Ideal Weight for a Labrador Retriever: Chart by Sex and Age
A healthy adult Labrador Retriever weighs about 65-80 lb (male) or 55-70 lb (female), but the honest test is body condition: you should feel the ribs easily and see a waist from above. Many Labs sit above their ideal because a common appetite gene keeps them begging.
Labrador Retriever ideal weight by sex
| Sex | Ideal weight (lb) | Ideal weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Female | 55-70 lb | 24.9-31.8 kg |
| Male | 65-80 lb | 29.5-36.3 kg |
Size class: large. Weight-gain risk for this breed: High.
Why the number matters less than body condition
A weight chart is a starting range, not a verdict. Two healthy Labrador Retrievers can sit pounds apart depending on frame and height, so the reliable test is body condition: can you feel the ribs with a light press, and is there a waist when you look down from above?
The AKC standard puts a working-condition Labrador at 65-80 lb for males and 55-70 lb for females, yet many pet Labs drift well past the top of that band. Part of the reason is genetic: a 14-base-pair deletion in the POMC gene, carried by roughly one in four Labradors, blunts the satiety signal and leaves the dog hungrier between meals. Show and field lines also differ in frame, so read body condition rather than the scale alone.
Check your Labrador Retriever's body condition from a photo
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Check my dog's body condition →Weight-related health risks in the Labrador Retriever
Carrying extra weight on a Labrador compounds the breed's baseline load of hip and elbow dysplasia and speeds the onset of osteoarthritis in those joints. The same POMC variant that drives appetite is linked to higher body-condition scores of about half a point per copy, so affected dogs gain fat faster on the same bowl. Lean Labs also face lower rates of cranial cruciate rupture, a common and costly knee injury in the breed.
Rough daily calories across the Labrador Retriever's ideal range
| Body weight | Maintenance (kcal/day) | Weight-loss target (kcal/day) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 lb (24.9 kg) | 1250 kcal | 625 kcal |
| 67.5 lb (30.6 kg) | 1458 kcal | 729 kcal |
| 80 lb (36.3 kg) | 1656 kcal | 828 kcal |
Orientative only, for a spayed/neutered adult, using resting energy (RER = 70 × kg^0.75) and AAHA/WSAVA maintenance factors; weight loss follows the AAHA rule of 0.80 × RER of the target weight. For your dog's number, use the dog calorie calculator and see the full methodology. Confirm any weight-loss plan with your veterinarian.
Sources
- AKC Official Labrador Retriever Breed Standard
- Raffan et al., Cell Metabolism (2016): POMC deletion in obesity-prone Labradors
Last updated 2026-07-22.
Related
This chart is a general guide, not a diagnosis. Sudden weight change, a distended belly, or any health concern warrants a veterinary exam. The right target for an individual Labrador Retriever is set with your vet.