What is the resting pulse rate range for a dog weighing 25 to 50 pounds?

• A. 60 - 100 bpm
• B. 80 - 120 bpm
• C. 100 - 140 bpm
• D. 40 - 80 bpm

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is that a dog’s resting heart rate varies with size, and medium-to-large dogs (like those weighing 25–50 pounds) sit in a mid-to-upper normal range when at rest. For a dog in this weight class, a resting pulse around 80–120 beats per minute is typical. This range reflects their metabolic rate and cardiac function at rest while accounting for normal individual differences.

If your dog is calm and not excited, 80–120 bpm is a healthy resting rate. Rates well above 120 can occur with stress, fever, pain, dehydration, or heart/respiratory issues, while rates significantly below 80 might suggest bradycardia or exceptional conditioning in very athletic dogs. To check, feel the heartbeat over the chest or listen with a stethoscope while the dog is relaxed, then count for a short period and multiply to get bpm.