Your Dog Heart Rate Guide: What’s Normal & What’s Not

You love your dog and would do anything to keep them healthy and safe. (If the bags of premium kibble are anything to go by!) So you might be staying on top of their vet visits, taking them on regular walks, and feeding them just right…while missing out on other, harder to catch signs like what counts as a normal dog heart rate.

But what IS a normal heart rate for dogs in the first place? Here’s a deep dive into all of your questions, what’s normal, what’s not, when to drop by your vet – and how keeping track of your dog’s activity can help you take an active role in their health and well-being. Let’s get started.

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Why figuring out a normal dog heart rate is a big deal

Much like in us humans, your dog’s heart rate can signal whether they’re doing okay, health-wise – or not so well. A pulse that’s unusually high or low might be cause for concern – and reason to drop by your vet.¹

A whole bunch of medical reasons can cause an otherwise normal dog heart rate to speed up (including blood loss or heat stroke) or slow down (including seizures or even neurological diseases.) But before we all panic, your buddy’s heart rate might also:

• Speed up due to a vigorous walk, run, or hike in the woods with you – or just excitement from meeting new people or exploring new places.
• Slow down because they’re relaxed and comfy all snuggled up next to you on the couch – or they’re about to fall asleep.
• What’s important is that your dog’s heart rate returns to normal after all these activities. (Without remaining persistently higher or lower, which might signal a cause for concern.)

That’s why it’s smart to establish a baseline – i.e., what’s a normal heart rate for your dog – so you can catch on to an abnormal spike or drop more quickly and easily. Especially keeping in mind what your buddy’s been up to all day. Which includes whether they’ve been getting enough sleep and how active they’ve been.

💡 (Both of which you can check via your trusty Tractive device’s Sleep Tracking and Activity Monitoring data – both of which we’ll cover in detail a little further below.)

What’s a normal heart rate for dogs?

In general, most adult dogs have heartbeats ranging from 60-140 beats per minute. Though it does help to keep in mind that a normal dog heart rate can vary depending on a whole bunch of factors.

Including:

• Age
  Puppies tend to have faster heartbeats than adult dogs, clocking in at 160-200 beats per minute! This is mainly because of their fast metabolic rates, which helps them grow.
• Size
  In general, the bigger your dog, the lower their heart rate – and vice versa.²  Smaller dogs can have heart rates as high as 180 beats per minute. (While normally ranging between 90-140 beats per minute.) Medium-sized dogs tend to clock in at 80-120 beats per minute. Larger dogs tend to have 60-90 beats per minute.
• Activity level
  A physically fit dog might actually register a lower heartbeat on the regular.³ Their hearts simply don’t need to work as hard to pump oxygen into their blood as they run around and play all day. (It’s just their athletic conditioning at work – just like it is for physically fit humans.)
• Genetic predisposition
  Some dog breeds are vulnerable to lower heart rates, despite their smaller size. Including Miniature Schnauzers, Daschunds, small Terrier breeds, and some Spaniel breeds. On the other hand, some larger dog breeds tend to register higher heart rates, including Irish Wolfhounds, Great Danes, and Dobermans. Still others, like Whippets, tend to have naturally irregular heartbeats – even while at rest.⁴
• Your dog’s emotional state
  A dog that’s relaxed, comfortable, or sleepy will naturally have a slower pulse than one that’s excited, ready for a run, or anxious.

How to check a dog’s pulse

Luckily, picking up on your dog’s heart rate isn’t much different from how we might test ourselves for it. 

First, get them comfortable in a quiet, familiar environment. You want to ensure there isn’t anything around that might spook or excite them or trigger any anxiety. (Like loud noises, for example.)

• Put your hand on the inside of your dog’s rear leg – around mid-thigh level. (Easier if your buddy’s standing.) Here’s where their femoral artery is. It’s a large blood vessel that supplies blood to your dog’s legs and has a noticeable pulse when you touch it.
• Avoid using your thumb around this area, since your own pulse might confuse you while counting.
• Set a timer on your phone for around 15 seconds.
• Count the number of beats you pick up during these 15 seconds.
• Multiply this number by 4 to get your dog’s heart rate per minute.

Repeat these steps every day for at least a week or two to establish a baseline.

• Your dog’s heart rate might vary a bit from day to day – but what’s important is keeping track of their heart rate over the long term.
• It’s also a good idea to keep an ear out for your dog’s heart rhythm. A healthy heart has a regular pattern. In other cases, if the beats feel irregular, it’s a good idea to drop by your vet for a checkup.
• Also be mindful WHEN you check your dog’s heart rate. If you’re checking right after a burst of zoomies in the yard, it’ll naturally be higher. If you’re checking right after your dog wakes up from a nap, it’ll naturally be lower. So try and check around the same time every day to keep it routine.

Why is my dog’s heart rate higher than usual?

Now we do understand – it can be scary hearing your dog’s heartbeat thudding away faster than normal. But always remember: it’s important that their heart rate returns to normal after a few minutes. If it persists, drop by your vet.

Because as it turns out, your dog’s heart could be working a bit extra because of:

• Exercise
• The heat, with your dog’s heart needing to work extra to help them cool down
• Stress and anxiety, whether from meeting new people, hearing fireworks, or even positive experiences like hearing the jingle of their harness and leash
• Medical conditions, including heart disease, dehydration, an infection, heat stroke, blood loss, or even a fever

Besides an elevated heart rate, keep an eye out for other signs of illness – like:

• If your dog seems more sluggish or lethargic than usual, 
• Appetite loss
• Not drinking water
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

Drop by your vet right away for a checkup if you notice one or more of these signs.

Why is my dog’s heart rate lower than usual?

While a spike in your dog’s heart rate might catch your attention, it’s also smart to keep an eye out for one that’s lower than normal. Because while it’s not always a cause for concern, it’s helpful to understand what might be triggering it.

• Certain medications – especially those to treat heart conditions or anxiety – can naturally slow down your dog’s heart rate. 
• Likewise, dogs that are physically fit or actively training might score lower heart rates because of their athletic conditioning. (Like working dogs, herding dogs, and dog sports competitors.) Just like human athletes, these dogs’ hearts have learned to pump blood more efficiently. So they naturally have lower heart rates compared to other, more sedentary dogs.
• The cold outdoors can make your dog’s heart rate slow down to help them conserve body heat
• They’re relaxed or about to fall asleep
• Medical conditions, including hyperthyroidism, other heart conditions (including sinus bradycardia, sick sinus syndrome or even a heart attack), a chemical imbalance in the blood, or even inflammatory diseases.

If your buddy’s heart rate is consistently low – and you also notice other, concerning signs like weakness, labored breathing, fainting, or lethargy – drop by your vet for a checkup.

Where an Activity & Sleep Tracker for dogs can step in

An Activity and Sleep Tracker for dogs can be an important early detection system for health problems. Like, for example, if your dog hasn’t been sleeping well or seems more lethargic and less active before. (All changes in their behavior you might otherwise miss.)

Which is where technology can lend a hand.

With its built-in motion detector, your trusty Tractive device can help you figure out:

• What’s a normal amount of activity and sleep for your dog
• How much quality sleep your dog’s gotten over a period of time
• How many sleep disturbances your dog tends to get
• If there’s a weird spike or drop in your dog’s activity

All of which can help you pick up on an abnormal change in your dog’s behaviors much in advance. (Which could signal a whole range of health conditions, especially as your dog grows older.)

Get health alerts for your dog

Our pups can’t always tell us if something’s wrong. But if their tracker detects unusual changes in their routine, you’ll get an alert, helping you catch potential issues early.

Shop Dog Trackers

Want to check your dog’s pulse – but not sure how to get started? Here’s Dr. Greg McDonald walking you through the process:

And if you’ve liked this post, share it with a friend or a loved one – and let’s help build a safer, kinder world for our furry friends together.

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Your furry friend’s health and wellbeing means as much as to us as it does to you. So we’ve made it a priority to only share medically-relevant content on our blog.

This post was checked, double-checked, and medically verified by Georgia-based vet, Dr. Dwight Alleyne.

Originally from Long Island, New York, Dr. Alleyne began his career at a no-kill animal shelter before becoming a licensed veterinary technician. He graduated from Cornell University Veterinary College in 2006 and completed an internship at Purdue University.

Now practicing in Georgia, Dr. Alleyne specializes in soft tissue surgery and ultrasounds. He also writes pet health articles on his website, “The Animal Doctor Blog” (www.anmldrblog.com).