labrador puppy
labrador puppy

Labrador retrievers make wonderful pets. People with new puppies, however, can be surprised by how quickly—and how big—their dogs grow. Making sure your new family member is growing according to schedule is an important part of responsible dog ownership.

First, are you sure that you have a Labrador retriever on your hands? Is it a full-blooded Lab or a mixed breed? Knowing what breed your dog is mixed with will help you determine how big he’s supposed to be. Also, English Labs tend to weigh less than American Labs, which can weigh as much as 120 lbs.

Larger breeds, such as Labradors, have longer growing periods than say, Daschunds. Adult weight is generally reached at around 11-15 months of age. For most Labs, this will be 70-80 lbs. Male dogs will usually be heavier. In 15 months, the Labrador retriever puppy (born around one lb) multiplies his birth weight by 70 or more!

Most Lab puppies are around 10 lbs at eight weeks of age and reach 50 lbs at around seven months of age. As a rule of thumb, they will gain 2 lbs a week until they are about 26 weeks old. Because they grow so quickly, your pup may appear clumsy and awkward for a while as he adapts to his bigger, stronger body.

The growth rate for labs slows down as the puppy approaches adulthood. Make sure you’re feeding your dog appropriately as he heads into a stable adult weight—Labs can get rather rotund if you overfeed them! And that’s not good for their health for a lot of reasons.

You can weigh your Lab with calibrated electronic scales for the most accurate results, but any household scale will work just fine.

Proper nutrition will keep your beloved pet’s growth going at the proper rate. Don’t skimp on the food—your dog needs the right fats, protein, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. Meat, poultry or fish should be the first ingredient. Remember, Lab puppies need twice the nutrition of older dogs. Look for food specially formulated for growing dogs.

A Lab with healthy weight will not have any ribs visible; however, you should be able to run your hands along his side and feel the individual ribs.

If a Lab puppy isn’t growing at the right rate, have your vet check him for worms or intestinal parasites. 2_pups

Remember, hip dysplasia is a common problem with larger breeds; you can help minimize the condition by making sure your dog isn’t overweight. Your veterinarian will be the most qualified to help you make sure your Labrador puppy’s growth is on track, so take your pup in for an exam and don’t be shy about asking questions!

A healthy Lab that’s the right weight will be a happier dog and a faithful friend to you and your family for many years.

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27 COMMENTS

  2. I have taken in three rescue dogs that were deserted by their former owners. They are the most lovable animals I have ever experienced. It is terrible how some individuals treat animals like property or worse. My hope is that more people will get enlightened about this topic.

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  5. My new Black lab puppy is a mix of English Pure bred and American pure bred and at 8months SHE is already 65lbs. She gains about 5lbs a week right now and gets a vet appointment every two weeks. She us unfixed her mom is 110lbs at two years and her dad is 100lbs at 10months right now… so what can i expect her to be at her full growth i’m assuming but im eager to know. Thanks

    • Thank you for your comments. I have read a variety of responses to this question. Labs are considered puppies until they are 2 years old, however, both of mine were fully grown around 12 -15 months. Labs do came in all sizes, and if the mother and father were both over 100l lbs, there is a good chance that your puppy will be that size. Just make sure to keep her active as labs do love to eat, and obesity is very common.

  6. I have an 8 year old male chocolate lab who was up to 130 pounds. We put him on a diet, cutting back his food and replacing that with vegetables. After 4 months he lost 25 lbs and is now a beautiful 105.
    I’m glad he is no longer chubby, but he is still HUGE. Many people ask me what he is…? whatever… Are labs becoming bigger? I was wondering when labs became so big? Everything I read says Labs are 55-75 lbs but I have the feeling they are often more like my Toby.
    Any thoughts?

  9. my chocolate is 14 wks and already weighs 45 lbs, and he is all muscle and tall…. I cant believe how fast he is growing!!!

  10. Lola was 19.4lbs at 10 weeks and now 26.2lbs at 12 weeks. She has a bigger structure and we feed her the normal amount of Wellness puppy food.

    Oh and Angie, I hope you’re not serious. If you are I would recommend seeing a vet. What kind of chocolate? Mixed or American or English? Male or female?

  12. Angie, my yellow lab puppy will be 4 mo on the 6th and is 41 lbs! She doesn’t even eat all her food and is in beautiful shape. She comes from large parents and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us 🙂 do you have a male or female?

    • Sorry for the delayed responce, but I your dog needs a well-balanced dog food, designed for puppies. A better food will prolong the life of your pet, as well as improve his coat, eyes and overhall health. Do a little research and look at the ingredients…it’s worth the extra money.

  15. I have a male that was 58 pounds on the day of his fifth month mark. Both his parents are a little under 100 but with the rest of his litter still in the 30s I have a feeling he’ll out grow both parents.

  16. i got my yellow lab/golden mix at 6wks.he was 9.8lbs the day i got him..we stopped at the vet to check.then two wks later we took him in and he was 15.8lbs!!so im sure hes around 19lbs now that it has been another week.so basically he was 9wks yesterday and is close to 20lbs!!my pure bred golden is 90lbs ..hes the tallest golden ive seeen..they are usually very think and my dog is not he super tall and hes got some meat on him.but if my new pup getsbigger than him than thats a whole lotta dog!i love big dogs so its fine with me!!:)

  19. Duke, our beautiful black lab pup, will hit the 6 month mark next week and is already a hefty 63lbs. Can anyone gauge, based on his current weight, his approximate full grown weight. He is not at all fat, he is pure lean muscle Thanks, Dukes Mommy

  21. my wee little yellow lab mix puppy ..that someone didnt seem to think is big is 6 months tommorow..READY FOR IT..HE WEIGHS IN AT 65LBS TODAY!!!!!hes still has another 6-9 months of growing …eeek..he is not super tall but hes very solid..not fat..he is as a matter of fact at the lanky stage..so i dont think people would think hes that heavy..ecspecially when hes by my very tall golden..but when hes around the neighborhood dogs boy can i tell he has grown..im so curious to see how he will look full grown.

  22. Hey Ernest I think that is a normal good weight. My little black lab female is a little larger than I thought she would be at this point. She’s a week shy of 5 months and weighs 49 lbs. Hoping she finishes closer to 75 than 85. I bet yours will be 70 lbs.

  23. My 10.5 week old yellow male is 19.4 lbs. He is not trained with treats and eats blue diamond large breed puppy food. His mom was only 55lbs and dad was 70lbs. I was hoping for the 55-65lb range. Not a chance according to the vet. I am amazed by his growth in the few short weeks we have had him.

  24. My almost 5 month old lab is very short and weighs in at 30lbs…starting to think he is mixed but was told otherwise by the original owners but oh well we love him more than ever!!! his paws are still huge tho mabey he just hasnt hit his tall spurt yet? idk

  25. My lab puppy just turned seven months old, he is a mix between an englsh and an american, and he weighs 81 pounds. He has the height of the american labs, but the muscle and head of an english, I can’t wait to see how big he is fully grown

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