[hulkamaniac]

I was just looking at the 2009 list of most popular breeds from the AKC. It seemed like half the list was pretty big dogs and the other half was very small dogs with no medium sized dogs in between (well, maybe the beagle). I noticed that of the top 5 (lab, golden, Yorkie, GSD, and beagle in that order) that three of them are pretty large dogs. As a matter of fact, with the exception of the yorkie, three of the top 4 are dogs that get 70-80 lbs plus easily. Why do you think the trend is toward larger dogs?

 

[Xeph]

Large dogs are more intimidating for people that want that, and many people feel that you cannot do anything practical/fun with a toy breed (not true, but many people feel that way). They don't want a "yapper" or "ankle biter".

That said, the GSD is meant to be a medium sized breed, not large.

 

[dakotajo]

since I was very young I always liked the bigger breeds. Our German Shepard was wonderful, my brother had a St. Bernard a sweet gentle giant, although I was bit by a Lab when I was very young and a Doberman that would chase me on my bike I do like smaller breeds but find them more yappy

 

[DobManiac]

The full list:

1. Labrador retriever
2. Yorkshire terrier
3. German shepherd
4. Golden retriever
5. Beagle
6. Boxer
7. Dachshund
8. Bulldog
9. Poodle
10. Shih tzu

There are only four breeds on here that can be considered large, Lab, golden, GSD, and the Poodle. I would say the boxer, beagle, and bulldog are medium. And the Yorkie, dachshund, and shih tzu are small.

That seems pretty spread out size wise to me. And I think these are the same breeds we usually see. But I am kind of surprised the pug isn’t on there. Am I the only one that’s been seeing a whole lot of pugs lately?

 

[hulkamaniac]

That said, the GSD is meant to be a medium sized breed, not large.

The AKC doesn't have weight listed in the breed standard for the GSD, but Wikipedia says they range from 66-88 lbs for a male. In my mind, that's a large dog. I would say that size wise they're about the same size as a lab or a retriever. They're a little shorter, but aside from that I think their body size is about the same. They're chosen for police work largely because they do have the size to take down a bad guy if necessary.

 

[Joebas]

Here is a large breed or actually, i guess they are really called Giant Breed.

7 months old and already 100 pounds, The Newfoundland. He is such a big, sweet and lovable baby.

With his pack:

 

[hulkamaniac]

There are only four breeds on here that can be considered large, Lab, golden, GSD, and the Poodle. I would say the boxer, beagle, and bulldog are medium. And the Yorkie, dachshund, and shih tzu are small.

That seems pretty spread out size wise to me. And I think these are the same breeds we usually see. But I am kind of surprised the pug isn’t on there. Am I the only one that’s been seeing a whole lot of pugs lately?

I would consider the boxer a large dog. They're about the same height as a lab and weigh 60-70 lbs easily which is about the same as a lab. I guess it depends on your definition of large dog really. To me if you call a lab a large dog you have to give that tag to the boxer as well. The Yorkie, dachshund and shih tzu are definitely small. I'd put a bulldog in the medium category and put the beagle somewhere between small and medium. I'm just surprised that you see dogs on one end of the spectrum or the other and not in between. Plus, it seems to me that it skews towards the large side.

 

[DobManiac]

I would consider the boxer a large dog. They're about the same height as a lab and weigh 60-70 lbs easily which is about the same as a lab. I guess it depends on your definition of large dog really. To me if you call a lab a large dog you have to give that tag to the boxer as well. The Yorkie, dachshund and shih tzu are definitely small. I'd put a bulldog in the medium category and put the beagle somewhere between small and medium. I'm just surprised that you see dogs on one end of the spectrum or the other and not in between. Plus, it seems to me that it skews towards the large side.

It probably does just come down to what you consider large.

For me weight isn't as much of an issue as how much actual space the dog takes up. Boxer’s are very small when compared to their weight. They might be 60 or 70 lbs but can fit very easily into a medium crate. To me medium crate equals medium dog. But they do have a good deal of muscle and bone and that will up their weight without making them "bigger" so to speak.

But I would also consider some labs, goldens, and GSDs medium sized as well. Not as many GSDs though, the ones I've been seeing lately look pretty big. But I don't know enough about the breed to say if that’s normal or not.

As for beagles, they come into two different sizes. So its kind of hard to put them in a category a whole. But depending on the dog they could be small or medium.

 

[Laurelin]

I don't think there's a move towards larger dogs, I think many of the larger breeds have always been the most popular. Dogs like labs, goldens, etc have always been very popular as family dogs. Where I live I'm personally seeing more and more smallish breeds than I remember as a kid. I think it just depends on the area and culture there. In my town in Texas there were tons of pit bulls and then small breeds (especially chihuahuas). Here everyone (almost literally) has a retriever of some sort.

 

[Xeph]

I don't consider weight to make a dog "large". It's height that they're generally referring to.

 

[Spicy1_VV]

Labs and GSDs have been hugely popular for a long time. Goldens are fairly popular too, have been for awhile I think.

Some of the others.

Boxer is a medium sized breed IMO (one of which I've had before), most are only slightly bigger then my most of my APBTs with a few of my APBTs being a little larger (APBT is to be a medium sized breed give or take). I do see Boxers around often too, I saw one of the most cutest brindle pups recently, she was adorable. Then I've seen other pups/adults. Though I will probably never own another I can't help but love these goofy dogs. They also seem to be quick learners and obedient.

Bulldog is also a medium sized.

Beagle to me are small but maybe some consider them medium, they are just real small to me, though not toys or tiny dogs by any means.

I'm certainly seeing a lot of Pugs too around here! Another breed is Toy Poodle, I see just Poodle there so I'm assuming its the standard size. I've seen probably 10 toy poodles in the last week alone. One person had 3 though and another 2. I've probably seen almost as many Pugs and Shih Tzus. As listed on there Doxies too, I've seen just as many of those. Not to mention all the numerous Chi and Chi mixes I've seen.

I have seen plenty of Labs and GSDs and mixes of those as on the list, others I've seen large amounts of are Border Collie and Australian Cattle Dog (some mixes too). That goes without saying in a rural area where people regularly use them to work cattle and then others have them (or mixes) just as pets or farm dogs (non working farm dogs, just around roaming). German Shorthair Pointers and Weimaraners I also see quite often.

Personally I prefer medium size dogs as my ideal, though I also love several larger breeds and there are a few smaller dogs I like too.

 

[RonE]

When I was a kid, the most popular breed in the U.S. was the cocker spaniel.

If somebody had a small dog, it was likely a toy or miniature poodle.

People around here had labs, German short-hair pointers, beagles . . . My grandmother had a Boston terrier and my mother kept a box of Milk Bones so I could give them to the boxer through the block.

Mostly people had large dogs to keep the sabertooth tigers at bay.

 

[hulkamaniac]

I seem to see a lot of labs, goldens or mixes of the two around here. It ranges from there to the smaller 10-15 lb breeds. I don't seem to see anyone around here with anything in between.

 

[upendi'smommy]

I don't think there is really a move towards larger dogs, I think it's always been that way. Like me I'm just not a small dog person, as I'm sure others aren't. Don't get me wrong, I get along with them they just aren't my choice to own. That being said I've mainly always had mid to large mix breeds.

 

[RonE]

Somewhere there's probably an "official" list of what constitutes small, medium or large for dogs.

For most of us, it's all relative. When I had a 115# lab, I figured he was normal. Everyone said, "Oh, that's a very LARGE dog" but I had seen him walk underneath an Irish wolfhound, so I knew better.

When we got Esther, and she was just under 60#, she seemed small to me.

In my life, there was a personal (but not conscious) progression. 12# runt dachshund, 25# beagle, 85# Irish setter mix, 115# lab . . .

So, when we lost the lab, I should not have been surprised when my wife expressed an interest in mastiffs.

We got Esther instead.

 

[BoxMeIn21]

I would consider the boxer a large dog. .

But they're not. They are medium sized breed.

http://www.americanboxerclub.org/standard.html

 

[Inga]

Heaven's even my Rotties are considered a medium to large breed. Carsten is a medium size for sure at under 25 inches at the withers.

I agree that it is sort of relative. What is large to one person is only medium and what is small? To me, anything under 50 pounds is small. My knees have been screaming for the next dog to be a small dog.

 

[Laurelin]

I consider my 7 lb dog small and not tiny. 7 lbs seems pretty normal nowadays.

 

[Mdawn]

I consider my 7 lb dog small and not tiny. 7 lbs seems pretty normal nowadays.

Just goes to show how size is relative...lol...I'd be blow away with a dog that small.

Eddie is a large dog at over a 100lb. but I don't really see him as big as he's only about 24 inches tall. Although, people who meet him think he's a really BIG dog...

The same goes with Uallis at 31 inches tall. I know that he's a very large dog...but he doesn't seem like it to me. To me, he seems like a tiny Mastiff but I'm around him everyday.

I don't see a lot of smallish dogs...I see more medium to large, like Boxers...everyone has a Boxer in my area it seems and Labs.

Eddie likes a Lab that lives down the road from me. Next to her, Eddie is a giant and she looks sooooo small. Seeing them next to each other was a wake up call for me in terms of just how overgrown Eddie is.

 

[Shaina]

I consider my 7 lb dog small and not tiny. 7 lbs seems pretty normal nowadays.

Whereas I consider Webster "small" at 23lbs, 17.5" and Kim "normal/upper end of medium" at 53lbs, 23". They represent about as small a dog as well as close to the upper size limit that I would seek. So my sister's 8lb dog is, to me, an "itty bitty" size...whatever that translates to in miniature/toy/etc. terms. Cute, but itty-bitty, lol.

Then again I also consider basset hounds to be Large dogs, though they fly in the face of the height many people seem to require to consider a dog large.