Dogs are man’s best friend, but with more than 200 recognized dog breeds in the world, it can be useful to have a starting point about all of the different types of dogs that are out there. This is beneficial when one first starts to visit local breeders or the local animal shelter in order to find the right dog that one can have a lifetime of fulfilling companionship with. Canine personalities can vary depending on a variety of factors, such as health and upbringing, so it’s important to keep that in mind and learn everything possible about the prospective pet before adopting.
| Breed | Breed Group | Adult Size | Possible Health Problems |
| Airedale Terrier | Terrier | 40-60 pounds, 22-23 inches | Hip dysplasia |
| Afghan Hound | Hound | 60 pounds, 27 inches (male); 50 pounds, 25 inches (female) | Hip dysplasia, cataracts, paralysis |
| Akita | Working | 75-100 pounds, 26-28 inches (male) 24-26 inches (female) | Hip dysplasia, bad knees, popping hocks, thyroid problems, progressive retinal atrophy |
| Alaskan Malamute | Working | 75-85 pounds, 23-25 inches | Hip dysplasia, skin disorders, thyroid problems, dwarfism in the legs |
| Australian Cattle Dog | Herding | 30-50 pounds, 18-20 inches (male), 17-19 inches (female) | Hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, congenital deafness |
| Australian Shepherd | Herding | 45-65 pounds; 20-23 inches (male) or 18-21 inches (female) | Hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, cataracts, deafness, sunburn in those with red and red merle coats |
| Bassett Hound | Hound | 40-45 pounds, 14 inches | Ear infections, glaucoma, bloat, spinal disc problems, eyelid problems |
| Beagle | Hound | 15-25 pounds, up to 15 inches | Heart disease, epilepsy, skin conditions, spinal disc problems, bleeding disorders, glaucoma, cataracts |
| Belgian Malinois | Herding | 55-70 pounds; 24-26 inches (male) or 22-24 inches (female) | Hip dysplasia |
| Bernese Mountain Dog | Working | 80-110 pounds; 24.5-27.5 inches (male) or 22.5-25.5 inches (female) | Hip dysplasia, eyelid problems, elbow dysplasia, bloat, cancer |
| Bichon Frise | Non-Sporting | 14-20 pounds, 9-12 inches | Corneal/retinal disorders, skin conditions, ear infections, cataracts |
| Bloodhound | Hound | 80-110 pounds; 25-27 inches (male) or 23-25 inches (female) | Hip dysplasia, eyelid problems, bloat |
| Border Collie | Herding | 30-45 pounds, 17-18 inches | Hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, epilepsy, congenital deafness |
| Boston Terrier | Non-Sporting | 15-25 pounds, 15-16 inches | Respiratory difficulties, heatstroke, eye infections/lacerations, eyelid abnormalities, cataracts |
| Boxer | Working | 55-70 pounds; 22.5-25 inches (male) or 21-23.5 inches (female) | Corneal ulcers, bloat, tumors, digestive problems, heart disease |
| Brittany | Sporting | 30-40 pounds, 17.5-20.5 inches | Glaucoma, spinal paralysis |
| Bulldog | Non-Sporting | 40-50 pounds, 14-16 inches | Congenital heart disease, heart attack, collapsed nostrils, heatstroke, respiratory difficulties, eyelid abnormalities, skin conditions |
| Bullmastiff | Working | 110-130 pounds, 25-27 inches (male); 100-120 pounds, 24-26 inches (female) | Hip dysplasia, eyelid problems, bloat, tumors |
| Bull Terrier | Terrier | 45-55 pounds, 19-21 inches | Patella problems, skin problems, deafness |
| Cairn Terrier | Terrier | 13-14 pounds, 9.5-10 inches | Skin allergies |
| Canaan Dog | Herding | 35-55 pounds, 19-24 inches | Hypothyroidism, epilepsy, progressive retinal atrophy, cryptorchidism, hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, luxating patella, osteochondritis dissecans |
| Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | Toy | 13-18 pounds, 12-13 inches | Heart disease, slipped stifle, hip dysplasia, eye problems |
| Chesapeake Bay Retriever | Sporting | 65-80 pounds, 23-26 inches (male); 55-70 pounds, 21-24 inches (female) | Hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy |
| Chihuahua | Toy | Less than 6 pounds, 5 inches | Slipped stifle, fractures, jawbone disorder, rheumatism, eye problems, heart disease, tooth and gum weakness |
| Chinese Shar-Pei | Non-Sporting | 40-55 pounds, 18-20 inches | Hip dysplasia, eyelid abnormalities, skin conditions |
| Cocker Spaniel | Sporting | 24-28 pounds; 14.5-15.5 inches (male) or 13.5-14.5 inches (female) | Progressive retinal atrophy, cataracts, patellar luxation, glaucoma |
| Collie | Herding | 60-75 pounds, 24-26 inches (male); 50-65 pounds, 22-24 inches (female) | Progressive retinal atrophy, skin conditions, congenital deafness, crusty nose |
| Dachshund | Hound | 18-20 pounds, 9 inches | Skin conditions, heart disease, spinal disc problems, diabetes, urinary stones, eye disorders |
| Dalmatian | Non-Sporting | 45-55 pounds, 19-23 inches | Hip dysplasia, inherited deafness, skin conditions, urinary stones |
| Doberman Pinscher | Working | 55-75 pounds; 26-28 inches (male) or 24-26 inches (female) | Hip dysplasia, heart disease, immune disorders |
| English Cocker Spaniel | Sporting | 28-34 pounds, 16-17 inches (male); 26-32 pounds, 15-16 inches (female) | Progressive retinal atrophy, eye abnormalities, ear infections |
| English Springer Spaniel | Sporting | 45-55 pounds, 19-20 inches | Hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, eye abnormalities, ear infections, skin conditions |
| French Bulldog | Non-Sporting | 18-28 pounds, 12 inches | Eye lacerations, respiratory difficulties, heatstroke |
| German Shepherd | Herding | 60-85 pounds; 24-26 inches (male) or 22-24 inches (female) | Hip dysplasia, gastric issues, spinal paralysis, skin conditions |
| Giant Schnauzer | Working | 65-85 pounds; 25.5-27.5 inches (male) or 23.5-25.5 inches (female) | Hip dysplasia |
| Golden Retriever | Sporting | 65-75 pounds, 23-24 inches (male); 55-65 pounds, 21.5-22.5 inches (female) | Hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, von Willebrand disease, serious heart problems, cataracts, skin conditions, eye abnormalities, epilepsy |
| Gordon Setter | Sporting | 55-80 pounds, 24-27 inches (male); 45-70 pounds, 23-26 inches (female) | Hip dysplasia |
| Great Dane | Working | 120-160 pounds, at least 28 inches | Hip dysplasia, bloat, bone cancer, heart disease, tumors |
| Great Pyrenees | Working | 100-125 pounds, 27-32 inches (male); 90-115 pounds, 25-29 inches (female) | Hip dysplasia, bloat, eyelid problems |
| Greater Swiss Mountain Dog | Working | 130 pounds, 26-28 inches | Hip dysplasia, bloat |
| Havanese | Toy | 7-12 pounds, 8-10.5 inches | Cataracts, cherry eye, chondrodysplasia, deafness, hip dysplasia, Legg-Perthes disease, liver shunt, patellar luxation |
| Irish Setter | Sporting | 70 pounds, 27 inches (male); 60 pounds, 25 inches (female) | Hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, bloat, congenital heart disease, skin conditions, epilepsy |
| Irish Wolfhound | Hound | 105-120 pounds, 30-32 inches | Hip dysplasia, bloat, bone tumors |
| Italian Greyhound | Hound | 65-70 pounds (male) or 60-65 pounds (female); 26-28 inches | Bloat |
| Labrador Retriever | Sporting | 60-75 pounds, 22.5-24.5 inches (male); 55-70 pounds, 21.5-23.5 inches (female) | Hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, cataracts, eye abnormalities, bloat |
| Maltese | Toy | At least 7 pounds, 6-9 inches | Slipped stifle, eye infections, hypoglycemia, tooth and gum issues |
| Mastiff | Working | 140-185 pounds, at least 27.5 inches | Hip dysplasia, eyelid problems |
| Miniature Bull Terrier | Terrier | 20-30 pounds, 10-14 inches | Deafness, eye disease |
| Miniature Pinscher | Toy | 7-10 pounds, 10-12.5 inches | Legg-Perthes disease, patellar luxation, hypothyroidism, mucopolysaccharidoses, heart defects |
| Minature Schnauzer | Terrier | 13-17 pounds, 12-14 inches | Cataracts, corneal disorders, kidney stones, bleeding disorders, liver disease, heart disease, diabetes, skin conditions, cysts |
| Newfoundland | Working | 100-150 pounds, 26-28 inches | Hip dysplasia, eyelid problems, heart disease |
| Old English Sheepdog | Herding | 70-85 pounds; 22 inches or less (males) or 21 inches or less (females) | Hip dysplasia, cataracts, auto-immune disorders, skin conditions |
| Papillon | Toy | 6-10 pounds, 8-11 inches | Slipped stifle, fractures |
| Pointer | Sporting | 55-75 pounds, 25-28 inches (male); 45-65 pounds, 23-26 inches (female) | Hip dysplasia, dwarfism, thyroid problems, skin conditions |
| Pomeranian | Toy | 3-7 pounds, 6-7 inches | Slipped stifle, eye infections, collapsed windpipe, heart disease, skin conditions, tooth and gum disorders |
| Poodle (Standard) | Non-Sporting | 40-60 pounds, at least 15 inches | Hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, epilepsy, thyroid issues, hypoglycemia, bloat, collapsed trachea |
| Portuguese Water Dog | Working | 42-60 pounds, 20-23 inches (male); 40-50 pounds, 17-21 inches (female) | Hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy |
| Pug | Toy | 14-18 pounds, 10-12 inches | Eyeball prolapse, eyelid issues, respiratory difficulties, heart problems |
| Rhodesian Ridgeback | Hound | 75 pounds, 25-27 inches (male); 65 pounds, 24-26 inches (female) | Hip dysplasia, cysts |
| Rottweiler | Working | 85-110 pounds; 24-27 inches (male) or 22-25 inches (female) | Hip dysplasia, bloat, retinal problems, spinal-cord paralysis |
| Saint Bernard | Working | At least 27.5 inches (male); at least 25.5 inches (female) | Hip dysplasia, bloat, tumors, skin conditions, heart disease, eyelid problems |
| Samoyed | Working | 40-70 pounds; 21-23 inches (male) or 19-21 inches (female) | Hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, glaucoma, retinal detachment, skin conditions |
| Scottish Terrier | Terrier | 18-22 pounds, 10 inches | Leg cramps, skin problems, jawbone disorders |
| Shetland Sheepdog | Herding | 18-20 pounds, 13-16 inches | Progressive retinal atrophy, heart disease, epilepsy, deafness in blue merles |
| Shih Tzu | Toy | 9-18 pounds, 8-11 inches | Slipped stifle, eye lacerations, respiratory difficulties, heatstroke, eyelid abnormalities, gum and tooth problems, ear infections |
| Siberian Husky | Working | 45-60 pounds, 21-23.5 inches (male); 40-50 pounds, 20-22 inches (female) | Hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, cataracts, corneal disorders, thyroid deficiency |
| Skye Terrier | Terrier | 23-30 pounds, 9.5-10 inches | Cancer, autoimmune disease |
| Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier | Terrier | 30-40 pounds; 18-19 inches (male) or 17-18 inches (female) | Hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, protein-losing enteropathy, protein-losing nephropathy |
| Staffordshire Terrier | Terrier | 24-38 pounds, 14-16 inches | Cataracts, tumors |
| Vizsla | Sporting | 45-60 pounds; 22-24 inches (male) or 21-23 inches (female) | Hip dysplasia |
| Weimaraner | Sporting | 55-85 pounds; 25-27 inches (male) or 23-25 inches (female) | Hip dysplasia, bloat, bleeding disorders, allergies, cysts, tumors |
| Welsh Corgi | Herding | 30-38 pounds (male) or 25-34 pounds (female); 10.5-12.5 inches | Progressive retinal atrophy, glaucoma |
| West Highland White Terrier | Terrier | 13-20 pounds, 10-11 inches | Skin conditions, jawbone calcification, liver disease, Legg-Perthes disease, hernias |
| Whippet | Hound | 18-28 pounds; 19-22 inches (male) or 18-21 inches (female) | Chemical sensitivity |
| Wirehaired Pointing Griffon | Sporting | 48-60 pounds; 21.5-23.5 inches (male) or 19.5-21.5 inches (female) | Hip dysplasia |
| Yorkshire Terrier | Toy | Less than 7 pounds, 7-8 inches | Slipped stifle, eye infections, gum and tooth weakness |
Whether it will live inside the house, the garage, or in barns or similar residential outbuildings, it’s important that the dog is well cared for. Remember that a dog is a responsibility for life, not just a cute addition to the home and family. By Alan Bernau Jr.