Most dog owners think they’d know if their dog were overweight. The data suggests otherwise. According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention’s 2025 Pet Weight and Nutrition Opinion Survey, only 37% of dog owners described their pet as above ideal weight — yet body condition scoring, the clinical method vets use to assess this, is something fewer than half of owners (47%) say they’re even familiar with.
Why Owners Miss the Signs
Weight gain in dogs is gradual, which makes it easy to miss day to day. An owner who sees their dog every day doesn’t have the same reference point as someone who sees the dog occasionally and notices the change. On top of that, the same survey found that fewer than one in four pet owners report ever receiving a body condition score from a veterinarian, meaning most owners are relying on visual judgment alone rather than a standardized assessment.
What to Actually Check
Ribs
A dog at a healthy weight should have ribs that are easy to feel with light pressure, without a thick layer of fat over them, but shouldn’t have ribs that are visibly prominent either.
Waist
Looking down at a standing dog, there should be a visible narrowing behind the ribs. From the side, the abdomen should tuck upward toward the hind legs rather than hanging level with the chest.
Overall Silhouette
An overweight dog often loses this waist definition entirely, appearing more oval than hourglass-shaped from above.
Why Portion Size Is Often the Hidden Culprit
The same 2025 survey found that only 16% of dog owners weigh their dog’s food, with most relying on measuring cups or rough estimation instead. Cups vary in size, and scooping technique varies by person, which means two owners “feeding the same amount” by cup can actually be feeding meaningfully different quantities. This gap between intended and actual portion size is one of the more overlooked contributors to gradual weight gain.
Getting an Objective Read
Because owners tend to underestimate their own dog’s weight status, a second opinion is often more reliable than a visual self-check. A veterinarian can provide an actual body condition score, and some pet retailers offer nutrition consultations that factor in a dog’s age, activity level, and current diet. RedRidge Pet Market, a natural pet food retailer in the Richmond, Virginia area, is one example of a store built around this kind of service — its nutritional consultations are designed to help owners match feeding amounts and food type to what a specific dog actually needs, rather than a generic recommendation on a bag.
Catching a gradual weight gain early is far easier than reversing it — and per the same survey, only 28% of dogs whose owners attempted weight loss actually reached a healthy weight, which makes prevention worth more attention than most owners give it.