What is a large 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 large dog is, then list all 58 breeds that meet the large dog criteria.
It will take a large dog between 12 and 18 months to be fully grown and reach adulthood, and it will weigh between 59 and 100 pounds. There are 58 large breed dogs according to the American Kennel Club (AKC).
What is the definition of a large dog?
When fully grown, a large dog will weigh between 59 and 100 pounds.
What are the Large Dog Breeds?
According to AKC, there are 58 large dog breeds, including:
- Afghan Hound
- Alaskan Malamute
- American Bulldog
- Azawakh
- Beauceron
- Belgian Laekenois
- Belgian Malinois
- Belgian Sheepdog
- Belgian Tervuren
- Berger Picard
- Black and Tan Coonhound
- Black Russian Terrier
- Bloodhound
- Borzoi
- Bouvier des Flandres
- Boxer
- Bracco Italiano
- Briard
- Cane Corso
- Catahoula Leopard Dog
- Central Asian Shepherd Dog
- Chesapeake Bay Retriever
- Chinook
- Curly-Coated Retriever
- Doberman Pinscher
- Dogo Argentino
- Estrela Mountain Dog
- German Longhaired Pointer
- German Shepherd Dog
- Giant Schnauzer
- Golden Retriever
- Gordon Setter
- Greyhound
- Hanoverian Scenthound
- Hovawart
- Ibizan Hound
- Irish Red and White Setter
- Irish Setter
- Irish Water Spaniel
- Komondor
- Kuvasz
- Labrador Retriever
- Old English Sheepdog
- Otterhound
- Perro de Presa Canario
- Pointer
- Rafeiro do Alentejo
- Redbone Coonhound
- Rhodesian Ridgeback
- Rottweiler
- Saluki
- Sloughi
- Slovensky Cuvac
- Tornjak
- Tosa
- Treeing Walker Coonhound
- Weimaraner
- Wetterhoun
You can read more about the individual large dog breeds on the American Kennel Club website.
When is a large dog fully grown?
On average, it will take between 12 and 18 months for a large dog to reach adulthood and be fully grown.
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% |
