How to tell if your dog is overweight (and what to do about it)

February 25, 2026

Here's a statistic that doesn't get enough attention: roughly 56% of dogs in the United States are overweight or obese, according to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention's annual survey. Over half. And most of their owners don't realize it, because we've gotten so used to seeing heavy dogs that a dog at healthy weight actually looks thin to us now.

I'm going to walk you through how to assess your own dog at home, what the numbers actually mean, and what to do if your dog needs to lose some weight.

The rib test

This is the single most useful check you can do, and it takes about three seconds. Place both hands on your dog's ribcage, thumbs on the spine, fingers spread over the ribs. Apply light pressure, about the same as you'd use to feel your own knuckles through the back of your hand.

That's it. No scale needed, no breed chart. The rib test works across virtually all breeds, from Chihuahuas to Great Danes. It's what vets use as a quick screening tool, and you can do it yourself every couple of weeks.

The view from above

Stand directly above your dog and look down at their back. You should see a visible waist, a narrowing behind the ribs before the hips. It should look like an hourglass shape, or at least a noticeable tuck inward.

If your dog looks like a sausage from above (straight sides or bulging outward behind the ribs), that's excess weight. If the waist is dramatically narrow with hip bones protruding, they might be too thin.

The side profile

Look at your dog from the side. The belly should tuck upward from the chest toward the hind legs. The degree of tuck varies by breed (greyhounds have an extreme tuck, bulldogs have less), but there should be some visible lift rather than a straight line or a belly that hangs down.

The body condition score

Vets use a Body Condition Score (BCS) system, usually on a 1-9 scale, to standardize weight assessment. Here's the simplified version:

A BCS of 5 is the target for most dogs. Each point above 5 represents roughly 10% over ideal weight. So a dog at BCS 7 is about 20% over their ideal weight. For a dog whose ideal weight is 50 pounds, that's 60 pounds, which means 10 pounds need to come off.

Breed-specific considerations

Some breeds make weight assessment trickier. Sighthounds (greyhounds, whippets, borzoi) are naturally lean with visible ribs, and people sometimes think they're underweight when they're actually perfect. Breeds with heavy coats (Samoyeds, Bernese Mountain Dogs) hide fat under all that fur, and you really need to use the rib test since visual assessment is unreliable.

Breeds prone to weight gain include Labrador Retrievers (there's actually a genetic mutation in about 25% of labs that affects satiety, per a 2016 Cambridge study), Beagles, Dachshunds, Cocker Spaniels, and Pugs. If you have one of these breeds, check body condition more frequently.

Why it matters

This isn't about aesthetics. Overweight dogs have shorter lifespans. A well-known Purina lifespan study followed 48 Labrador Retrievers over their entire lives. The dogs kept at lean body condition lived a median of 1.8 years longer than their slightly overfed littermates. Nearly two extra years of life, from a difference of roughly 25% in food quantity.

Excess weight increases the risk of joint problems (especially ACL tears and hip dysplasia symptoms), diabetes, respiratory issues, certain cancers, and heat intolerance. Joint problems are the most visible consequence, because carrying extra weight on a frame that wasn't designed for it causes pain that builds gradually. Many owners attribute their dog "slowing down" to age when it's actually discomfort from carrying too much weight.

How to help your dog lose weight

The principle is the same as human weight loss: fewer calories in, more calories burned. But the implementation needs to be gradual and controlled.

Step one: figure out how many calories your dog currently eats. Measure everything for a week, including treats, table scraps, dental chews, and anything else that goes in their mouth.

Step two: calculate what they should be eating. Use their ideal weight (not current weight) as the basis, and multiply the RER by 1.0 for weight loss. For a dog whose ideal weight is 50 pounds, RER is about 725 calories. That's the daily target.

Step three: cut portions to hit that target. Reduce by no more than 15-20% from current intake at first. Dramatic calorie restriction makes dogs miserable and can cause nutrient deficiencies if the food isn't designed for weight loss. Your vet can prescribe a therapeutic weight loss diet that's lower in calories but still nutritionally complete.

Step four: increase exercise gradually. If your dog currently walks 15 minutes a day, don't suddenly start doing hour-long hikes. Add five minutes per week. Swimming is excellent for overweight dogs because it's low-impact on joints.

Step five: weigh monthly and aim for 1-2% body weight loss per week. For a 60-pound dog, that's about half a pound to just over a pound per week. Slow and steady. Fast weight loss in dogs can cause hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease).

Use our feeding calculator to find the right calorie target for your dog's weight loss goals.

The hardest part

Honestly, the hardest part of helping a dog lose weight is dealing with the begging. Dogs are incredibly good at making you feel like they're starving when they're just slightly less full than usual. It helps to switch to a higher-fiber food (it's more filling per calorie), use food puzzles and slow feeders to make meals last longer, and replace high-calorie treats with carrots, green beans, or ice cubes. Most dogs love these alternatives, and a whole carrot has about 25 calories versus 100+ for a milk bone.