How much to feed a Labrador: a daily ration without weight gain
An adult, neutered Labrador weighing 30 kg needs about 1,435 kcal a day with normal exercise. That is roughly 400 g of dry food (at 360 kcal per 100 g) or about 1,435 g of wet food. A calm female at 25 kg gets by on about 1,095 kcal (305 g of dry food), while an active male at 36 kg needs around 2,060 kcal (570 g). Because many Labradors are genetically hungrier and use less energy, the scales after two weeks matter more than any table.
Updated on
Adult weight
- Male:
- approx. 29–36 kg
- Female:
- approx. 25–32 kg
Weight in working condition according to the American Kennel Club breed standard (65–80 and 55–70 lb respectively).
Activity type
A retriever with plenty of stamina – its needs range from the easy-going family dog to the dog doing dummy training as a sport.
Breed watch points
POMC appetite gene, excess weight
Calculate how much to feed your Labrador
Enter the weight and choose the type of food – the result updates instantly.
Leave empty = typical value of 360 kcal (usually 330–400 kcal/100 g). If the pack says MJ/kg, calculate MJ/kg × 23.9.
Result
400 g
Dry food per day
≈ 1,435 kcal · 2 meals of 200 g
Get it worked out for your dogRecipes with grams per ingredient in the DoggoMeal app- Range per day
- 360–440 g
- Meals
- 2 per day
- Per meal
- 200 g
- Energy
- 1,435 kcal (1,290–1,580)
How the figure is calculated
Resting energy requirement 70 × 30 kg^0.75 ≈ 897 kcal × factor 1.6 ≈ 1,435 kcal per day.
1,435 kcal ÷ 360 kcal per 100 g (typical dry food) × 100 ≈ 400 g.
- A starting point – check the weight every 1–2 weeks and adjust the amount in small steps. Treats count too.
Labrador feeding chart by weight and activity
Adult, neutered dog. Dry food with 360 kcal, wet food with 100 kcal per 100 g.
| Activity | kcalper day | Dryg per day | Wetg per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 kg | |||
| Calm | 1,095 | 305 | 1,095 |
| Normal | 1,250 | 345 | 1,250 |
| Active | 1,565 | 435 | 1,565 |
| 30 kg | |||
| Calm | 1,255 | 350 | 1,255 |
| Normal | 1,435 | 400 | 1,435 |
| Active | 1,795 | 500 | 1,795 |
| 36 kg | |||
| Calm | 1,440 | 400 | 1,440 |
| Normal | 1,645 | 455 | 1,645 |
| Active | 2,060 | 570 | 2,060 |
How it is calculated: Calm = factor 1.4, Normal = 1.6 (neutered, 1–2 hours of walks), Active = 2.0. Entire (unneutered) dogs with normal exercise come out about 12 per cent higher (factor 1.8).
Example for 30 kg: resting energy requirement 70 × 30 kg^0.75 ≈ 897 kcal × factor 1.6 = 1,435 kcal a day, divided by 360 kcal per 100 g = 400 g of dry food. If your pack states a different value, enter it in the calculator above.
Why Labradors so often want more than they need
In 2016, a research team at the University of Cambridge found a deletion in the POMC gene in Labrador Retrievers. It disrupts the production of β-MSH and β-endorphin, two messenger substances involved in regulating hunger and energy. Dogs with this variant were heavier on average, had more body fat and showed greater food motivation. The allele frequency in the study was 12 per cent; among Labradors trained as assistance dogs, the variant was considerably more common than among family pets. Apart from the closely related Flat-Coated Retriever, it was not found in any other breed studied.
A follow-up study in Science Advances (2024) showed that affected dogs use considerably less energy at rest and react more strongly to food cues. When given a large meal, however, they did not feel full any later than other dogs. What this means for you: a Labrador that begs constantly does not automatically have too little in its bowl – and the figures in the table above may well be too high for it rather than too low.
- Take the starting value from the table, then weigh your dog every one to two weeks and adjust in 5 per cent steps.
- Deduct training treats from the daily ration rather than giving them on top.
- Offer part of the ration through search games, a snuffle mat or a treat ball – this makes eating take longer without adding calories.
What lean Labradors gain
The best-known long-term study on how much to feed dogs was carried out with Labradors: 48 puppies from seven litters, divided into pairs by sex and weight. From the eighth week of life, one dog in each pair received 25 per cent less of the same food. The dogs fed less lived a median of 1.8 years longer, and age-related diseases – particularly osteoarthritis – appeared later. Their skeletal development did not suffer from the smaller amount.
Applied to everyday life: in a Labrador in good shape, you can feel the ribs without pressing, and from above you can see a waist behind the ribcage. If that is not the case, calculate with the target weight rather than the current weight. A Labrador weighing 34 kg that should weigh 30 kg gets about 895 kcal a day while losing weight – roughly 250 g of dry food. In the calculator above, choose the goal “Lose weight” for this.
Labrador puppy: better to grow slowly
Labradors are one of the large breeds and grow for longer than small dogs. During this phase, too much energy does more harm than a lean bowl – in the long-term study described above, the restricted feeding started at just eight weeks without the skeleton suffering.
Feed a large-breed puppy food, weigh your puppy every one to two weeks and adjust the amount to the growth curve, not to its appetite. Until about three months, split the daily amount into four meals, after that into three.
The puppy feeding calculator works out the exact amount by age and current weight.
Recipes with grams per ingredient – for your Labrador
In the DoggoMeal app you create a profile for your Labrador – with weight, age, activity and allergies. From this, the app calculates recipes with grams per ingredient, daily calories and portions.
- Dog profile
- Recipes with gram amounts
- Allergy warnings
- Cooking with video
Free · no subscription · every feature included
Common questions about feeding your Labrador
How much dry food does a Labrador need per day?
A neutered 30 kg Labrador with normal exercise needs about 1,435 kcal, so roughly 400 g of dry food with 360 kcal per 100 g. If your food has a different energy density, divide the daily requirement by the kcal per 100 g stated on the pack and multiply the result by 100.
How much wet food does a Labrador need?
With wet food at around 100 kcal per 100 g, the calorie requirement corresponds almost one to one to the number of grams: a 30 kg Labrador with normal exercise comes to about 1,435 g a day, split into two meals.
Why is my Labrador always hungry?
In many Labradors, a variant in the POMC gene is behind it. Affected dogs show more food motivation and use less energy at rest. More food is therefore not the answer: stick to the calculated amount, use part of it for search games and have hunger checked by a vet if it comes with weight loss, heavy thirst or diarrhoea.
How much should a Labrador weigh?
According to the American Kennel Club breed standard, males in working condition weigh about 29 to 36 kg and females about 25 to 32 kg. More important than the number is the body shape: ribs can be felt without pressing, waist visible from above.
How often should I feed a Labrador?
Adult Labradors usually get two meals a day, puppies four until about three months and three after that. The daily amount stays the same – it is just divided up.
Sources
- Official Standard of the Labrador Retriever – American Kennel Club (AKC)
- A Deletion in the Canine POMC Gene Is Associated with Weight and Appetite in Obesity-Prone Labrador Retriever Dogs (Raffan et al., 2016) – Cell Metabolism
- Low resting metabolic rate and increased hunger due to β-MSH and β-endorphin deletion in a canine model (Dittmann et al., 2024) – Science Advances
- Diet restriction and ageing in the dog: major observations over two decades (Lawler et al., 2008) – British Journal of Nutrition
Calculation method
- Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats (2006) – National Research Council (NRC), National Academies Press
- Global Nutrition Guidelines – World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA)
- Nutritional Guidelines for Complete and Complementary Pet Food – FEDIAF – European Pet Food Industry Federation
Read on
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