Is your dog a healthy weight? Use these quick steps to find out.

Is your dog a healthy weight?

3 easy steps to decide if your pup needs more exercise and/or a better diet:

Take a look at your pup in bright daylight. If he is short-haired this will be enough. If you have a long-haired pup, you will need to look when he is wet or use a hands-on approach.

1. Look from above

Look from above, checking for a thinner waistline in front of the rear legs.
(Left image) If the narrowing is very obvious and you can see hip bones without much muscle then it’s best to feed him more.
(Center image) If you see a slight narrowing and good rounded muscle tone over the shoulders and hips, congratulations! Your pup is probably a healthy weight. Continue to steps 2 & 3.
(Right image) If you cannot see any narrowing whatsoever, then your pup needs more exercise and probably a different diet.

Plan view: underweight, healthy weight, and overweight dogs — Underweight (left), healthy weight (center), and overweight (right) dog.

2. Look from the side

Look from the side, checking for rib definition and a tummy tuck.
(Top image) If you see more than a handful of ribs and an exaggerated tummy tuck, then it’s best to feed him more.
(Center image) If you count 0-5 ribs and see a clear tummy tuck, congratulations! He is probably a healthy weight. Continue to step 3.
(Bottom image) If you cannot see any ribs and there is little or no tummy tuck, then your pup needs more exercise and probably a different diet.
Underweight (top), healthy weight (center), and overweight (bottom) dog.

3. Run your hands over the ribcage
Run your hands over your pup’s ribcage. Do you feel the bones?
- Are they hard to the touch?
- Covered by a soft layer of tissue?
- Is the tissue so thick and soft that you need to press in to feel the distinction?
Ideally, you should easily feel the ribs and they should be covered by some soft tissue.