How to Measure Dog Height

Co-authored by Ryan Corrigan, LVT, VTS-EVN

Last Updated: September 9, 2024 Fact Checked

Measuring a dog's height can be important when assessing how much it has grown over time, or when showing it in dog shows. The height measurement on a dog is done from the ground to its withers. The withers is the highest point of a dog's shoulder blades. Measuring from the withers to the ground is standard for all dogs, and allows you to get an accurate measurement every time.

How do you measure a dog's height?

Bring your dog up next to a wall and find the tallest part of their shoulder blades, known as the withers. Place a level on top of the withers, keeping it flush against the wall. Then, let your dog move away and measure up to the level with a measuring tape.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Measuring at the Dog's Withers

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1
Stand your dog against a wall. When you are measuring the height of your dog, you will need it to be standing so you can get an accurate measurement. You should also put the dog against a wall or door frame. This will give you a fixed point next to the dog that you will use during measurement.^{[1]
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- Make sure that your dog is standing up straight. Try to keep the dog’s stance as square as possible, with all four paws on the floor and spaced out evenly. Its legs should be perpendicular to the floor and its paws should be shoulder width apart.
2
Feel for the dog's withers. The withers on a dog is the highest point of its shoulder blades. It is located behind the base of the dog's neck. Feel around this area on your dog and locate the top bony point of the shoulder.^{[2]
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- It is easier to locate the withers on a dog with a short coat. You may even be able to identify the withers just by looking at the dog's body.
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3
Place a level across your dog's withers. Using a long level, such as a carpenter's level, place the length of it on the dog's withers with the end touching the wall. Make sure the level is indeed level, then mark the point where the bottom of it is touching the wall. This has transferred the dog's height measurement onto the wall.
- If you don't care about making a little mark on your wall, you can use a pencil and make an actual mark on the wall. However, if you don't want to mark up your wall, you can simply hold your finger at the spot on the wall or place a piece of removable tape in that spot.
- You can also make the measurement against your refrigerator and use a magnet to mark your spot.
4
Measure from the ground to your level mark. Allow the dog to move away from the wall. Once the area is clear, you can easily measure from the ground to the mark that you made. This is the height of your dog from its withers to the ground.^{[3]
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- A yardstick or a tape measure will both work to make this measurement.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Ensuring an Accurate Measurement

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1
Keep the dog still. In order to get an accurate measurement, you need to have your dog move as little as possible. With highly trained dogs, such as show dogs, this is usually easy to accomplish. With more active dogs, this can be quite a feat.^{[4]
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- If your dog will not stay still on its own, get someone to help you. They may be able to hold your dog still or distract it long enough for you to get an accurate measurement.
2
Use a height measurement tool. There are measuring sticks available from veterinary suppliers that have an adjustable arm that sticks out to the side. These are useful for measuring dogs because they allow the bottom of the stick to sit on the ground at the same time as the arm is adjusted to rest at the withers of the dog.
- When using this type of measuring stick, you do need to remember to keep it level. Luckily, many of the height measuring tools that are sold contain a level embedded in them.
3
Use a wicket when measuring dogs for show. Show dogs need to be measured to make sure they fit within the parameters set for their breed. To measure dogs quickly and effectively, dog show officials use a wicket, which is a u-shaped measuring stick. They place the rounded end over the dog at the top of its shoulder blades and make sure that the feet of the wicket can touch the ground. If they can, the dog is not taller than the allowed height.^{[5]
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Trustworthy Source

American Kennel Club
The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a purebred dog pedigree registry in the United States. The AKC advocates for the responsible ownership of dogs and promotes purebred dog events, such as the Westminster Dog Show.

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- The height of the wicket can be adjusted depending on the height parameters of the breed the official is measuring.
- Before using this method, take some time to train your dog to get used to the wicket. If you are training your dog for a show, you can get your dog used to the wicket at the same time that you are training it to stand in proper show stance.

Expert Q&A

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Question

How do you measure a dog's chest size?

Ryan Corrigan, LVT, VTS-EVN
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Ryan Corrigan is a Licensed Veterinary Technician in California. She received her Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Technology from Purdue University in 2010. She is also a Member of the Academy of Equine Veterinary Nursing Technicians since 2011.

Ryan Corrigan, LVT, VTS-EVN

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Expert Answer

You can use a tape measure or piece of string under your dogs chest just behind the arm pit and then bring it around to meet on top of the shoulders. Take this distance and measure it and you've got your chest size.

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Question

Is dog height measured at the shoulder?

Ryan Corrigan, LVT, VTS-EVN
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Ryan Corrigan is a Licensed Veterinary Technician in California. She received her Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Technology from Purdue University in 2010. She is also a Member of the Academy of Equine Veterinary Nursing Technicians since 2011.

Ryan Corrigan, LVT, VTS-EVN

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Expert Answer

Yes it is measured at the highest point of the shoulder blades behind the head.

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Question

How do you measure the length of a dog?

Ryan Corrigan, LVT, VTS-EVN
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Ryan Corrigan is a Licensed Veterinary Technician in California. She received her Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Technology from Purdue University in 2010. She is also a Member of the Academy of Equine Veterinary Nursing Technicians since 2011.

Ryan Corrigan, LVT, VTS-EVN

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Expert Answer

Measure from the base of your pet's neck to the base of the tail. This is a standard measure for length.

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