Livestock Guardian Dog Sizes
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There are many breeds of livestock guardian dogs and their characteristics – both physical and otherwise – vary from dog to dog. All livestock guardian dogs are considered “large breeds.” However, some livestock guardian dog breeds are much larger than average, and some are considerably smaller.
What is the size range of livestock guardian dog breeds? Most livestock guardian dogs range from 27-30” tall and 100-130 pounds. The largest breed is the Spanish Mastiff at 30.5”+ tall and a weight of 185-220 pounds. The smallest breed is the Sarplaninac at 24” inches tall (on average) and and a weight of 77-99 pounds.
Livestock guardian breeds are large dogs in general. However, the larger livestock guardian dog breeds have certain benefits and disadvantages in comparison to the smaller livestock guardian dog breeds.
Livestock Guardian Dog Sizes
Below is a chart comparing sizes of the most common livestock guardian dogs breeds. This data mainly comes from Janet Vorwald Dohner, from her two books, Farm Dogs: A Comprehensive Breed Guide to 93 Guardians, Herders, Terriers, and Other Canine Working Partners and Livestock Guardians: Using Dogs, Donkeys, and Llamas to Protect Your Herd (Amazon links).
What Livestock Guardian Dog Breeds Are the Largest?
The largest livestock guardian dog breeds are listed below (click on the breed for more breed information):
Spanish Mastiff – This LGD breed (pictured at the top of this article) stands at a minimum height of 30.5” and can weigh in anywhere from 185 pounds to well over 220 pounds. These dogs originated in Spain and worked to protect sheep and cattle on their journey from their winter to summer pastures and back again. Because of their size, they aren’t very quick or agile and depend mostly on their size to deter potential predators. Don’t be fooled by their sleepy nature, they absolutely will attack and protect their territory if needed.
Pyrenean Mastiff – This breed is 30.5-32” tall at minimum and weighs from 120 pounds to upwards of 150 pounds. They originated in Europe, between Spain and France. This can be seen in the physical characteristics of this breed as they were heavily influenced by both the Spanish Mastiff (who traditionally resided to the south of them) and the Great Pyrenees (who resided to the north in France). This livestock guardian dog breed is more active than the Spanish Mastiff, but is still a fairly sedentary dog in comparison to other livestock guardian dog breeds. Side note, be aware that this breed eats more than most other livestock guardian dogs.
Kangal – This LGD breed can range from 30-32” in height and weighs in between 110-145 pounds. They are well-known for their temperament as they are very easy going with the livestock and will also be gentle with children and other household pets. Originating in Turkey, this dog breed worked alongside nomadic herdsman and assisted in protecting their sheep, goats and horses.
Great Pyrenees – The height of this LGD breed ranges from 27-32” and they can weigh anywhere from 100-140 pounds. This is the most well-known livestock guardian dog breed in the United States and has been popular in the western world for centuries. It was even named its home country’s (France’s) national dog at one point in time. This dog is very independent, has lower energy due to its size and a lower reactivity threshold. This just means it will do its job when necessary but will be friendly to your family, stock, and human visitors to your homestead.
Please note that the weights and height averages above are given for male dogs for simplicity – female dogs will almost always be slightly shorter and lighter than their male counterparts.
What Livestock Guardian Dog Breeds Are the Smallest?
The following livestock guardian dog breeds are the smallest (click the breed for more breed info:)
Sarplaninac – This smaller LGD breed (pictured right) stands at about 24” tall and weighs in between 77-99 pounds. These dogs originated in Macedonia and former Yugoslavia and were bred to assist in bringing sheep from the mountains in the summer down to the plains for the winter season. These dogs are highly independent and therefore require more training than some other livestock guardian dog breeds. They are happiest when they have space to patrol and roam.
Maremma Sheepdog – The height of this dog breed ranges from 25.5-28.5” tall and the weight ranges between 77-99 pounds. This livestock guardian dog breed originated in Italy, and, like many other LGD breeds, were bred to help transport sheep from summer to winter pastures and back again. These dogs are very independent minded and may require a little extra training. They are also very protective of their land and stock but are not necessarily highly reactive. They will patrol and keep tabs on their surroundings, but will not attack unless necessary. Maremmas will bond closely with their stock and prefer to stay with them most of the time.
Slovensky Cuvac – This LGD breed ranges in height from 24-27.5” and weighs between 80-97 pounds. Slovakia is their country of origin, and traditionally, they protected sheep from large predators such as wolves and bears. These dogs are known to bond with their families and livestock very deeply even though it may not seem like it – they are very independent and often times distant or aloof. These dogs primarily use barking and intimidation to scare off predators.
Tornjak – This lesser known LGD breed stands at 26-27.5” tall and weighs between 77-110 pounds. This breed of livestock guardian dog originated in the countries of Croatia, Bosnia, and Herzegovina and their job was to watch over flocks of sheep. These LGDs are very active, bark quite a bit, and need fencing as they were born to roam. It is important to note that this dog breed is slower to mature than some other breeds.
Please note that the weights and height averages above are given for male dogs for simplicity – female dogs will almost always be slightly shorter and lighter than their male counterparts.
What Are the Benefits of Having Large Livestock Guardian Dogs?
The greatest benefit to owning larger breeds of livestock guardian dogs is that they are often able to deter potential predators by their size alone. Many predators do not even want to attempt to attack stock guarded by such a large opponent. Because of their size, they are better able to protect against bigger predators when they do decide to target their territory.
What Are the Benefits of Having Small Livestock Guardian Dogs?
Smaller livestock guardian dog breeds tend to be faster and more agile. They also are easier to handle (particularly during the energetic puppy stage) simply due to their size. Consider the difference between handling a 99 pound dog versus a 220 pound dog.
Smaller breeds also tend to have fewer health problems. Larger dogs typically see more health problems like hip dysplasia, heart issues, entropion, and arthritis. Their bodies tend to wear out more quickly due to their size.
Livestock Guardian Dog Size and the Need for Training (an absolute must!)
Every livestock guardian dog owner or potential owner needs to keep in mind that all livestock guardian dogs require socialization and obedience training, simply because of their large sizes. If your dog has not been socialized to people or friendly animals and you haven’t practiced extensive obedience training with them, your dogs could seriously hurt them (or even be hurt themselves). These dogs are too big for you to physically control if an altercation breaks out.
Don’t listen to the common myth that livestock guardian dogs can’t be trained to listen to your commands. All dogs are trainable with knowledge, time, and patience, even the independent thinkers. If you are uncertain how to obedience train your dog, I recommend the online program, Brain Training for Dogs (affiliate link). This program was developed by a well-known longtime positive methods dog trainer, Adrienne Farricelli. The program provides you with self-paced courses for you to participate in with your dogs to develop good obedience skills and a strong bond.
You need your dogs to listen to your commands when they are doing the wrong things. My favorite thing about Brain Training for Dogs is that if you are having trouble with your training, Adrienne is there to answer your questions in the forum, and to help guide you until you are successful. A world-renowned dog trainer at my fingertips? I’ll take it. I’ve had tremendous success in using this program to obedience train my dogs. For a full review on the program, see my article here.
You May Also Be Interested in:
Brain Training for Dogs: The Best Online Obedience Training Program for Livestock Guardian Dogs
Train Your Great Pyrenees to Stop Barking: When You Don’t Want Fido to ‘Speak’
Livestock Guardian Dogs and Roaming: Which Breeds Roam, Why, and How to Fix Roaming Problems
Male or Female Livestock Guardian Dogs: Which Is Better for Your Needs