Medium dog breeds
Neither fits in a purse nor takes the whole couch: medium is the size people search for “for the house”, and the deck has 8 breeds in it.
How this list was built
The rule, out in the open
- Size: medium
8 of 30 directory breeds qualify · 22 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.
Medium is a size, not a character: here you'll find everything from a napping bulldog to a border collie that needs a job.
With their bars and their citations
The 8 breeds that qualify
Poodle Caniche (French Poodle)
- Size
- very small (toy), small, medium
- Energy4/5couch 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
- Adaptability4/5needs its space and routinesettles anywhereSource: Wikipedia (2006 compilation, secondary source) · confidence medium
Bulldog Bulldog Inglés
- Size
- medium
- Energy3/5couch 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
- Adaptability3/5needs its space and routinesettles anywhereSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
Siberian Husky Husky Siberiano
- Size
- medium
- 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
- Adaptability4/5needs its space and routinesettles anywhereSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
American Staffordshire Terrier
- Size
- medium
- Energy3/5couch potatomarathonerSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- With kids3/5better without kidsexcellentSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Adaptability3/5needs its space and routinesettles anywhereSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
Border Collie
- Size
- medium
- Energy5/5couch potatomarathonerSource: The New Complete Dog Book, 23rd edition (American Kennel Club) · confidence high
- With kids3/5better without kidsexcellentSource: The New Complete Dog Book, 23rd edition (American Kennel Club) · confidence high
- Adaptability5/5needs its space and routinesettles anywhereSource: 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
- Adaptability4/5needs its space and routinesettles anywhereSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
Chow Chow
- Size
- medium
- Energy3/5couch potatomarathonerSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- With kids3/5better without kidsexcellentSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Adaptability3/5needs its space and routinesettles anywhereSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
Dalmatian Dálmata
- Size
- medium
- Energy4/5couch potatomarathonerSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- With kids3/5better without kidsexcellentSource: Wikipedia (2006 compilation, secondary source) · confidence medium
- Adaptability4/5needs its space and routinesettles anywhereSource: 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
- Large 12
- 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 →