How big do Labs get, and how long do they live?

Male Labs stand 22.5 to 24.5 inches and weigh 65 to 80 pounds, and females stand 21.5 to 23.5 inches and weigh 55 to 70 pounds. Most live 11 to 13 years. Our Lab puppies are expected to grow to 65 to 95 lbs.

HeightMales 22.5 to 24.5 inches, females 21.5 to 23.5 inches

WeightMales 65 to 80 lbs, females 55 to 70 lbs

Life expectancy11 to 13 years

Expected adult weight65 to 95 lbs

Our Lab mamas66 to 97 lbs

Our Lab papas86 to 97 lbs

A Labrador Retriever puppy sitting in the grass

How big do Labs get?

A grown Lab weighs 55 to 80 pounds, with males at the heavier end and about an inch taller. The breed standard is strict about height, and a dog more than half an inch over or under its range can't be shown, though that doesn't apply to a Lab under a year old. The weight range is for a fit dog that is well muscled and carries no extra fat.

We breed toward the English style, which is stockier and heavier in bone than the field style. Our Lab mamas weigh 66 to 97 lbs and our papas 86 to 97 lbs. Every Lab puppy's own page carries our estimate of its grown weight, with its mama and papa right beside it.

A Labrador Retriever puppy standing in front of a brick wall

When does a Lab stop growing?

A Lab usually reaches its adult size somewhere between its first birthday and 18 months, and big dogs may not really be adults until nearer 18 to 24 months. So the gangly teenager chewing your shoe at nine months still has some growing, and a good deal of maturing, ahead of it.

That long runway matters for food and exercise. Feed a food made for your dog's age, whether puppy, adult or senior, and let your vet set portions and exercise for a growing Lab.

A Labrador Retriever puppy sitting on a blanket

How long do Labs live?

Most Labs live 11 to 13 years. In one large study of dogs seen by vets in the UK, half of the Labs lived past 13.

Weight is the part you control, because overweight dogs tend to live shorter lives than lean ones, and a Lab will cheerfully help you overfeed it. Some Labs even carry a gene that makes them hungrier and heavier, so if your Lab acts starved an hour after breakfast, it may not be entirely his fault. Keep the treats honest and ask your vet what a lean Lab should look like.

A Labrador Retriever puppy standing in the grass

What should a Lab's parents be tested for?

A Lab's parents should have their hips and elbows x-rayed, their eyes checked by a canine eye specialist, and DNA tests for inherited conditions the breed can carry. Those include a condition that makes some Labs collapse after hard exercise, an inherited muscle disease, an eye disease that leads to blindness, and the gene behind silver and charcoal coats. A heart exam is a good idea too. A DNA test lets a breeder find dogs that quietly carry a condition and plan pairings that won't produce it.

Hip x-rays get a final grade only once a dog is two years old, and excellent, good and fair are the normal grades. Labs are also deep-chested, so they can get bloat, a life-threatening stomach condition whose signs every owner should know.

A Labrador Retriever puppy lying down in a basket

What testing do our Lab parents have?

We are working toward health testing every one of our mamas and papas. As each parent's certificates come in, we post them on that parent's own page. Each puppy's page shows its mama and papa.

Hip, elbow and eye results that have been made public can be looked up by a dog's registered name, so ask us for a parent's registered name if you'd like to check. Testing can't promise a healthy puppy, but the chance of an inherited disease goes down when the dogs behind a puppy have tested normal.

Labrador puppies

Meet our Labrador puppies

On every Lab puppy's page you'll find our estimate of its grown weight and both of its parents.

See our Labrador puppies Start an application

More about the Labrador

All the guides

Do Labs shed?How much a Lab sheds, when the heavy sheds come, and how to keep up with it.
Lab colors and the English styleBlack, chocolate, yellow from light white to fox red, how we plan colors, and silver Labs.By color Chocolate · Black · Yellow · Fox red
Labrador pricesWhat our Labs cost, what goes into the price, and what feeding and exercising one takes.
Golden Retriever or Labrador?Size, temperament, shedding, colors and health side by side, from a family that raises both.
How to pick a puppyWhen families choose here, what the parents tell you, why temperament tests fall short, and fit.
Bringing a puppy homeThe drive home, the first night, what is normal in the first week, the first vet visit and house training.

Contact

Talk to us about a puppy

Call or text during the day, email any time, or send an application and we will get back to you, usually within 24 hours. You are welcome to visit in Syracuse, Indiana, during our hours or at another time on request.

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Phone(574) 275-3531 · call or text
Emailsweetlittlepuppypaws@gmail.com
HoursMonday to Friday 9am to 5pm, Saturday 9am to 3pm. Other times available on request.
Where3468 E 1300 N, Syracuse, IN 46567. Visits during our hours or on request.