Feeding a Labrador: Portions, Weight & Avoiding Obesity

Labradors are Britain's favourite dog — and also one of the breeds most likely to pile on weight. That's not a reflection on owners; it's partly written into the breed. The reassuring part is that a Labrador's weight is almost entirely within your control once you understand *why* they're so food-driven, *why* it matters more for this breed than most, and exactly how to portion, treat and feed them through each life stage.

Why Labradors are so prone to weight gain

Two forces stack up against a Labrador's waistline.

The breed was built to eat and work. Labradors were developed as hard-working gundogs — retrieving all day in cold water demands a big appetite and a high food drive. That drive is still there in the family pet, but the all-day work usually isn't, so the calories that once fuelled a day's retrieving now have nowhere to go.

There's a genuine genetic factor too. A landmark 2016 University of Cambridge study (Raffan et al., *Cell Metabolism*) identified a deletion in the POMC gene in around a quarter of Labradors — and in roughly three-quarters of a sample of assistance dogs. POMC helps produce the hormones that tell the brain "you're full", so dogs carrying the variant feel hungrier, are more motivated by food, and tend to be heavier. It's one of the clearest examples in any dog breed of appetite being partly hard-wired.

None of this dooms your dog to obesity — it simply means portion discipline and enrichment matter more for a Labrador than for almost any other breed. When a Lab acts like it's "starving", that's usually the breed and the genetics talking, not an empty stomach.

Why a lean Labrador matters so much

This isn't about looks. Carrying extra weight is one of the most damaging things that can happen to a Labrador's long-term health, and the breed is already vulnerable in ways excess weight makes worse:

• Joints. Labradors are predisposed to hip and elbow dysplasia and arthritis. Every extra kilo adds load to joints that may already be struggling, bringing stiffness and pain on sooner.
• Lifespan. The famous Purina Life Span Study (Kealy et al., 2002) — which followed Labrador Retrievers for 14 years — found that dogs kept lean lived a median of around 1.8 years longer than their slightly overweight littermates, and showed signs of arthritis years later. Same genes, same homes — the only difference was how much they were fed.
• Wider health. Excess weight raises the risk of diabetes, puts strain on the heart and breathing, makes anaesthetics and surgery riskier, and leaves a thick-coated dog far less able to cope with hot weather.

Put simply: keeping a Labrador slim is probably the single biggest day-to-day thing you can do for how long and how comfortably they live.

How much should you feed a Labrador?

There's no one magic number — intake depends on age, ideal weight, neuter status and how active your dog genuinely is — so treat the packet as a starting point and let your dog's body tell you the rest.

• Start from the feeding guide on the food, but read it against your dog's *ideal* adult weight (most adult Labs sit around 25–36kg), not their current weight if they're already carrying extra.
• Weigh each portion on kitchen scales rather than using a scoop — scoops reliably over-serve, and 10–20% too much every day is how weight creeps on invisibly.
• Split it across two meals a day for adults.
• Recalculate after neutering — energy needs can fall by up to a third, so the portion that kept them lean before will now add weight unless you cut it back or move to a lighter food.
• Count everything — training treats, dental chews, a bit of toast — it all comes out of the daily total, not on top of it.

Puppies: feed for slow, steady growth

Labrador puppies should be on a complete large-breed puppy food. Large-breed formulas are designed to grow pups *slowly* — overfeeding a big-breed puppy and pushing rapid growth is linked to orthopaedic problems later, so resist the urge to "fill them out". Follow the staged feeding guide for their age and expected adult weight, feed three to four measured meals a day, and never free-feed (leave food down all day) with a breed this food-motivated.

Judge by body condition, not just the scales

The most useful tool is your hands. Vets use a Body Condition Score (the WSAVA 9-point scale); for a Labrador at a healthy weight you should be able to:

• feel the ribs easily with light pressure, like the back of your hand,
• see a clear waist when you look down from above, and
• see the belly tuck up when you look from the side.

If the ribs are hard to find and the waist has gone, your dog is over ideal weight. Weigh them roughly once a month — many UK vet practices run free nurse-led weight clinics — so you catch the trend early rather than after a kilo has crept on.

Treats, scraps and the 10% rule

Treats should make up no more than about 10% of daily calories, and that allowance comes *out* of the meal, not on top of it. For a food-obsessed breed, the trick is to make low-value food go further: break treats into tiny pieces, and use part of the daily kibble as training rewards so you're not adding calories at all. Good low-calorie extras include carrot, green beans and cucumber — and if you're ever unsure whether something is safe, check it first with our Can My Pet Eat This? tool, as some everyday foods are genuinely toxic to dogs.

Slow the gulping down

Labradors are notorious for inhaling a bowl in seconds. A slow feeder bowl or a snuffle mat turns that 30-second gulp into several minutes of sniffing and problem-solving. That paces eating (which can help reduce the risk of bloat that comes with gulping air), helps them feel more satisfied, and gives a busy, food-focused brain a job to do — genuinely one of the simplest wins for the breed. For big eaters, a larger or sturdier feeder works best.

Pair diet with exercise

Portion control does the heavy lifting, but a well-exercised Labrador is easier to keep lean and far calmer at home. Build up to a sensible daily amount for their age and health and keep their brain busy too — our Dog Walking Calculator helps you set a realistic routine.

When to talk to your vet

See your vet if your Labrador keeps gaining despite careful feeding, seems *ravenously* hungry beyond normal breed enthusiasm, or you simply can't shift their body condition — occasionally an underlying issue such as an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) or Cushing's disease is involved. To set a calorie target to discuss with them, our Pet Calorie Calculator is a useful starting point.

*This is general guidance, not a substitute for advice from your vet, who can assess your individual dog.*

Sources

• Raffan, E. et al. (2016). *A Deletion in the Canine POMC Gene Is Associated with Weight and Appetite in Obesity-Prone Labrador Retriever Dogs.* Cell Metabolism — University of Cambridge.
• Kealy, R.D. et al. (2002). *Effects of diet restriction on life span and age-related changes in dogs.* JAVMA — the Purina Life Span Study (Labrador Retrievers).
• WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee — Body Condition Score guidelines (wsava.org).
• UK Pet Food — UK pet obesity data (ukpetfood.org).
• PDSA — pet weight and feeding guidance (pdsa.org.uk).