How many times a day should you eat? How many meals should you eat depending on your age?

01/22/2026 01/22/2026

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It is said that the number of obese dogs is increasing.

The main cause is excessive calorie intake, commonly known as overeating.

Many of you may be experiencing this problem, such as feeding your dog small amounts of human food or giving them too many treats in addition to their regular dog food.

Even if a small amount seems small to you, it's likely a significant amount of calories for your dog.

Obesity can lead to various lifestyle-related diseases, so it's best to avoid obesity as much as possible.

The appropriate number and amount of meals for dogs varies depending on their age, so this article will introduce the appropriate diet for dogs.

The first thing to do is to avoid becoming obese

It's difficult for a dog to lose weight once it's obese.

If the cause of obesity is overeating, restricting a dog's diet can be stressful for a dog accustomed to that habit.

To maintain a healthy body without straining it, it's important to avoid obesity in the first place.

Owners need to be aware of what kind of food is appropriate for their dogs and how often they should be fed.

Number of Meals by Age

Similarly, humans feed their puppies different amounts and frequency of meals depending on their age.

〇Puppy

Puppies' digestive systems are still immature, so they cannot digest the same amount of food as an adult dog in one sitting.

For this reason, feed your puppy a daily meal amount based on their weight, divided into 3-4 meals.

It's said that you should start reducing the number of meals around 6 months of age, but this period varies depending on the dog. If you notice your dog's appetite increasing, gradually increase the amount of food served per meal.

Two meals a day is generally appropriate by around 8 months of age, so gradually reduce the number of meals while monitoring your dog's condition.

Also, There's no need to worry about overfeeding your puppy from the early stages.

Puppies need more nutrition than adult dogs.

Even if your pet gains weight, it's proof that it's properly absorbing the nutrients it needs to grow.

However, if your pet continues to have diarrhea or loose stools, it's possible that the amount of food you're giving it at one time is too much.

Rather than reducing the overall amount, try giving your pet smaller amounts at one time and see how it goes.

〇Adult Dog

After one year of age, your dog will become more active and eat more.

It will also be possible for your dog to eat an appropriate amount of food for its weight in one meal.

Therefore, if you feed your dog constantly just because it will eat, it will quickly become obese.

Also, adult dogs require less energy than puppies.

Puppy food contains more nutrients and calories than adult food.

Continuing to feed puppy food to adult dogs can also lead to obesity.

Adult dogs generally receive two meals a day, one in the morning and one in the evening, with the amount of food appropriate for their weight.

Although your dog can eat a full meal in one sitting, it can be difficult to digest, so it's best to split it into two meals.

Some people split their meals into three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. As long as you split the meals appropriately, there's no problem.

Dogs that run around outside every day or get a lot of exercise will need more energy.

Be sure to consider your dog's activity level when deciding how often and how much to feed them.

〇old dog

Even when a dog is called an old dog, it can be difficult to determine when it becomes old.

Even in humans, there's no set rule for what age a dog becomes an older brother or an older grandfather.

However, small and medium-sized dogs are generally considered old after the age of 8, and large dogs are considered old after the age of 7.

Older dogs tend to exercise less and burn less energy than their adult counterparts.

In addition, their digestive ability gradually declines.

Because their energy expenditure has decreased, it's important to change your dog food to one designed for senior dogs.

Dog food for senior dogs is low in calories and contains protein and other ingredients that are good for joints.

This helps compensate for muscle loss and joint deterioration caused by a decrease in exercise as we age.

It's fine to keep feeding your dog twice a day, just like an adult dog. However, if your dog has digestive problems or is weaker, increase the number of meals to three or four times a day to avoid stressing their digestion.

What to do when your dog isn't eating properly?

If your dog won't eat even though you're following the recommended amount and frequency, try changing the type of food (dog food) or the frequency of feeding.

If this doesn't improve the situation, we recommend consulting a veterinarian.

For adult dogs, skipping a day isn't an emergency, but puppies need a lot of nutrition, so skipping even a day can be dangerous.

Also, a lack of exercise can sometimes cause your dog to not eat properly.

Just like humans, if you don't exercise and use up energy, you're less likely to feel hungry.

If your dog doesn't eat, it will become malnourished, so it's important for him to get moderate exercise.

Furthermore, giving your dog too many treats is also one of the reasons he won't eat his food.

Treats have a strong smell and flavor, so once your dog gets used to them, dog food will seem bland.

This is the same as sharing your dog's food with him.

Dogs will always crave strong-flavored or delicious foods.

Be careful not to give them too many treats or too much human food.

Recommended Dog Food That Dogs Love to Eat

Finally, here are some recommended dog foods that are popular with dogs.

Dogs have different taste preferences, so if you feel like your dog isn't eating the food you're currently feeding them, we recommend giving this dog food a try.

☆Moguwan

Moguwan is a dog food made with plenty of chicken and salmon.

It also contains a balanced amount of sweet ingredients like sweet potatoes and apples, and all fresh ingredients are processed at low temperatures, making it a popular choice for dogs.

☆Butch

Butch is wet dog food, not dry dog food.

Since wet dog food is a favorite food for dogs, combining it with dry dog food when your dog is struggling to eat its food can help improve your dog's appetite.

This will help your dog eat more of the food.

However, feeding your dog only Butch is not good for its dental health, so we recommend giving it together with dry dog food when your dog stops eating dry dog food.