CPR for Dogs: How to Perform Canine CPR Step by Step

When a dog collapses and stops breathing, the next few minutes matter more than anything else. Here is the short version of CPR for dogs: call an emergency veterinary hospital, lay the dog on a firm surface, and start chest compressions at 100 to 120 per minute, adding rescue breaths when you can give them safely.

CPR is only for a dog that is unresponsive and not breathing. This guide covers each step, including how hand placement changes with a dog's size and chest shape. It is general education and does not replace veterinary care. If you also share your home with a cat, our Pet CPR Guide: How to Perform CPR on Dogs and Cats covers both species.

CPR for Dogs at a Glance

If you only have a moment, start here. These figures follow the 2024 RECOVER CPR guidelines, the veterinary consensus recommendations for CPR in dogs and cats.

CPR is only for a dog that is unresponsive and not breathing. This guide covers each step, including how hand placement changes with a dog's size and chest shape. It is general education and does not replace veterinary care. If you also share your home with a cat, our Pet CPR Guide: How to Perform CPR on Dogs and Cats covers emergency response techniques for both species.

When to Start CPR on a Dog

CPR is a response to cardiac arrest, not to every collapse. Starting compressions on a dog that doesn't need them can do harm, so the decision matters.

Signs a dog may need CPR

Consider CPR when a dog:

• does not respond to its name, your voice, or a gentle touch;
• is not breathing, and you cannot see the chest move; and
• shows no heartbeat you can quickly detect.

Knowing how to assess your dog's heartbeat can be useful before an emergency. Our How to Check a Dog's Pulse: A Step-by-Step Guide explains how to locate and check a dog's pulse. During a suspected cardiac arrest, however, never delay CPR to search for one.

Don't spend time hunting for a pulse. RECOVER recommends starting basic life support without trying to find one, and the American Red Cross advises starting compressions if you can't confirm within about 15 seconds that the dog is breathing and has a heartbeat.

When CPR is not the right response

A dog that is breathing, even weakly, needs to reach a veterinarian quickly. It does not need compressions. The same goes for a dog that is conscious but struggling. If you suspect something is blocking the airway, that is a different emergency with a different response. Our pillar article explains suspected choking in more detail, and RECOVER's 2026 First Aid Guidelines for Dogs and Cats address choking and other emergencies that call for first aid rather than CPR.

Before You Begin: Get Help and Position Your Dog

Two things come before the first compression: help and a safe place to work.

Call ahead. If someone is with you, ask them to phone the nearest emergency veterinary hospital while you begin. The clinic can prepare for your arrival and may be able to coach you. If you are alone, call the hospital first on speakerphone and ask what they advise, since the best plan depends on how far away they are.

Find a firm, flat surface. A floor works better than a couch or bed, which absorb the force of your compressions.

Plan transport. If a second person can drive, keep CPR going on the way. The American Red Cross advises continuing CPR until you reach a veterinary hospital.

A prepared household moves faster in these moments. Our pet emergency kit checklist covers what to keep within reach.

How to Perform CPR on a Dog: Step by Step

These steps follow the American Red Cross dog CPR steps and the RECOVER guidelines. Read them once now so they feel familiar later.

Step 1: Position the dog

Lay most dogs on their side on a firm surface. Dogs with barrel or flat chests, such as Bulldogs and Pugs, are usually positioned on their back instead (the table below shows which). Take a quick look in the mouth for anything obviously blocking the airway.

Step 2: Place your hands

Where your hands go depends on the dog's size and chest shape. Use the guide in the next section, then stack one hand over the other for most dogs.

Step 3: Give chest compressions

Lock your elbows and keep your shoulders directly above your hands. Compress at 100 to 120 per minute. Press one-third to one-half of the chest width when the dog is on its side, or about one-quarter of the chest depth when the dog is on its back. After each push, let the chest come all the way back up before pressing again. This recoil allows the heart to refill.

Step 4: Give rescue breaths, or compressions only

After 30 compressions, give 2 breaths if you can do so safely. The section below explains how, and when compressions alone are the better choice.

Step 5: Continue the cycle

Repeat 30 compressions and 2 breaths, keeping pauses under 10 seconds. Every 2 minutes, briefly check for breathing and a heartbeat. If another person is there, switch roles at that point so compressions stay strong.

Step 6: Keep going until you reach veterinary help

If, at a check, the dog is breathing and has a heartbeat, stop compressions and get to a veterinarian immediately. Otherwise, continue until the veterinary team takes over.

Hand Placement by Dog Size and Chest Shape

This is the part of dog CPR that trips people up, because a Chihuahua and a Greyhound do not share the same anatomy. The placement below follows the American Red Cross guidance. Mixed-breed dogs often fall between categories, so choose the description that best matches your dog's chest.

RECOVER also describes a circumferential two-thumb technique for cats and small dogs, in which your hands encircle the chest and your thumbs do the pressing. Small-dog rescuers can use whichever approach feels most controlled. Our pet CPR guide compares dog and cat technique if you want the wider picture.

Rescue Breaths: Mouth-to-Snout or Compressions Only?

Rescue breathing is the step most people hesitate over, and the guidance has some nuance.

The technique itself is simple. Gently close the dog's mouth and extend its neck to open the airway. Cover the dog's nose with your mouth and exhale over about one second, until you see the chest rise. Then resume compressions right away.

RECOVER's preferred method is a tight-fitting mask with a manual resuscitator, which most households won't have. When no mask is available and the risk to the rescuer is minimal, RECOVER supports mouth-to-nose breaths. When there may be a risk to the rescuer, it recommends compression-only CPR instead. If you are unsure, compression-only CPR is the more cautious option, and continuous compressions are far better than stopping to deliberate.

Common Dog CPR Mistakes to Avoid

Most errors come from panic, and most are avoidable with a little preparation.

• Starting on a dog that is still breathing. CPR is for a dog that isn't breathing and has no heartbeat.
• Using the wrong hand position. A hand placement that suits a Lab will not suit a Pug.
• Pushing too shallow, or leaning on the chest. Compress to the right depth and let the chest fully recoil.
• Pausing too long. Keep gaps between cycles under 10 seconds.
• Stopping to hunt for a pulse. It costs time you do not have.
• Delaying the call. Ask someone to phone the veterinary hospital as you start.

After CPR: Get Your Dog to a Veterinarian

Even if your dog starts breathing again, treat it as an emergency. Cardiac arrest has a cause that needs diagnosis, and a dog that has been through resuscitation needs monitoring. Get to the nearest emergency hospital, and tell the team what you saw, what you did, and for how long. Those details help them decide on next steps.

Practicing Dog CPR Before an Emergency

Reading about CPR and doing it under stress are different experiences. Many owners find that structured practice makes the steps easier to recall when it counts.

USCI's online Pet CPR Training course walks through recognizing cardiac arrest, assessing an unresponsive pet, airway management, rescue breaths, and chest compressions for dogs and cats of different sizes and body shapes. Learners receive a certificate of completion. It is an educational course and does not replace veterinary care.

In an Emergency, Keep It Simple

Call the veterinary hospital, start compressions if your dog is unresponsive and not breathing, and keep going until help takes over. The details above make that sequence faster and safer, and a little preparation goes a long way. If you would like to build confidence before you ever need it, our Pet CPR Training course is one place to start.

If you also care for cats, understanding when feline CPR is appropriate is equally important. Our Cat CPR: When Should You Start and What Comes Next? explains the warning signs and what to do next in a feline emergency.

This article is for general educational purposes and is not veterinary advice. In any emergency, contact a licensed veterinarian or emergency veterinary hospital immediately.