How much do you know about medium sized dogs? Dogs weighing anywhere between 20-60 lbs. are considered medium size dogs. Because of their diverse personalities, it’s not hard to find medium dog breeds that would match your lifestyle and needs as a dog lover!
If you’re looking to adopt a cuddly canine companion, you’ve come to the right place! Here are some expert insights on the best medium sized dogs and how to select the best one for you and your family!
What to Consider When Choosing The Best medium sized dogs
How much exercise, grooming, training do they require? Choosing the best pup goes beyond settling on a specific size or breed!
“I find, as a trainer, that a lot of people don’t consider their lifestyle and the needs of a specific breed – just what they like the look of (sadly!) and it can cause a lot of conflict in the home, so this is a really important subject!” — Ali Smith, Rebarkable
Take into consideration the place you live in and the people living with the dog
“Are you living with kids, seniors, other pets? Are you living in an apartment? “. — Lisa Norton, Spark Paws
Have a good chemistry with the dog
“Good behavior, appropriate size, appropriate energy level, and most importantly that inexplicable factor of falling in love with one another. I recommend that families visit a variety of animal shelters to meet their next family member. This can be your local municipal (city or county) shelter, an SPCA, humane society, or similar.
Picking a dog from a breeder without getting to know the individual leaves more unpredictability in the individual personality, and within breeds, there are definitely big differences in personality (just like in families).
My recipe for success is to visit several animals shelters until you find “the one”. It can be a puppy, adult, or senior dog, it can still be any size or energy level. But shelters are where you can meet wonderful individuals and meet your match.” — Sarah Reidenbach, Ruthless Kindness
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The Best medium sized dogs 2022 List
Brandon Schroth shared the following expert insights by Dr. Sarah Wooten, DVM, CVJ.
Medium Dog Breeds For Families With Kids
All of these recommendations assume that the dog has been well socialized to children.
Boxers are good with kids of all shapes and sizes and can match the energy level of the most energetic kiddos. They are easy to train, but they do require 45 minutes to an hour of vigorous exercise daily to burn off excess energy.
Bulldogs are often very tolerant of children and have a playful, patient personality that kids like.
Bulldogs are expensive, however, and often require consistent veterinary care to manage common Bulldog health problems, such as narrowed nostrils, eye issues, and skin problems, however, and they are intolerant of warm temperatures.
Shetland Sheepdogs are very gentle and loving dogs that can be taught to interact politely with children. They tend to be healthy but do require regular grooming of their thick double coat.
Keeshonds are another fluffy coated dog breed that make wonderful family dogs. They are friendly, outgoing, easy to train, and gentle.
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Best medium sized dogs for apartment living:
All dogs need fresh air and exercise, however, some dogs do better in apartment living than others.
Bulldogs make great apartment dwellers. Bulldogs are expensive, however, and often require consistent veterinary care to manage common Bulldog health problems, such as narrowed nostrils, eye issues, and skin problems.
However, they are intolerant of warm temperatures, so make sure you have air conditioning if you live in a warm climate, or consider a different breed.
Whippets are quiet, gentle creatures that were made for apartment life. While they do require daily sessions to run (they are sighthounds, after all), the rest of the time, they are fairly quiet and easy to maintain.
Basset Hounds, while they are short, are fairly large dogs and can weigh upwards of 70 pounds. They make great apartment dwellers and couch potatoes; however, they still need fresh air and moderate exercise (brisk walking) every day.
Best medium sized dogs for seniors
Corgis, whether Welsh Cardigan or Pembroke, make good companions for seniors. They get lonely, however, and do not like to be left alone for long periods of time. They are good with kids and strangers.
They have a double coat, however, and tend to shed a great deal. Brushing multiple times a week is required. They are also a herding dog and tend to nip at heels, however this behavior can be trained away.
Cocker Spaniels are extremely social happy medium sized dogs that make great companions for seniors. They are fairly easy to train and well bred cockers are healthy.
They do require regular grooming, however they shed very little. Cockers do not like to be left alone, and they are friendly and curious little friends with just about everybody.
Beagles are relatively healthy medium sized dogs that are easy to care for. They are social dogs that enjoy being with people or other dogs, they don’t like being left alone for long periods of time.
Instead, they benefit from multiple walks during the day and mental stimulation from training and puzzles. Beagles do love to eat, however, and it is important to monitor their food intake to prevent obesity and obesity related health problems.
Contributors
Brandon Schroth – community outreach manager for Pumpkin Pet Insurance
Lisa Norton – CMO at SparkPaws
Ali Smith – dog trainer and puppy expert and part of her job is to help people pick their perfect dog breed!
Sarah Reidenbach – veterinarian and CEO of nonprofit Ruthless Kindness in California
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