# How much are Labs supposed to weigh?



## Mdawn (Mar 3, 2007)

I'm just curious. Eddie weighs 75 lbs. His vet seems happy with it and I think he looks good. However, I always hear people talking about their 100+ pound Labs and things like that. So I don't know if those Labs are just enormous or Eddie's just a midget... So anyone know on average how much Labs are supposed to weigh?


----------



## Ella'sMom (Jul 23, 2007)

My old lab was 90 lbs....but probably could have stood to lose about 10 lbs. He was an English yellow lab and was very boxy. He was also a human garbage disposal and ate everythinggg in sight. I swear he almost learned how to open the refrigerator.


----------



## Mdawn (Mar 3, 2007)

I try to keep all of the dogs lean so its less wear and tear on their joints. Eddie's very active and is always going somewhere or running somewhere...I swear he'd go constantly if I didn't make him settle down. It's like what my boyfriend says, the more I exercise him, the more stamina he gets and the more activity he needs to be satisfied...LOL!!


----------



## DogsforMe (Mar 11, 2007)

I don't know myself but if you run your hands lightly over his ribs & can only just feel them, then he's ok. If you can see them he's too thin. If you can't feel them at all without pressing, he's overweight. My dog breed book says 63-67 pounds.


----------



## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

I don't know that there's anything "official" about these designations, but people talk about bench labs, with around 65-70 pounds being a typical male, and field labs, which sometimes run much larger.

My lab, at his prime, ran about 120. People would argue that he couldn't possibly be all lab, which is entirely possible, but he had a "near twin" who was a registered lab and ran around 135. Both were in good shape.


----------



## britishbandit (Dec 11, 2006)

The AKC's standard weight for a Lab in working condition is approximately: dogs 65 to 80 pounds; bitches 55 to 70 pounds.

Labs are a medium sized breed, and too often they have been bred to be far too big, where they would be (if that was the standard, which it isn't) classified as a large breed. 

I don't think I've seen a well bred lab at a healthy weight in my area in years. Probably 90% of them around here are overweight.


----------



## onyxdaily (Apr 3, 2007)

I've had 2 black labs, a female that weighed between 75 and 80# and now a male that currently weighs 75#. He's still young at 14months so he may have some growing to do yet. But I, too, will try to keep him on the lean side to ease the stress on his joints and hips.


----------



## poohlp (Jul 10, 2007)

I discovered at the dog park yesterday that people are now breeding Miniature labs. One of the people there had one and I thought it was a puppy. It was about the size of a beagle I think. She said no, it was 2 years old. She had gotten from the shelter as a puppy and they could never figure out why it didn't put on weight as usual for a lab, no matter what they fed it. Eventually, when they had it at the vet for a check-up, the vet told them that the new fad now is mini-labs. What will breeders think up next!


----------



## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

> What will breeders think up next!


Whatever will turn a buck and we, apparently, are stupid enough to fall for.


----------



## FriendsOfZoe (Aug 7, 2007)

britishbandit said:


> I don't think I've seen a well bred lab at a healthy weight in my area in years. Probably 90% of them around here are overweight.


Me either. Same goes for goldens, pugs, beagles, basset hounds, and daschunds...lots and lots of overweight dogs. I saw a beautiful yellow lab bitch at the park one time, had to ask if she was still a puppy because she was so thin. Turns out she was 3, but the owner had another older lab at home who was (as usual) quite overweight and they now realized that they could have greatly reduced if not avoided many of the joint problems the older one was having now if they'd only kept her weight down all these years. So the younger one was at a healthy weight--and she looked really really good! I can't explain it, but if you've ever seen a lab (not a big muscular working one, but more of a show line) who's actually at the right weight, it's incredible how different but beautiful they look.

It's harder to tell with goldens from a distance because they have all that coat, but when you get close enough you can see how overweight most of them are. The biggest problem I have is that I've heard from other golden owners who try to keep their dogs at a healthy weight that a lot of times vets will say a dog is underweight when it is healthy! We had a vet who works in the same practice as our vet tell us that Zoe was way too skinny and we needed to fatten her up and get her some treats--which we totally disagreed with! She was not even 5 months old at that point--she's eating plenty, but she's still growing UP all the time instead of filling out. Sure, she's skinny, but since we're feeding her an appropriate amount of food (and healthy treats), there's no reason to get her used to bad eating habits! She will fill out in time, she's just a gangly teenager right now!


----------



## Mdawn (Mar 3, 2007)

Eddie is only 11 months so he does have some filling out to do. My boyfriend had a Lab several years ago that he said weighed over 100#. He couldn't remember his exact weight. He said that Eddie looks taller than Bobe (his old Labs name) and that Bobe was stockier than Eddie. I heard that there are 2 types of Labs, show Labs and field Labs. I don't know which Eddie is. Heck, as far as I know he may not be full Lab. He was a stray. He really looks full Lab, I can't find any features that AREN'T Lab. I figure he was a dog that someone bought from a BYB or the Petland we have in town and got tired of dealing with him and dumped him.

My Golden, who passed away last November, wasn't overweight in the least until about 2 years before he died. He injured both of his back legs (ruptured cruciate ligaments) and then developed cancer along with seizures. From then until he died he started getting overweight because of limited mobility. However, at that point with the cancer and seizures, I wasn't so much concerned with his weight.

Also, my Basset, who _isn't_ full Basset, has NEVER been overweight. Dan has always been thin, really too thin. My boyfriend has had Dan for several years and he said that he has always tried to get Dan to put on weight but hasn't really been able to keep the weight on him. All of my boyfriend's dogs have been really active and always outside doing something. It's easy to let your dogs do that in the country because of all the land we have. If we lived in town, the dogs probably wouldn't be as thin as they are. Eddie and Uallis both look really good, and are a nice healthy, fit weight. Dan needs to gain some as usual. It will be my project over the fall and winter. LOL!!


----------



## Gauge23 (Aug 7, 2007)

My labx is a little over 60 pounds. However, he doesn't have much muscle right now from being in a shelter for so long and he can't exercise for at least another 3 weeks...he may gain weight once we can get him back into good doggie shape!


----------



## lovemygreys (Jan 20, 2007)

I have a small boarding kennel and we see a lot of labs. Only one of our 'regulars' is not overweight. Ironically (or maybe not) he's the only one who's not altered. A good ol' hunting dog who's spent many days hunting with his owner. The couch spud labs that we normally get are like sausages with legs. Very sad 

That said, I rarely actually weigh our own dogs. I go by visual inspection/feel since dogs can vary wildly in weight depending on size and body type. Someone mentioned earlier that a good rule of thumb is that you should be able to feel, not necessarily see (unless it's a greyhound) the ribs with a light touch. If you can't feel them at all, the dog is too fat.


----------



## Mdawn (Mar 3, 2007)

I need to know how much Uallis weighs from month to month for his heartgard medication. I don't take Eddie in for that because he's weight has leveled out since he's 11 months. Every now and then we weigh him here because we're just curious.


----------



## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

We had a field lab that weighed about 75 lbs when he was in his prime. Labs shouldn't really be any bigger than that, though many are bred to be much bigger than they should be.


----------



## Chupa Cabras (Aug 31, 2007)

Mdawn, how much did he weigh at 4-5 months? And how tall? Just curious. Our Woogie is 4 1/2 months, weighs 38 # and is 18" tall at the shoulder. 

And he doesn't eat much at all. Nothing but a couple of bites in the morning, and then grazes in the evening, maybe a total of 3 cups of dry food a day. But he doesn't seem hungry, and doesn't look thin. He looks very fit.


----------



## Mdawn (Mar 3, 2007)

Chupa Cabras said:


> Mdawn, how much did he weigh at 4-5 months? And how tall? Just curious. Our Woogie is 4 1/2 months, weighs 38 # and is 18" tall at the shoulder.
> 
> And he doesn't eat much at all. Nothing but a couple of bites in the morning, and then grazes in the evening, maybe a total of 3 cups of dry food a day. But he doesn't seem hungry, and doesn't look thin. He looks very fit.


Eddie probably weighed around 40#. I can't remember exactly. I have no idea how tall he was. Right now, our Mastiff is around 26-27 inches, so Eddie is probably around 22-23 inches. I'll measure him when he wakes up from his nap as I could be way off. He's getting his beauty sleep right now  

As for the food, Eddie has a tendency to do this as well. Usually, I just have to hand feed him a few bites and then he'll start to eat on his own. As long as yours isn't dropping weight, I wouldn't worry. I'm very happy with Eddie's weight even though I hear of a lot of Labs that weigh much more than him. He's very fit and athletic looking. I can feel his ribs when I lay my hands on his side, but they aren't visible or protruding.


----------



## Love's_Sophie (Sep 23, 2007)

poohlp said:


> I discovered at the dog park yesterday that people are now breeding Miniature labs. One of the people there had one and I thought it was a puppy. It was about the size of a beagle I think. She said no, it was 2 years old. She had gotten from the shelter as a puppy and they could never figure out why it didn't put on weight as usual for a lab, no matter what they fed it. Eventually, when they had it at the vet for a check-up, the vet told them that the new fad now is mini-labs. What will breeders think up next!


"Mini" Is a word I hate hearing, unless it is already a mini...like a Miniature Schnauzer, Poodle, etc. 

As far as other breeds, breeding them 'down' so much can have disastorous effects on the immune system, the organs, etc. They just aren't meant to be so small. I raise Pygmy goats, and the same thing happens all the time there too; people think it's cute to try and raise "teacup Pygmies"...uh...isn't 15 inches (the minimum height of the breed standard) small enough???? No, they have to breed them to be smaller...and it's no wonder why these goats have trouble birthing, or die trying to give birth, have low birth weights, the babies are unthrifty from birth at best, etc...Uggghh...drives me nuts...

Why can't people just enjoy the breeds as they are, or find a different breed that will suit their preferences better???


----------

