Large dog breeds
The ones that take half the couch and all of your heart. Here are the 12 breeds in the directory the standard classifies as large or giant.
How this list was built
The rule, out in the open
- Size: large or giant
12 of 30 directory breeds qualify · 18 don't · 0 have no data for a field in the rule (left out, named below)
The numbers come from the Lord Chucho deck: the scale published by the AKC and the books in our library, with a citation on every bar. Where there's no data, there's no breed: we'd rather leave the gap than make it up.
Big dog = big expenses: food, vet, bed, car. And space: check the adaptability bar before falling in love.
With their bars and their citations
The 12 breeds that qualify
Labrador Retriever
- Size
- large
- Energy5/5couch potatomarathonerSource: The New Complete Dog Book, 23rd edition (American Kennel Club) · confidence high
- With kids5/5better without kidsexcellentSource: The New Complete Dog Book, 23rd edition (American Kennel Club) · confidence high
- Guarding instinct3/5not a guardianborn guardianSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
German Shepherd Dog Pastor Alemán
- Size
- large
- Energy5/5couch potatomarathonerSource: The New Complete Dog Book, 23rd edition (American Kennel Club) · confidence high
- With kids5/5better without kidsexcellentSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Guarding instinct5/5not a guardianborn guardianSource: The New Complete Dog Book, 23rd edition (American Kennel Club) · confidence high
Golden Retriever
- Size
- large
- Energy3/5couch potatomarathonerSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- With kids5/5better without kidsexcellentSource: Wikipedia (2006 compilation, secondary source) · confidence medium
- Guarding instinct3/5not a guardianborn guardianSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
Rottweiler
- Size
- large
- Energy3/5couch potatomarathonerSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- With kids3/5better without kidsexcellentSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Guarding instinct5/5not a guardianborn guardianSource: The New Complete Dog Book, 23rd edition (American Kennel Club) · confidence high
Doberman Pinscher Dóberman
- Size
- large
- Energy5/5couch potatomarathonerSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- With kids5/5better without kidsexcellentSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Guarding instinct5/5not a guardianborn guardianSource: The New Complete Dog Book, 23rd edition (American Kennel Club) · confidence high
Boxer Bóxer
- Size
- large
- Energy4/5couch potatomarathonerSource: The New Complete Dog Book, 23rd edition (American Kennel Club) · confidence high
- With kids5/5better without kidsexcellentSource: The New Complete Dog Book, 23rd edition (American Kennel Club) · confidence high
- Guarding instinct4/5not a guardianborn guardianSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
Belgian Malinois Pastor Belga Malinois
- Size
- large
- Energy4/5couch potatomarathonerSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- With kids3/5better without kidsexcellentSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Guarding instinct4/5not a guardianborn guardianSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
Xoloitzcuintli Xoloitzcuintle
- Size
- very small (toy), small, medium, large
- Energy4/5couch potatomarathonerSource: The New Complete Dog Book, 23rd edition (American Kennel Club) · confidence high
- With kids3/5better without kidsexcellentSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Guarding instinct3/5not a guardianborn guardianSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
Great Dane Gran Danés
- Size
- giant
- Energy4/5couch potatomarathonerSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- With kids3/5better without kidsexcellentSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Guarding instinct5/5not a guardianborn guardianSource: The New Complete Dog Book, 23rd edition (American Kennel Club) · confidence high
Saint Bernard San Bernardo
- Size
- giant
- Energy3/5couch potatomarathonerSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- With kids5/5better without kidsexcellentSource: The Dog Encyclopedia (DK Publishing) · confidence high
- Guarding instinct5/5not a guardianborn guardianSource: The New Complete Dog Book, 23rd edition (American Kennel Club) · confidence high
Akita
- Size
- large
- Energy4/5couch potatomarathonerSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- With kids3/5better without kidsexcellentSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Guarding instinct5/5not a guardianborn guardianSource: The New Complete Dog Book, 23rd edition (American Kennel Club) · confidence high
Weimaraner
- Size
- large
- Energy5/5couch potatomarathonerSource: The New Complete Dog Book, 23rd edition (American Kennel Club) · confidence high
- With kids5/5better without kidsexcellentSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Guarding instinct5/5not a guardianborn guardianSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
And for your life, which one?
A list narrows things down; the recommender crosses your home, your energy, your kids and your neighbors with these same data, in seven questions.
Other collections
More breeds for…
- Small 13
- Medium 8
- for kids 16
- Calm 10
- Smart 10
- Affectionate 22
- for apartments 7
- that (almost) don't shed 10
- Guard 11
- Large calm 3
- The most common in Mexico 11
- that bark little 8
- Small calm 4
- Easy-to-train 20
- for first-time owners 12
- for older people 5
- for running 6
- that get along with cats 11
- for a house with a yard 13
- for hot climates 9
- All collections →