Dog CPR: How to Do CPR on a Dog

To do CPR on a dog, lay him on his side, place your hands on the widest part of the chest, and push down hard and fast, 100 to 120 times a minute, compressing the chest by one-third to one-half its width and letting it spring back fully. After every 30 compressions, give 2 breaths by closing his mouth and blowing into his nose. Keep going in 2-minute cycles while someone drives you to the nearest vet.^1,2,3 This follows the 2024 RECOVER guidelines, the international veterinary standard for CPR.^4,5

Before You Start: Check Response and Breathing

Make sure the area is safe, then call your dog's name and gently touch him. Be ready to move back, since a confused dog may bite. Look for chest movement and feel for breath at the nose. Pull the tongue forward and check the mouth for anything blocking the airway.^7,2 If you can't tell within about 15 seconds that he's breathing and has a heartbeat, start compressions. Checking for a pulse is unreliable and shouldn't delay CPR.^2,8

Where to Put Your Hands

Lock your elbows, keep your shoulders over your hands, and use the heel of one hand with the other hand on top.^6,2 Hand position depends on your dog's chest shape:^1,2,6

The 2024 guidelines no longer recommend the two-handed method for small dogs and cats. There's no single agreed weight cutoff for "small"; sources use about 10 to 20 pounds.^1,3,8

How to Do CPR on a Dog, Step by Step

1. Have someone call the nearest veterinary hospital so they can prepare.⁶
2. Lay your dog on a firm surface, on his right side for most dogs or on his back for barrel-chested breeds.
3. Push hard and fast: 100 to 120 compressions a minute, one-third to one-half of the chest width, letting the chest come all the way back up between pushes.¹
4. After 30 compressions, give 2 breaths: hold the mouth closed, extend the neck so the nose lines up with the spine, seal your mouth over the nose and blow for about 1 second until the chest rises.^2,7
5. Repeat 30 compressions and 2 breaths. After 2 minutes, pause for under 10 seconds to check for breathing, and switch rescuers if possible, since tired rescuers push less effectively.^1,3
6. Keep going on the way to the vet if someone else can drive.^6,9

If you can't or don't want to give breaths, for example if the dog might carry a contagious disease or have chemicals on his face, compression-only CPR is still worthwhile.^1,6

When to Stop

Continue until your dog starts breathing on his own or the veterinary team takes over.^2,9 If he starts breathing, go to the vet immediately, since he needs emergency care.⁷ CPR is very unlikely to work in a dog with a serious terminal illness or severe injuries, and in those situations it may not be the kindest choice.⁷

How Often Does CPR Work in Dogs?

Honestly, not often. In a study at a US veterinary teaching hospital following the RECOVER guidelines, a heartbeat returned in 44 percent of 172 dogs, but only 7 percent survived to go home.¹⁰ The Merck Veterinary Manual puts survival to discharge at about 5 to 7 percent of dogs, with better odds when the heart stops during anesthesia.⁸ No studies have measured survival after CPR done by owners at home. CPR gives the best chance when a healthy dog's heart or breathing stops from a sudden, reversible cause, such as drowning, choking or electric shock.⁷

Take a Pet CPR Class

The RECOVER Initiative, run by veterinary emergency specialists, offers an online CPR course for pet owners and pet professionals that takes about an hour.¹¹ Practicing hand position on your own calm dog, without pushing, helps you act faster in a real emergency. See dog first aid for choking, bleeding and other emergencies.

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