Compare dog sizes side by side
Pick two or three breeds and see adult weight, shoulder height and typical lifespan drawn on the same scale. Ranges rather than averages are plotted, because the gap between the light and heavy end of a breed is often wider than the gap between two breeds.
Adult weight (lb)
The solid bar is the top of the breed’s range; the paler section is the bottom of it.
Shoulder height (in)
The solid bar is the top of the breed’s range; the paler section is the bottom of it.
Typical lifespan (years)
The solid bar is the top of the breed’s range; the paler section is the bottom of it.
The same numbers as a table
| Breed | Size class | Weight | Height | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labrador Retriever | large | 55–80 lb | 21–24 in | 10–12 years |
| French Bulldog | small | 20–30 lb | 10–12 in | 10–12 years |
These are breed-average size bands from published breed standards, not veterinary advice and not a measurement of an individual dog. Measure your own dog before buying a crate, collar or harness.DogBreedCompass does not guarantee the accuracy of any figure or statement here and accepts no liability for how it is used. You are responsible for your own decisions - confirm anything that matters with your veterinarian. Full disclaimer.
How to read this dog size chart
Each bar shows a range, not a single number. The solid section reaches the top of the breed’s published range and the paler section marks the bottom, so a long pale section means the breed varies a lot and a short one means it is consistent. Bars are scaled to whichever selected breed is largest on that metric, which is why the scale changes when you swap a breed.
Weight is plotted in pounds, height at the shoulder in inches, and lifespan in years. All three come from the same 66 breed records used across the rest of the site, so a figure here always matches the figure on that breed’s own profile page.
The four dog size classes
Dogs are grouped into four weight classes, and the 66 breeds in this database spread across all of them. The lightest is the Chi at up to 6 lb and the heaviest is the Mastiff at up to 250 lb, a difference of roughly 42 times.
| Size class | Adult weight | Breeds in this database |
|---|---|---|
| Toy and small | Up to 25 lb | 22 |
| Medium | 26-55 lb | 16 |
| Large | 56-90 lb | 22 |
| Giant | Over 90 lb | 6 |
Size class is the single most useful shorthand in dog ownership: it drives crate and harness sizing, food volume, medication dosing bands, how long a dog keeps growing, and how many years it is likely to live. If you want temperament, grooming and cost compared as well as size, use the full breed comparison pages instead of this chart.
Dog size questions
What counts as a small, medium, large or giant dog?
The usual US split is by adult weight: small up to 25 lb, medium 26-55 lb, large 56-90 lb, and giant above 90 lb. Those boundaries are conventions rather than standards, which is why a 55 lb Border Collie and a 60 lb Labrador feel like the same dog to live with even though the charts put them on either side of a line.
Is weight or height the better measure of dog size?
Weight decides what you buy and height decides what fits. Crates, collars, harnesses, food portions and most medication doses key off weight, so that is the number to plan around. Height matters for counter surfing, car boots and stair-gates, and it is what separates a 70 lb Greyhound from a 70 lb Bulldog in daily life.
Do bigger dog breeds have shorter lifespans?
Yes, and the charts on this page show it clearly. Small breeds commonly reach 14-16 years while giant breeds often reach 7-10, so choosing a larger dog is usually choosing fewer years with it. Lifespan is one of the three bars here for exactly that reason: size and longevity are the trade-off most people underestimate.
More dog calculators and charts
Every tool on this site is free, runs in your browser, and uses the same breed dataset. Nothing you type is saved or sent anywhere.
- Puppy weight calculatorEnter your puppy's age in weeks and current weight to estimate the adult weight, then check it against the breed's published range.
- Dog age calculatorConvert dog years to human years using the size-adjusted scale, and see the full 1-to-15-year conversion table for small, medium, large and giant dogs.
- Dog crate, collar and harness size chartsCrate lengths, collar neck sizes and harness chest sizes by weight, plus the recommended crate size for every breed in our database.
- Dog food calculatorDaily calories, cups per day and meals per day from your dog's weight and life stage, using the published resting-energy formula and the calories per cup on your own bag.
- Puppy starter plannerA first-30-days plan for a new puppy, built from its breed, age, your home and your schedule: what to do in what order, what to buy, and what the month costs.
- Dog body condition scoreScore your dog on the 9-point body condition scale from three hands-on checks, see the full chart, and find out whether it is carrying the right amount of fat for its own frame.
- Dog cost calculatorCheck whether a monthly budget realistically covers a given breed in a given US city, including first-year and ongoing costs.
- Breed cost comparisonCompare first-year and monthly cost ranges for two breeds side by side, adjusted for city cost of living and vet pricing.
- Dog treat calculatorWork out the 10 percent of daily calories that treats are allowed, then turn that ceiling into a number of the treats you actually buy.
- Dry matter basis calculatorConvert the guaranteed analysis on any dog food label to a dry matter basis, so a wet food and a dry food can be compared on the same footing.
- Dog food cost per calorieCompare foods on cost per 1,000 kcal rather than price per bag, which is the only comparison that survives different kibble densities.
- Dog crate size calculatorMeasure the dog, add the published 3-to-4-inch allowance, and get the minimum interior crate height and length - plus a per-breed height table.
All dog calculators and size chartsBrowse all 66 breed profilesTake the breed match quiz