Objective assessment of activity through accelerometry can provide valuable insights into dog health and welfare. Commonly used metrics for activity monitoring involve grouping of data into intensity categories (e.g. light, moderate) based on acceleration cut-points and reporting the time spent in each category. However, a lack of consistency in selected cut-points and transparency in their derivation, makes it difficult to compare studies. This approach also limits the information resolution about intensity of activity within the cut-point categories. We present a case study for an alternative metric, first presented in humans, for use in dogs: the acceleration threshold (g) above which the animal’s X most active minutes are accumulated (MX_ACC) over a 24-hour time period. We report M2_ACC, M30_ACC and M60_ACC data from a colony of healthy laboratory beagles aged 2-18 months old. Axivity-AX3 accelerometers are attached to the ventral region of each dog’s collar. Data are recorded at 200 Hz for 24 hours and the dogs follow their normal daily routine. Acceleration vector magnitude is calculated and M2_ACC, M30_ACC and M60_ACC are computed. Using labelled accelerometer data, we characterise the range of acceleration outputs exhibited for a variety of relevant locomotor behaviours (e.g. walk). This enables meaningful interpretation of the MX_ACC data to species-specific activities, rather than to generalised intensity of movement. Use of these metrics will further standardise measurement of canine activity, inform development and monitoring adherence of exercise guidelines for dogs and serve as functional outcome measures for research and clinical applications.