How much to feed
How can I tell if my dog is overweight?
Last updated 23 September 2026 · How we write and check this
Short answer
Run your hands along your dog's sides. You should feel the ribs easily under a thin layer of fat without pressing hard, and you should see a visible waist narrowing behind the ribs when viewed from above. If you cannot feel the ribs without pressing firmly, or there is no waist visible, your dog is likely carrying extra weight and it is worth discussing with your vet.
The hands on check
Stand your dog square and run flat hands gently along the rib cage from front to back. A healthy weight dog lets you feel each rib with light pressure, similar to feeling the back of your own hand.
If you have to press firmly to find the ribs, or cannot feel them distinctly at all, that generally indicates excess fat covering them.
Checking the shape from above and the side
Looking down at your dog from directly above, you should see a clear waist, a narrowing behind the ribs before the hips, rather than a straight or outward bulging line.
From the side, there should be a visible tuck upward from the chest to the belly, rather than a straight or sagging underline.
What to do next
If several of these signs point toward overweight, book a check with your vet, who can assign an official body condition score and rule out any underlying cause before setting a weight loss target.
Avoid making a large sudden cut to food on your own. A vet visit first helps set a safe, appropriate pace for weight loss based on how much your dog actually needs to lose, rather than guessing at a starting point without any professional input to confirm it is reasonable for your own specific dog, breed, current weight, age, and overall situation right now.
Key takeaways
- You should be able to feel your dog's ribs easily without pressing hard.
- A visible waist from above and a belly tuck from the side are both signs of a healthy weight.
- Difficulty feeling ribs and a missing waist are the clearest signs of carrying extra weight.
- See your vet for an official body condition score before starting a weight loss plan.