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Thread: Average weights

  1. #1
    House Broken Lobo's Avatar
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    Average weights

    For all of the dogs (Labs) that I have had I have never tracked their weight or bothered to look up what the average weights would be.

    Romeo will be 12 weeks on the 13th and I plan on taking him to the pet store to weigh him. He is not over weight at all and gets tons of exercise but he seems big for a 12 weeks old. He is from two large English Labs.

    Anyone have a list of how much they are supposed to weigh by weeks or months?

  2. #2
    Senior Dog Berna's Avatar
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    I think it really depends on the bone structure and body condition, and there are variations even in show-bred Labs only. According to the AKC standard, Labs should weigh between 65 and 80 pounds for males and 55 to 70 pounds for females.

    I love the "look and feel" approach better though.
    Cookie Black Snowflake
    July 12th, 2006. - May 25th, 2023.

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    Senior Dog Berna's Avatar
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    What should a puppy weigh?It isn't possible to give you an answer that would work for your Lab. Every lab is different, and it depends on what you want with your dog. Do you want a working retriever or a show dog? Show judges have different ideas of perfection than field judges. And don't forget, there are different types of Labradors, and there may be difference in the weight of these types. Most vets don't know this, so if your male puppy's father's ideal weight (or your female puppy's mother's ideal weight) is more than average, try to convince your vet that his "standard" doesn't apply to your puppy.
    .
    At birth, a Labrador puppy from average parents and an average litter (6 puppies) weighs about 1 pound or less. During the first 8 weeks of its life the puppy gains about 2 pounds a week. An 8 week old Labrador puppy weighs between 11 and 17 pounds. From 8 weeks to 26 weeks (6 months) this growth proceeds in about the same way - an average six month old Labrador weighs between 50 and 60 pounds. Dogs are heavier than bitches. After the age of 26 weeks the growth slows down. When your Labrador is one year old, the weight will be 65 to 80 pounds for dogs and 55 to 70 pounds for bitches. Between the age of one year and three years they gain another 5 to 10 pounds.
    .
    The best way to judge what your Labrador should weigh is to estimate if his weight is appropriate for him. As a Labrador breeder, I like to see some "bone" in my Labradors, and since thrifty feeding during the first six months often is at the expense of the "bone", I like to see some "puppy fat" in my puppies. This puppy fat disappears at adolescence, it serves as a source of energy and it cushions and insulates vital organs.
    .
    Start just by looking at your puppy from the side. If you don't see any ribs at all, you slightly stroke from front to back over his ribcage and feel for the ribs. If you can feel them with a light touch, your puppy's weight is perfect. If you need more pressure to feel the ribs, he is overweight and it would be better to cut back a little on his food.
    If your puppy is older than six months and you want a healthy working dog, you should be able to see the outline of his last 2 to 3 ribs while he is growing but you shouldn't see more than 5 or 6 ribs. This would be an acceptable weight for a working dog, also when he's an adult. If you can see most of his ribs, you need to feed him more. Sadly enough, the ideal weight for a show dog is 9 to 18 pounds more than the ideal weight for a working dog.
    Judging your Lab's weight this way ensures that it is right for him and not just right for the average member of the breed. It is almost always possible to adjust the feeding schedule to ensure proper weight in a puppy fed primarily dog food. It can be harder if he is getting treats, snacks, or has access to outside food sources like the neighbours.
    .

    You can use feeding formula and schedules, but it's still better to use the sight and feel method to make sure that your particular puppy is not too fat or too thin.
    Source: Labrador.net
    Cookie Black Snowflake
    July 12th, 2006. - May 25th, 2023.

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    House Broken Lobo's Avatar
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    Perfect. Thank you!

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    Chief Pooper Scooper JenC's Avatar
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    My general rule of thumb is about 10# for each month of age (give or take). So if he's 30# at 12 weeks, that would be about normal.

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    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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    Oban's breeder required reports at 4, 6 and 12 months and for those one thing I had to do was weigh him every second week. I have that chart but it would have no bearing on your pup's weight. We were looking for a bi-weekly weight gain of around 4 pounds though, jives with the 10 pounds a month said above. But you could do the same thing just for your own knowledge, as it seems you are.

    Do you have to go somewhere to weigh him? I weighed myself, then weighed myself holding pup. Subtract. Hmmm, subtract again, that can't be right. Darn it is. Not the pup as I'm sure you guessed. LOL When he got big I could still lift him but I needed the OH to read the scales. Leaning over to see it while holding that weight threw it off and put us in danger of tipping right over.

  9. #7
    Senior Dog Shelley's Avatar
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    I also go by the roughly 10 lbs per month rule. My 8 week olds are 17-20lbs right now, are eating almost 3 cups a day, and that is pretty standard for me. Field lines or other lines maybe heavier or lighter depending in the breeding, the parents, how the puppies have been fed, how many in the litter etc... The rib test is the best way to tell of your puppy is the right weight for them, I add more if they look and feel a bit thin, but back if their padding is too thick. At 12 weeks I like to see a little extra padding, because they are gearing up for a huge growth spurt over the next few months, and teething will start in a few weeks.

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  11. #8
    Puppy labby's Avatar
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    2 pounds per week of life, so if a puppy is 13 weeks old, it should weigh approx. 26 pounds.

  12. #9
    House Broken Lobo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Snowshoe View Post
    Oban's breeder required reports at 4, 6 and 12 months and for those one thing I had to do was weigh him every second week. I have that chart but it would have no bearing on your pup's weight. We were looking for a bi-weekly weight gain of around 4 pounds though, jives with the 10 pounds a month said above. But you could do the same thing just for your own knowledge, as it seems you are.

    Do you have to go somewhere to weigh him? I weighed myself, then weighed myself holding pup. Subtract. Hmmm, subtract again, that can't be right. Darn it is. Not the pup as I'm sure you guessed. LOL When he got big I could still lift him but I needed the OH to read the scales. Leaning over to see it while holding that weight threw it off and put us in danger of tipping right over.
    Yes we do not have a scale in the house. I have him weighed at the vet and when I have taken him to the pet store. The pet store has the same scale as the vet and they were the same the same day so there on. Its just for me to make sure he is healthy and for my own knowledge. For years I just took care of them and never tracked their weigh as close.

  13. #10
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    We don't have a scale here, but the Vet's office is right down the street so can pop in there for weight check. Same here Lobo, just cared for them, never really seriously tracked. I truly want to do it this time as I also want to for my own knowledge.

    KAZ

 



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