Border Collie Food Calculator, Feeding Guide, and Chart

Quick Links: Table of Contents

Introduction to Feeding the Border Collie

Most dog owners do not know how to properly feed their dogs.

Also, most dog owners overfeed their dogs.

That explains why 59 percent of dogs and cats are overweight, according to research.

Overfeeding your Border Collie will make your Border Collie overweight and obese. Obesity leads to worse health problems for your Border Collie.

Unfortunately, the Border Collie is a dog breed that can become overweight very easily.

Therefore, you need to pay careful attention to what you feed your Border Collie and how much food you feed your Border Collie.

Furthermore, when you overfeed your Border Collie, you waste dog food. Wasting dog food is the same as wasting money. Dog food is a recurring expenditure that adds up to a lot of money over the lifespan of your Border Collie.

The average lifespan of the Border Collie is 12.2 years.

When you feed your Border Collie the right type of food and the right amount of food, your Border Collie will be of the right body weight and the right body condition (not overweight or underweight).

Similarly, underfeeding your Border Collie is as bad of a problem as overfeeding your Border Collie.

When you underfeed your Border Collie or feed your Border Collie an incomplete or unbalanced diet, you reduce your Border Collie`s quality of life.

The right amount of food that your Border Collie needs depends on six important factors.

You need to take all these factors into account when developing a meal plan for your Border Collie. These six factors are:

  • The life stage of your Border Collie (puppy, adult, or senior)
  • The current weight of your Border Collie
  • The body condition of your Border Collie (normal weight, overweight, underweight)
  • How active your Border Collie is (inactive/obese prone, or active/athletic)
  • If your Border Collie has been spayed/neutered
  • The type of dog food that you feed your Border Collie

This article will provide you with a detailed guide on how to properly feed your Border Collie based on the above factors as recommended by veterinarians.

This article also includes the Border Collie food calculator that you can use to estimate how much food to feed your Border Collie based on the six factors we have just mentioned.

Our Border Collie food calculator uses the dog food formula and feeding guidelines developed by the veterinarians from The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center and by veterinarians from the Mark Morris Institute.

Moreover, our calculator knows the calorie content per cup in over 800 popular dog foods (data from the Frankin Animal Clinic). Thus, the calculator can automatically calculate the right amount of each popular dog food that your Border Collie needs daily.

Importantly, since the nutrient requirements of the Border Collie puppy are different from the nutrient requirements of the adult Border Collie, this article contains recommendations on the best food to feed the Border Collie at different ages.

Feeding the Border Collie

Border Collie Food Calculator

Border Collie Dog Food Calculator

Type in/select dog food from list OR enter food KCAL/CUP number
*Enter a value below ONLY IF you want to feed your dog to LOSE WEIGHT or GAIN WEIGHT. Your dog should be 10 months or older
Expert Mode
The calculator will use the custom RER multiplier that you have entered and the current weight of your Border Collie to calculate how much food to feed your Border Collie.

The Border Collie Food Calculator above lets you estimate how much food to feed your Border Collie.

Similarly, to calculate how much water your Border Collie needs, check out our Border Collie water calculator

.

Our dog water calculator lets you estimate how much water your Border Collie needs to drink in a day.

How to Use our Border Collie Food Calculator

To use the dog food calculator:

✔ Select the name of the dog food that you feed your Border Collie from the list.

✔ If the name of the dog food that your feed your Border Collie is not on the list, then find the bag or can of your dog food, the bag should have written on it how many kcals per cup is in the dog food. Enter this value in the calculator in the place of the dog food name.

Check the label of your commercial dog food to know the calorie content per cup in that dog food

✔ Enter the current weight of your Border Collie.

✔ Select your Border Collie`s age range, activity level, and neuter status.

✔ If your Border Collie is overweight or underweight, and you want your Border Collie to lose or gain weight, enter the ideal weight of your Border Collie for its current age in the `How much you wish your dog currently weighs` box. Leave this box blank if your Border Collie is of normal weight.

To know how much Border Collies typically weigh at different ages, check out our article and calculators on Border Collie weight and growth.

CONSULT A LICENSED VETERINARIAN FOR PROFESSIONAL ADVICE BEFORE YOU PUT YOUR DOG ON A WEIGHT LOSS OR WEIGHT GAIN DIET.

How the Border Collie Food Calculator Works

First, the calculator estimates what is known as the Resting Energy Requirement (RER) of your Border Collie.

The RER is the amount of energy that your Border Collie needs when it is `resting`, that is when doing nothing. The calculator uses the current weight of your Border Collie to calculate your Border Collie`s resting energy.

Next, the calculator scales up the resting energy by a factor that corresponds to your Border Collie`s life stage (puppy or adult) and lifestyle (activity level, spayed/neutered, etc). This scaled up energy value (called the maintenance energy) is the energy that your Border Collie needs to maintain its life when not resting.

Finally, the Border Collie food calculator divides the maintenance energy by the amount of energy in one cup of dog food to calculate how many cups of dog food your Border Collie needs.

Monitoring Your Border Collie`s Growth

Tracking your Border Collie`s weight will let you catch abnormal growth.

The answer from the Border Collie food calculator is a starting point number on how much food you need to feed your Border Collie.

Start by feeding your Border Collie the amount of food recommended by the Border Collie food calculator every day.

While feeding your Border Collie this daily amount of food, weigh your Border Collie at least once a week to ensure that your Border Collie is not on its way to becoming overweight or underweight.

If your Border Collie is becoming overweight, reduce the amount of food your feed it by 10 to 15 percent, if underweight increase its food by 10 to 15 percent.

You can use our dog weight tracking tool to keep records of your Border Collie`s weight. This tool will let you know if the feeding plan is making your Border Collie grow normally or abnormally.

You can also check your Border Collie body condition score to find out if it is overweight or underweight. Learn how to check your Border Collie body condition score here.

Border Collie Feeding Chart

Below is the typical feed chart for the Border Collie. This chart provides you a rough guide on how much dry dog food (kibble) to feed your Border Collie.

If you want a more accurate estimate of how much food to feed your Border Collie, use this Border Collie food calculator.

Age Typical Weight How Much Food
14 weeks 16.8 lbs (7.6 kg) 2.5 cups per day
16 weeks 19.2 lbs (8.7 kg) 2.7 cups per day
18 weeks 21.3 lbs (9.7 kg) 2.0 cups per day
20 weeks 23.3 lbs (10.5 kg) 2.1 cups per day
5 months 23.3 lbs (10.5 kg) 2.1 cups per day
6 months 26.5 lbs (12.0 kg) 2.3 cups per day
7 months 29.0 lbs (13.1 kg) 2.5 cups per day
8 months 30.9 lbs (14.0 kg) 2.6 cups per day
9 months 32.3 lbs (14.7 kg) 2.7 cups per day
10 months 33.3 lbs (15.1 kg) 2.8 cups per day
11 months 34.0 lbs (15.4 kg) 2.8 cups per day
12 months 34.5 lbs (15.7 kg) 2.8 cups per day
1 years 34.8 lbs (15.8 kg) 2.9 cups per day
3 years 35.2 lbs (16.0 kg) 2.3 cups per day
5 years 35.2 lbs (16.0 kg) 2.3 cups per day

How to Measure the Right Amount of Dog Food for Your Border Collie

Research has shown that most owners over-measure a cup of dog food. As a result, most dogs owners overfeed their dogs. This is because dog owners do not level off the cup when measuring out the food they give to their dogs.

See how and how not to measure ONE cup of dry dog food in the picture below:

How to properly measure ONE cup of dry dog food

Note that one cup of dog food equals 8 oz of dog food or ~237 milliliters of dog food.

You can buy standard dog food measuring cups here on Amazon.

Guide on how to feed the Border Collie

Best Food for Border Collie. Border Collie Feeding Guide

The Border Collie has different nutrient needs at different life stages. Therefore, the dog food that you feed your Border Collie at different ages should be the type that is appropriate for its age.

For example, during its puppy stage, your Border Collie needs the type of dog food that has been designed to help boost a puppy`s weak immune system.

On the other hand, the adult Border Collie should have already developed a good immune system. So, during the adult stage, you should feed your Border Collie the type of dog food that has been designed to prolong the life of a dog.

Nevertheless, some dogs still do well eating the same food at every stage of their lives.

However, feeding your Border Collie dog food that has been optimized for its age will ensure that your Border Collie grows well, lives well, and lives long.

Feeding Guide for the Border Collie Puppy: 12 weeks to one year

The dog food that you feed your puppy should have the nutrients that will boost a puppy`s immune system since puppies easily get infected with the disease at this age.

Also, a good puppy food should have the nutrients that support brain development and good vision.

Finally, a good dog food for the Border Collie puppy should be the type that will not make your Border Collie fat. The puppy food should also help increase the health of your puppy`s bones.

See our list of the best dry dog food and the best wet dog food for the Border Collie puppy below.

These dog foods have all the right amount of nutrients that the Border Collie puppy needs to grow well during its puppy years.

Best Dry Food For Border Collie Puppy: Hill`s Science Diet Dry Dog Food, Puppy, Chicken Meal & Barley Recipe

Best Wet Food For Border Collie Puppy: Purina Pro Plan High Protein Wet Puppy Food

Feeding Guide for the Young Adult Border Collie: Ages 1 year to 6 years

The dog food that you feed a young adult Border Collie should have the nutrients that will make a dog live longer.

A good dog food for the young adult Border Collie should also have the nutrients that will minimize the chances of your Border Collie getting infected with common dog diseases.

Also, a good dry dog food for the young adult Border Collie should help clean your dog`s teeth as your dog chews on the food.

Below is our best dog food recommendations for the young adult Border Collie

Best Dry Food For Young Adult Border Collie: Hill`s Science Diet Dry Dog Food, Adult Oral Care for Dental Health Dog Food, Chicken Rice & Barley Recipe

Best Wet Food For Young Adult Border Collie: Hill`s Science Diet Wet Dog Food, Chicken & Barley

Feeding Guide for Mature Adult Border Collies: 6 years and older

You should feed the mature adult Border Collie food that has been formulated to improve their quality of life, increase their life expectancy, and increase their overall health.

Older dogs are prone to age-related health problems. A good diet is essential to minimize the possibility of becoming frail with age.

See our recommendation on the best food for the mature adult Border Collie below:

Best Dry Food For Mature Adult Border Collie: Hill`s Science Diet Dry Dog Food, Adult 7+ for Senior Dogs, Chicken Meal, Barley & Brown Rice Recipe

Best Wet Food For Mature Adult Border Collie: Hill`s Science Diet Wet Dog Food, Adult 7+ for Senior Dogs, Beef & Barley Recipe

Feeding Guide for Senior Dogs

One way to slow down the effects of aging in dogs is to reduce the amount of food you feed old dogs by 20 to 30% of normal while meeting essential nutrient needs.

Reducing a senior Border Collie`s food slows the aging process and reduces the risk for cancer, kidney diseases, arthritis, and immune-related diseases.

AAFCO-Certified Dog Food for the Border Collie

No matter which commercial food that you feed your Border Collie, make sure that the food is approved by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).

AAFCO is an expert body that rigorously tests dog food to make sure that the dog food is safe.

Also, AAFCO ensures that a dog food has all the nutrients (not just calories) that a dog needs to grow well before AAFCO approves the dog food.

Unlike homemade dog food, most commercial dog foods are AAFCO-approved. Double-check the label of your dog food to make sure it has been certified by AAFCO before feeding it to your Border Collie.

How Much Food to Feed the Border Collie

How Much Food to Feed a 13-Week-Old Border Collie Puppy

You should feed your 13-week-old Border Collie puppy 2.3 cups of dry dog food (kibble) every day.

You may divide this food into two or three separate meals and give it to your Border Collie puppy over the day.

Our recommendation on how much food should feed your 13-week-old Border Collie puppy assumes that the weight of your Border Collie is typical for its age.

The typical weight for a 13-week-old Border Collie puppy is 15.6 lbs (7.1 kg).

Our recommendation on how much food you should feed your Border Collie also assumes that you feed your Border Collie a dog food with a calorie content of 389 kcal per cup.

If you want a more accurate estimation of how much food to feed your Border Collie puppy based on its exact weight, the exact type of dog food that you feed your Border Collie, and other factors, use our Border Collie food calculator.

How Much Food to Feed a 16-Week-Old Border Collie Puppy

You should feed your 16-week-old Border Collie puppy 2.7 cups of dry dog food (kibble) every day.

You may divide this food into two or three separate meals and give it to your Border Collie puppy over the day.

Our recommendation on how much food should feed your 16-week-old Border Collie puppy assumes that the weight of your Border Collie is typical for its age.

The typical weight for a 16-week-old Border Collie puppy is 19.2 lbs (8.7 kg).

Our recommendation on how much food you should feed your Border Collie also assumes that you feed your Border Collie a dog food with a calorie content of 389 kcal per cup.

If you want a more accurate estimation of how much food to feed your Border Collie puppy based on its exact weight, the exact type of dog food that you feed your Border Collie, and other factors, use our Border Collie food calculator.

How Much Food to Feed a 5-Month-Old Border Collie Puppy

You should feed your 5-month-old Border Collie puppy 2.1 cups of dry dog food (kibble) every day.

Ration this food into two or three separate portions and give it to your Border Collie puppy over the day.

Our recommendation on how much food you should feed your 5-month-old Border Collie puppy assumes that the weight of your Border Collie is typical for its age.

The typical weight for a 5-month-old Border Collie puppy is 23.3 lbs (10.5 kg).

Our recommendation on how much food to feed your Border Collie also assumes that you feed your Border Collie dog food that has an average calorie density (389 kcal per cup).

Use our Border Collie food calculator to calculate a more accurate estimation of how much food to feed your Border Collie.

How Much Food to Feed a 10-Month-Old Border Collie Puppy

You should feed your 10-month-old Border Collie puppy 2.8 cups of dry dog food (kibble) every day.

Ration this food into two or three separate portions and give it to your Border Collie puppy over the day.

Our recommendation on how much food you should feed your 10-month-old Border Collie puppy assumes that the weight of your Border Collie is typical for its age.

The typical weight for a 10-month-old Border Collie puppy is 33.3 lbs (15.1 kg).

Our recommendation on how much food to feed your Border Collie also assumes that you feed your Border Collie dog food that has an average calorie density (389 kcal per cup).

Use our Border Collie food calculator to calculate a more accurate estimation of how much food to feed your Border Collie.

How Much Food to Feed a 9-Year-Old Border Collie

You should feed your 9-year-old Border Collie 2.3 cups of dry dog food (kibble) every day.

Ration this food into two or three separate portions and give it to your Border Collie over the day.

Our recommendation on how much food you need to feed your 9-year-old Border Collie assumes that the weight of your Border Collie is typical for its age.

The typical weight for a 9-year-old Border Collie puppy is 35.2 lbs (16.0 kg).

Our recommendation on how much food to feed your Border Collie also assumes that you feed your Border Collie dog food of that contains 389 kilocalories of energy per cup.

Use our Border Collie food calculator for a more accurate estimation of how much food to feed your Border Collie.

How Much Food to Feed a 12-Year-Old Border Collie

You should feed your 12-year-old Border Collie 2.3 cups of dry dog food (kibble) every day.

Ration this food into two or three separate portions and give it to your Border Collie over the day.

Our recommendation on how much food you need to feed your 12-year-old Border Collie assumes that the weight of your Border Collie is typical for its age.

The typical weight for a 12-year-old Border Collie puppy is 35.2 lbs (16.0 kg).

Our recommendation on how much food to feed your Border Collie also assumes that you feed your Border Collie dog food of that contains 389 kilocalories of energy per cup.

Use our Border Collie food calculator for a more accurate estimation of how much food to feed your Border Collie.

How Much Food to Feed a 20-Pound Border Collie

You should feed your 20-Pound Border Collie 1.7 cups of dry dog food (kibble) every day.

Ration this food into two or three separate potions and give it to your Border Collie over the day.

Our recommendation on how much food to feed your Border Collie also assumes that you feed your Border Collie a dog food that has an energy content of 389 kilocalories per cup, and that your Border Collie is reproductively intact.

Also, we assume that your Border Collie is not overweight or underweight.

Use our Border Collie food calculator for a more accurate estimation of how much food to feed your Border Collie.

How Much Food to Feed a 29-Pound Border Collie

You should feed your 29-Pound Border Collie 2.2 cups of dry dog food (kibble) every day.

Ration this food into two or three separate potions and give it to your Border Collie over the day.

Our recommendation on how much food to feed your Border Collie also assumes that you feed your Border Collie a dog food that has an energy content of 389 kilocalories per cup, and that your Border Collie is reproductively intact.

Also, we assume that your Border Collie is not overweight or underweight.

Use our Border Collie food calculator for a more accurate estimation of how much food to feed your Border Collie.

How much food Border Collie should eat

How Many Times to Feed the Border Collie a Day

When it comes to how many times to feed a dog, there are three different ways to feed the Border Collie

One way is to make food available to the Border Collie at all times (free-choice feeding).

Another way is to feed the Border Collie two or three times a day (food-restricted feeding). This is the feeding method that works the best for most Border Collies.

The third way is to make food available to your Border Collie for a short time (about 10 minutes) once or twice a day (time-restricted feeding).

Each of these feeding methods has its advantages and disadvantages, which will be discussed next.

Free-Choice Feeding

This is a feeding method when you make food available to your Border Collie all the time.

Food-Restricted Meal Feeding

Food-limited feeding requires feeding a measured amount of food based on the Border Collie’s daily energy requirements divided into two or three meals per day.

This is the method of choice for feeding puppies that are at risk of developing bone diseases due to rapid growth. Restricting the food of a rapidly growing dog will ensure that the dog grows normally.

Time-Limited Feeding

This is a dog feeding method in which dogs are allowed access to food for a short period, usually 10 to 15 minutes, once or twice daily (three times per day for the first month after weaning, then twice per day).

Method Advantages Disadvantages
Free-choice feeding
  • Requires less work on your part
  • Requires less knowledge
  • If you own many Border Collies, the less dominant Border Collies will have a better chance of getting their share of food
  • You have less control over how much food your Border Collie eats
  • Makes it hard for you to monitor how much food your Border Collie is eating
  • This feeding method can easily make your Border Collie overweight
Food-restricted feeding
  • You have control over how much food your Border Collie eats
  • You can quickly tell if your Border Collie`s appetite suddenly changes
  • You have better control of your Border Collie`s weight
Time-restricted feeding
  • You have a little bit of control over how much food your Border Collie eats
  • You will be able to tell if your Border Collie`s appetite suddenly changes
  • You cannot really control how much food your Border Collie eats
  • This feeding method can easily make your Border Collie overweight
  • This feeding method requires a lot of work on your part
Border Collie diet

Effect of Neutering/Spaying on How Much Food your Border Collie eats

Neutered/spayed dogs tend to get fat twice as easily as intact dogs.

Studies have shown that neutering/spaying may increase your Border Collie`s appetite for more food. Also, your Border Collie`s physical activity decreases after neutering/spaying. These factors lead to weight gain.

Neutering may lead to more weight gain in male Border Collies because neutered dogs roam less (which means less exercise).

Therefore, the amount of food that you give to a neutered Border Collie should be reduced after you neuter your Border Collie to prevent weight gain.

Use our Border Collie food calculator to calculate how much food to feed a neutered/spayed Border Collie.

Effect of Weather on How Much Food Your Border Collie Needs

Border Collies that live in cold environments need more food (especially, food high in fat) than Border Collies that live in hot environments.

Hot weather, on the other hand, does not increase the amount of food your Border Collie needs. Hot weather only makes your Border Collie need more water.

Since most Border Collies live in a temperature-controlled environment as their owners. Therefore, owners do not need to increase or decrease the amount of food they give to their Border Collies based on the outside weather.

Important Note on Treats and Table Food

Because meeting a dog`s nutrient requirements is not the primary goal of dog treats, most commercial dog treats do not contain the essential nutrients that your Border Collie needs.

However, a few treats are complete and balanced and are approved by AAFCO, or some other credible dog food regulatory agency. Check the label on your dog treat to know if the dog treat has a complete and balanced nutrient profile.

Nevertheless, dog treats, either balanced or unbalanced in nutrients, are valid sources of calories for your dog. Therefore, if you give your dog lots of treats, you should reduce the amount of the regular dog food that you give your dog accordingly to account for the treats. That way, you will not overfeed your dog.

Also, human table foods do not contain the important nutrients that your Border Collie needs for healthy growth.

Also, human table foods may contain very high levels of fat or sodium and other minerals that are harmful to your Border Collie.

Moreover, know that when you feed your Border Collie table food, you fill your Border Collie`s stomach with dog `junk food`. This will suppress your Border Collie`s appetite and thereby make your Border Collie unable to eat its normal dog food that contains the essential nutrients for your Border Collie`s growth.

We do not recommend giving your Border Collie table food.

Conclusion

Most commercial dog food labels contain recommendations on how much of the food to feed a dog. However, their recommendations are very general.

Therefore, in this article, we have provided your specific advice on how to properly feed your Border Collie.