Home Heart Disease in Dogs Heart Rate

Dog Heart Rate: Normal Range and How to Check

By the Dog Health Handbook team · Updated · Fact-checked against current veterinary references (see sources)

Key takeaways

  • Adult dogs rest at about 60 to 120 beats a minute.
  • Small dogs and puppies have faster heart rates than large dogs.
  • A beat that speeds up and slows with breathing is normal in dogs.
  • Count for 15 seconds and multiply by 4 at the inner thigh or chest.
  • Fainting, weakness or a fast resting rate needs a vet now.

Table of Contents

Research Normal ranges How to check Fast heart rate Slow heart rate Home monitoring FAQ Sources

Heart and Blood QuickLinks

Heart Disease Congestive Heart Failure Heart Murmurs Heart Rate High Blood Pressure Heartworm Overview of Dog Blood Blood Disorders

A normal resting heart rate for an adult dog is about 60 to 120 beats per minute (bpm). The Merck Veterinary Manual gives 70 to 120.1,2 Smaller dogs have faster hearts: toy and small breeds can rest at about 100 to 140 bpm or more. Large and giant dogs rest at about 60 to 90 bpm.3,4,2 Puppies run faster still, at about 120 to 160 bpm or more.3,4 A dog's heartbeat normally speeds up when it breathes in and slows when it breathes out. This is called sinus arrhythmia, and it's normal in dogs.5 To check your dog's heart rate, feel the pulse inside the back leg or the heartbeat behind the left elbow. Count the beats for 15 seconds and multiply by 4.6,2 Excitement, stress, exercise, pain and fever raise the rate, so it's often higher at the vet than at home.5,7 Learn your own dog's normal rate at rest so you can spot a change.2,4

Go to a vet now if your dog:

  • Faints or collapses, or has a very slow or very fast heartbeat with weakness5,8,9
  • Has a fast heart rate at rest with labored breathing, pale or blue gums, or a cough2,10
  • Has a heartbeat that is irregular in a way that isn't linked to breathing2,5

What the Research Says

  • Breed matters. In a 24-hour heart monitor study of 50 healthy dogs, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels had higher heart rates than Wire-haired Dachshunds.11
  • Familiarity calms the heart. In a 2022 study, dogs' heart rates fell as they became familiar with the people and place handling them.7
  • Sleep slows the heart. A 2024 study found the nervous system activity that slows the heart was higher during sleep.12
  • Wearables aren't exact. A 2025 study of a heart-rate harness found its readings could differ from manual counts by 30 to 40 beats per minute.13

Normal Dog Heart Rate Chart

DogResting heart rate (bpm)
Adult dogs overallAbout 60 to 120 (Merck: 70 to 120)1,2
Toy and small breedsAbout 100 to 140, sometimes up to 1603,2,4
Medium breeds (about 20 to 55 lb)About 70 to 1104,2
Large breeds (over about 55 lb)About 60 to 904,2
PuppiesAbout 120 to 160, faster in newborns3,4,2

Sources give slightly different ranges, so your dog's own normal matters most. Very fit, athletic dogs often rest at the low end.6 The heart can reach 250 bpm or more during hard exercise.5

How to Check Your Dog's Heart Rate

  1. Wait until your dog is calm and resting, ideally lying down or standing quietly.2
  2. Find the pulse: press gently with two fingers on the inside of the back leg, about halfway up the thigh (the femoral artery). Or place your hand on the left side of the chest, just behind the elbow.6,2
  3. Count the beats for 15 seconds and multiply by 4. Or count for a full minute.6,2
  4. Repeat a few times over a couple of days and write down your dog's normal range.2

A rate that rises and falls with each breath is usually normal sinus arrhythmia.5 For breathing rate and temperature, see dog breathing fast and dog fever and normal temperature.

Fast Heart Rate (Tachycardia)

A fast heart rate is normal with exercise, excitement or stress.5,6 At rest, it can point to a problem:5,10

  • Pain or fever
  • Dehydration, blood loss or anemia
  • Heart failure
  • Heart rhythm problems, such as atrial fibrillation
  • Toxins or certain medicines

Obesity may also raise heart rate, though one study found no change in heart rate after weight loss.6,14 See congestive heart failure and heart disease in dogs.

Slow Heart Rate (Bradycardia)

A slow heart rate can be normal in fit, relaxed or sleeping dogs.5,6 Problems that can cause it include:5,8

  • Sick sinus syndrome, most common in older Miniature Schnauzers, West Highland White Terriers, Cocker Spaniels and Dachshunds
  • Heart block, where the heart's electrical signals are delayed or blocked
  • Hypothyroidism and low body temperature
  • Some medicines and sedatives

A slow rate usually needs treatment only if it causes weakness, exercise intolerance or fainting. Some dogs need a pacemaker.5,8

Home Monitoring

Smartphone ECG devices have produced readable home recordings in studies, but collars and harnesses can be inaccurate. Check worrying readings by hand and with your vet.15,13

See also high blood pressure in dogs and heart murmurs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a normal heart rate for a dog?

About 60 to 120 beats per minute at rest for adults, faster in small dogs and puppies.

Why does my dog's heartbeat seem irregular?

Most dogs' heartbeats speed up and slow down with breathing, which is normal.

Why can I feel my dog's heart pounding when resting?

A strong beat is often easy to feel in dogs. See your vet if the rate is fast or your dog seems unwell.

What heart rate is too high for a dog at rest?

There's no single cutoff. A rate that stays well above your dog's normal resting range needs a vet check.

Do dogs' hearts slow down when they sleep?

Yes. Heart rate is usually lower and more variable during sleep.

Ask Our Team a Question

Have A Canine Heart Disease Question or Helpful Story?

Have a Question, Request or Want to Share a Story that could help others? Our editors and pet health professionals will answer 1 question each week for free!

We will do our best to get back to you quickly (it depends on how many questions we receive each day). If you do require an immediate response we suggest using this online dog veterinary service that is available now.

[ ? ]

Upload 1-4 Pictures or Graphics (optional)[ ? ]

 

Click here to upload more images (optional)

Author Information (optional)

To receive credit as the author, enter your information below.

(first or full name)

(e.g., City, State, Country)

Submit Your Contribution

  •  submission guidelines.


(You can preview and edit on the next page)

Sources and further reading

This article was rewritten and fact-checked on October 25, 2026 against current veterinary references and specialist guidelines:

  1. Merck Veterinary Manual. Resting Heart Rates (table). Merck Veterinary Manual, adapted from Detweiler DK and Erickson HH, accessed October 2026.
  2. Mihai I. How Fast Is a Normal Heart Rate for Dogs? (Vet Answer). Dogster, updated October 12, 2026.
  3. California Veterinary Emergency Team, University of California, Davis. Vitals Chart: Normal Vital Signs. UC Davis, June 2024.
  4. Preventive Vet. Figure out your dog's normal. In: Senior Dog Comfort and Care, chapter 95.
  5. Kittleson MD. Heart Disease: Conduction Abnormalities in Dogs and Cats. Merck Veterinary Manual (professional version), reviewed January 2023, updated May 2025.
  6. Basedow K. Do You Know Your Dog's Normal Heart Rate? Whole Dog Journal, February 15, 2024.
  7. Grigg EK, Liu S, Dempsey DG, Wong K, Bain M, Sollers JJ, Haddock R, Kogan LR, Barnhard JA, Tringali AA, Thigpen AP, Hart LA. Assessing the Relationship Between Emotional States of Dogs and Their Human Handlers, Using Simultaneous Behavioral and Cardiac Measures. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2022;9.
  8. CVCA Cardiac Care for Pets. Sinus Node Dysfunction / Sick Sinus Syndrome (client handout). CVCA.
  9. Ynaraja Ramirez E. Sincope en el perro (Syncope in the dog). Latin American Veterinary Conference, Lima, 2017 (via IVIS).
  10. Kleszynski B. Arrhythmia in Dogs: What It Is and What Causes Irregular Heartbeat in Dogs. PetMD, January 20, 2025.
  11. Rasmussen CE, Vesterholm S, Ludvigsen TP, Moesgaard SG, Pedersen HD, Haggstrom J, Olsen LH. Holter monitoring in clinically healthy Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Wire-haired Dachshunds, and Cairn Terriers. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 2011;25(3):460-468.
  12. Hasegawa M, Sasaki M, Umemoto Y, et al. Exploring sleep heart rate variability: linear, nonlinear, and circadian rhythm perspectives. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2024;11.
  13. Warhoe J, Simpson S, Goldblatt B, Zersen K. Validation of Wireless Harness for Measuring Respiratory Rate, Heart Rate, and Body Temperature in Hospitalized Dogs. Veterinary Sciences, 2025;12(7):626.
  14. Partington C, Hodgkiss-Geere H, Woods GRT, Dukes-McEwan J, Flanagan J, Biourge V, German AJ. The effect of obesity and subsequent weight reduction on cardiac structure and function in dogs. BMC Veterinary Research, 2022;18.
  15. RCVS Knowledge. Home monitoring of heart rate and heart rhythm with a smartphone-based ECG in dogs. Summary of Vezzosi T, et al. Veterinary Record, 2019;184(3):96.

About this article

Last updated : fully rewritten using the Merck Veterinary Manual, UC Davis, IVIS proceedings and studies published 2022 to 2025.

This page is for general information and is not a substitute for an exam by your veterinarian.