Your Dog's Size

By Steph Bairey

The size difference between dog breeds varies amazingly, from the Chihuahua (six to nine inches tall, two to six lbs) to the Great Dane (30-34 inches tall, 120-160 lbs). When choosing a breed, size should be taken into account. A small dog can have trouble climbing stairs or jumping down from even short distances, and a big dog can knock over small children or sweep everything from the coffee table with his tail.

In general, the more extreme a dog's size, the more health problems it could encounter. Small dogs are fragile, and often have health issues due to selective breeding, such as the congested airways of the pug. Large dogs are prone to hip dysplasia and heart problems. Also, the larger the dog, the higher the expense of keeping him. A Great Dane will eat eight times the amount of food that a Chihuahua will, every day.

In general, a dog is considered small if he weighs 20 pounds or less, medium if he weighs 21 to 60 pounds, large if he weighs 61 to 100 pounds, or giant if he weighs over 100 pounds.

Dogs considered small include the Bichon Frise, Chihuahua, Dachshund, Lhasa Apso, Maltese, Papillon, Pekingese, Pomeranian, Pug, Schipperke, Shih-Tzu, Tibetan, Fox Terrier, and most miniature breed varieties.

Dogs considered to be medium-sized include the Australian Shepherd, Basset Hound, Beagle, Bulldog, Chow Chow, Collies, Dalmation, Doberman Pinscher, Keeshond, Poodle, Saluki, Siberian Husky, Spaniel, larger Terriers, and Welsh Corgi.

Dogs considered large include the Afghan, Akita, Alaskan Malamute, Bloodhound, Boxer, German Shepherd, Irish Setter, Old English Sheep Dog, Golden and Labrador Retrievers, and Weimaraner.

Dogs considered to be giant include the Great Dane, Great Pyrenees, Irish Wolfhound, Mastiff, Newfoundland, Rottweiler, and Saint Bernard.

Copyright 2001, Steph Bairey -- All Rights Reserved

Steph Bairey is a web developer and pet owner, with 25 years of pet care experience and 30-40 pets at any one time. Get immediate, reliable answers to your pet care questions at Steph's website, Practical Pet Care, located at http://www.practical-pet-care.com.