A fast-beating heart after a walk is nothing unusual. But at rest, at home, what really is a dog’s “normal” heart rate?
For a long time, the benchmarks provided by veterinarians were mainly based on measurements taken in clinics — a context where the mere stress of the consultation raises the heart rate. The largest study ever conducted on the subject at home changes the game: published in 2025 in Frontiers in Veterinary Science with veterinary cardiologist Valérie Chetboul, it shows that a healthy adult dog, relaxed at home, actually has a heart that beats on average around 60 beats per minute, regardless of its size — a figure significantly lower and more homogeneous than what previous references suggested.
What the largest home study reveals #
The AI-COLLAR study followed 703 apparently healthy dogs, at their homes, for a median duration of 189 days, using an Invoxia Biotracker collar equipped with a seismocardiography sensor (accuracy validated at 99.6% for heart rate). Unlike a one-time measurement at the vet, this protocol captures hundreds of hours of data, over months, on immobile and relaxed dogs — exactly the conditions that were missing in veterinary literature to establish reliable benchmarks.
Result: in non-senior adult dogs (1 to 10 years), the median resting heart rate at home is 60.5 beats per minute, with a fairly narrow natural variation. This is significantly lower than the wide ranges (often 60 to 140 bpm depending on size) still found in many general veterinary references, such as the Merck Veterinary Manual — benchmarks historically constructed from in-office measurements, thus partially biased by the stress of the consultation.
Heart rate and weight: a finer gap than expected #
Small or large, your dog doesn’t have exactly the same heart rate — but the gap is finer than expected:
| Weight Category | Median Resting Heart Rate (at home) | Commonly Cited Benchmark (in-office measurements) |
|---|---|---|
| Small dogs (≤ 22 pounds) | 65.0 bpm | 100 to 120 bpm |
| Medium dogs (22 to 44 pounds) | 62.1 bpm | 80 to 100 bpm |
| Large dogs (> 44 pounds) | 59.5 bpm | 60 to 80 bpm |
Common benchmarks based on reference veterinary data usually cited — constructed from in-office measurements, thus higher.
In other words, the gap between a small dog and a large dog at rest, at home, is only about ten beats per minute. We are far from the 40 to 60 bpm gap sometimes suggested in older benchmarks, constructed on clinical measurements where stress raises the heart rate and affects small and large dogs differently.
Day, night, seasons: heart rate is never fixed #
Weight is not the only factor: a dog’s heart rate also naturally varies depending on the time of day (61.3 bpm during the day versus 58.3 bpm at night), and even depending on the season, with a significantly lower rate at the end of summer and in autumn in the northern hemisphere. In practice, this confirms that a single one-time measurement has little value: it’s the trend over several days or weeks that allows you to know if a number is really unusual for your dog.
Normal heart rate and diseases: breeds to watch closely #
For breeds with enough individuals (more than 15 dogs), significant differences do appear between breeds, once age and weight are taken into account:
| Breed | Median Heart Rate |
|---|---|
| Golden Retriever | 57.9 bpm |
| German Shepherd | 58.1 bpm |
| Labrador Retriever | 57.9 bpm |
| Australian Shepherd | 54.5 bpm |
| Border Collie | 56.6 bpm |
| Doberman | 60.6 bpm |
| Siberian Husky | 58.1 bpm |
Beyond these basic values, what really distinguishes certain breeds is not their resting heart rate, but their genetic predisposition to develop a specific heart disease — and thus the importance of monitoring the evolution of their heart rate over time. This is the case for the Cavalier King Charles, Boxer, Doberman, and, to a lesser extent, the Golden Retriever.
Normal heart rate in the Cavalier King Charles #
Small dog (generally 11 to 18 pounds), the Cavalier King Charles follows the benchmark for small dogs, around 65 bpm at rest, at home. But it is especially the breed most exposed to mitral valve disease of all dogs: this progressive degeneration of the heart valve affects a very large majority of Cavaliers with age and eventually permanently alters the heart rate.
In this breed in particular, a progressive change in resting frequency or the appearance of an irregularity always requires a veterinary check, even in the absence of other symptoms.
Normal heart rate in the Doberman #
The Doberman is one of the seven breeds for which we have a specific reference value, with a median heart rate of 60.6 bpm at rest at home — a value ultimately close to the general average, despite its large dog size (66 to 88 pounds).
This reassuring figure should not overshadow the fact that the Doberman is one of the breeds most exposed to dilated cardiomyopathy, a heart muscle disease that often progresses silently before causing the heart rate and rhythm to deviate towards abnormality. In the Doberman, regular cardiological screening (ultrasound, Holter) is recommended regardless of an apparently normal heart rate.
Normal heart rate in the Boxer #
Due to its size (55 to 70 pounds, between medium and large dog), the Boxer approaches the benchmark of 59 to 62 bpm observed in large dogs. But it is the reference breed for arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), a disease that causes sometimes completely silent rhythm disorders, detected on average around 5-6 years only.
It is precisely this silent nature that makes continuous heart rate monitoring particularly useful in the Boxer, rather than a simple one-time measurement at the vet.
Normal heart rate in the Golden Retriever #
The Golden Retriever is one of the best-represented breeds (31 dogs), with a median heart rate of 57.9 bpm at rest at home — one of the lowest of all the breeds studied. This breed also has a predisposition to subaortic stenosis, a congenital malformation that narrows the passage of blood out of the heart, as well as a risk of dilated cardiomyopathy in certain lines.
A murmur detected during auscultation in a young Golden Retriever justifies a cardiological opinion, even if the dog seems in perfect health and displays a resting heart rate within the norm.
Other breeds to watch: the complete table of cardiac predispositions #
The Cavalier King Charles, Doberman, Boxer, and Golden Retriever are far from the only ones concerned. Many heart diseases, congenital or acquired with age, affect specific breeds — this is precisely the interest of regular heart rate monitoring: it allows detecting an unusual signal long before symptoms become visible. Here is a broader overview, established from the Merck Veterinary Manual, the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, and Genodog, the genetic platform of the Société Centrale Canine.
| Heart Disease | Predisposed Breeds |
|---|---|
| Degenerative Mitral Valve Disease (acquired, most common) | Cavalier King Charles, Poodle, Dachshund, Chihuahua, English Cocker, American Cocker, Maltese, Spitz, Shih Tzu, Whippet, Yorkshire Terrier |
| Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) | Doberman, Great Dane, Irish Wolfhound, Newfoundland, German Shepherd, Cocker, Saint Bernard, Portuguese Water Dog |
| Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC) | Boxer, English Bulldog |
| Subaortic Stenosis | Golden Retriever, Boxer, Rottweiler, German Shepherd, Newfoundland |
| Pulmonic Stenosis | English Bulldog, Boxer, Beagle, Boykin Spaniel, terriers, Giant Schnauzer |
| Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) | Maltese, Pomeranian, Shetland Sheepdog, English Cocker, American Cocker, Keeshond, Bichon Frise, German Shepherd, Border Collie, Irish Setter, Kerry Blue Terrier, Labrador Retriever, Newfoundland, Toy/Miniature Poodle, Chihuahua, Yorkshire Terrier |
| Tricuspid Valve Dysplasia | Labrador Retriever, German Shepherd |
| Congenital Mitral Valve Dysplasia | Bull Terrier, German Shepherd, Great Dane |
This table lists documented breed predispositions, not individual certainties: a dog of one of these breeds may never develop the associated disease, and a dog of another breed is not immune. Note also that there are two distinct mitral valve diseases despite their similar names: the degenerative and acquired form that mainly affects small breeds with age (including the Cavalier King Charles), and a rarer congenital dysplasia that appears at a young age in other breeds.
If your dog belongs to one of these breeds, it doesn’t mean you need to worry daily — just that a little more attentive monitoring of its heart rate and rhythm makes sense, and regular veterinary check-ups remain the best protection.
Heart rate and heart diseases: the signal that should alert #
A particularly useful benchmark: in dogs already monitored for a heart condition, the median resting heart rate rises to 67.3 bpm, compared to 60.5 bpm in healthy dogs — a clear gap, even if the two ranges partially overlap. It is this logic of individual trend, more than comparison to a general norm, that is most valuable for detecting a developing heart problem, often weeks before the appearance of visible symptoms.
How to take your dog’s pulse at home? #
It is entirely possible by hand: gently place two fingers (never the thumb) on the inner thigh, where the femoral artery passes, or directly on the left side of the chest at the heart level. Count the beats for 15 seconds, then multiply by 4 to get the number of beats per minute, with the dog relaxed and ideally lying down.
In practice, this manual method remains impractical on a daily basis — difficult to repeat several times a day, several days in a row, without disturbing a dog that ends up getting agitated as soon as you handle it — and not very reliable: the mere act of touching or approaching it often suffices to slightly raise its heart rate, which skews the measurement. This is precisely what was missing from veterinary data until the AI-COLLAR study: continuous measurement, taken without manipulation, with the dog left to itself.
Heart Rate Variability (HRV): the other indicator to know #
Beyond the heart rate itself, heart rate variability (HRV) measures the small natural variations in time between two beats. A relaxed and healthy dog generally has a higher HRV than a stressed, tired, or developing health problem dog. It is a signal of balance in the autonomic nervous system, also widely studied in human medicine, and which the Biotracker now records continuously just like heart rate. What matters with HRV is not an isolated value on a given day, but its evolution over time: a progressive and lasting decrease can precede the appearance of visible symptoms by several weeks.
When should you worry? #
A temporarily elevated heart rate after play or running is not abnormal. What should alert you is an abnormally high or low heart rate at rest compared to your dog’s usual trend, an irregular rhythm (beats that speed up and slow down erratically), or associated symptoms such as persistent cough, unusual fatigue, fainting, or difficulty breathing. In these cases, it’s better to consult a veterinarian rather than wait — especially if your dog belongs to a breed with known cardiac risk.
FAQ #
What is the normal resting heart rate of a dog? According to the largest home study to date (703 dogs, Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2025), a healthy adult dog has a median resting heart rate of about 60.5 beats per minute, with a fairly narrow variation depending on weight: about 65 bpm for small dogs, 62 bpm for medium dogs, and 59.5 bpm for large dogs.
Why are the usual benchmarks (60-140 bpm depending on size) different? These wider benchmarks historically come from measurements taken in veterinary clinics, where the stress of the consultation raises the heart rate, sometimes significantly. Measurements taken at home, with the dog relaxed, give lower and more homogeneous values between sizes.
Does a dog’s heart rate vary depending on the time of day? Yes: a slightly higher heart rate is observed during the day (61.3 bpm) than at night (58.3 bpm), as well as a significant decrease at the end of summer and in autumn.
How do I know if my dog has a heart rate that is too high? Compare the measurement taken at rest, with the dog calm, to your dog’s usual trend rather than a single number. In dogs monitored for heart disease, the median resting heart rate is about 67 bpm, compared to 60.5 bpm in healthy dogs — a gap that justifies a consultation if confirmed over several measurements.
Does the Cavalier King Charles have a particular cardiac risk? Yes: it is the breed most affected by mitral valve disease, a degeneration of the heart valve that affects a very large majority of Cavaliers with age. Its baseline heart rate remains that of a small dog, but increased vigilance on its evolution is recommended.
Are the Doberman and Boxer more exposed to heart diseases? Yes, each for a different disease. The Doberman, although its resting heart rate (60.6 bpm on average) is close to the general average, remains very exposed to dilated cardiomyopathy. The Boxer, on the other hand, is the reference breed for arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, with sometimes completely silent rhythm disorders.
What is HRV in dogs and why monitor it? Heart rate variability (HRV) measures the natural variations between heartbeats. A high HRV generally indicates a relaxed and healthy dog, while a lasting decrease can signal chronic stress or a developing health problem, even before visible symptoms appear.
Can you measure your dog’s heart rate at home without specific equipment? Yes, by hand, counting the beats over 15 seconds at the thigh or chest level and then multiplying by 4, with the dog relaxed and still. For continuous and more precise monitoring, especially in a breed at cardiac risk, a connected collar with a heart sensor like the Biotracker avoids having to repeat the manipulation.