How and When to Feed
How often should you feed your Lab puppy for optimal growth? That depends on his age. Most puppies start with four meals a day after they're weaned. By the time they're ten to twelve weeks old, they're down to three meals a day. At four months, they can start eating twice a day — a schedule that should be continued for the rest of the dog's life.
How much does a Lab eat?
That depends on the individual dog. Ask the breeder how much he's been feeding at each meal, and go from there. You can also use the recommendation on the food's label as a starting point, but remember that it's only an estimate — it may be too much or too little for your particular Lab.
If you're a working caregiver, though, it's not always convenient to fit in that third or fourth meal. When that's the case, it's perfectly fine to feed puppies only twice a day — morning and evening. It won't make any difference in their activity level or behavior. Just divide the amount of food they need daily into two meals instead of three or four.
As with housetraining, a routine is important. Try to feed your Lab at the same time every day. Feeding meals at set times rather than leaving food out all the time allows you to be aware of how much your dog is eating and whether his appetite is good. And free-feeding (leaving food out all the time) promotes obesity, which can be a problem in this breed.
