About the Labrador Retriever
Friendly, food-obsessed and energetic — Labs are working retrievers that genuinely love to eat. A typical adult Labrador Retriever weighs around 25–36 kg (Large).
How many calories does a Labrador Retriever need?
Calorie needs use the veterinary formula 70 × weight(kg)0.75 (the Resting Energy Requirement), multiplied by a lifestyle factor of ×1.52 for a typical dog at the life stage shown. Enter your own animal's details in the calculator for an exact figure. The Labrador Retriever carries a breed metabolic adjustment of ×0.95, already applied below.
| Body weight | Daily calories | Dry kibble ~3,500 kcal/kg | Wet ~1,050 kcal/kg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 kg | 1190 kcal | 340 g | 1133 g |
| 26.571 kg | 1245 kcal | 356 g | 1186 g |
| 28.143 kg | 1300 kcal | 371 g | 1238 g |
| 29.714 kg | 1354 kcal | 387 g | 1290 g |
| 31.286 kg | 1408 kcal | 402 g | 1340 g |
| 32.857 kg | 1460 kcal | 417 g | 1391 g |
| 34.429 kg | 1512 kcal | 432 g | 1440 g |
| 36 kg | 1564 kcal | 447 g | 1489 g |
Feeding a Labrador Retriever for a healthy weight
Labradors carry a genetic variant (POMC) that makes many of them perpetually hungry and highly prone to obesity. Weigh food, resist the begging, and keep treats within the 10% budget.
What to feed a Labrador Retriever
Dogs are facultative carnivores: they thrive on meat-forward diets but can use carbohydrate and plant matter. A complete-and-balanced food (dry, wet, fresh, or properly-formulated raw) meeting AAFCO or FEDIAF standards should make up the vast majority of intake, with treats capped at 10% of daily calories.
Most adult dogs do best on two meals a day. Puppies under four months need three to four smaller meals; large-breed puppies should be fed a large-breed-specific formula to slow bone growth and protect their joints.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my Labrador always hungry?
Many Labradors carry a POMC gene variant linked to increased appetite and food motivation. It's biological, not misbehaviour — so portion control and measured feeding matter more for Labs than almost any other breed.
How much should I feed a Labrador puppy?
Large-breed puppies like Labs should eat a large-breed puppy formula, fed to keep them lean, not fat. Rapid growth from overfeeding stresses developing joints and raises hip/elbow dysplasia risk.
How much should I feed my dog per day?
A 10 kg neutered adult dog at a healthy weight needs roughly 500-560 kcal per day — about 150-165 g of standard dry kibble split over two meals. Scale up or down with weight, activity and life stage using the calculator above.
Should I feed my dog once or twice a day?
Twice a day suits most adult dogs and helps regulate appetite and blood sugar. Puppies need three or more meals; some giant breeds prone to bloat also do better with smaller, more frequent meals.