Breed measurements
Typical adult height and weight for 15 common breeds, split by sex. Useful for sanity-checking whether your dog is about where you would expect.
| Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 8-12 kg | 7-11 kg |
| Height at the withers | 33-41 cm | 33-41 cm |
These are typical ranges for healthy adults of each breed, not targets. A dog outside the range is not automatically a problem, and a dog inside it is not automatically a healthy weight. Body condition, which you assess by feel rather than by the scales, matters more than the number. Ask your vet to show you how to score it.
How to read these ranges
Height is measured at the withers, the ridge between the shoulder blades, not the top of the head. It is the standard way of measuring a dog and the one every breed description uses.
The ranges describe healthy adults, so they only apply once a dog has finished growing. Small breeds get there at around nine to twelve months, large and giant breeds can take eighteen months to two years.
Being outside the range is not automatically a problem
These are typical figures, not targets, and plenty of perfectly healthy dogs sit outside them. Working lines are often built differently from show lines of the same breed, and crossbreeds can land anywhere between their parents. A dog who has always been slightly above or below the range is much less interesting than one whose weight has changed.
The number that matters is the trend. A steady gain or an unexplained loss is worth a conversation with your vet, whatever the starting point.
Body condition beats the scales
Two dogs of identical weight can be in completely different shape. Body condition scoring is what vets actually use: run your hands over the ribs, look at the outline from above and from the side. Ribs easy to feel under a thin covering, a visible waist, and a belly that tucks up rather than hanging level all point to a healthy weight.
If you can see ribs clearly from across the room, or cannot find them by feel at all, the number on this chart is not the useful measure. Ask your vet to show you how to score your own dog once, and you will be able to do it every week afterwards.