Calm Dog Breeds (Ranked by Data)

Some people want a dog that hikes; others want one that naps through a Sunday. This list is for the second group: the breeds our editorial ratings mark as genuinely low-energy, not simply small.

Every breed here scores 1 or 2 on Energy in our editorial ratings; the list is ranked by the Energy score, then popularity. Energy describes how much a breed wants to move on an ordinary day, not how big it is or how much exercise it strictly needs. That is why the list mixes flat-faced companions such as the French Bulldog, Bulldog and Pug with giants such as the Mastiff, Newfoundland and Great Pyrenees, which are placid indoors but take up most of a sofa.

Calm is a tendency of the breed, not a guarantee about a dog. Adolescents of every breed are busier than the adults they grow into, and a bored low-energy dog can still chew, bark or dig. Several breeds on the list come with their own demands: the flat-faced breeds overheat easily and should not be walked in the midday sun, and the giant guardian breeds are calm partly because they are watchful, which makes them a poor fit for a home with a steady stream of visitors.

A calm dog is often the easiest to leave with a sitter, since it settles quickly and asks for little. It still needs a sitter who can manage its size or its breathing, so a dog boarding host should meet the dog before the first stay, and anyone booking drop-in visits should confirm the dog is genuinely happy alone between them.