How to perform CPR on a dog: step-by-step (including puppies & small dogs)

If your dog stops breathing or their heart stops, knowing how to perform dog CPR quickly can be the difference between life and death. This guide walks you through how to resuscitate a dog step-by-step, covering CPR for dogs of every size, including specific guidance for puppies and small breeds.

This isn't a replacement for veterinary treatment, but resuscitation dog techniques performed correctly in the first few minutes can keep a dog alive long enough to reach a vet. It's a skill that's far easier to perform correctly if you've practised it, even mentally, beforehand.
 

How to tell if your dog needs CPR

This quick CPR dog check takes seconds but could save a life, whatever CPR for dogs looks like in practice for their size and breed. 

Before starting CPR on dogs, quickly check three things:
 

• Is your dog conscious? Try calling their name and gently tapping their side.
• Are they breathing? Watch and feel for chest movement for several seconds.
• Does their heart appear to be beating? Place your hand against their ribcage, just behind the front leg.

If you answer no to any of these, begin dog CPR right away — every second without oxygen reduces the chance of a full recovery.
 

Step-by-step: how to perform CPR on a dog

The core technique behind CPR for dogs is the same regardless of breed, it's the hand placement and pressure that changes with size. Work through these steps in order:
 

1. Lay your dog on their side

Place your dog on a firm, flat surface, lying on their right side if possible. Check their airway is clear of any visible obstruction before you begin.
 

2. Start chest compressions

Place your hands over the widest part of the chest and compress firmly and quickly. You’re aiming for around 100 to 120 compressions per minute, roughly two per second. Let the chest fully recoil between compressions.
 

3. Add rescue breaths

Close your dog's mouth, extend their neck slightly, and breathe firmly into their nose until you see the chest rise. This is the core rhythm of dog CPR: 30 chest compressions followed by 2 rescue breaths, repeated continuously.
 

4. Keep going until help arrives

Continue the cycle of compressions and breaths until your dog starts breathing on their own, you reach a vet, or a professional takes over. CPR can be physically tiring, so swap with another person if one is available, without pausing the rhythm for longer than a few seconds.


 

CPR for small dogs and puppies

The technique for CPR for small dogs and puppy CPR differs slightly from a medium or large dog, because of their smaller ribcage and more fragile bones.
 

• For CPR on a small dog or puppy: cup one hand around the ribcage and compress with your thumb and fingers rather than your whole palm, compressing about a third to half the width of the chest.
• For a medium or large dog: use two hands stacked on top of each other over the widest part of the chest, compressing with your body weight rather than just your arms.

If you're performing CPR on a puppy, take extra care, their bones are still developing, and too much pressure can cause injury rather than help. Puppy CPR should always be followed by an emergency vet visit, even if your puppy recovers quickly.
 

Can you do CPR on a dog yourself?

Can you do CPR on a dog without training? In a genuine emergency, yes, doing something is almost always better than doing nothing while you wait to reach a vet. That said, practising the technique in advance, ideally on a training model during a first aid course, makes it far more likely you'll perform it correctly for real.
 

When to stop and get to a vet

Knowing how to resuscitate a dog is only half the job — getting them to a vet immediately afterwards is just as critical, even if they start breathing again on their own. Internal injuries, or the underlying cause of the collapse, may not be obvious straight away.
 

What not to do

 

• Don't perform CPR on a dog that's conscious, breathing normally, or has a detectable heartbeat.
• Don't delay starting CPR while you search for a first aid kit or phone — begin immediately and call for help as you go if someone else can do it for you.
• Don't stop too soon — keep going until your dog is breathing unassisted or you reach professional help.
• Don't skip the airway check first — CPR won't help if the airway is still blocked.

Build real confidence for moments like this

Reading through the steps above is a good foundation, but performing dog CPR under real pressure is a different matter, and the confidence to do it correctly usually comes from having practised it. Our Canine First Aid Webinar covers CPR for dogs of every size — including how to perform CPR on a small dog safely — in full, hands-on detail, along with choking, wound care and shock, in a practical two-hour session designed for dog owners and animal professionals alike.

Want to build the hands-on skills and confidence to handle a real emergency? Enrol on our dog first aid course today.

This guide is part of our complete Dog First Aid: The Complete Guide series. Read the full guide for an overview of every canine emergency, or explore the other guides in the series for choking, wound care, and shock.

Have questions? Call our team on 01202 006 040 or reach out to them online here. Alternatively, click below to view the course page in more detail.