Just as a parent should know CPR for children, a dog owner should know canine CPR.  If your dog stops breathing or his heart stops you can use the following steps to resuscitate him.

1. First, look for a heartbeat.  Look at your dog's chest to see if it is moving.  If it isn't, place your ear on his chest to see if you can hear a heartbeat.  If you are still unsure, put your hand in front of your dog's nose to see if you feel air moving.

2. If there is no heartbeat or breathing, open the dog's mouth and move the tongue out and to the side.  See if there is anything blocking your dog's airway.

3. Try to align the dogs head with his neck to open the airway.

4. Breathe into the dog's nose and watch for the chest to expand.  Do not breathe too much air into the dog.  Only blow enough to make the chest rise.  Give one breath every three seconds.  Small dogs do not require a lot of air.

5. If the dog's chest does not rise, look again for an object that might be in the air passage.  If it looks clear you can give your dog the Heimlich maneuver.  To do this, turn your dog upside-down and place his back against your chest.  Give five strong and quick hugs to your dog using both arms.  Stop when you see the object expelled.  Remove the object by hand if you can now see it.

6. If your dog's airway is not clear, do not give chest compressions.  If the airway is clear, put your dog on his right side.  Put your hand's heel on his chest over his heart.  Put your other hand over the first, palm down.  Compress your dog's chest 15 times.  Compressions should equal about three for every two seconds.  Always be gentle with smaller dogs and use firmer compressions for bigger dogs.  Just as with humans, ribs can be broken if you press too hard.

7. Once your dog is breathing and the heart is beating, take him to the vet or emergency veterinarian immediately.  If your dog is not breathing, do the same right away.