The high-spirited sidekicks can range from 65-80 pounds (for males) and 55-70 pounds (for females) and stand between 21.5-24.5 inches tall.
With lots of love and care, your medium-to-large-sized dog will be a family companion for approximately 10-12 years.
As a new lab owner you might be asking – how much to feed a lab puppy?
In general, your labrador will do well on age-appropriate, high-grade dog food, which can be store-bought or home-prepared with your veterinarian’s approval.
And labradors love people food, too – so it’s best to watch out for what human foods are safe or not. Labradors can gain weight easily and seem to always be hungry.
So, even though they’re an active breed, it’s not hard for them to fall into the overweight category – which is usually in direct result to overfeeding.
Watching your lab’s quality and quantity of food intake from the puppy stage on is very important so he or she can be as healthy as possible.
So if you’re wondering about how much to feed a lab puppy, we put together this Labrador food guide – just for YOU!
| Age | Type of Food | Cups a Day |
|---|---|---|
| 4 – 6 weeks | Mother’s Milk & Softened Kibble | n/a |
| 8 – 12 weeks | Puppy Kibble | 2 – 3 |
| 12 weeks – 6 months | Puppy Kibble | 2 – 3 |
| 6 – 15 months | Puppy Kibble | 2 – 3 |
How Much Water Should A Lab Puppy Drink?
Once a puppy has been weaned off of his mother’s milk, he will need a constant supply of water to compensate for the lacking hydration. Younger puppies drink about half of a cup of water every two hours.
Older puppies drink about an ounce of water per pound of body weight. When you are housetraining your puppy, you will want to remove the water dish at night.
Be consistent for when it is removed and make sure it is 2 to 3 hours before bedtime to ensure he can go out once more before settling into bed.
Should You Feed A Lab Puppy Supplements?
The reason that you feed your lab puppy food rather than adult dog food is because of the ingredients. Puppy food is higher in nutrients and calories than adult food, because it is intended for growing dogs.
As a result, you do not need to feed your puppy supplements. In fact, since puppy food is usually enriched, you could be giving your puppy too many vitamins and minerals.
Too much calcium will cause more harm than good. If you want to add glucosamine into your lab’s diet to avoid joint issues, talk to your vet about when that would be appropriate.
Choosing Best Brand of Puppy Food
A good brand of dog food is one that will provide all your puppy’s nutrients and keep him healthy without costing you a small mortgage each week.
It’s important to give your little one food specifically designed for puppies, because they have different nutritional needs and their small teeth cannot handle large, hard dog biscuits. Don’t feed puppies the kibble sold for adult dogs.
When feeding your Labrador puppy, the right product will be for medium/large breed puppies. Check the pack carefully and look at the dietary charts. Ideally, you want the optimal protein content and the lowest amount of additives.
Part of this always comes down to the cost, because the healthiest foods are usually the most expensive and may not be affordable for some families.
Some brands of food are more concentrated than and contain a higher proportion of proteins, essential oils, and other nutrients. The cheaper brands may contain more ‘fillers’ in the form of extra carbohydrates, usually made from grain. The absence of these fillers means that you can often feed lower quantities of more costly food, making them less expensive than they first seem.
You might also find that cheaper brands make your puppy poop more due to those extra fillers going straight through him. While some brands are beyond the budget of many families, it is usually good to buy a premium brand.
FAQ
Is 4 cups too much for puppy?
How many cups should I feed my lab?
Is 1 cup of dog food enough for puppy?
How many cups is a puppy serving?