Hands-On Guide to Checking if Your Dog Is at a Good Weight

What you will see and feel if your dog is too thin:

• Ribs:You can see bones protruding and do not feel a small amount of muscle/fat over them when you run your hands along your dog's sides.
• Base of Tail: When looking at the base of the tail you see bones sticking out and do not feel a small layer of fat/muscle covering the base when you run your hands along it.
• Spine: When looking from above you see bones protruding and do not feel a small layer of fat/muscle covering the spine when you run your hands along your dog's back.
• Waist: When looking at dog the from above you notice an extreme waist line and bones are visible.
• Abdominal Tuck: When looking at your dog from the side you see a severe tuck under the ribs.

Emaciated Dog

Thin Dog

What you will see and feel if your dog is at a healthy weight:

• Ribs: When running your hands along your dog's side you can easily feel the ribs while also feeling a small amount of fat covering them.
• Base of Tail:When feeling the base of your dog's tail you notice a small layer of fat and it is smooth to the touch.
• Spine:When running your hands along your dog's back you should be able to feel the spine and a small layer of muscle/fat covering it.
• Waist: When looking at your dog from above you see a visible waist line just behind the ribs.
• Abdominal Tuck: When looking at your dog from the side the area behind the ribs is visibly smaller than the chest.

Healthy-Weight Dog

What you will see and feel if your dog is overweight:

• Ribs: When running your hands along your dog's ribs you cannot easily feel the ribs or feel them at all.
• Base of Tail: When feeling the base of the tail there is a large amount of fat covering it and no bones are felt.
• Spine: When running your hands along your dog's back no bones are easily felt below a layer of fat.
• Waist: When looking at your dog from above no waist is seen or if the area between the ribs and hips protrudes.
• Abdominal Tuck: When looking at your dog from the side there is no visible tuck behind the ribs or if there is a layer of low hanging fat

Fat Dog

Obese Dog