Weight alone can't tell you. Three checks with your hands and eyes, the same ones vets use, show your pet's body condition and what to do about it.
Reviewed by Dr. Deborah Udaw, DVM, VCN reg. no. 12252
General guidance, not a diagnosis. If you're worried about your pet, talk to a vet.
Vets score body condition from 1 (very thin) to 9 (obese). Four and five are ideal. Weight alone can't tell you, because a healthy weight for one dog is too heavy for another of a different build. The hands are more honest than the scales.
Run your hands along their sides. At a healthy weight you can feel the ribs easily under a thin layer of fat without pressing hard. Looking down from above, there should be a waist behind the ribs, and from the side the belly should tuck up.