What is a giant dog?
Although this website is specifically about the subject of small dogs, as part of the series of dog size categorizations, I thought it would be useful to have an article per dog size for clarity.
In this article, we explain why we standardize dogs into different categories, including breed, type, and size. We then define what a giant dog is, then list all 22 breeds that meet the giant (or extra-large) dog criteria.
It will take a giant breed dog between 15 and 18 months to be fully grown and reach adulthood, at which time it will weigh anywhere from 100 pounds, or more. There are 22 giant breed dogs according to American Kennel Club (AKC).
What is the definition of a giant dog?
The giant dog breed, also known as the extra-large dog breed, weighs 100+ pounds.
How many giant dog breeds are there?
According to AKC, there are 22 giant, or extra-large dog breeds, including:
- Akita
- Anatolian Shepherd Dog
- Bernese Mountain Dog
- Boerboel
- Broholmer
- Bullmastiff
- Caucasian Shepherd Dog
- Dogue de Bordeaux
- Great Dane
- Great Pyrenees
- Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
- Irish Wolfhound
- Leonberger
- Mastiff
- Neapolitan Mastiff
- Newfoundland
- Pyrenees Mastiff
- Romanian Mioritic Shepherd Dog
- Saint Bernard
- Scottish Deerhound
- Spanish Mastiff
- Tibetan Mastiff
You can read more about the individual giant dog breeds on the American Kennel Club website.
When is a giant dog fully grown?
On average, it will take between 18-24 months for a giant dog to reach adulthood and be fully grown.
The dog grows rapidly in the first 5-6 months, which means that its diet needs to be rich in nutrients and energy to optimize growth at such a critical stage of development. In addition, the food should be high quality and easy to digest to prevent stomach upset.
Rapid growth can cause common health conditions
Because of such rapid growth in the developmental stage, the extra-large dog breeds can suffer from joint-based health conditions, including general discomfort, pain, joint degeneration, and arthritis.
Other common medical conditions include (but are not limited to): hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, wobbler syndrome (neck/spine), amongst other things.
Average dog growth chart by percentage
When a dog hits twelve months of age, it’s no longer a puppy regardless of breed size. However, a dog will continue to grow in height and size while its bones are still developing. This process can take between 6 and 24 months. Their skeletal growth ultimately determines how large the dog will be as an adult.
Your puppy will continue to develop muscle and fat even after its bones are fully developed, just as we humans do.
We’ve created a simple table that shows, as a percentage, the growth of your dog by age.
| Age | Small (0-22 lbs) | Medium (21-50 lbs) | Large (51-100 lbs) | X-Large (100+ lbs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 months | 75% | 66% | 60% | 50% |
| 9 months | 90% | 85% | 75% | 65% |
| 12 months | 100% | 95% | 85% | 80% |
| 15 months | 100% | 100% | 95% | 90% |
| 18 months | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
