To perform chest compressions on a dog, lay the dog on its right side on a firm surface, place the heel of your hand over the widest part of the rib cage, and compress the chest by about one-third to one-half its width at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute. After every 30 compressions, pause to deliver 2 rescue breaths through the dog’s nose. This cycle of 30 compressions and 2 breaths continues in uninterrupted 2-minute rounds until the dog’s heart restarts or you reach veterinary care.
CPR should only be performed on a dog that is unresponsive, not breathing, and has no detectable heartbeat. Performing compressions on a dog whose heart is still beating can cause serious harm, including broken ribs or cardiac injury.
Confirm the Dog Needs CPR
Before starting compressions, you need to determine within about 15 seconds whether the dog has a heartbeat and is breathing. Place the dog on its right side. Watch and feel the chest for any rise-and-fall movement. Place your hand or ear against the left side of the chest, just behind the elbow, and feel for a heartbeat. You can also check for a pulse on the inside of the upper hind leg, where the femoral artery runs close to the surface.
If you cannot convince yourself the dog is breathing and has a heartbeat within 15 seconds, start chest compressions. When in doubt, begin CPR. The risk of not acting when the heart has stopped far outweighs the risk of starting compressions a few seconds early.
Hand Placement by Body Type
Dogs come in very different chest shapes, and the correct hand position depends on your dog’s build.
- Medium and large dogs with round chests (Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Pit Bulls): Lay the dog on its right side. Place the heel of one hand over the widest part of the rib cage, roughly where the left elbow touches the chest. Stack your other hand on top and compress straight down.
- Deep, narrow-chested dogs (German Shepherds, Dobermans, Greyhounds): These dogs have a keel-shaped chest. Place your hands directly over the heart, which sits lower and more forward. The compression point is just behind the left elbow, closer to the breastbone.
- Flat-faced, barrel-chested dogs (Bulldogs, Pugs): These dogs can be placed on their backs, similar to human CPR. Compress directly over the breastbone (sternum) with the heel of your hand.
- Small dogs and puppies: Wrap one hand around the chest so your thumb is on one side and your fingers on the other, then squeeze. For very small dogs or puppies, you can use just your thumb and fingers to compress the chest. This wrapping technique generates better pressure on a tiny rib cage than pressing from one side.
How to Compress
Lock your elbows straight and use your upper body weight to press down, just as you would for human CPR. Each compression should push the chest in by roughly one-third to one-half of its total width. That means on a medium-sized dog with a chest about 8 inches wide, you’re compressing 3 to 4 inches. On a small dog, it may be just an inch or so. Let the chest fully recoil between each compression. Incomplete recoil reduces blood flow, so lift your hand pressure completely before pushing down again.
Aim for 100 to 120 compressions per minute. A helpful mental trick: compress to the beat of “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees, the same song taught in human CPR courses. The tempo is almost exactly right.
It takes roughly a full minute of continuous compressions before blood pressure in the heart builds to an effective level. This is why uninterrupted compressions matter so much. Pausing frequently or compressing too slowly means the heart never gets enough pressure to push blood to the brain.
Rescue Breaths Between Compressions
After every 30 compressions, deliver 2 quick rescue breaths. Here’s the technique:
Close the dog’s mouth and hold it shut with one hand. Extend the neck gently to straighten the airway. Place your mouth over both nostrils, creating a seal, and blow in just enough air to see the chest rise. Give two breaths in quick succession, then immediately return to compressions. Each breath should be short and gentle, not a forceful blow. Over-inflating the lungs can force air into the stomach or cause injury.
For flat-faced breeds like Bulldogs or Pugs, getting a good seal over the nostrils can be tricky because of their shortened snouts. You may need to cup your hands around the nose and mouth area more tightly. If you have a second person available, one person should handle compressions while the other handles breaths, switching roles every 2 minutes.
The 2-Minute Cycle
CPR is physically exhausting, and compression quality drops fast when you’re tired. The standard protocol uses 2-minute cycles. Compress for 2 full minutes (alternating 30 compressions with 2 breaths throughout), then pause for no more than 10 seconds to check whether the dog has regained a heartbeat or started breathing. Feel the chest behind the left elbow or check the femoral pulse on the inner thigh.
If there’s no heartbeat, immediately start another 2-minute cycle. If a second person is available, switch who does compressions at each 2-minute mark. Even fit, strong adults lose compression effectiveness after about 2 minutes of sustained effort. Switching keeps the compressions deep and fast enough to be useful.
What to Do Once the Dog Responds
If you feel a heartbeat return or the dog begins breathing on its own, stop compressions but monitor closely. Dogs can slip back into cardiac arrest quickly. Keep the dog lying on its right side and watch for continued chest movement. Be prepared to restart CPR at any moment.
Transport the dog to a veterinary emergency clinic as quickly as possible. Keep the head level with the body or slightly elevated. Minimize movement of the head, neck, and spine, especially if trauma caused the emergency. A flat, firm surface like a board, a piece of thick cardboard, or even a folded blanket on a baking sheet can serve as a makeshift stretcher for smaller dogs. If the dog stops breathing again during transport, continue mouth-to-nose breathing and chest compressions in the vehicle while someone else drives.
Realistic Expectations
Survival rates for dogs receiving CPR outside a veterinary hospital are low, generally under 10%. This is similar to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival in humans. CPR performed by an owner is a bridge, buying time until professional veterinary care can take over with medications, oxygen, and monitoring equipment. The fact that survival odds are modest does not mean CPR is futile. Dogs do survive, particularly when the cause of arrest is reversible (choking, drowning, anesthetic reaction) and compressions begin within the first few minutes.
The most common reason CPR fails at home is hesitation. People spend too long trying to assess the situation, look up instructions, or second-guess whether the dog really needs help. If your dog is unconscious, limp, not breathing, and has no detectable heartbeat, begin compressions. Acting quickly is the single most important factor in giving your dog a chance.