (kcal/day)
Puppy 8–16 weeks 700–1,100 600–900
Puppy 4–12 months 1,400–2,000 1,200–1,700
Adult 1–7 years 1,800–2,400 1,400–1,900
Senior 7+ 1,400–1,900 1,200–1,600

Recommended Timberwolf recipes:

Dakota — for working/sport GSDs (41% protein) Ocean Blue Legends — coat & skin (35% protein) Black Forest — chicken-sensitive (36% protein)

Common issues this breed sees: sensitive stomachs (try novel protein like venison); skin and coat allergies (marine omega formula, 21-day visible lift); joint issues common in active or senior dogs (30%+ protein with named fish source).

★ Breed Profile

Siberian Husky

Adult weight 35–60 lb · Life expectancy 12–15 years · Activity: very high
Life stage Active dog (kcal/day) Pet dog (kcal/day)
Puppy 4–12 months 1,100–1,700 900–1,400
Adult 1–7 years 1,400–2,200 1,000–1,500
Senior 7+ 1,000–1,500 800–1,200

What's unique about Huskies: their metabolism is wired for cold-climate endurance work. They burn fat more efficiently than most breeds and need higher fat ratios than typical kibble provides. They're also famously picky eaters — meaning the food quality matters more, because they'll skip mediocre food entirely.

Dakota — bison & salmon, working-line Huskies Ocean Blue Legends — fish-led for coat health Wilderness — gentle for sensitive Huskies
★ Breed Profile

Belgian Malinois

Adult weight 55–75 lb · Life expectancy 12–14 years · Activity: extreme

The Malinois has the highest protein demand of any common breed. K9, protection sport, and military Mals burn through calories at 1.8–2.2× standard pet maintenance. Feeding sub-30% protein kibble to a working Mal isn't sustainable — they'll lose muscle mass within months.

Life stage Working Mal (kcal/day) Companion Mal (kcal/day)
Puppy 4–12 months 1,400–2,000 1,200–1,700
Adult 1–7 years 2,000–3,000 1,400–1,900
Senior 7+ 1,500–2,000 1,200–1,600
Dakota — the K9 handler default Black Forest — for chicken-allergic Mals
★ Breed Profile

Australian Shepherd

Adult weight 35–65 lb · Life expectancy 13–15 years · Activity: high

Aussies are notorious for skin and coat allergies (often grain-driven or chicken-driven). They also have heavy double-coats — meaning marine-omega-rich diets pay visible dividends.

Life stage Active dog (kcal/day) Pet dog (kcal/day)
Adult 1–7 years 1,300–1,800 1,000–1,500
Senior 7+ 1,000–1,400 900–1,300
Ocean Blue Legends — first pick for coat/skin Black Forest — elimination diet
★ Breed Profile

Border Collie

Adult weight 30–55 lb · Life expectancy 12–15 years · Activity: very high

Lean frames, high burn rate, and an almost insatiable drive to work. Border Collies need calorie-dense food in small portions — their stomachs aren't large enough to handle the kibble volume that a less-dense food would require.

Life stage Working dog (kcal/day) Pet dog (kcal/day)
Adult 1–7 years 1,300–2,000 900–1,400
Dakota — calorie-dense, 41% protein Ocean Blue Legends — coat support
★ Breed Profile

Doberman Pinscher

Adult weight 60–100 lb · Life expectancy 10–13 years · Activity: high

Cardiomyopathy is a known concern in the breed. The current best evidence-based response: named-fish-based diets with high-quality, named-animal proteins. Avoid generic "animal" or "meat" ingredients. Taurine matters — and named meat/fish provides it.

Life stage Active dog (kcal/day) Pet dog (kcal/day)
Adult 1–7 years 1,700–2,400 1,400–1,900
Senior 7+ 1,300–1,800 1,100–1,500
Ocean Blue Legends — fish-led, cardio-friendly Dakota — for active/working Dobermans
★ Special Section

Working & sport dogs of any breed

For dogs at the higher end of the activity scale, standard pet calorie targets are too low. Multiply maintenance calories by the appropriate factor:

Job Multiplier
Patrol / detection K9 1.6–2.0×
Schutzhund / IGP / PSA sport 1.5–1.8×
Hunting / gun dog (in season) 1.5–1.7×
Search and rescue 1.7–2.2×
Sled / endurance 2.5–4.0×
Stock work / herding 1.4–1.6×

Pre-work fueling

Feed 30–40% of daily calories 4+ hours before work. Never on a full stomach.

Post-work recovery

Within 1 hour of work, a high-protein meal (40%+ of daily allotment) supports muscle recovery and amino-acid replenishment.

★ Special Section

Senior dogs

Calorie cut: 15–20% lower than adult maintenance. Protein: not lower — actually slightly higher per calorie. The old advice to "switch seniors to low-protein" is outdated. Seniors need more protein per calorie to maintain muscle mass, not less.

  • ✓ Add omega-3s for joint support (already in Ocean Blue Legends and Dakota — both fish-included)
  • ✓ Add a probiotic — senior gut function shifts and benefits from support
  • ✓ Smaller, more frequent meals (2× rather than 1×) — easier on the gut
★ Reference

Body Condition Score

The single most important chart in this guide. Adjust your dog's calories based on actual body condition — not breed averages.

1-9 Body Condition Scale

1–3
Underweight — ribs and hips visible from a distance
+20% calories
4–5
Ideal — ribs felt but not seen, waist visible from above
Maintain
6–7
Overweight — ribs hard to feel, no waist from above
-10–15%
8–9
Obese — visible fat deposits, broad waist
-20–25% + vet

At-home check: ribs should feel like the back of your hand (palm down) — present, palpable, not buried. Waist visible from above. Slight abdominal tuck from the side.

Need a personalized recommendation?

Email a real person with your dog's breed, age, weight, activity level, and any allergies — we'll point you at the right Timberwolf recipe and portion size.