To take your dog’s pulse, press two fingers against the femoral artery on the inner thigh of a back leg, count the beats for 15 seconds, and multiply by four. It’s a simple skill that takes a little practice to get right, and knowing your dog’s normal resting rate makes it much easier to spot a problem early.
Where to Find the Pulse
The easiest and most reliable pulse point on a dog is the femoral artery, located on the inside of the rear leg near the top where the leg meets the body. This is the same spot veterinarians check first. You’re feeling for the artery as it runs through a small groove between the muscles of the inner thigh.
A second option, especially useful for very small dogs, is the apex beat: the heartbeat felt directly through the chest wall. Place your hand on the left side of your dog’s chest, just behind the elbow. You should feel a gentle thump against your fingers with each heartbeat. This method works well on thin or small-framed dogs but can be harder to detect on barrel-chested or overweight dogs.
Step-by-Step Technique
Start when your dog is calm, ideally lying down or standing quietly. A dog that just finished running or is excited from a car ride will have an elevated rate that doesn’t reflect their true resting pulse.
- Position your dog. If your dog will lie on their side, that’s ideal. Gently lift the top rear leg so you can access the inner thigh of either leg. If your dog prefers to stand, you can reach the inner thigh from behind.
- Use your index and middle fingers. Press them lightly into the groove at the top of the inner thigh, roughly where the leg connects to the body. Don’t use your thumb, because it has its own pulse that can confuse your count.
- Adjust your pressure. Press firmly enough to feel the artery, then ease off slightly until you detect a rhythmic throb. Too much pressure will compress the artery and block the pulse. Too little and you won’t feel anything. The sweet spot is a light, steady press with your fingertips.
- Count for 15 seconds. Use a clock or phone timer. Multiply the number of beats by four to get beats per minute (bpm). Alternatively, count for a full 60 seconds for a more accurate reading, which also lets you notice any irregularities in rhythm.
If you’re having trouble finding the femoral pulse, try the chest wall method instead. Place your palm flat against the left side of the ribcage just behind the point of the elbow. Each heartbeat will push gently against your hand. Count the same way.
Normal Resting Heart Rates
A dog’s normal heart rate depends primarily on their size and age. Smaller dogs have faster hearts, and puppies run significantly higher than adults.
- Puppies (under 1 year): 120 to 160 bpm
- Small breeds (30 lbs or less): 100 to 140 bpm
- Medium to large breeds (over 30 lbs): 60 to 100 bpm
A large-scale study of over 500 adult dogs wearing continuous heart monitors found median resting rates even lower than the commonly cited clinical ranges: about 65 bpm for dogs under 22 lbs, 62 bpm for dogs up to 44 lbs, and roughly 60 bpm for dogs over 44 lbs. That doesn’t mean your dog is abnormal if their rate is 90. Those study figures reflect deep-rest averages collected over long periods. What matters most is knowing what’s typical for your individual dog when they’re relaxed at home, so you have a reliable baseline.
What the Pulse Tells You Beyond Heart Rate
The number of beats per minute is useful, but the quality of the pulse matters too. As you practice, pay attention to three things: rate, rhythm, and strength.
A healthy pulse feels like a steady, even throb with consistent spacing between beats. Each beat should feel moderately strong against your fingertips. If the pulse feels faint or threadlike, as though you can barely detect it, that suggests low blood pressure or poor circulation. A pulse that feels unusually forceful or “bounding” can indicate the opposite: the heart is pumping harder than normal, sometimes from fever, anemia, or other conditions.
Rhythm irregularities are also worth noting. The occasional skipped or early beat isn’t always a crisis, but a consistently irregular pattern deserves attention. One specific thing veterinarians check for is called a pulse deficit: a heartbeat you can hear or feel at the chest that doesn’t produce a corresponding pulse at the femoral artery. This happens when the heart contracts too early and doesn’t fill with enough blood to push a detectable pulse wave down to the leg. You can check for this yourself by placing one hand on the chest and the other on the femoral artery at the same time. If you feel a heartbeat at the chest without a matching throb at the thigh, that’s a pulse deficit, and it’s worth reporting to your vet.
When the Numbers Signal a Problem
A single high reading after exercise or excitement is normal. What you’re watching for are patterns at rest that fall outside your dog’s usual range, or pulses paired with other worrying signs.
A rapid heart rate combined with a weak or hard-to-find pulse, pale gums, cool ears and paws, and listlessness are classic signs of shock. This combination requires emergency veterinary care, not a wait-and-see approach. Similarly, a resting heart rate that’s consistently elevated for your dog’s size, especially alongside coughing (particularly at night), difficulty breathing, or a bluish tint to the tongue or gums, can indicate developing heart failure.
An unusually slow pulse in an adult dog that seems lethargic or weak also warrants a call to the vet, particularly if the rhythm is irregular. Some athletic, large-breed dogs naturally rest in the low 50s, which is fine if they’re bright and energetic. Context matters: the same number in a dog that seems “off” has a different meaning.
Tips for Getting Consistent Readings
Practice when your dog is healthy and relaxed so you know exactly where to place your fingers and what normal feels like. Many people struggle the first few times simply because they haven’t located the artery before. Once you find the right spot, it becomes easy to return to it.
Take the pulse at the same time of day and under similar conditions, such as after your dog has been resting for at least 10 to 15 minutes. Rates naturally fluctuate with activity, temperature, stress, and even digestion. Recording a few baseline readings over a week gives you a reliable reference number. Keep the results in your phone’s notes app or wherever you store your dog’s health information, so you can share them with your vet if something changes.
For squirmy dogs that won’t stay still, the chest wall method is often easier because you can place your hand casually while petting. You don’t need a perfectly still dog to get a useful reading. Even a rough count that tells you “fast,” “normal,” or “slow” is valuable information in an urgent moment.