How many times a day should a Basset Hound puppy eat?

Three to four small meals up to around four months old, reducing to two meals by six months and settling into an adult twice-daily routine from around a year old. This spreads intake evenly rather than overloading a small puppy stomach.

Why is controlled growth especially important for Basset Hound puppies?

Their unusual shape — a long spine on short, heavy-boned legs — means rapid weight gain during growth adds extra strain to joints and a back already working hard to support that frame. Steady, controlled growth is generally preferred over fast filling-out.

Should a Basset Hound puppy eat large-breed puppy food?

Not usually — despite their weight as adults, Bassets are typically fed as a medium breed given their shorter stature, so a medium-breed puppy formula generally suits their growth pattern better than a large-breed one.

When should a Basset Hound puppy move to adult food?

Most Bassets are ready to switch to an adult formula from around twelve months old, once their main growth phase has slowed. Your vet can confirm timing based on your individual puppy's own growth pattern at a check-up.

Basset Hound puppy feeding chart

Feeding a Basset Hound puppy is about following a method rather than a single fixed chart, because their unusual shape — a long spine supported by short, heavy-boned legs — makes controlled, steady growth more important than for many breeds. Growing too fast on an overly rich diet puts extra strain on a frame already working hard to support that long back.

The method: age-based meal frequency

Feed a young Basset puppy three to four small meals a day up to around four months old, then reduce to two meals from around four to six months as their stomach capacity increases, settling into a twice-daily adult routine from around six to twelve months. This spreads nutrient intake evenly rather than overloading a small stomach in one sitting.

Follow the feeding guide printed on your puppy's food for their current weight, checked against a set of kitchen or baby scales regularly through the growth period, rather than guessing quantities by eye — Basset puppies can look sturdy even when they are carrying more weight than is ideal for their developing joints and spine.

Why controlled growth matters for this breed

A medium-breed puppy formula, rather than one aimed at a fast-growing large breed, generally suits a Basset's own growth pattern, since overly rapid weight gain adds strain to a spine and joints already carrying an unusual proportion of body length to leg length. This is a breed where keeping a puppy lean through growth is worth prioritising over a fast-filling-out appearance.

Run your hands along a growing Basset puppy's ribs regularly — you should feel them without heavy pressure — and speak to your vet if your puppy seems to be gaining weight faster than their littermates or their breed's typical growth curve.

When to check in with a vet

See a vet if your puppy seems reluctant to move, cries out when picked up or jumping, or if their back appears to sag or curve unusually — these can be early signs worth investigating in a breed prone to back problems later in life. Routine puppy check-ups are also the right time to discuss weight trends as they grow.

Because Bassets are prone to joint and back issues as adults, a vet's input on your individual puppy's growth rate, particularly if they seem to be developing faster or heavier than expected, is worth having rather than managing entirely from a general chart.

Feeding kit

Things we stock that owners commonly reach for here. Nothing on this page depends on you buying one.

Beaphar Lactol Milk Replacer for Puppies

A milk replacer for newborn and orphaned puppies, and for nursing or recovering dogs

From£20.23

Choose options

Nutriment Dog Weaning Paste

A 500g frozen weaning paste for puppies, single-ingredient British chicken

£2.99

Alpha Sensitive Salmon & Rice

A salmon and rice dry food for adult dogs with sensitive digestions, made without wheat gluten, soya or dairy.

£49.00

Alpha Working Dog Maintenance Chicken

An energy-controlled chicken dry food for working dogs with lower energy needs or a tendency to put on weight.

£29.00

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Common questions

How many times a day should a Basset Hound puppy eat?: Three to four small meals up to around four months old, reducing to two meals by six months and settling into an adult twice-daily routine from around a year old. This spreads intake evenly rather than overloading a small puppy stomach.
Why is controlled growth especially important for Basset Hound puppies?: Their unusual shape — a long spine on short, heavy-boned legs — means rapid weight gain during growth adds extra strain to joints and a back already working hard to support that frame. Steady, controlled growth is generally preferred over fast filling-out.
Should a Basset Hound puppy eat large-breed puppy food?: Not usually — despite their weight as adults, Bassets are typically fed as a medium breed given their shorter stature, so a medium-breed puppy formula generally suits their growth pattern better than a large-breed one.
When should a Basset Hound puppy move to adult food?: Most Bassets are ready to switch to an adult formula from around twelve months old, once their main growth phase has slowed. Your vet can confirm timing based on your individual puppy's own growth pattern at a check-up.

Sources

Written against guidance published by UK veterinary and welfare organisations. Always confirm specifics with your own vet.

Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.