Labrador Weight Charts - How Much Should My Labrador Weigh?

The average Lab weighs 60-80lbs, but you might be surprised to hear that the number on the scales doesn’t actually matter. It’s what you see and feel that makes the difference. And today, I’ll show you how to work out if your dog is a healthy weight.

A while ago we surveyed members of our Labrador community and compiled the weights of their Labs into the chart below.

There is quite a big difference between individual Labrador puppies and older dogs in each age group! Most people worry at some point that their Labrador might be overweight or underweight so I’ll explain how you can tell if your Lab is the right weight, and why there is such a big variation in weight and size in the Labrador breed.

Contents

• Labrador weight chart by age.
• English vs American Lab weight.
• Lab weight by color.
• How to tell if your lab is a healthy weight

Labrador Puppy Weight Chart By Age

Puppy growth rate is rapid to begin with and tales off significantly after about twenty weeks. Lots of our readers want to know how much should their Labrador weigh at five months, or six months, etc.

We collected the data from our forum to create the Lab weight chart above. For a rough idea of how much your pup should weigh at each stage of their life, you can compare them to this chart. As you can see, variation within each age group is normal.

Average Labrador Weight

As a rough guide, an adult female Labrador will weigh between 55 and 70lbs. An adult male Lab will weigh 65 – 80lbs.

Female Lab weight will on average be lower than male Lab weight, but there is a considerable overlap with many larger females weighing more than some males.

Labradors also come in a different types, and your Lab’s type and their parentage, will have an impact upon their ideal weight.

English Lab Weight vs American Lab Weight

Simply giving you Labrador average weights in pounds can be misleading. It doesn’t take into account that English and American Labs can be very different in appearance. And that Labradors vary in their body shape and fitness levels.

Built for speed and agility, your American Lab will often weigh less than your friends English Lab, but not always! English Labs, bred from show lines, are often at the upper end of the scale. You can expect English Lab weight to be around 60 – 70 lbs for a female and 70 – 80 lbs for a male.

Some of our chunkier, show bred Labs can be big! Up to twenty pounds heavier than their field bred cousins, without necessarily being overweight. Whereas the slimmer, working American Lab will often be at the lower end of average.

Of course, it’s not just build that we need to consider, there are many factors that determine the right weight for an individual dog. Labs in great physical condition will weigh more than they did before the reached that condition. Let’s look at why that is.

How Much Does A Labrador Weigh When in Peak Condition?

Volume for volume, muscle weighs more than fat yet takes up less space inside your dog. As a dog gains muscle through exercise and activity, their weight will increase.

So a fit dog will have more muscle and weigh maybe ten or fifteen pounds more than an unfit dog of similar dimensions or with a similar frame.

What with the different types of Lab (American /English) and the different fitness levels of different dogs, you can see how difficult it can be to give a ‘rule of thumb’ on adult Labrador weight. And why unless a dog is grossly obese, or desperately thin, the scales may not reflect your dog’s state of health at all.

Coat Color vs Weight

In theory there should be no difference in weight between Labradors of different colors. But in practice there can be some, especially in the colors that are predominantly from either show/English or working/American lines.

Black Lab Weight

Weight for an English black Lab will probably be at the higher end of the range, for an American black Lab it will likely be lower. Black Labs are frequently found in both these categories.

Chocolate Lab Weight

Chocolate Labs are more likely to be show bred than field bred. And because English Labs weigh more than American Labs in general, our chocolate friends may therefore be at the higher end of average when it comes to weight.

Yellow Lab Weight

Your yellow Labs are commonly found in both categories, so have a wide range of weights along with varying coat shades.

White Labs are more likely to be English Labs, and will probably be heavier. Fox red Labs are normally American Labs, and therefore may be lighter in build than the paler yellow Labs that are more popular in the show ring.

So if the scales are not going to help you, how can you figure out whether or not your Lab is a healthy weight?

Labrador Ideal Weight: Does Your Lab Pass The Test!

The way to effectively judge whether your Lab is at an ideal weight is not through the scales. It is by feel and appearance. Your dog should have a ‘waist’. You should not be able to see ribs, but if you press firmly along his sides you should just be able to feel your fingers bumping along them.

Lab Puppy Weight: How Often To Weigh Your Pup

To an extent, this information applies to puppies as well as adults. People often worry about their puppy’s weight, but in most cases it really is not necessary to weigh your puppy regularly! Any more than you would weigh your three year old child on a daily or weekly basis. There are however, some exceptions.

Very thin puppies

Occasionally our readers have puppies around three weeks old, failing to thrive because they were sold before they were ready to leave their mothers. The only action here is urgent veterinary treatment.

Most puppies sold after eight weeks fall into a healthy weight range. As a very rough guide, many Labrador puppies will weigh around a kilo for every week of their lives. So you would expect a ten week puppy to weigh around ten kilos or twenty-two pounds.

A twenty percent variation around this would be fairly normal. If your puppy falls outside this variation he may still be perfectly healthy, but a veterinary checkup will put your mind at rest.

Should I Weigh My Dog?

The main reasons to weigh a dog are weight loss or gain. Thin puppies need regular weigh-ins to ensure they are gaining weight. Overweight adult Labs need weekly weighings, along with visual checks, to ensure you stay on track with their diet.

Your veterinarian may also need to weigh your dog to give an accurate dose of drugs if he needs medical treatment.

How to weigh a dog

You can weigh a puppy in your arms at home with the bathroom scales by subtracting your own weight. Tiny dogs can be weighed on kitchen scales, or by using fishing scales to weigh a puppy placed carefully in a shoulder bag (weigh the bag first and subtract its weight from your total).

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Larger dogs will need to be weighed on purpose built scales. Most vet surgeries have one in the waiting room, and some pet stores have them too.

How Much Should My Labrador Weigh?

Appearances count more than numbers. Look at your dog objectively, and avoid comparing with other dogs’ weight.

Some other dog owners will tell you your slim Labrador is too thin. This is because people are getting used to so many dogs being overweight, including some of those receiving the highest accolades in our show rings. If you are worried, check with your vet, but the chances are your dog is healthy, and it is really their dog who is overweight.

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