How can I make my Labrador lose weight

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated September 16, 2024

Contributions sourced from

How Much Should My Labrador Weigh? Including Weight Charts & Puppy Growth

The average Lab weighs 60-80lbs, but you might be surprised to hear that the number on the scales doesnt actually matter. Its what you see and feel that makes the difference. And today, Ill show you how to work out if your dog is a healthy weight.

A while ago we surveyed members of our Labrador community and compiled the weights of their Labs into the chart below.

There is quite a big difference between individual Labrador puppies and older dogs in each age group! Most people worry at some point that their Labrador might be overweight or underweight so Ill explain how you can tell if your Lab is the right weight, and why there is such a big variation in weight and size in the Labrador breed.

Labrador Puppy Weight Chart By Age

Puppy growth rate is rapid to begin with and tales off significantly after about twenty weeks. Lots of our readers want to know how much should their Labrador weigh at five months, or six months, etc.

We collected the data from our forum to create the Lab weight chart above. For a rough idea of how much your pup should weigh at each stage of their life, you can compare them to this chart. As you can see, variation within each age group is normal.

Average Labrador Weight

As a rough guide, an adult female Labrador will weigh between 55 and 70lbs. An adult male Lab will weigh 65 80lbs.

Female Lab weight will on average be lower than male Lab weight, but there is a considerable overlap with many larger females weighing more than some males.

Labradors also come in a different types, and your Labs type and their parentage, will have an impact upon their ideal weight.

English Lab Weight vs American Lab Weight

Simply giving you Labrador average weights in pounds can be misleading. It doesnt take into account that English and American Labs can be very different in appearance. And that Labradors vary in their body shape and fitness levels.

Built for speed and agility, your American Lab will often weigh less than your friends English Lab, but not always! English Labs, bred from show lines, are often at the upper end of the scale. You can expect English Lab weight to be around 60 70 lbs for a female and 70 80 lbs for a male.

Some of our chunkier, show bred Labs can be big! Up to twenty pounds heavier than their field bred cousins, without necessarily being overweight. Whereas the slimmer, working American Lab will often be at the lower end of average.

Of course, its not just build that we need to consider, there are many factors that determine the right weight for an individual dog. Labs in great physical condition will weigh more than they did before the reached that condition. Lets look at why that is.

How Much Does A Labrador Weigh When in Peak Condition?

Volume for volume, muscle weighs more than fat yet takes up less space inside your dog. As a dog gains muscle through exercise and activity, their weight will increase.

So a fit dog will have more muscle and weigh maybe ten or fifteen pounds more than an unfit dog of similar dimensions or with a similar frame.

What with the different types of Lab (American /English) and the different fitness levels of different dogs, you can see how difficult it can be to give a rule of thumb on adult Labrador weight. And why unless a dog is grossly obese, or desperately thin, the scales may not reflect your dogs state of health at all.

Coat Color vs Weight

In theory there should be no difference in weight between Labradors of different colors. But in practice there can be some, especially in the colors that are predominantly from either show/English or working/American lines.

Black Lab Weight

Weight for an English black Lab will probably be at the higher end of the range, for an American black Lab it will likely be lower. Black Labs are frequently found in both these categories.

Chocolate Lab Weight

Chocolate Labs are more likely to be show bred than field bred. And because English Labs weigh more than American Labs in general, our chocolate friends may therefore be at the higher end of average when it comes to weight.

Yellow Lab Weight

Your yellow Labs are commonly found in both categories, so have a wide range of weights along with varying coat shades.

White Labs are more likely to be English Labs, and will probably be heavier. Fox red Labs are normally American Labs, and therefore may be lighter in build than the paler yellow Labs that are more popular in the show ring.

So if the scales are not going to help you, how can you figure out whether or not your Lab is a healthy weight?

Labrador Ideal Weight: Does Your Lab Pass The Test!

The way to effectively judge whether your Lab is at an ideal weight is not through the scales. It is by feel and appearance. Your dog should have a waist. You should not be able to see ribs, but if you press firmly along his sides you should just be able to feel your fingers bumping along them.

This Lab really needs to shed a few pounds

Lab Puppy Weight: How Often To Weigh Your Pup

To an extent, this information applies to puppies as well as adults. People often worry about their puppys weight, but in most cases it really is not necessary to weigh your puppy regularly! Any more than you would weigh your three year old child on a daily or weekly basis. There are however, some exceptions.

Very thin puppies

Occasionally our readers have puppies around three weeks old, failing to thrive because they were sold before they were ready to leave their mothers. The only action here is urgent veterinary treatment.

Most puppies sold after eight weeks fall into a healthy weight range. As a very rough guide, many Labrador puppies will weigh around a kilo for every week of their lives. So you would expect a ten week puppy to weigh around ten kilos or twenty-two pounds.

A twenty percent variation around this would be fairly normal. If your puppy falls outside this variation he may still be perfectly healthy, but a veterinary checkup will put your mind at rest.

Should I Weigh My Dog?

The main reasons to weigh a dog are weight loss or gain. Thin puppies need regular weigh-ins to ensure they are gaining weight. Overweight adult Labs need weekly weighings, along with visual checks, to ensure you stay on track with their diet.

Your veterinarian may also need to weigh your dog to give an accurate dose of drugs if he needs medical treatment.

How to weigh a dog

You can weigh a puppy in your arms at home with the bathroom scales by subtracting your own weight. Tiny dogs can be weighed on kitchen scales, or by using fishing scales to weigh a puppy placed carefully in a shoulder bag (weigh the bag first and subtract its weight from your total).

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Larger dogs will need to be weighed on purpose built scales. Most vet surgeries have one in the waiting room, and some pet stores have them too.

How Much Should My Labrador Weigh?

Appearances count more than numbers. Look at your dog objectively, and avoid comparing with other dogs weight.

Some other dog owners will tell you your slim Labrador is too thin. This is because people are getting used to so many dogs being overweight, including some of those receiving the highest accolades in our show rings. If you are worried, check with your vet, but the chances are your dog is healthy, and it is reallytheir dog who is overweight.

The Labrador Site Founder

Pippa Mattinson is the best selling author of The Happy Puppy Handbook, the Labrador Handbook, Choosing The Perfect Puppy, and Total Recall.

She is also the founder of the Gundog Trust and the Dogsnet Online Training Program

Pippa's online training courses were launched in 2019 and you can find the latest course dates on the Dogsnet website

The Fat Labrador Weight Loss Diary

Maxo used to be a fat Labrador! However in less than 6 months hesuccessfullylost16 kg (35 lbs.) in body weight, completely transforming his life for the better! Here is his weight loss story. Use it to inspire a healthy weight makeover, to transform your fat Labrador into a fit Labrador!

Tip!
Successful dog weight loss is achievable no matter how overweight your dog!The sooner you start,the sooner your dog can enjoy the many benefits of being a healthy weight!.

The Arrival of our Fat Labrador Retriever!

25th September

The excitement has been building and finally the day has come,for the arrival of Maxo! Wow, hes big Mum! and Bear, Bear! exclaim the kids.Theyre not wrong. Maxo, the fat Labrador is even more overweight than hispet profile picsuggested!

From the moment we meet, it is clearthis gorgeous lump-of-a-dog isgoing to fit in just fine!With his wagging tail, huge grin and with his body-a-wobble, Maxo greets us as though an age-old friend.

Its a quick trip to his new home, once we manage to get him into the car! Despite our encouragement, Maxo does not evenattempt to lift his front legs. Let alone jump into the car. Such feats are a physical impossibility for this fat Labrador! So it is leftto my husband and I to manoeuvrehim into the car without breaking our backs. Not surprisingly, our Labrador weight estimations skyrocket as we attemptto lift him!

Eventually plastered in sweat and dog hair, we head home with two excited children and one very happy Labrador.

26th September

There's plenty of cuddles for this overweight labrador!

After a quiet and settled first night, Maxo has made himself at home. Hes explored the garden and the house and is quite at ease in his new surrounds. I swear he has been ticking off his own personalized Labrador must-have checklist:Fridge checkKitchen access checkFood bowl checkDog food supplies checkChicken coop and compost scrap bucket bonus!Food throwing toddlers double bonus for a fat labrador!

And of course so too have we!Child friendly tick (hes the best!)Nojumping up on people tick (although I think hed love to, if he could!)Dog friendly tick (can you be too friendly?)Chicken friendly still decidingwhether our pet chooksare food or friends!Good health all appears good other than his obesity!

We are off to a great start! And tomorrow is a big day with a trip to the vet clinic planned for Maxos first weigh in!

The Fat Labrador Diet Begins!

September 29th

First things first- a fat labrador weight check.

Today is the day.the commencement of Maxos Fat Labrador Weight Challenge!

So in biggest loser style, it is time for Maxos first weigh-in. After the effort of lifting him safely in and out of our car, I figure theres no way Ill be using the bathroom scales for this task! So off to the veterinary clinic we traipse, in search of some specially designed dog scales. Im sure this is a routine our family shall become only too familiar with!

Once at the clinic and with a little encouragement, Maxo ambles onto the scales. We watch on with bated breath as the digital display escalates and finally settles on the magic number of 45 Areading of45 kg or 99 pounds! It is official- this fat Labrador is so overweight he falls into the clinicallyobese category!!

Maxo is not a particularly big framed lab. He standsat 57 cm at the shoulder which is similar to the height of the average female Labrador retriever. Based on his height we calculate his ideal dogweight to be in the range of 28-30 kgs (61-66 lbs).

This means Maxo needs to lose nearly 38% of his total body weight! Or to look at it another way- Maxo weighs 50% above his ideal dogweight!

These calculations are engrossing, right? So much so, that I am oblivious to the fact that my 3 year old sonhas located a basket of pig ear chews. Lincoln has proceeded to run around the vet waiting room holding two chews to the sides of his head, pretending to be a pig!

I may be distracted from my performing piggy but Maxo is not! He has been drooling and watching intently and spies his opportunity as my sondrops an ear to the floor. My arm iswrenched by the leash, as Maxo excitedly pounces upon the ear. With an excited snort and spittle flying, Maxo devours the pig ear in 4 seconds flat.

WOW,THIS LABRADOR SURECAN EAT! Having justdevoured250 unplanned calories in under 4 seconds! There's no mistaking, the fat Labrador weightchallenge has definitely begun. I'll have to upmy game with this lab!

Overweight Labrador Weight Loss Mission on Track

October 9

Progress Update:We are now one month into our fat Labrador weight loss mission and therehas been great news all round! Maxo has taken to his new home, new diet and new activity plan like a duck to water!

At his recent weigh-in Maxo had lost a total of 3.8 kg (8.4 lbs) in 4 weeks, putting him right on track to achieve his target weight of 30 kg by Christmas!

Averaging 950 grams per week (2.1 % of his body weight), Maxo is perfectly positioned within the guided overweight Labrador weight loss range (1-3% of starting body weight per week).

So how have we achieved these Labrador weight loss results?

Step 1: Organizea VetCheck-Up for Your Overweight Labrador

You know the advice Please see you doctor before starting this weight loss program? Well the same applies for dogs. A veterinary check-upwas our starting point for Maxos weight loss mission. This involved a general health check and a blood profile.

A check up for your overweight labrador is advisable before starting a dog diet

These vethealth checks are recommended because approximately 5% of overweight dogs have a predisposing medical cause such as overactive adrenal glands (hyperadrenocortism) and under active thyroid (hypothyroidism).

Excess dog weight also predisposes to conditions such as heart disease, joint disease and diabetes.Veterinary checks for conditions such as these will enable any underlying conditions to be effectively managed so that optimal weight can be achieved.

Fortunately for us, Maxoreceivesa clean bill of health on his blood test results!

Step 2- Finda Suitable Diet Food for Your Fat Labrador.

Dogweight gain comes down to asimple equation; if calorie intakeis greater than calorie output, weight isgained.

This equation had obviously been in action for quite while with out fat labrador. So to limit Maxo's calorie intake,acalorie-restricted obesity management food was selected.

Specialized diet foodfor dogs should be low in fat and calories, high in protein (to help dogs to feel full longer and maintain muscle mass). This food must be portionedto meet thedaily calorie needs andallowance foryour dog's healthy weight.Maxos daily foodration is pre-measured every day and split between his breakfast and dinner.

Due to our busy lifestyle our personal preference is to feeddry dog food or kibble.From a practical point of view I find that dry food is less messy, easier to measure and easier to store. However tinned/wet food and nutritionally balanced homemade dog food is also suitable for weight management. Learn more about dog diet food here.

And treats you ask? Well weve taken the no treat approach. You may think this is a little harsh but I beg to differ. Instead of using food as positive form of attention I find its far more engaging for dogs if they receive plenty of pats, play and belly rubs.

Yes ALL dogs love treats but they also LOVE our attention! The fast fix of a treat is soonforgotten whereas engaged play and our attention has a longer lasting positive experience.

I mustadmit,our no treat approach has been relatively easy compared to what it would be in most households. With our fat Labrador arriving to a clean slate; a household where there are no pre-set treat feeding habits.If your dog depends on treats, there are several tacticsyou can employ to reduce the number of treats you feed. Check them outhere: 4 Ways to Limit Dog Treats and Say No to Pleading Eyes.

Learn how to avoid pleading looks from your overweight labrador.

Step 3:Restricted exercise levels suitable for a fat Labrador

Why restricted you ask? Well in addition to lacking stamina, overweight and obese dogs are prone to joint injuries and heat stress when exercising. Being a fat Labrador, Maxo is especially prone to heat stress and he tires very quickly.

Because of our hot climate, we walk Maxo early in the morning and late in the evening and try to incorporate a cooling dip in the local creek whenever we get the chance. Heaven for an overweight Labrador living in a hot climate!

Currently Maxo averages 2 x 20 minute sessions of lead walking or swimming per day. As his fitness improves and his weight drops these sessions will gradually increase in time and intensity. See more aboutexercising overweight dogs.

So there you have it... Maxo is losing weight due to a lifestyle makeover! And the funny thing is,we are also reaping the rewards. I had forgotten just how good it feels to end the daytaking your dog for a walk. I absolutely love our new Maxo family outings; quality time when the days stresses can melt away and we all get to enjoy the great outdoors together.

Water play and swimming areideal past times for a fat labrador!

HalfwayTowards Our FatLabrador Weight Loss Goal!

27th November

It is official we are on the home straight! Maxo has passed the halfway mark in his Labrador weight loss journey! Well done Maxo! He has now lost 8.3 kilograms (18 lbs) out of his targeted 15 kg (33 lbs) loss.And what a difference this hashas made!Gone is our lethargic bear of a Labrador and in his place is an alert, active and shapelier version!

Here are just a few weight loss benefits weve observed in Maxo so far: No more sleep apnea (yes this is a fat Labrador issue!) Reduced snoring Reduced inflammation and itchiness of his skin Increased energy Increased alertness Less panting Improved stamina- Maxo enjoysgoing on longer walks Better mobility- Maxo finds it easier to get up from restand now climbs stairs with ease And best of all, Maxo has started to jump into the car by himself (thank goodness!)

Maxo is a very willing participant. We couldnt ask for better. Hes taken to his diet food with relish and is super keen for his twice daily outings. Swimming is a regular favorite, as are off-leash romps with his friends down at the local creek.

Sure, we still get the doe eyed and pleading puppy eye looks whenever there is food around and yes we do need to keep an eye out for his opportunist food seeking behavior (especially around the kids!). But thisis just part and parcel of having a Labrador in the family. And it is up to us as his owners to stand firm and do our best for him by not giving in! It turns out that a good old belly rub and a bit of fuss is ten times more rewarding than being fed a treat anyway!

Maxos fat Labrador to fit Labrador transformation is a great experience for the whole family. And seeing just how far Maxo has come further motivates us in helping him lose his final 7 kilos to attain his target weight of 30 kg.

Let the journey continue

Almost there! Maxo tries not to look too smug about his fat labrador weight loss achievement!

The Mystery ofMaxos Stalled Labrador Weight Loss

12 thDecember

The countdown to Maxos first tropical Christmas has begun! And with his move to the tropics our fat Labrador has discovered that there is a very tasty pay-off to the heat and humidity of this time of year the mango season!

All that was required for this discovery was an afternoon amble with one of his canine companions where Maxo observed his friend sniff out and devour a fallen mango. Up until this point Maxo had paid no attention to mangoes at all, but now armed with this tacit piece of doggy knowledge, Maxo has realized his own backyard bounty of mangoes on offer.

It seems that at first Maxos mango snacking occurred as a midnight feast, with Maxo clearing up mangoes droppedby nocturnal fruit bats. Other than making the occasional remark Maxo your tummy looks a little more bloated than usual we've remained blissfully unaware of Maxos fruit snacking past time.

But as it turned out, we were not imagining things! In the following days Maxos desire for mango increased and his snacking extended into daylight hours. Showing off the fruits of his labor, Maxo would carry his mangoes to us and quickly devour them skin and all leaving behind a well denuded seed.

I know mangoes are not the typical food to feed a dieting Labrador yetIwasnt overly concerned. I mean, how fattening can the occasional mango be?

Well it turns out, if you eat enough of them they can be veryfattening indeed-especially for a fat Labradortrying to lose weight! Following on from Maxos most successful week of Labrador weight loss (1 kilogram/ 2.2lb. loss), my husband and I were gob smacked to discover that Maxo lost absolutely nothing in his subsequent week. Nought, zilch, not one single gram!!

So it turns out mangoes arent so innocent after all, especially when you consider the whoppers our mango tree dropped. Each mango alone can weigh up to 500 grams. Alittle research on my behalf revealingmangoes have a calorie count of 60kcal/100 gram of mango flesh. So in effect each mango eaten by our Labrador equated to about 250 kcal consumed. Which meant Maxo was more than doubling his daily calorie consumption through fruit alone!

Let Maxos mango madness be a timely reminder of just how important it is to account for every possible food source our dogs have access to. Mangoes prove that there is no suchthing as calorie free food. Soremember,everything that passes our dogs lips, contributes to their daily calorie tally.

Fortunately for us the mango tree has finished fruiting and we expect Maxos weight loss journey to continue on schedule in time for Christmas. Maxo has done so well with his fat Labrador weight loss program and is now honing in towards his target weight.

But there may be trouble on the horizon as I have recently spied some ripening passion fruit and banana in the garden and wonder how long it will be before Maxo is ready to develop his tropical fruit palate further!

Despite his mango setback, Maxo makes great progress in his fat labrador transformation. Posing next to the equivalent of 10 kg / 22lb weight loss.

Fat Labrador to Fit Labrador Transformation is Complete!

February 23rd

No longer an overweight labrador. Maxo's transformation has resulted from 16 kg /35 lb weight loss.

Maxo has officially done it! He has achieved his healthy target weight!! We can confidently say our fat Labrador has successfully morphed into a fit Labrador!

Weighing in at 29.5 kgMaxo has transformed from an obese Labrador into Maxo the Superdog! Maxo can run, jump, swim and play-with energy to spare! No longer satisfied with tagging along behind his doggy friends, Maxo keeps up with the best of them and can now outrun many! Who wouldhave thought?

Instead of lardy,he is lean! Instead of fatigued, he is fit! And instead of tubby,he is terrific!Maxo has completely transformed!

So much so that visitors often think he is a different dog!Having lost 15.5 kg since September, Maxo is barely recognizable and looks so much younger.His energy levels have sky rocketed and finally he is living a life befitting of a three year old Labrador! A healthy life full of energy and play.Go Maxo!