How do I help my dog lose weight safely?

Start by calculating what your dog is realistically eating now, including treats and extras, then set a new target around 10 to 20 percent below that total, weighed accurately using a kitchen scale rather than estimated by volume.

Ask your vet for a target healthy weight if you do not already have one, since this gives you a clear goal to measure progress against.

Cut treats to a genuinely small amount, and consider using a portion of the dog's own daily measured food as training rewards rather than adding extra calories on top.

Split the reduced daily amount across two or three meals if your dog seems hungrier on a diet, since spreading food out can help a dog feel more satisfied without changing the total calories.

Weigh your dog every two weeks and expect gradual loss, generally 1 to 2 percent of body weight per week, adjusting the food total by a further 5 to 10 percent if progress stalls for more than a month.

Pair the diet with gentle, appropriate exercise where your dog's current fitness and any health conditions allow, since activity supports the calorie deficit without needing an even larger food cut. Short, frequent walks are often gentler on joints carrying extra weight than one long outing, and they add up to a similar total over the course of a day.