The following guidance assumes your dog is overweight due to eating too much.

A suitable diet should provide the right balance of energy, protein, fats, vitamins and minerals for your dog’s age, size, activity level and health. The most important starting point is to choose a food labelled “complete”, which means it is formulated to meet all the dog’s nutritional needs when fed as directed. Watch out for labels that state "complementary" as these will not be suitable for a balanced meal, and constitute treat meals.