A good way to know if your puppy or dog is over- or underweight is to compare their physical figure against a body condition scoring chart, and you’ll be able to find these online or in your vet’s office. A score of five is ideal, as this is in the middle of the continuum. Dogs with a body condition score of five will show an ‘hourglass’ shape if you look down at them, and you’ll be able to feel their ribs when you gently press against them. A dog with a body condition score of less than five will be underweight, and signs of this will include very prominent ribs and a protruding pelvis. To be on the safe side, it’s always a nice idea to take your dog for regular check-ups, where your vet will be able to weigh them and let you know if anything’s out of the ordinary.
Please do remember that these general rules won’t always apply to every single breed, however, because as we noted, every dog is unique. Greyhounds and Whippets, for instance, are two good examples of breeds that will not exactly conform to the body condition scoring system, as they will have prominent ribs even at a body condition score of five.