The short answer: there is no universal gram figure, because kibble is not all the same energy density. A 20kg adult dog typically eats somewhere between 200g and 300g of dry food a day, split across two meals, but the only number that is actually correct for your bag is the one printed on the back of it. Weigh it, feed it for two weeks, then adjust by what you can feel along your dog's ribs rather than by what the chart said.
That is the honest answer, and it is less satisfying than a tidy table. So here is how to get to a number you can trust, and what it costs you per day once you have.
Why one chart cannot cover every bag
Dry food is sold by weight and eaten by energy. Two bags of kibble can differ by a third or more in calories per 100g, which means the same 200g scoop delivers very different amounts of food depending on what is in it.
To give you a real figure rather than a hand-wave: Country Pursuit Chicken & Rice states 372 kcal per 100g on the bag, and the Lamb, Rice & Tripe version states 360 kcal per 100g. A richer, higher-meat kibble will sit higher again. Feed a high-energy food at the volume appropriate to a lower-energy one and you will overfeed without ever changing the scoop.
This is the whole reason the manufacturer prints a feeding guide. It is calculated for that specific recipe's energy density. A generic internet table is not.
A starting point by weight
With all of the above said, people want somewhere to begin. For a healthy adult dog on a typical complete dry food, these are reasonable opening amounts for the whole day, to be split into two meals:
- Up to 5kg: roughly 60g to 100g
- 5kg to 10kg: roughly 100g to 160g
- 10kg to 20kg: roughly 160g to 250g
- 20kg to 30kg: roughly 250g to 350g
- 30kg to 40kg: roughly 350g to 440g
Treat those as a place to start, not an instruction. Two things to hold on to: the ranges are wide because activity level moves the number a long way, and the amount per kilo of bodyweight falls as dogs get bigger. A 30kg dog does not eat six times what a 5kg dog eats. Small dogs have faster metabolisms relative to their size, which is why a Dachshund can look like they are eating a suspiciously small pile.
Then go and read the bag. If the printed guide disagrees with the list above, the bag wins.
Weigh it. Do not use a cup.
The single highest-value change most owners can make takes thirty seconds and costs nothing: use kitchen scales instead of a scoop or a mug.
Kibble pieces vary enormously in size and density, so the same cup can hold meaningfully different weights depending on the food and on how it settles. People also quietly round up. Over a year, a consistent 20% overfeed is how a dog becomes a chunky dog without anyone making a decision about it.
Weigh the day's ration once, note where it comes to in whatever container you normally use, and you can go back to the scoop with a line you trust.
Check the dog, not the chart
Feed your starting amount for two weeks, then do this with your hands rather than your eyes, because a coat hides a lot.
- Ribs: you should be able to feel them easily under a thin layer, with light pressure. If you have to press, that is too much food. If they stand out sharply, too little.
- Waist from above: there should be a visible narrowing behind the ribcage.
- Profile from the side: the belly should tuck up towards the back legs rather than running flat and level.
Adjust by about 10% at a time and give it another two weeks. Weight changes slowly in both directions, and chasing it week to week just leads to overcorrection.
Things that genuinely change the number
- Activity. A dog doing two long walks a day against a dog doing twenty minutes round the block is a real difference, not a rounding error.
- Age. Older, slower dogs usually need less than they did at four.
- Neutering. Energy requirements commonly drop afterwards while appetite does not. A very common cause of creeping weight gain.
- Treats and chews. The one nobody counts. If treats are a meaningful part of the day, take the equivalent off the meals. Our guide to what to look for in healthy dog treats is worth a read, and a long-lasting natural chew carries real calories even though it feels like an activity rather than a meal.
- Winter. Less than people think for a dog living indoors. Being cold for twenty minutes on a walk does not meaningfully raise the day's requirement.
- Weather and mood. Dogs eat less in hot weather, which is normal and not a reason to start adding toppers.
Feeding wet and dry together
Perfectly fine, and lots of dogs do best this way. The rule is simple: the two have to add up to one day's food, not two.
The straightforward method is proportional. If you decide on a half-and-half split, feed half the recommended dry amount and half the recommended wet amount. Replacing a quarter of the dry? Take a quarter off the kibble and make it up in tins. Our wet food feeding guide covers the tin side in detail, and if you have not settled the question at all yet, wet versus dry lays out the trade-offs.
How many meals a day?
Two is the sensible default for an adult dog: morning and evening, which keeps them from going a full day on an empty stomach and tends to settle dogs who gulp. Puppies need more frequent, smaller meals, typically three or four a day while they are small, dropping to two as they grow.
One meal a day is not dangerous for a healthy adult dog, but two is kinder on the digestion and gives you a second chance to notice if they have gone off their food, which is often the first sign that something is up.
What it actually costs per day
This is the part nobody publishes, and it is the one that matters when you are standing in front of two bags with a big gap in price between them.
Here is the real arithmetic on our own range, worked at 200g a day (a reasonable figure for a dog of around 15kg to 20kg) using today's prices on the largest bag of each:
| Food | Bag | Price | Per kg | At 200g/day | Bag lasts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country Pursuit Chicken & Rice | 15kg | £45.99 | £3.07 | 61p a day | 75 days |
| Happy Dog Africa | 12.5kg | £64.69 | £5.18 | £1.04 a day | 62 days |
| Happy Dog France | 11kg | £60.99 | £5.54 | £1.11 a day | 55 days |
| Happy Dog Montana | 10kg | £59.19 | £5.92 | £1.18 a day | 50 days |
| AATU Free Run Turkey | 10kg | £79.29 | £7.93 | £1.59 a day | 50 days |
| AATU Salmon | 10kg | £89.19 | £8.92 | £1.78 a day | 50 days |
Two things jump out of that table.
The first is that the spread between the cheapest and the most expensive bowl is about £1.17 a day. Over a year that is roughly £425, which is a real decision rather than a trivial one. If your dog is healthy and has no sensitivities, the rice-based option at 61p a day is a genuinely good bowl of food and we are not going to pretend you need to spend more.
The second is the small-bag penalty, and it is bigger than most people expect. A 1kg bag of Happy Dog Africa at £8.29 works out at £8.29 per kilo against £5.18 per kilo for the 12.5kg, so you are paying 60% more per kilo. AATU Free Run Turkey is starker: £22.79 for 1.5kg is £15.19 per kilo against £7.93 for the 10kg, 92% more.
Which is not an argument for always buying big. It is an argument for buying small once. Spend £8.29 finding out whether your dog will actually eat the stuff, then buy the large bag when you know. A 1kg trial bag is cheap. Twelve and a half kilos of food your dog turns their nose up at is not.
Storing a big bag properly
If you have just worked out that the large bag is better value, protect it. Fats in kibble oxidise once air gets at them, and stale food is a common and completely invisible reason a dog goes off a brand they previously loved.
Keep the food in its original bag, because it is designed as a fat barrier, and put the whole bag inside an airtight container rather than tipping the kibble straight in. Roll the top down, keep it cool and out of sunlight, and aim to finish an opened bag within about six weeks.
Frequently asked questions
How much dry food should I feed a 20kg dog?
Roughly 200g to 300g a day for a healthy adult, split into two meals, as an opening figure. Then check the feeding guide printed on your specific bag, because energy density varies between recipes, and adjust after two weeks based on whether you can feel the ribs easily.
How much dry food for a 10kg dog?
In the region of 100g to 160g a day. Smaller dogs eat more per kilo of bodyweight than large ones, so do not scale down a big dog's portion arithmetically.
Is a cup of dry dog food enough?
Possibly, but a cup is not a unit of food. The same cup holds quite different weights depending on kibble size and density. Weigh the ration on kitchen scales once and mark your container, then the scoop becomes reliable.
Should I feed my dog once or twice a day?
Twice is the better default for adult dogs. It is easier on the digestion, helps with gulping, and gives you a daily check on their appetite. Puppies need three or four smaller meals while they are little.
How do I know if I am feeding too much?
Use your hands, not the scales and not the chart. If you have to press to find the ribs, if the waist behind the ribcage has disappeared when you look from above, or if the belly runs flat rather than tucking up, reduce by about 10% and reassess in a fortnight.
How long should a bag of dry dog food last?
Divide the bag weight by the daily amount. At 200g a day, a 10kg bag is about 50 days and a 15kg bag about 75. Once opened, aim to use it within roughly six weeks so the fats do not go stale, whatever the best-before date says.
Does my dog need more food in winter?
Usually not much. A dog who lives indoors and goes out for walks does not have a dramatically higher requirement in January. Working dogs out in the cold for hours are a different case.
My dog is always hungry. Am I underfeeding?
Not necessarily. Plenty of dogs would eat enthusiastically at any volume. Judge it by body condition rather than by enthusiasm. If they are at a healthy weight and badgering you, the honest answer is usually that they are a dog.
Where to start
Get the scales out, read the back of the bag, feed that amount for a fortnight, and check the ribs. That sequence will get you closer than any table on the internet, including ours.
If you are picking a food rather than portioning one you already have, the whole range is in dry dog food, and if your dog has a delicate stomach, start with the sensitive stomachs guide instead. Free UK delivery over £30.