When you bring a 3 month old Labrador puppy home, you want to start her off on the right paw – and for me, that means species-appropriate, raw dog food for Pepper. That’s what we decided to call her!
We got her from a couple who hunt with my boyfriend Dan – they’re hobby breeders – and raising her on raw from the start feels like the perfect fit for her working-dog background.
I just love knowing that Pepper’s meals are giving her everything she needs to grow: strong bones, a shiny coat, clean teeth, steady energy, and a healthy immune system.
Personally, I’ve been raw feeding since 2015, first with my Boxer-mixes Missy and Buzz, and now with Wally, my 8-year-old Feist-mix. Along the way I trained with Meg Smart, DVM PhD, and longtime Labrador breeder Dana Scott from Dogs Naturally Magazine, and today I even get to work for the German raw dog food brand BARFER’S.
At this point, raw feeding has been part of my life for over a decade – so raising Pepper on fresh food feels like the most natural thing in the world.
In this post, I’ll share what feeding Pepper at three months looks like: how I calculate her ratios, how many meals she’s getting, and which proteins, raw meaty bones, and whole prey items she’s tried so far.
This post is part of my puppy raw feeding series, where I documented Pepper’s raw feeding journey month by month through her first 12 months with me: what she ate, how she grew, and the little tweaks I made along the way.
A quick heads-up before you start: the amounts in this post are what Pepper actually ate at 3 months old. I’ve since updated my puppy percentages, and today I’d start a 3 month old Lab at about 5-7% of current body weight. You’ll find the updated numbers in my Labrador puppy feeding chart, or plug your own puppy into my free raw dog food calculator.
Labrador Puppies Can Start on Raw Right Away
Just in case you’re wondering – yes, puppies can be raw-fed right from the start as soon as they’re weaned off their mother’s milk.
There’s no need for a slow transition like you sometimes see with older dogs who’ve been eating kibble or canned food for years. Their bodies are already primed for fresh, species-appropriate raw dog food.
That’s exactly what I did with Pepper – she switched straight to raw the moment she came home to live with us.
How Many Daily Meals Does A 3 Month Labrador Puppy Need?
Most Lab puppies do best with four meals a day at this age, until they’re about 16 weeks old. Some can already handle three bigger meals, but others still have small tummies that aren’t quite ready for it.
When we first brought Pepper home, I started her off with three meals a day. It quickly became clear that the portions were just too much – her little stomach couldn’t cope, and she ended up bringing food back up. Not fun for either of us!
The fix was simple: I split her food into four smaller meals instead. That way, she gets the same nutrition but in puppy-sized portions she can actually manage. As she grows, I’ll be able to scale it back down to three meals a day, and eventually two when she’s an adult.
Pepper’s Feeding Station Setup
Puppies and mealtimes can get messy, so I put together a little feeding station just for Pepper. Her water bowl is actually one of Missy’s & Buzz’s old dishes, and for meals she uses one of Wally’s slow feeders (the stainless-steel one).
It helps her take things a bit slower instead of wolfing everything down in seconds.
Both bowls sit on a silicone feeding mat so they don’t slide around, and cleanup is a breeze since everything’s dishwasher-safe.
To save my wall from splashes and raw food smears, I also stuck up an electrostatic wall cover right behind her bowls. It wipes clean easily and peels off when it’s time for a new one. Simple, practical, and no raw food stains on the wall (I have a similar set up for Wally).
What You’ll Need to Create Your Puppy’s Feeding Station
- Sturdy water dish (hand-me-downs work great!)
- Slow feeder bowl – stainless steel is durable and easy to wash
- Silicone feeding mat to keep everything in place
- Electrostatic wall cover to protect the wall behind the bowls
How Much Raw Dog Food Should A 3 Month Old Labrador Puppy Eat?
At 3 months of age, puppies require a lot of nutrients for their intense growth phase.
That’s why I raw-fed Pepper at 9.5% of her actual body weight at 3 months old. Today, I’d start a 3 month old Lab lower, at about 5-7% of current body weight, and adjust from there. Just for comparison’s sake, adult Labs eat about 2-2.5% of their ideal body weight, so there’s quite the difference!
Either way, the first thing I did when Pepper moved in with us was to get a weight on her. Some people use digital pet scales, but I went with our digital bathroom weighing scale for us humans.
And just as a heads up, I’m getting her weight on a weekly basis.
Turns out Pepper weighed 26.5 lbs / 12 kg at 12 weeks old. Little chunky monkey girl!
9.5% of 26.5 lbs / 12 kg = 2.5 lbs / 1.14 kg.
In other words, our 3 month old Labrador puppy needed to eat 40.2 oz / 1140 g of raw dog food per day.
That’s how much raw dog food she got to eat during her first week with us.
That’s Pepper’s Percentage – Want Yours?
Every puppy grows at their own pace, so Pepper’s numbers are just one example. Enter your own puppy’s age, weight, and activity level to get an instant, personalized ratio breakdown for muscle meat, bone, organs, and plant matter.
Try the Free CalculatorCalculating Pepper’s Raw Dog Food Ratios
Here’s the breakdown of that amount into the different raw dog food components puppies need to eat, and what that translated to for Pepper:
- 40% muscle meat: 16.1 oz / 456 g
- 4% heart: 1.6 oz / 45.6 g
- 4% lung: 1.6 oz / 45.6 g
- 10% fish: 4.0 oz / 114 g
- 17% bones: 6.8 oz / 194 g
- 7% liver: 2.8 oz / 80 g
- 3.5% spleen: 1.4 oz / 40 g
- 3.5% kidney: 1.4 oz / 40 g
- 11% veggies & fruit: 4.4 oz / 125 g
When you’re figuring out the raw (meaty) bones, that part can be confusing at first. That’s because raw meaty bones (aka RMBs) don’t just have bone, they also have meat that’s attached to the bone.
RMBs (Raw Meaty Bones) That Work for 3 Month Old Labrador Puppies
So to figure out how much bone there is on any given RMB, you first need to know the respective bone:meat ratio.
Here are the ratios of the most common RMBs that work for Labrador puppies that age:
- Chicken necks: 45% bone, 55% meat
- Chicken / duck feet: 60% bone, 40% meat
- Chicken heads: 75% bone, 25% meat
- Chicken wings: 45% bone, 55% meat
- Quail heads: 75% bone, 25% meat
- Turkey necks: 40% bone, 60% meat
Once you know the bone:meat ratio of your RMB, here’s how you figure out how much of it you need to feed to cover your puppy’s daily bone allowance:
[Your puppy’s daily bone allowance] / [Bone percentage of the RMB you want to feed] x 100
Let’s go with chicken necks as an example of how much of them are needed to cover Pepper’s daily bone allowance of 6.8 oz / 194 g:
[6.8 oz / 194 g] / [45] x 100 = 15.2 oz / 431 g of chicken necks
So she had to eat 15.2 oz / 431 g of chicken necks to hit her bone allowance for that day.
Last but not least, I put the meat portion of the chicken necks towards Pepper’s daily muscle meat allowance.
Raw Dog Food Recipes for 3 Month Old Labrador Puppy Pepper
During her first week with us, I fed Pepper the premade raw dog food puppy formula from BARFER’S, the German raw dog food brand I work for these days. I made some slippery elm syrup to go along with it for an extra layer of digestive support for her first raw meals.
The premade raw dog food formula is called Komplett-Mix Junior and consists of beef and chicken for proteins, as well as sweet potatoes, spinach, apple, and blueberries for the plant matter. They also add seaweed calcium, cod liver oil, linseed oil, salmon oil, shredded coconut and kelp as supplements.
Technically speaking, you could go ahead and replicate the formula, as they are super transparent with all of the ingredients they add, including the respective amounts:
- 51,1% Beef muscle meat
- 15,7% Chicken necks
- 11,0% Sweet potato
- 4,2% Beef liver
- 3,7% Spinach
- 3,0% Apple
- 2,0% Blueberries
- 1,9% Beef heart
- 1,9% Beef lung
- 1,9% Beef spleen
- 1,9% Beef kidney
- 0,4% Seaweed calcium
- 0,3% Cod liver oil
- 0,3% Linseed oil
- 0,3% Salmon oil
- 0,3% Shredded coconut
- 0,1% Kelp
I will say that BARF raw dog food brands here in Europe add about 20% of veggies & fruit to their meals, which is a lot more plant matter than they do in the US. So that’s something to be aware of.
I personally think it’s too much and add less plant matter when I make my own raw meals.
And as of her second week with us, that’s exactly what I did.
Here’s an Example of What I Fed Lab Puppy Pepper During the Course of 1 Day:
- 7.7 oz / 219 g lean beef muscle meat
- 1.6 oz / 45.6 g chicken hearts
- 1.6 oz / 45.6 g lamb lung
- 4.0 oz / 114 g whole herring
- 15.2 oz / 431 g chicken necks (includes 8.4 oz / 237 g of meat that goes towards the muscle meat portion)
- 2.8 oz / 80 g duck liver
- 1.4 oz / 40 g beef spleen
- 1.4 oz / 40 g beef kidney
- 4.4 oz / 125 g plant matter (cooked and pureed broccoli, spinach, blackberries)
Want to see what percentage applies to your own puppy?
Now, I didn’t add any supplements but kelp for iodine to Pepper’s homemade puppy raw dog food meals because I fed her whole foods that cover all of the other nutrients she needs.
For instance, enough whole raw meaty bones to avoid needing seaweed calcium or a similar bone supplement. But also enough liver and whole herring to avoid needing any of the oils that are in the premade puppy food.
The Crucial Role of Iodine in Puppy Health
Iodine is the foundation of thyroid hormone production, specifically thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), which regulate metabolism, bone growth, and brain development in puppies.
Unlike adults, puppies have a much higher iodine requirement due to their accelerated growth rate. According to the NRC’s 2006 Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats, the recommended allowance for iodine in growing puppies is 220 mcg per 1,000 kcal ME, so the more your puppy eats, the more iodine she needs. A growing Lab puppy eats well over 1,000 kcal a day, so her daily needs land above 220 mcg of iodine per day.
It’s really crucial to consistently meet this requirement to support proper neurological development and skeletal maturation in our puppies!
Kelp Supplementation for Puppies
I supplement kelp when Pepper’s not getting whole prey animals that come with the thyroid gland (currently, that’s the occasional duckling).
While she does get whole herrings or sardines on a daily basis, it’s not enough to cover her daily iodine needs.
To put this into perspective, here are average iodine values for common foods:
- 25 mcg of iodine per large chicken egg
- 25 mcg of iodine per 100 g goat yogurt/milk
- 35 mcg of iodine in 115 g herring
- 250 mcg of iodine in 110 g of cod and haddock
Generally speaking, white fish like cod and haddock has more iodine than oily fish, but it’s not nearly as rich in Omega-3 fatty acids than oily fish, which is why oily fish is more commonly fed in raw dog food.
If Pepper had all of those foods each and every day, it would come close to covering her iodine needs.
But right now, she only gets 114 g of whole herring per day, 2 large pastured chicken eggs per week and 1-2 tablespoons of goat yogurt per week.
Why Kelp Is the Reliable Choice for Puppies (And Adult Dogs)
Because iodine levels in fish and whole prey vary dramatically, kelp is the most reliable way to bridge the gap.
A tested kelp product with a declared iodine concentration (like mine at 500 mcg/g) allows for precise supplementation that keeps Pepper’s intake safe and consistent.
When you’re supplementing with kelp, use a kelp made for dogs and follow the feeding recommendations on its label, since iodine levels vary depending on the species of kelp and the waters it was harvested from. Skip human kelp supplements: they’re dosed for people, and following that label usually leaves your puppy short on iodine.
That way, your puppy consistently gets what she needs for healthy growth, without the risks of deficiency or oversupply.
Foods That Pepper’s Had This Month
One of the fun parts of raising a raw-fed puppy is watching her explore all the different foods that come her way.
At three months old, Pepper’s already been introduced to a nice variety of proteins, raw meaty bones, and even some whole prey items.
Here’s a look at what’s been on her menu so far:
Proteins
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Duck
- Quail
- Rabbit
- Beef
- Kangaroo (a small bite of kangaroo meat I had left over from Wally’s raw meal prep)
- Lamb
- Herring
- Smelt
- Salmon
Whole Raw Meaty Bones (RMBs)
- Chicken necks/feet/heads
- Quail heads
- Turkey neck
Whole Prey
- Whole herrings & smelts
- Whole duckling
Next month will be an exciting one – Pepper’s adult teeth are starting to come in, which means she’ll soon be able to handle more than her little puppy teeth can right now.
On the menu are new proteins and raw meaty bones like rabbit ribs and duck wings. I can’t wait to see how she does with them!
Life With 3 Month Old Labrador Puppy Pepper: Month One Highlights
Of course, it hasn’t just been about food this month. Pepper’s already had some big “firsts” outside of the kitchen, too.
She came along on her very first long weekend road trip to the Baltic Sea, where she got to experience sandy beaches and sunrise walks with Wally.
She’s also tagged along with Wally and me to our dog-friendly office a few times and settled right in like she owned the place.
And last but not least, Pepper started puppy kindergarten class, which has been a fun mix of socialization, basic manners, and plenty of wiggly Lab energy.
It’s been a busy and exciting first month with her, and I can’t wait to see what the next chapter of her raw feeding journey – and her puppy adventures – will bring.
Want to see how she grew from here? Head over to raw feeding my 4 month old Labrador puppy, or follow her all the way to her first birthday in my Labrador puppy raw feeding series.
Related Reading
- Raw feeding my 4 month old Labrador puppy
- Raw dog food for puppies: how much and what?
- Raw dog food meal prep for beginners
- Easy raw dog food feeding charts and worksheets
- List of US dog breeders who feed raw dog food
- List of raw feeding Canadian dog breeders
- Your dog doesn’t eat raw dog food? Try these 9 easy hacks
- 10 easy ways to puppy-proof your home
- How to keep your dog from pooping inside the house
Barbara Rivers is the founder of K9sOverCoffee and a raw feeding educator with over a decade of hands-on experience.
She has fed raw in the US and Europe since 2015, after her Boxer mix Missy’s cancer diagnosis led her to move away from processed kibble and commit to species-appropriate nutrition.
As a former professional dog walker, she developed deep insight into canine behavior, conditioning, and the essential link between proper exercise and long-term health.
Barbara completed online training with veterinarian Dr. Marion Smart and Labrador breeder Dana Scott and works for one of Germany’s leading raw dog food brands, BARFER’S.
In 2026–2027, she is completing a year-long raw nutrition certification for dogs and cats at THP School, founded by raw feeding pioneer Swanie Simon.
Through her blog and weekly newsletter, she provides clear, experience-based guidance to help dog owners feed raw safely and confidently.