Dog Weight Chart: How to Determine Your Dog's Ideal Weight
The best way to find your dog's ideal weight is to combine three things: a body condition check with your hands and eyes, a regular weigh-in on a scale, and the typical adult weight range for your dog's breed. A dog at a healthy weight has ribs you can feel easily but not see, a visible waist from above, and a slight tuck behind the ribs from the side. Use the chart and tables below to score your dog, then adjust food and activity from there.
How to Determine Your Dog's Ideal Weight
There's not a set rule on what a certain breed should weigh. Going by only the "breed standard weight" can be completely inaccurate. Within every breed, there are dogs that are naturally smaller and naturally larger than the breed standard.
That being said, it's best to evaluate your dog and determine whether your dog needs to add weight, lose weight, or is currently at their ideal weight.
By using the weight chart below, you can determine your dog's condition score. Depending on where they stand, you may need to increase or decrease their calorie intake.
A quick note on food: for your dog, the goal is high protein with fewer calories, and a reduced-fat recipe makes that easy.
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Chicken-free lamb recipe with 25% protein, 45% less fat, and 415 calories per cup for dogs that need a lighter bowl.
Dog Weight Chart: Body Condition Score
Vets usually score body condition on a 9-point scale, where 4 to 5 is ideal. You can do a quick version at home. Run your hands along your dog's sides, look down at them from above, and look at them from the side.
| Score | Condition | What you see and feel |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | Too thin | Ribs, spine and hip bones are easy to see or feel with little or no fat over them. Severe waist and belly tuck. Loss of muscle at higher levels of thinness. |
| 4–5 | Ideal | Ribs are easy to feel under a thin layer of fat but not obvious to the eye. Clear waist from above. Belly tucks up behind the ribs from the side. |
| 6–7 | Overweight | Ribs are harder to feel under a layer of fat. Waist is hard to see from above. Little or no belly tuck. |
| 8–9 | Obese | Ribs can't be felt without firm pressure. No waist. Fat deposits over the back, base of the tail and neck. Belly may sag. |
Muscular breeds like pit bulls and American Bullies can look "thick" at a healthy weight. Judge fat cover over the ribs, not overall bulk.
Average Adult Dog Weight by Breed
Breed ranges are a starting point, not a target. Use them together with the body condition score above. The ranges below are the approximate adult weights commonly cited by kennel club breed standards.
| Breed | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|
| American Pit Bull Terrier | 35–60 lb | 30–50 lb |
| American Staffordshire Terrier | 55–70 lb | 40–55 lb |
| Staffordshire Bull Terrier | 28–38 lb | 24–34 lb |
| American Bully | Varies widely by class (pocket, standard, classic, XL). Judge by body condition and proportion. | |
| French Bulldog | Under 28 lb | |
| English Bulldog | About 50 lb | About 40 lb |
| Cane Corso | About 99–110 lb | About 88–99 lb |
| Rottweiler | 95–135 lb | 80–100 lb |
| German Shepherd | 65–90 lb | 50–70 lb |
| Labrador Retriever | 65–80 lb | 55–70 lb |
Individual dogs can fall outside these ranges and still be healthy. Mixed breeds should be judged on body condition alone.
For more detail on bully breeds, see our guides to average pitbull weight, height and size and which dogs are bully breeds.
How to Weigh Your Dog at Home
- Small and medium dogs: Weigh yourself on a bathroom scale, then weigh yourself holding your dog. Subtract the first number from the second.
- Large dogs: Many vet clinics and some pet stores let you use their walk-on scale for free. A platform pet scale is worth it if you track weight often.
- Be consistent: Weigh at the same time of day, before a meal, on the same scale.
- How often: Once a month is enough for a healthy adult. Weigh every week or two while your dog is gaining or losing weight.
A dog weight scale tells you the number. The body condition score tells you whether that number is right for your dog. Use both.
How to Determine Your Dog's Activity Level
Once you know your dog's condition, their activity level tells you how many calories they need. Plug both into our dog food calculator for a daily starting amount, or read how much should I feed my dog.
Overweight: You can determine if your dog is overweight by using the chart shown above. If you have determined your dog is overweight, we recommend increasing your dog's activity level and/or reducing their calorie intake.
If your dog needs to slim down, a lower-fat food makes it easier to cut calories while keeping meat-based protein in the bowl.
TRY BULLY MAX 25/11 REDUCED FAT DOG FOOD
Chicken-free lamb recipe with 25% protein, 45% less fat, and 415 calories per cup for dogs that need a lighter bowl.
Underweight: If your dog scores 3 or lower, see your vet first to rule out worms, dental pain or illness, then increase calories gradually. Our guide on how to help your dog gain weight and bulk up walks through it, and causes of weight loss in dogs covers when weight loss needs a vet visit.
Senior: Dogs are classified as seniors at different ages depending on their size. Small breeds are often considered seniors later than large and giant breeds. Ask your vet when your dog's needs are likely to change, and see how to prepare the best senior dog food.
Inactive: Dogs that are inactive are typically low energy breeds, senior dogs, dogs with arthritis, as well as any dog that spends the majority of the day resting.
Typical: Walks 2–3 times per week (15–20 minute walks). Plays an average of an hour a day. Is up and moving frequently throughout the day.
Active: If your household has multiple dogs or a child/children, your dog will likely remain active much longer than they will resting. Daily walks (45 minutes to an hour). Plays quite frequently (tug, fetch, runs with dogs at dog parks, etc.).
Highly active: Highly active dogs take daily walks for longer than an hour. They also remain active the majority of the day. They play intensely and play often. If your household has a child, multiple children, or multiple dogs, this can contribute to a high activity level as well.
Working Dog (light duty): Light duty working dogs are dogs that exercise daily using exercise tools such as the treadmill, flirt pole, or spring pole. Aside from workouts, they also take daily walks (45 minutes to an hour).
Working Dog (moderate duty): Moderate duty working dogs include dogs that partake in the following activities 2–3 times per week: swimming, running on treadmills or slatmills, and exercise using one or more of the following exercise tools: the spring pole, the flirt pole, weight vests. Aside from the exercises listed, they also take daily walks for an hour or longer.
Working Dog (heavy duty): Heavy duty working dogs participate in sports that burn a significant amount of calories for multiple hours a day. Some of these activities include but are not limited to sled racing, weight pulling, schutzhund, and dock diving. If your dog has built up a significant amount of stamina and is able to run on the treadmill or slatmill for multiple hours daily, they would also fall into the heavy duty working class.
Working and sport dogs at the top of this scale burn a lot of calories. A calorie-dense performance food helps them keep their condition without huge meals. Read more in calorie needs for dogs in competitive training.
TRY BULLY MAX PRO SERIES 31/25 DOG FOOD
High-calorie performance nutrition with 31% protein, 25% fat, and 600 calories per cup for working and sport dogs.
FAQ
How do I know if my dog is a healthy weight?
You should be able to feel the ribs easily under a thin layer of fat, see a waist from above, and see the belly tuck up behind the ribs from the side. That is a body condition score of 4 to 5 out of 9.
Is there a dog weight chart by breed?
Yes. The table above lists typical adult ranges for common breeds. Use it as a guide only, because healthy dogs within the same breed can differ by 10 pounds or more. Body condition matters more than the number.
What should an American Bully weigh?
It depends on the class. Pocket, standard, classic and XL Bullies vary a lot in size, so there is no single target weight. Use the body condition score and keep your Bully lean and muscular rather than heavy.
How often should I weigh my dog?
Monthly for a healthy adult, and every week or two while your dog is gaining or losing weight. Weigh at the same time of day on the same scale.
Keep Your Dog at Their Best Weight
Score your dog, weigh them, then set a daily amount with the dog food calculator. If your dog needs to gain, Bully Max 30/20 High Protein packs 535 calories per cup of meat-based nutrition. If they need to lose, Bully Max 25/11 has 45% less fat. Recheck in a month and adjust.
