People often ask questions about the best way to feed a Labrador . There are two broad options available.
- Dry kibble
- Raw meat and bones
Both methods of feeding have their supporters and detractors.
How to feed a labrador
By far the majority of Labrador owners nowadays, feed their dogs on kibble. That is the dried pellets of dog food that you can buy in pet stores and online. All major pet food companies now supply a dried version of their brands and very few people now feed the canned dog foods that were popular twenty or thirty years ago.
The effect that this shift away from wet food and onto dried food, has had (if any) on canine health remain the subject of speculation. However, it would appear that most Labradors thrive on kibble and it is extremely convenient.
Increasing popularity of raw food
Over the last ten years a more natural diet of raw meat and bones has become increasingly popular in the UK despite some website giving out dire warnings of the dangers of letting dogs consume bones. I wrote a fairly in-depth article on why I switched to raw food for my dogs some years ago and you can read about that in Switching to Raw.
In the article I recommend a number of reading resources for those considering the switch. Whatever route you decide to take, there is more to feeding a dog than just the contents of his bowl.
Feeding Labrador puppies
When you first bring your puppy home, your breeder should have provided you with a diet sheet, some food, and plenty of information on feeding Labrador puppies .
It is really important to stick with his familiar food for the first few days as moving home is quite traumatic enough for an eight week old pup without giving his tummy a shock too.
If you have not been given any food or any information on how to feed a puppy then I suggest you call in to your local pet store and buy a small sack of (kibble) puppy food that is appropriate for his breed and age. Read the information on the sack carefully, as there are lots of different versions of each ‘brand’ and only one version is the right one for your puppy.
No cows milk
One common mistake made by new Labrador puppy owners is to feed their puppy on cows milk. Unfortunately cows milk is not well suited to puppies and may give your puppy diarrhoea. You can buy replacement for bitches milk, but an eight week old puppy is actually weaned and doesn’t need milk at all.
If you have inadvertently bought a puppy that is too young to leave its mother (less than seven weeks old), do phone your vet for advice on proper care and feeding, and take the pup for a check up without delay.
Water
Puppies and older dogs need water available to them at all times during the day. It is ok to take your puppy’s water away an hour before bedtime to help with housetraining provided that it is at least an hour since his last meal.
Kibble fed dogs drink quite a lot of water, raw fed dogs may drink very little. This is normal.
Several small meals
The amount of food that your Labrador puppy needs to eat each day must be divided into several portions. If you try and give him the whole day’s ration in one go, he will probably give it his best shot, but it will almost certainly give him diarrhoea and could damage his stomach as kibble swells after drinking.
From eight to twelve weeks your pupppy will benefit from four meals a day, breakfast, lunch, tea and supper. Space the meals at least three hours apart to give him chance to digest them properly. And make sure the last meal is a two to three hours before his last trip to the toilet at bedtime.
7am, 11am, 3pm and 7pm works quite well. It is fine to work out your own schedule to fit in with family life. Don’t ask him to go more than six hours without food during the day though, and make sure you get the four meals slotted in.
Once your puppy gets to three months old you can divide his daily ration into three portions, and by six months to two. Breakfast and supper.
Many dog owners continue to feed their dogs twice a day throughout their lives. Some people feed their dog’s once a day after twelve months of age, and that is fine if you decide to feed raw meat. But with kibble it may be too much dry food in one go. Very large meals may be associated with ‘bloat’ especially in larger breeds of dog.
Don’t leave food down
Some people leave food down for their dog’s to ‘graze’ on. I do not think this is a good idea. Take up your puppy’s bowl after ten minutes. He won’t come to any harm if he hasn’t quite finished, and will soon learn to eat up his meal at mealtimes.
Household scraps
Puppies need a very well balanced diet to grow up strong and healthy. Unless you are a very experienced dog owner and knowledgable about nutrition and the dietary needs of a growing animal, it is not a good idea to feed your puppy on household scraps. Complete puppy foods contain all the nutrients your pup needs to develop a healthy body.
Raising pups on raw
The same provisos apply to raw feeding. Raising a puppy on raw meat food requires some considerable knowledge of nutrition and is best left to experienced raw feeders, unless you have thoroughly researched the subject in advance.
Vet checks
All puppies need regular veterinary check ups and when you take your puppy to the vet for his vaccinations this is a great time to ask any questions you might have on his diet and welfare generally.
This information is part of a range of articles in our Diet and Exercise pages. If you enjoyed this article you might like to read Labrador Puppy Growth
This article was written by Pippa Mattinson. Pippa’s latest book Total Recall
Pippa Mattinson
The Labrador Site is brought to you by Pippa Mattinson. Pippa's latest book Total Recall is a complete recall training programme for puppies and adult dogs
{ 35 comments… read them below or add one }
Good to see that we’re feeding Nevis corrctly! I was becoming a bit paranoid, feeding him 4 meals a day!
Now he’s over 12 weeks, we’ll now start changing his feed (gradually) and change from 4 meals a day to 3 meals a day – Once he’s used to the new feed!!
Glad you found the information helpful Sheila
my Labrador puppy is 8 months old .The breader uses cerlac wheat flavord and i continued feedind it for 2 days it stop eating it and i brought pedigree for my dog and it is not eating it amnd now it is drinking only milk .Can u plz suggest me wat to do and when do i dewarm my puppy ..And vaccine too..
Hi there, whereabouts are you? UK? USA? I am not familiar with the food you mention. Is your puppy eight months or eight weeks?
my black lab is 28 days old and he is not able 2 stand properly.is this ok?and when does a lab stand on his own feet and start moving
Hi, your puppy should be able to walk by now. He should also still be with his mother and breeder. He is far too young to be away from the litter. If you are looking after him please get him to a vet. Pippa
We have a 18 month Labrador dog, occasionally wets his bed at night! We feed him once a day in the late afternoon, then he drinks a lot of water. His food is dry food with some meat. Is there a optimum time of day to feed the dog, should it be once a day or twice, he prefers to eat only once a day.
Any advice greatly appreciated.
Thanks
In theory it is ok to feed a dog once a day if he is able to maintain a good body weight, is not at risk from bloat, and has no problems with upset stomachs after a large meal. With a kibble fed large dog I would be tempted to err on the side of safety and divide the meal into two.
With regard to the bed wetting, there could be various reasons. He could be being left too long at night. He might have a bladder infection or some other physical problem. He may have got into the habit of wetting his bed through being unable to leave it and wee elsewhere at some point in the past.
It may be worth a check up with the vet to exclude any physical or health problems.
Pippa
Hi,
My 18 months old Lab “Bruno”used to eat by himself by now he doesn’t so I have to soak Pedigree in water and spoon-feed him,also because I work I can’t feed him in the afternoon.So he has boiled eggs with rice at dinner.
How can I change his feeding habits and most importantly what should I feed him with.
Please help me.
Here is an article on feeding your labrador. A healthy (check with your vet first) dog will never starve himself, all you have to do is stop spoon feeding him and he will give in and feed himself. A check up with the vet is important before you attempt this in case he has a dental or health problem that is making eating painful or difficult. Pippa
Our lab Jet is a year old bitch, she kept quite thin so we started to give her 1 lb of green tripe every evening and 1 mugful of jameswellbeloved lamb rice in the morning but we have noticed that her a.m. droppings are good but the longer it goes into p.m. they get softer, any ideas
Hi Irene
James Wellbeloved is a complete food. Tripe is not and needs to be balanced with a certain amount of bone, organ, and muscle meat. Dogs fed on kibble often have slightly mushy droppings. As do dogs fed on raw meat that does not contain sufficient bone.
My suggestion would be to drop the tripe and stick with JW, or to switch to a balanced raw diet which will include some tripe.
To increase weight feed a larger quantity of food divided into several meals.
Pippa
Hello, I am so glad I found this site. I have a female Lab 2.5 yrs old. Switched to raw since she’s 7 months old. Everything is fine with her diet – good variety, balanced meaty bone + organ+fat of either chicken,beef,pork/turkey, 2 meals a day(small meal at noon and bigger one in the evening ). However she hasnt been eating properly for 5 days now. I had to force food into her mouth, and she would reluctantly swallow it. At first I thought she’s being clingy, so I stopped doing that the 2nd day. She doesnt seem to bother if she doesnt eat anything . She’s not ill at all, Her droppings is fine too and when we take her out she’s her usual active self. I wonder if you have any suggestions other than going to the vet ? Thanks
Hi Jess, not eating for five days is serious. You need to take your dog to the vet. Good luck
hey thanks for the reply, i didnt mean to sound like a irresponsible dog owner but i did decide to let nature to take its course. I am pleased to tell you that she did start eating volunturily again 6 days later and everything is fine now. She eats like a horse
. I suppose they know themselves the best, when they dont want to eat, perhaps they need some sort of detox (i know 5 days is a bit too much). Anyway all the best to you Pippa. I love your site !
Hi there
Our adorable Jessie is a 10 month old golden lab. She is adorable, and annoying at the same time. I’m a bit concerned about how fast she eats a relatively big raw meat bone, this afternoon she devoured one in under 5 minutes, is that normal? What happened to chew on it for a few hours? Has anyone else had this?
Hi! I just got an 8 week old chocolate lab and he’s doing great! Everything is easy with him so far but I do have one question. How much should he be fed at each meal time. I had him on twice a day with about a half cup each time but I will be changing that based off this article. Thanks!
Hi Amber, start by using the guidelines recommended by the manufacturer, and than adjust according the appearance of your dog. Check out this article on puppy feeding
Pippa
Hello, have just joined the site. Is really useful and good to read other lab owners comments.
We have a year old lab who weighs 23kgs. Since a puppy have fed him Arden Grange dry complete food which he has thrived on. Are now gradually making the switch to Arden Grange adult. He has a small build and is lean. At moment not particularly enthusiastic about his food and will eat less than we give which is 400g per day approx. have been thinking of combining the occasional wet food pouch to make food more interesting or should we just cut back a bit. Exercise consists of 20 min on lead week days and and 30 mins with frisbee or dummy retrieve weekday evenings. Spends days in office. At weekends 2 good off lead walks.
Does this sound ok? He is our first dog and we are new to all this !! Vet nurse weighed him and did not say he seemed under weight.
Hi Brenda,
Glad you find the site helpful. Try not to worry about exact quantities and weights. No-one can predict exactly how much your dog should have, as individuals vary so much. The important factors are is he too fat, or too thin? If he looks good, feels good (not too bony!) and is active and well, he is getting enough to eat. Here is an article about exercise.
You might find the forums helpful too, they are a good place to meet and chat to other labrador owners.
Best wishes
Pippa
Hi ,
My Labrador puppy is 53 days old, he was very active when we brought him home last week but on our vets advice, we gave him bath to remove ticks as he was always engage in scratching himself to get rid of itching. But just after that day he stopped eating his royal cannin, though we are giving him ORS and multivitamins, we even gave him powdered milk , which he liked alot. But we are worried as he is not at all active and doesnt eat his food at all. Kindly advice.
Hi Sarita,
A young puppy that stops eating and becomes lethargic needs to see the vet urgently. I hope your puppy is ok
Pippa
Can we feed egg for my 45 days old lab puppy, now we are giving puppy food(pedigree)soaked in curd.
I just got two labs and they are two months old,
They are very active and each weights about 5 pound,I took them to the vet and they got their first shots , now one of them eats very well but the other one is not eating. It’s been 36hours since last time he ate as good as his brother and active like his brother I don’t know if its a side effect from the vaccination .
I been feeding then dry food for puppies recommended by their vet.
What can I do to make my second puppy eat or what can I give to him
Thank you
Pablo
Quito-Ecuador
Hi Pablo,
Refusing to eat needs to be taken seriously in such a young puppy. You need to take your puppy back to the vet. I hope he is ok.
Best wishes
Pippa
Hi , l have a 5 month old lab he’s been on Jwb puppy turkey & rice with no problems he is fit and healthy with a lovely shiny coat but the last few months his first couple of poo’s are fine but get very loose as the day goes on, is this ok or should l change food ? thanks Sandra
Hi Sandra,
There can be lots of reasons for loose stools, including but not limited to, dietary intolerance or allergies, parasites, infections, anxiety and even overfeeding or feeding too much at one sitting. If your vet is happy with the health of your puppy, then you could try dividing his food into smaller portions spaced throughout the day. If this doesn’t help then the next step would probably be to try a different food.
I hope you get it sorted out.
Best wishes
Pippa
Thank you so much for this site. We have a 4-1/2 year old yellow lab that is very healthy aside from occasional stool issue, most likely due to his insatiable desire to eat the landscape at every chance. We feed him boiled meat…..deboned chicken, beef, ground turkey…….chicken gizzards/hearts (sometimes raw), homemade 24 hour fermented yogurt (to digest the lactose), some pureed green veggies, minimal fruits, and we add rice when he does have stool issues. We supplement with Dancing Paws multivitamins, cooked eggs, occasionally a Stella’s beef patty or 1/4 cup or so of Honest Kitchen turkey with veggies. I had been adding ground flax seed but last bout of stool issues I stopped. He eats 3 times a day, and we exercise him 30-60 minutes almost every day. He seems to do well on the diet, however it seems like I have to feed him a lot to maintain his weight. I’m talking at least a cup, sometimes 1-1/2 cups at each mealtime. I get concerned it’s too much to eat at one sitting and am wondering if spreading his meals to 4 a day would be a good idea, or would that not be good for an adult Labrador? Thank you so much for your time….
Hi Lisa, a four and a half year old dog would not normally need as many as three meals a day. Twice should be fine. I have no idea whether or not you are feeding a balanced diet, and I personally wouldn’t normally feed a dog some of the things you are giving him. If his diet is imbalanced, then that might go some way to explaining why your dog is struggling to maintain his weight. There could be other explanations though, diahorrea, or parasites for example, or other health problems. have you spoken to your vet about this?
Pippa
Looking at different kibble foods, some (chudleys, science plan) have 26% or 30% meat content. Others, Bakers, have as low as 4% meat content. What difference does it make (other than cost, maybe). I have a 12 week old Fox Red lab who is enjoying chudleys at the moment (what the breeder fed her on) and am just interested in the effects of different food.
Yes, had him checked. Vet says he looks great, looks very fit, teeth are great, nice pink gums, strong heart, great form, he really praised how good he looks and how good his weight is. Had stool checked twice for parasites, both negative. It just seems when I make his bowl it looks like a lot of food to be putting into his tummy compared to the amount of the dry when we fed him kibble. I do like to supplement with vitamin/mineral and the Stella patties and Honest Kitchen turkey to be sure he’s balanced, but I think I’ll check out the raw info to see if there’s anything more I can be adding/taking away. Since he is rather active I’m going to do some research on agility dogs and see what the guidelines are in that case. Just for comparison I did research on wet feeding instructions, and I was a little surprised at how much is recommended with some of the wet foods, so maybe I’m concerned for nothing. Thanks for your help!
What is the right diet of a 42days old lab puppy.how many times gives food in a day.is a royal cannon with curd right food for him.I am in india
thanks
Hi Pravesh
The information you need for feeding a puppy from eight weeks is here
Pippa
Good Day!
This website seems to be very helpful and am glad I found it.
I’m from India and have a 6 months old Lab, “Zoe”. She is very playful and stays active all the time. She gets 30-45 minutes walk every morning and when she gets back home, she becomes too tired and remains at the same place with her tongue out for an hour or two, I hope that’s normal. We generally fed her trice a day. Morning starts with Rice mixed with canned food, afternoon she eats boiled vegetables or fruits (watermelon/bananas) and late evening dry kibble (Royal Canin, Eukanuba, Drools). I also used to give her cow’s milk at times for a change, however will stop it now. Last visit to vet (last weekend), for her vaccination found that she was over weight, (21 Kilograms). For the past few days she has stopped eating rice, and her bulky stomach has shrink. I gave her bread once again for a change and she seems to enjoy it. Should I just feed her dry kibble or should I continue the change diet.
Any suggestion will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
Sunny.
Hi Sunny,
Check out this puppy feeding link.
Just feed the kibble. All complete puppy foods are designed to fulfil all your puppy’s nutritional needs. Supplementing with rice, vegetables and fruit is unnecessary and likely to unbalance the diet. Puppies over eight weeks old do not need milk of any kind and are better off without it.
If your puppy is overweight, simply reduce the quantity of kibble until her waistline re-appears
A six month old pup doesn’t need much more than half an hour’s exercise, you can increase this gradually by about 5 minutes a month, provided it is not too hot.
Pippa