How many times a day should I feed a goldendoodle puppy?

It depends on age rather than a fixed rule: most puppies start on three to four meals a day at eight to twelve weeks, move to three meals through the middle months, and settle on two meals a day from around nine to twelve months. Follow the schedule suggested on your specific puppy food, since formulas vary.

When does a goldendoodle stop being a puppy for feeding purposes?

It depends heavily on their expected adult size. A miniature goldendoodle may be close to fully grown by around 12 months, while a standard-sized one can keep developing until 15-18 months. Most puppy food packaging gives a rough age or weight point to switch to an adult recipe, and a vet can confirm it's the right time for your particular dog.

My goldendoodle puppy seems hungry all the time, should I feed more?

Not automatically. Puppies, and goldendoodles in particular, are often very food-motivated, which isn't the same as being underfed. Check their body condition rather than their behaviour at mealtimes, and if you're genuinely unsure whether they're getting enough, a vet can weigh them against a growth curve and tell you either way.

Do goldendoodles need a large-breed puppy food?

Only if they're likely to grow into the larger end of the breed's range. A puppy expected to reach a bigger adult size can benefit from a food formulated for controlled growth, which is worth checking on the specific food's packaging or asking your vet about if you know roughly which size your puppy is heading toward.

Goldendoodle puppy feeding chart: how to read one

There isn't one goldendoodle feeding chart that works for every puppy, because a goldendoodle can mature anywhere from around 20kg to over 40kg depending on whether the parents were miniature, medium or standard. What actually works is a method: check your puppy's current weight and their likely adult size against the feeding guide printed on whatever complete puppy food you're using, then adjust as they grow rather than following a number that was worked out for someone else's dog.

How a feeding chart is meant to be used

A feeding chart on a bag of puppy food is a starting point, not a fixed rule. It's built around a puppy's current weight and their estimated adult weight, because a growing dog needs proportionally more food per kilo of body weight than an adult does, and that ratio changes fast in the first year.

For a goldendoodle specifically, the wide range in adult size is the whole complication. A litter from miniature poodle parents might settle at 9-15kg full grown, while a standard cross can reach 25-35kg or more. If you don't yet know your puppy's likely adult size, your breeder or vet can usually give you a reasonable estimate from the parents' sizes, which is the figure the chart on the bag actually wants.

How feeding changes as they grow

Most complete puppy foods are fed in smaller, more frequent meals early on and fewer, larger meals as the puppy matures. A young goldendoodle puppy typically starts on three or four meals a day, drops to three meals through the middle months, and settles onto two meals a day as they approach their first birthday.

Goldendoodles, especially from standard-sized parents, can take longer to reach full adult size than a small breed does, sometimes not filling out completely until 15-18 months. That means many owners keep feeding a puppy or growth formula for longer than they would for a naturally small dog, and it's worth checking the specific food's own guidance on when to switch to an adult recipe rather than assuming a fixed age.

Reading the amount off the bag

Once you know roughly where your puppy will land as an adult, find that column on the feeding guide and follow the row that matches their current weight, not their expected final weight. The amount shown is a daily total, usually meant to be split across the number of meals appropriate for their age.

Treat the number on the bag as a starting point rather than a fixed target. A wriggly, food-motivated goldendoodle puppy can put on weight quickly if the guide amount is generous for them individually, so it's worth checking their body condition every couple of weeks — you should be able to feel their ribs without pressing hard, with a visible waist when you look down at them.

When to check in with a vet

A puppy who seems constantly hungry, is gaining weight much faster or slower than the breed range suggests, or has ongoing loose stools after a food change is worth discussing with a vet rather than adjusting portions repeatedly on your own. They can weigh your puppy against a proper growth curve and tell you whether what you're doing is on track.

The same goes if you're not sure which size category your particular goldendoodle is heading toward — a vet can often give a more informed estimate once they've examined your puppy's frame and paw size than a chart alone can.

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

Browse all of Knowledge Hub →

Common questions

How many times a day should I feed a goldendoodle puppy?: It depends on age rather than a fixed rule: most puppies start on three to four meals a day at eight to twelve weeks, move to three meals through the middle months, and settle on two meals a day from around nine to twelve months. Follow the schedule suggested on your specific puppy food, since formulas vary.
When does a goldendoodle stop being a puppy for feeding purposes?: It depends heavily on their expected adult size. A miniature goldendoodle may be close to fully grown by around 12 months, while a standard-sized one can keep developing until 15-18 months. Most puppy food packaging gives a rough age or weight point to switch to an adult recipe, and a vet can confirm it's the right time for your particular dog.
My goldendoodle puppy seems hungry all the time, should I feed more?: Not automatically. Puppies, and goldendoodles in particular, are often very food-motivated, which isn't the same as being underfed. Check their body condition rather than their behaviour at mealtimes, and if you're genuinely unsure whether they're getting enough, a vet can weigh them against a growth curve and tell you either way.
Do goldendoodles need a large-breed puppy food?: Only if they're likely to grow into the larger end of the breed's range. A puppy expected to reach a bigger adult size can benefit from a food formulated for controlled growth, which is worth checking on the specific food's packaging or asking your vet about if you know roughly which size your puppy is heading toward.

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.