What is a realistic timeline to help a small dog lose 1kg?

A 1kg loss on a 6kg dog is a substantial 17 percent of body weight, compared to the same 1kg being just 2.5 percent for a 40kg dog, so the small dog's plan needs a longer, more carefully managed timeline relative to its size.

This is also a reminder that small dogs need more careful, gradual weight loss management, since the margin between a healthy and an unhealthy pace is narrower in absolute grams than it is for a larger dog.

Starting at 1.5 percent of 6kg, roughly 90g a week, an initial estimate might suggest around eleven weeks, but as weight drops the percentage based target shrinks too, extending the realistic total timeline to around two to three months.

Weigh every two weeks using an accurate small scale, since even 50 to 100g matters meaningfully for tracking progress at this size.

Use precise gram measurements rather than cups throughout the plan, since small measurement errors are proportionally larger for small dogs and can meaningfully affect the pace of loss.

Involve your vet in setting the plan for a small dog with a meaningful percentage of weight to lose, since they can help confirm a safe, appropriate target and pace, and can flag early if progress looks unusually fast or slow for a dog this size.