how much to feed

Question
I have a 1 year old black lab that I am wondering how much food she should be getting dailly.  She is 82 pounds and quite active.  She goes swimming at least 1-2 hours a week and also get ball throwing or Frisbee at least 3-4 times a week.  I live on 2 1/2 acres and she gets at least a leisurely walk around the property daily.  I feed her only dry dog food and she also loves fruit (apples & bananas)which she gets as a treat a couple times a week

Answer
You don't mention what food are feeding and that can mean a big difference in the amounts she needs. You'll feed more of a low quality food than you will a high quality food, sometimes by as much as half.

Start with the guidelines on the bag of food and then watch her body condition. Your dog's body condition is a much better indicator than any measuring cup. You want to keep her at an ideal weight and you can determine this with your eyes and hands. Your dog should have a visible "waist" when viewed from above, on a side view she should have a slight tuck up and you should be able to easily feel her ribs under a thin layer of fat.

If she seems to be getting thin feed a bit more, if she starts getting pudgy feed a bit less.

Also since labs are prone to bloat I would feed her two smaller meals each day rather than one large one. And don't feed her from raised dishes. It was thought that a raised dish could reduce the chances of bloat, but recent studies are finding that it seems to increase the risk.

~Jess