Dogs by breed
What each breed is really like to live with, from the breed clubs and veterinary sources that know them. Written for adopters, not buyers.
A
Airedale Terrier23 inches tall; 50–70 poundsAkita26-28 inches tall (male), 24-26 inches (female); 100-130 pounds (male), 70-100 pounds (female)Alaskan Malamute25 inches (male), 23 inches (female); 85 pounds (male), 75 pounds (female)American Eskimo DogHeight: 9–12 in (toy), 12–15 in (miniature), 15–19 in (standard). Weight: 6–10 lb (toy), 10–20 lb (miniature), 25–35 lb (standard).American Staffordshire TerrierMales 55-70 lb and 18-19 in; females 40-55 lb and 17-18 in (AKC)Australian Cattle Dog35-50 lb, 17-20 inAustralian Shepherd18-23 inches tall; 40-65 pounds
B
Basenji16-17 inches tall; 22-24 poundsBasset HoundMedium, low-slung: up to 15 in tall but 40-65 lb, per AKC; VCA gives 40 to 60 lbBeagleTwo varieties: 13 in and under (under 20 lb) and 13-15 in (20-30 lb) (AKC)Belgian MalinoisMedium-large: 24-26 in and 60-80 lb (male), 22-24 in and 40-60 lb (female), per AKCBernese Mountain Dog25-27.5 inches tall, 80-115 pounds (male); 23-26 inches tall, 70-95 pounds (female)Bichon FriseSmall: 9.5-11.5 in and 12-18 lb, per AKCBloodhound25-27 inches tall, 90-110 pounds (male); 23-25 inches tall, 80-100 pounds (female)Border Collie30-55 lb, 18-22 inBoston Terrier12-25 lb, 10-12 inBoxerMales 65-80 lb and 23-25 in; females about 15 lb less and 21.5-23.5 in (AKC)Brittany17.5–20.5 inches tall; 30–40 poundsBull Terrier21-22 inches tall; 50-70 poundsBulldog40 lb (female) to 50 lb (male), 14-15 in
C
Cairn Terrier10 inches (male), 9.5 inches (female); 14 pounds (male), 13 pounds (female)Cane CorsoLarge: 25-27.5 in (male), 23.5-26 in (female), weight proportionate to height and often over 100 lb, per AKC; VCA gives 83 to 110 lbCatahoula Leopard DogMedium-large: 22-24 in and 50-95 lb per AKC; NALC standard gives 22-26 in (male) and 20-24 in (female)Cavalier King Charles Spaniel12–13 inches tall; 13–18 poundsChesapeake Bay Retriever23–26 in (male), 21–24 in (female); 65–80 lb (male), 55–70 lb (female)ChihuahuaNot exceeding 6 lb; 5-8 in (AKC)Chinese Shar-PeiMedium: 18-20 in and 45-60 lb per AKC; VCA gives 40 to 65 lbChow ChowMedium: 17-20 in and 45-70 lb per AKC; VCA gives 50 to 75 lbCocker Spaniel20-30 lb, 13.5-15.5 inCollie22-26 inches tall; 50-75 pounds
D
E
F
G
German Shepherd Dog50-90 lb; 22-26 in (AKC)German Shorthaired Pointer23-25 inches (male), 21-23 inches (female); 55-70 pounds (male), 45-60 pounds (female)Golden Retriever55-75 lb, 21.5-24 inGreat DaneGiant: 30-32 in and 140-175 lb (male), 28-30 in and 110-140 lb (female), per AKCGreat Pyrenees85 lb and up (female), 100 lb and up (male); 25-32 inGreyhound28-30 inches tall (male), 27-28 inches (female); 65-70 pounds (male), 60-65 pounds (female)
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Papillon8-11 inches tall, 5-10 poundsPembroke Welsh Corgi10-12 inches tall; up to 30 pounds (male), up to 28 pounds (female)Pit bull-type dogUKC standard for the American Pit Bull Terrier: males 35-60 lb and 18-21 in, females 30-50 lb and 17-20 in; shelter mixes vary widelyPointerMales 25–28 in, 55–75 lb; females 23–26 in, 45–65 lbPomeranian3-7 lb, 6-7 inPoodle (all sizes)Standard: over 15 in, 40-70 lb; Miniature: 10-15 in, 10-15 lb; Toy: no more than 10 in, 4-6 lbPortuguese Water DogMales 20-23 inches tall, 42-60 pounds; females 17-21 inches tall, 35-50 poundsPug14-18 lb, 10-13 in
R
S
Saint BernardGiant; 26-30 inches tall (males 28-30, females 26-28); 120-180 poundsSamoyed19 to 24 inches tall at the shoulder; 35 to 65 poundsSchipperke11-13 inches tall (male), 10-12 inches (female); 10-16 poundsScottish Terrier10 inches tall; 18-22 poundsShetland Sheepdog13–16 inches tall, 15–25 poundsShiba Inu14.5–16.5 inches tall, 23 lbs (male); 13.5–15.5 inches tall, 17 lbs (female)Shih Tzu9-16 lb, 8-11 inSiberian Husky35-60 lb; 20-23.5 in (AKC)Staffordshire Bull Terrier14-16 inches tall; 24-38 pounds