dog growth

Question
hi, i have an eleven month old yellow lab puppy.  She has an awesome bloodline and should be a fairly large dog.  she is not spayed, is very active, and seems to be the model "rolley polley" (healthily puppy chuby) but she hasnt grown barely at all for the last few months.  i recently found out that shockingly i havent been feeding her the recomended amount of food, but as i mentioned she is not at all skinny.  do you have any idea of why she hasnt grown and if its food related is it too late for her still to reach her potential size if i start feeding her properly (when do puppies stop growing)

Answer
(healthily puppy chuby) ?????  While roly, poly may be cute, it is terrible for a growing large breed's joints.  There was an extensive discussion of weight in a recent newsletter from a service dog school.

''Obesity is the number one nutritional disease affecting dogs. It's estimated that 25-45% of dogs in the US are obese. Studies have shown that joint and locomotive problems increase by 57%, circulatory problems by 74%, respiratory problems by 52%, skin problems by 40% and cancer by 50% in animals that are overweight.

Large breed dogs that are overweight also are more prone to developing hip dysplasia. Obesity is especially dangerous for young puppies, as their underdeveloped frame cannot support the extra poundage that it must carry.''

I think those numbers may be from a large, carefully controlled study published in the JAVMA.  Your dog definitely should be narrower at the waist than the hips and chest. You should be able to easily feel the ribs, but not see them.  Each dog is different.  Standard recommendations are a good place to start, but each dog must have its food and exercise adjusted to its individual needs. Here is a link to a good illustrated guide, http://www.longliveyourdog.com/twoplus/RateYourDog.aspx

Nobody I would trust knows more about breeding and raising sturdy Labs than the service dog schools.  A school may breed up to 400 dogs a year and control their diets and keep extensive records including hip X-Rays of 100% of them all their life.  They all insist that their puppies are kept lean and make an early switch to adult to slow growth.  The local vet that treats my puppies is a nationally known joint specialist and he says the same thing.  I have asked him if the spare diet they eat affects their adult size.  He says it only delays reaching their genetically programed size.  

I would say your dog is near her adult size.  Usually their growth slows after 6 months.  She will continue to grow into her second year, although hardly significantly.  In her second year, her body shape will change becoming broader at the chest.  If her ribs are covered with a layer of fat, you must cut back rather than increase what you are feeding, or increase her exercise.  I have found similar Labs needed anywhere from 3 to 6 cups of Pro Plan a day to maintain ideal body condition at 11 months.