Best Dog Breeds for Apartments (Ranked by Data)
Apartment living asks a dog to be quiet in a hallway, settled through a workday and content with walks instead of a yard. This list collects the breeds in our encyclopedia whose editorial ratings say they usually manage that.
Every breed here scores 4 or 5 on Apartment-friendly and 3 or lower on Energy in our editorial ratings; the list is ranked by the Apartment-friendly score, then popularity. The ratings are tendencies for the breed as a whole, not guarantees about the dog in front of you. A French Bulldog from a calm line and one that barks at every door are both Frenchies, and the rating cannot tell them apart. Age, training and how often a dog has been left alone matter at least as much as pedigree.
The top of the list is dominated by small companions such as the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Shih Tzu and Havanese, but it also holds a few surprises: the Greyhound and Whippet qualify because, for all their speed, they spend most of the day asleep. Read each breed page for the catches, particularly barking in the Pomeranian and heat sensitivity in the flat-faced breeds.
A low Energy score means a dog needs less exercise, not none. Even the sleepiest apartment dog needs to get outside two or three times a day, which is where a regular dog walker earns their keep on long office days. A sitter or walker still needs to meet the dog before the first booking; the rating is a starting point for that conversation, not a substitute for it.
French Bulldog
Compact, bat-eared companion with a clownish streak and modest exercise needs, well suited to city apartments.
Small · 10–12 years
Dachshund
Long-bodied badger hunter with a big-dog attitude, offered in two sizes and three coats, equal parts bold, funny and stubborn.
Small · 12–16 years
Bulldog
Low-slung, wrinkle-faced couch companion whose stubborn calm and gentle way with children belie its bull-baiting past.
Medium · 8–10 years
Yorkshire Terrier
Tiny, glossy-coated terrier with a feisty, self-important spirit that fits in a purse but acts like it owns the block.
Toy · 11–15 years
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Soft-eyed lap spaniel with a sweet, adaptable nature, equally content on a country walk or curled up on the nearest available lap.
Small · 12–15 years
Shih Tzu
Palace-bred lap dog with a sweeping coat and a trusting, outgoing nature, built for companionship rather than any kind of work.
Toy · 10–18 years
Pomeranian
Fluffy, fox-faced miniature spitz with a bold, inquisitive personality and a double coat that puffs up far bigger than the dog.
Toy · 12–16 years
Havanese
Cuba's silky-coated national dog, a sociable, springy little entertainer that bonds hard and dislikes being left alone.
Toy · 14–16 years
Chihuahua
The world's smallest breed, a saucy, big-eyed Mexican companion that bonds fiercely to one person and lives longer than most dogs.
Toy · 14–16 years
Maltese
Ancient Mediterranean lap dog draped in straight white silk, playful and fearless for its size and devoted to whoever holds it.
Toy · 12–15 years
Pug
Wrinkled, curly-tailed charmer from imperial China, a sturdy little comedian that loves food, people and naps in roughly equal measure.
Small · 13–15 years
Bichon Frise
Powder-puff white companion with a merry, people-loving disposition and a curly low-shed coat that calls for frequent grooming.
Small · 14–15 years
Italian Greyhound
Miniature sighthound of Renaissance courts, all slender legs and velvet skin; adores warm laps and sunbeams and sprints like a toy rocket.
Toy · 14–15 years
Chinese Crested
Exotic toy that comes either nearly hairless with a flowing crest or fully coated as a Powderpuff; warm, clingy and happiest in a lap.
Toy · 13–18 years
Brussels Griffon
Pint-sized Belgian stable ratter with an almost human, bearded face; sensitive, self-important and glued to its favorite person.
Toy · 12–15 years
Pekingese
Lion-maned lapdog once reserved for China's imperial court; opinionated, dignified and content to supervise the household from a cushion.
Toy · 12–14 years
Coton de Tulear
Cotton-coated companion from Madagascar's port city of Tulear; a cheerful, chatty clown that bonds hard and dislikes being left behind.
Small · 15–19 years
Lhasa Apso
Long-coated sentinel of Tibetan monasteries with a regal, self-assured manner; devoted to its family and quietly suspicious of newcomers.
Small · 12–15 years
Japanese Chin
Feather-light Japanese court companion with a cat-like habit of perching on furniture and washing its face; refined, quiet and gently playful.
Toy · 10–12 years
Cavapoo
Designer cross
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Poodle cross bred for a gentle, lap-sized temperament; a hybrid with no breed standard.
Small · 12–15 years
Maltipoo
Designer cross
Maltese and Toy or Miniature Poodle cross, a tiny fluffy companion sold under many spellings; a designer mix rather than a breed.
Toy · 12–15 years
Shih-Poo
Designer cross
Shih Tzu and Toy Poodle cross bred as a small, easygoing lap dog with a fluffy coat; a designer mix, not a registered breed.
Toy · 13–17 years
Cocker Spaniel
The smallest sporting breed, a soulful-eyed, feather-coated spaniel that trades field work for a devoted place in the family.
Small · 10–14 years
Basset Hound
Droopy-eared, low-riding French scent hound with a nose second only to the Bloodhound's and a laid-back, stubborn, lovable streak.
Medium · 12–13 years
Whippet
Sleek medium sighthound that sprints in short bursts outdoors and then melts into a quiet, cuddly couch companion at home.
Medium · 12–15 years
Scottish Terrier
Compact, bearded Highland terrier with a dignified, independent streak and a surprisingly bold attitude toward anything that moves.
Small · 12–14 years
Chinese Shar-Pei
Wrinkled, hippo-faced guardian from southern China with a sandpaper coat; loyal and quiet with its people, aloof and watchful with everyone else.
Medium · 8–12 years
Tibetan Terrier
Not a terrier at all but a shaggy, snow-footed companion of Tibetan monks; sweet, sensitive and watchful, with a moderate need for exercise.
Medium · 12–15 years
Greyhound
Fastest dog on earth and one of the laziest indoors; a gentle, sensitive sighthound that asks for a soft bed and a few sprints a week.
Large · 10–13 years
Puggle
Designer cross
Pug and Beagle cross that pairs a wrinkled face with a hound's nose and stamina; a popular mix with no registry recognition.
Small · 10–15 years
Browse all dog breeds and cat breeds, or see the other breed lists.