Every dog food bag prints calories, but the right daily total is a function of your dog's weight and life stage. This calculator turns those two inputs into a kcal budget you can actually portion against.
The RER floor
Resting energy requirement scales sub-linearly — 70 × kg^0.75 — which is why a 40 kg dog needs far less than double the calories of a 20 kg one. It's the metabolic baseline everything else multiplies.
Life stage as a multiplier
Neutering, growth, inactivity and weight goals each raise or cut the multiplier. Choosing the right one turns an RER floor into a daily feeding target that keeps condition healthy.
Frequently asked questions
A 20 kg neutered adult dog needs roughly 1,050 kcal/day. Multiply RER by life stage to match your dog's size and activity.
RER ≈ 70 × weight(kg)^0.75. It's the calories a dog burns at rest, before activity and life stage are added via the multiplier.
Yes — growing puppies need roughly twice RER, often split into several meals of a puppy-formula food to fuel growth without overloading the stomach.