11 week old Labrador puppy seems constantly ravenous.

[ProofBy1nduction]

Hi this is my second post about our new family member. Proofpup is constantly hungry. I am feeding him kibble about 220g per day over 4 meals. I use the food as treats too.
He also has a frozen carrot and 3 or 4 apple chunks ( about half an apple) every day.

He is never satisfied. He knows if he does a wee or poo in the garden he gets a treat, and now I am sure he is deliberately weeing to get treats. He did 8 little wees in a 40 minutes period this afternoon and came straight over to me each time looking for the treat. He is adorable.

I only use his food allowance as treats otherwise he would be having about 20 treats a day for all his outdoor wees and poos.

I am worried I am not feeding him enough. I am following the guidelines on the food packaging but when I look online advice varies from 180g to over 300g a day.

Being a first time lab owner, I was wondering if this constant search for food was normal. I feel sorry for Proofpup as he never seems satisfied after his meal.

Thanks for any advice.

My experience of labs is that they are relentlessly, insatiably greedy! Part of why they’re so trainable is how food-oriented they are.

My labs are terrible for food, always guilt tripping you that they are starved.

Haha, relentlessly, insatiably greedy is an excellent description.
From my research I knew that labs were very food orientated, I just wasn't expecting the constant search, even immediately after a meal.

My 2 are currently staring at my dds pizza and dribbling.

vodkaredbullgirl - it is the pained and agonised looks that are totally guilting me! I keep thinking he can't possibly still be hungry, but he always is!

They’d eat a potato more than a pig, as the old saying goes.
Intersperse your Treat Praise with just Voice Praise.
Make him work for his food - scatter feed (put it on a plastic tray rather than all over the floor), freeze the carrots, jam them in a Kong with kibble inside etc.

Welcome to Labradors! the greediest dog known to man. When my lab was a pup he broke into the dog food and ate a 7kilo bag, needed his stomach pumped in case he got bloat wrestle the vet to try to eat everything he brought up!!
He hasn't changed a bit in 7 years still lives for food. That's why they are so easy to train as they are so motivated by food treats.

"Constantly ravenous" - yup, sounds to me like your lab is working!

Ddog isn't a lab, but she's a greedy sod and it was only after getting her that I was able to shift those last stubborn four pounds. Two plaintive eyes achieved what hours of cardio didn't. Every cloud...

Our last Lab got into the food bag we kept in the utility room. She would have eaten all 25kg of it, I am absolutely sure, but luckily we heard her scrabbling around.

I have a 10 week old lab but she doesn’t seems to it eat enough! Treats she will eat but doesn’t seem keen on dry biscuits.

Can I ask what food you are giving yours? Ours came on James Wellbeloved and I’ve discovered that the different flavours have different size kibble.

Ours suggests up to 320g a day I think.

Saucery - thanks for the advice I will try making him work harder for his food.

evrey - that story is hilarious and exactly what mine would do given half a chance.

Jesus - I have lost 3 pounds since having him as I have can't sit down unless he is asleep!

Thank you all - I feel much better about it now. I will just have to get a thicker skin and accept that it is just the way he is.

We feed field and trial, it is 100g for every 8kg of desired adult weight.

I have two labs. No food can be left anywhere. Puddles of drool at every meal. Pup has to go in crate when I am serving and eating food or he takes a running jump and launches himself at the table!

Tulipvase - we give him Beta Purina Puppy food. We recently switched him onto the large breed version. It is the food his breeder gave him so we have just continued with that.
I honestly think he would eat anything at all though!

You have a lab. They are always hungry. My girl drools constantly if there is food around - unless it is a French bean, which is vile according to her. You will become more immune to it, and you will also get used to drool pools that need wiping up 🤣

Congratulations. Your Labrador has read the manual and is functioning perfectly in lab mode 😂

Use the food to train train train. You’ll get great progress / wins and the brain work will tire them and take their mind of their stomach a bit😂

actiongirl - he is a nightmare in the kitchen. I left the dishwasher open a crack and I turned around and he had pushed the door down and was licking the dirty plates. :))

Their appetite is probably the biggest Labrador trait. My lab is 14, I have never known her leave even 1 kibble in her bowl, even when ill. She will eat something even if she clearly doesn't like it.

Don't be guilted and make sure you keep all food well back on the kitchen side or locked away. They can be very crafty when it comes to stealing food and will eat non food items too. My dog has eaten a multipack of chocolate bars, wrappers and all, a box of latte sachets, a bag of haribo, a roast chicken, a plasterboard wall and had a good go on a lightbulb once.

They're great dogs but absolute mischief makers where food is involved.

Labs don't have a "full" feedback signal. They are food obsessed. Try distracting with exciting toys like tug of war or find the ball under the blanket. They'll still want food but you'll get some respite from the begging eyes!

Leavemydam and Helenluvsrob -thanks it is very reassuring to know this is normal! All my clothes are covered in drool already.
He definitely is great with training - he will do anything for food.

He sounds like a completely normal Lab. They exist to eat. Anything and everything that will fit in their mouths is fair game, including socks, toys, bits of wood etc etc.

A good friend of mine is a vet. When she has to open a dog up to remove something it shouldn’t have eaten from its intestines, the patient is usually a Lab.

It does sound like he is normal and I am not starving him. Thanks so much.
It interesting about them not having a full feedback signal - explains a lot!

Snuffle Feeding Mat, Kong "Wobbler", Puzzle Bowls, Dog Food Dispenser Toy. And I recommend you join the Canine Enrichment Facebook Group. You won't believe just how comparative brain exercise is to physical exercise for our canine companions!

A PP was right: your Labrador pup has read the "How to Be a Proper Labrador" manual. Don't always feel you need to reward with treats / normal food - voice praise and cuddles are just as helpful in training - change it up a bit.

We also need a photo or else 😍

Apparantly at least a quarter of labs have a genetic mutation that means they are never able to feel full/are always hungry. Quite sad really and I hope it’s possible to breed the gene out of them someday.

When your lab isn’t interested in food it’s time to worry. Their mission in life is find food and eat it.
I’ve one that circles the high chair for falling scraps and the other gentle old soul carefully parts small children from their snacks if not supervised

Thankfully they have good digestive systems and seem to manage fine whatever they eat including socks.

I have a beagle and they're equally greedy

You have to be so, so careful that they don't put on weight. Mine snatched a quarter of a sausage sandwich earlier as I'd got up to get a drink and accidentally left it on the bookshelf. He can clear a babygate from standing and jump onto the dining table in a second - nothing is safe!

We have to be really strict with his food and it's so important not to keep giving in to them. It doesn't take much extra each day to tip them into overweight, and unfortunately it can have such a negative impact on their joints and overall health.

Ours put on a lot of weight after he was neutered and we got a telling off from the vets looking back, I can see he was overweight but you just don't notice it when it creeps on slowly!