How Much Do Newfoundlands Eat?

Known as the “gentle giant” Newfoundlands were originally bred to be working dogs in their namesake country. Newfoundlands are a large breed, holding true to their nickname. Newfoundlands are very large and are usually either black, brown, white, or a combination of those colors. They are/were popular working dogs for fishermen because of their swimming abilities. They would also pull nets around for them, among other things. Many people wonder before getting one of these dogs, “how much do Newfoundlands eat?” Contrary to popular belief, it may be less than you think.

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How Much Do Newfoundlands Eat? An Overview. 

Although Newfoundlands are large dogs, they do not need an extremely large amount of food to maintain a normal and healthy growth pattern. Considered a “giant” breed, like the Great Dane, you would think that they need a lot of food, but it’s actually not that much in comparison to many other breeds of the same weight and size class. So, with that being said, how much do Newfoundlands eat, actually. 

A Newfoundland puppy will usually consume 2 cups of food at an average of 3 times a day. This will be for around the age of 6 months.

An adult Newfoundland will usually eat 2-3 cups of food, twice a day. Because Newfoundlands are larger breeds, it is important to keep their weight in mind.

Having a strict dietary schedule can help keep your dog lean, and not obese. Obesity in dogs can lead to serious health problems.

While Newfoundlands aren’t exactly the leanest dogs, they are still considered working class and are able to pull their own weight. 

Health Problems

Good quality food or kibble is the best choice to make sure that your dog doesn’t overeat. If you feed your dog a good grain of food than they should be able to digest it just fine. Bloat can occur when you overfeed your dog as well as many other health complications.

With bloat being an issue, you should try your best to make sure that your dog is not overeating. Which can lead to obesity, and a variety of other health issues.  Newfoundlands are prone to a variety of health problems because of their stature.

Problems including elbow and hip dysplasia. Dysplasia is an abnormal formation of different sockets and can lead to arthritis. Which, can be very painful. Heart problems are also common in Newfoundlands. You may also want to look into an elevated dog feeder for your Newfoundland, which may alleviate some of the stress on their body.

Growth

Because Newfoundlands are a massive breed, it is important to feed them food that will help them grow properly. This will help avoid any health issues such as dysplasia. Dysplasia partly happens because of rapid growth in dogs. It can be genetic or environmental, which is why it’s important to test your dog’s genetics.

They are active dogs, which is partly due to them being considered working dogs. It is best to determine a diet that will accommodate their growth. A growing Newfoundland puppy will weigh around an average of 90lbs & will need the corresponding caloric intake.

It is important to feed Newfoundlands a high-quality diet. This should consist of around 20-25% protein. As well as 10-15% fat. This is optimal for slow and steady growth.

Each dog’s activity level will differ, although, maybe not by much.

To be safe, you should feed a growing puppy an average of 3 times per day. Puppies do most of their growth in their adolescent stage, naturally.

It is still important to watch your dog’s weight, however. Human grade dog food is an excellent choice to look into. It is dog food that is made with materials that would be safe enough for an average person to eat. 

In Short

As stated before, it is important to watch the diet of your dog. You do not want to be overfeeding them. If your dog is eating an abnormal amount of food, you should check the quality of the dog food that you are feeding them.

Sometimes a switch in brands may be a good idea. An adult male Newfoundland is usually 130-150 lbs. An adult female Newfoundland is usually around 99-120 lbs. Although, it is not uncommon for dogs to weigh a little bit more than those.

It is important to check with a veterinarian to get proper screenings for your dog. That way, you can check for a history of genetic disorders.