Excerpt from Happy Dog: How Busy People Care for Their Dogs

One of the most important determinants of a dog’s place in your lifestyle is size. If you live in a small apartment, you probably don’t want to share it with someone who occupies more space than you do. If you’re renting, whether it’s a house or an apartment, landlords do consider the size of the dog who will be sharing the unit with you. Whether it is fair or not, take these factors into consideration before you acquire your dog. While it is not necessarily true that large dogs need more exercise than small ones do (we’ll get to exercise requirements later), it is certainly true that large breeds cost more to feed and board, and they require more effort when you go on poop patrol. Whether you are looking for a large or small dog, choose a breed that will meet your needs based on its ultimate adult weight, not what it looks like as a puppy, the size of its paws, or how cute the fuzzy baby is. All puppies are cute. Make lifelong decisions based on what the breed is like as an adult and what you can honestly manage. Here’s some information to help you size up a prospective companion.

Weight Ranges for Some of the More Common Breeds