The Dog Calorie Calculator can recommend your dog’s daily calorie intake, which is a great starting point. Honing in on your dog’s ideal daily caloric intake will take a bit of trial and error.

According to board-certified veterinary nutritionists, treats should only make up 10% of a dog’s total daily calories.

• For example, if a dog needs 1000 kcal per day to maintain a healthy weight, 900 kcal should come from balanced food, and 100 kcal could come from treats.

With nutrition, larger patterns matter most, so don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to strictly follow these guidelines every single day.

Use a portion of your dog’s daily meals to help avoid excess calories.

• For example, if your dog needs to eat 2 cups of food per day, save ½ cup in a container for training throughout the day.

Your dog’s food should have an “AAFCO statement” on their label, near the ingredient list & guaranteed analysis.

• AAFCO statement = a nutritionally complete & balanced dog food recipe.

• Anything that doesn’t meet the AAFCO nutritional requirements is considered a ‘treat’ & intended for supplemental feeding only.

Learning to evaluate a dog’s Body Condition Score (BCS) is the most objective way to monitor your pet’s weight.

• A BCS is a rating of 1-9. A score of 4-5 is ideal for most dogs.

• You want to be able to feel your dog’s ribs along their sides easily, but you shouldn’t be able to count them from across the room.

Ethical pet weight management deserves more thoughtful, informed consideration than just restricting meals. Read more about ethical pet weight management.