What is a Large and Small Breed Dog?
The large and small breed definitions are going to vary depending on what context is being used to discussing them. Also, medium breed dogs may also be discussed as a separate category. There are really no hard and fast rules.
How much does a small, medium, and large dog weight? Here is the most common definition:
The main reason that we need to think about the category of dog, and deciding whether they are a small breed, medium breed, or large breed dog, is when it comes to feeding them. Especially when they are puppies. And this will apply for every single dog.
The classic example here is when feeding a large breed dog, it is important to limit their speed of growth by reducing the amount of fat, calcium, phosphorous, and vitamin D in their diet.
This might seem counter-intuitive, wanting to slow down their growth when theyve got so much to do. However, we know that a large breed dog who grows too quickly will have an increased risk of various bone growth disorders.
The classic ones being hip and elbow dysplasia, along with a cartilage problem known as OCD (standing for osteochondritis dissecans in this context!).
The joints are not forming properly. The cartilage may have holes or flaps of cartilage break free. All these cause joint problems to a large dog for life. Being a large dog that put an extra weight, stresses, and strains through those joint, they are going to get much worse arthritis than were they a small dog.
From this point of view when it comes to feeding, we generally consider that dogs less than 10kg (22lb) are small breed dogs. Those over 25kg (55lb) are large breed dogs. And dogs that fall 10 to 25-kilogram dogs or 22 to 55 pounds are medium breeds.
If we are talking about cruciate ligament disease instead, and the likelihood of success of conservative treatment, then the situation is different.
In this instance, a small breed dog would actually be less than 15kg (33lb), and a large breed would be anything over this weight. There is no medium-sized dog category in this situation.
What weight is a large dog?
Which Dogs are Considered Large Breed? In order to easily tell the difference between breed sizes, dog breeders actually have a whole dog sizing system. Per this measurement method, a dog has to weigh at least 50 pounds (sometimes 70 pounds) and have a height of around 24 inches to be considered a large-breed dog.
Is a 60 pound dog big?
Ask individual dog owners and their definitions will probably vary just as much as the experts, but generally speaking, dogs who weigh 35 to 55 pounds are considered medium-size, and dogs over 60 pounds are considered large by most people.