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  1. #1
    Puppy
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    How much to feed puppy? (w/ his photo)

    How much should I be feeding my English lab pup? He will be 14 w/o in two days.
    I have found various calculators on the web and I get different results.
    His food is 445 kcal per cup and I have been feeding him 3 cups per day total, 1 cup each at 6am, noon & 6pm.
    I know he is a lab but he was acting like he starving when I was feeding 2.5 cu/day.
    Now he just looks around for five minutes after he is done eating wondering if that was all he is going to get.

    I know that puppies are supposed to get more food then adults but not to overfeed LRs bc of growth & hip issues.
    I can feel his ribs easily on his underside (stomach & front 'arm pit' area) but not easily on his side.

    The food he has been eating received a 4.5 star review from dogfoodadvisor.com
    Puppy Vantage - Guaranteed Analysis : Earthborn Holistic Pet Food
    The bag says 3-3.5 cu/day but I know they tend to be high.

    I had visitors tell me he was chunky but I'm not sure they know what an English looks like vs an American.
    ...now I am second guessing.


    -20150419_183335-jpg

    -20150419_183256-jpg
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails -20150419_183320-jpg  

  2. #2
    Senior Dog doubledip1's Avatar
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    I like puppies to be chunky. He looks good right now, if he starts to get a little lean, feed more. There's no magic formula that will work for all Lab puppies at all times.

    You can always ask your breeder for guidance, they usually know week by week how much to feed.
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  4. #3
    Senior Dog ChoppersDad's Avatar
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    You are spot on with the amount of food and the times you are feeding our pup. He looks great for his age! Labs binge eat by nature. They will eat until they make themselves sick. Do not over feed them. English labs are generally shorter and stockier than American labs. English labs are known for their block heads and otter tails. Many people think puppy labs are chunky. That puppy fat will soon turn to muscle. I've had people ask me if my pup was 1/2 pit bull before. Some people are not familiar with the breed. I wouldn't worry about what other people think about your pup. Generally, you will not hear those types of comments from educated lab owners. He looks very well bred and will turn out to be a fine lab! What's his name?

  5. #4
    Senior Dog Georgia's Avatar
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    I think he looks great. The amount of food sounds right for his age too. When Sam was a pup there was a point in time he ate 5 cups of food per day. We just kept an eye on him and when he would go through a major growth spurt, we would up his food.
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  6. #5
    Puppy
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    Great, thank you!

    This is a top down shot of his waist.

    We joke that sometimes he looks like a bodybuilder with a small waist and giant shoulders/chest in comparison.









    This is his father:




  7. #6
    Chief Pooper Scooper JenC's Avatar
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    Throw the calculators away. The pup looks fine and in a month or so you will need to up to 4 cups a day.

  8. #7
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    I agree that he looks fine. Three cups a day sound about right too. Bruce was on 3 cups of Fromm Large Breed Puppy food at that age. At 9 months it was just under 5 cups. Then add in training treats, bones, stuffed kongs etc. That puppy fat he has now will burn off as he gets older.

    The average Lab is always hungry, or so they think.

  9. #8
    Senior Dog Meeps83's Avatar
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    Maverick was (is) on Pro Plan Sport 30/20 and never ate more than 3 cups of food. Your pup looks good. Go by your pups physical look when adjusting or evaluating their food.

  10. #9
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
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    He looks good, good weight. If I had a dollar for every time someone said my dogs were fat or asked if they were mixed with a Newfie or a mastiff, I'd be able to feed my monsters for free!

  11. #10
    Senior Dog ZoeysMommy's Avatar
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    He looks good, pups need a little padding to compensate for growth spurts anyway. 3 cups a day sounds about right and it may increase very soon then it will go back down by age 1

 



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