Puppy feeding charts / Sporting group
Labrador Retriever puppy feeding chart
A Labrador Retriever grows to about 80 lb (the standard's range is 65–80 lb). Puppy calories track the puppy's current weight, not its adult weight: 12 lb of puppy under four months needs about 748 kcal a day, and the daily total keeps rising until adult weight, when the factor drops and the dog needs 1656 kcal — fewer calories than it did at 32 lb as a growing puppy (1041 kcal).
Chart: calories and cups as the puppy grows
Weigh the puppy, find the nearest row, feed that amount split into three or four meals under four months and two or three after. Re-weigh every two weeks. Cups use 369 kcal/cup (Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials Shredded Blend Chicken & Rice (adult dry)); puppy foods are often denser, so use the kcal/cup on your bag — the sizer accepts it.
| Share of adult weight | Puppy weighs | Stage | Factor | kcal/day | Cups at 369 | Grams |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15% | 12 lb (5.4 kg) | Puppy, under 4 months | × 3 | 748 | 2 | 192 g |
| 25% | 20 lb (9.1 kg) | Puppy, under 4 months | × 3 | 1098 | 3 | 288 g |
| 40% | 32 lb (14.5 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 1041 | 2¾ | 264 g |
| 55% | 44 lb (20.0 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 1322 | 3½ | 336 g |
| 70% | 56 lb (25.4 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 1584 | 4¼ | 408 g |
| 85% | 68 lb (30.8 kg) | Puppy, 4 months to adult | × 2 | 1832 | 5 | 480 g |
| 100% | 80 lb (36.3 kg) | Adult, neutered | × 1.6 | 1656 | 4½ | 432 g |
RER = 70 × kg0.75; puppy and adult factors from the Merck Veterinary Manual. The age split (four months) is Merck's; the weight shares are evenly spaced points for reading the curve, not growth milestones for this breed. Calorie density: Purina. Checked 2026-10-20.
Where the stages fall for a Labrador Retriever
The 3× factor applies while the puppy is under four months, which for a Labrador Retriever usually means the rows up to roughly a quarter or a third of adult weight — around 12–20 lb. Between four months and maturity the factor is 2×, covering the 32–68 lb rows. Large and giant breeds like this one keep growing well past a year, and large-breed puppy foods are formulated to slow that growth slightly for joint health; the calorie math is the same, the food choice is the vet conversation.
The peak of the chart is the surprise for most owners: at 32 lb and 2× RER the puppy eats 1041 kcal, but the same dog at its full 80 lb as a neutered adult needs only 1656 kcal. Watch for the hand-off and reduce the ration rather than letting the adult food amount "catch up".
Growth to watch in a Labrador Retriever
The standard puts an adult Labrador Retriever at 22½–24½ in at the withers (21½–23½ in for females), so a puppy at the 44 lb row — a little over half its adult weight — is typically most of the way to full height and still filling out. Because females of the breed finish around 70 lb rather than 80 lb, a female puppy's rows stop short: read the chart to about 60 lb before switching to the adult factor. The gap between the 68 lb puppy row (1832 kcal) and the adult row (1656 kcal) is the amount to cut at the switch.
Crate divider positions
The same growth rows are a guide for the divider in the adult-size crate. A Labrador Retriever ends up in a 36 in or 42 in crate — see the Labrador Retriever crate size page — and the divider should give the puppy only enough room to stand, turn around and lie flat at each stage, moving back roughly every re-weigh.
Compare with similar breeds
A Golden Retriever puppy at 30 lb (40% of its 75 lb adult weight) needs 992 kcal; A German Shepherd Dog puppy at 35 lb (40% of its 88 lb adult weight) needs 1113 kcal; A Weimaraner puppy at 35 lb (40% of its 88 lb adult weight) needs 1113 kcal.
Adult weight from AKC breed standard (PDF), checked 2026-10-20. Maintenance figures for a healthy puppy; your vet's growth-curve advice comes first.