Small Dog Breeds (Ranked by Popularity)
This list collects every breed in the encyclopedia whose size class is Toy or Small, from a four-pound Chihuahua up to a thirty-pound Pembroke Welsh Corgi. It is a size list, not a temperament list: it is ranked by popularity rather than by any rating, and it makes no claim that these dogs are calm, quiet or easy.
Small dogs are the practical choice for apartments, for renters facing weight limits, for owners who travel with a dog in the cabin and for anyone who cannot manage a sixty-pound animal on a lead. They are also, breed for breed, the longest-lived, and most of the toy breeds comfortably reach their mid-teens.
Size tells you very little about the dog underneath it. The French Bulldog and Shih Tzu are among the laziest breeds we rate; the Dachshund and Russell Terrier were bred to go to ground after badgers and foxes and have the drive to show for it. Yorkshire Terriers bark; Beagles follow their noses over the horizon; several toy breeds are fragile enough that toddlers need supervising around them. Read the breed page before assuming a small dog is a starter dog.
Small dogs are also easy to underexercise and to overfeed, and the two together cause most of their health problems. A daily walk still matters at ten pounds, which is where a reliable dog walker earns a place on a long workday. For boarding, ask whether the sitter's home mixes sizes; a small dog often does better with a sitter who keeps the big dogs separate, and the sitter should meet yours before the first stay.
French Bulldog
Compact, bat-eared companion with a clownish streak and modest exercise needs, well suited to city apartments.
Small · 10–12 years
Poodle
Sharp-witted, athletic water retriever in three sizes, wearing a curly low-shed coat that needs regular clipping.
Toy–Large · 10–18 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
Beagle
Merry, nose-driven pack hound in a handy size, happiest with company, a scent to follow and a securely fenced yard.
Small · 10–15 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
Pembroke Welsh Corgi
Short-legged Welsh cattle herder with a fox-like face and a big personality, bright, bossy and quick to make friends.
Small · 12–13 years
Miniature Schnauzer
Bearded, bushy-browed little ratter with a lively, outspoken character, low-shedding coat and a knack for announcing visitors.
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
Boston Terrier
Dapper, tuxedo-marked American original with round eyes, a cheerful disposition and manners that suit small homes and city life.
Small · 11–13 years
Miniature American Shepherd
Scaled-down Aussie bred in 1960s California for rodeo and trail life, keeping the herding brains and drive in a more portable package.
Small · 12–13 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
Shetland Sheepdog
Small, collie-like herder from the Shetland Islands, quick to learn, quick to bark and deeply attuned to the moods of its family.
Small · 12–14 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
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
Shiba Inu
Compact, fox-like Japanese hunting dog with a cat-like independence, a fastidious nature and a famously dramatic scream.
Small · 13–16 years
Papillon
Tiny, bright-eyed toy spaniel with butterfly-wing ears, quick wits and far more athletic drive than its dainty frame suggests.
Toy · 14–16 years
West Highland White Terrier
Plucky, all-white Scottish earthdog with a harsh weatherproof coat, a cheerful self-assurance and a lingering instinct to dig.
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
Scottish Terrier
Compact, bearded Highland terrier with a dignified, independent streak and a surprisingly bold attitude toward anything that moves.
Small · 12–14 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
Cardigan Welsh Corgi
The long-tailed, rounder-eared corgi of Wales: a low-slung cattle driver with a thoughtful, slightly reserved temperament and a big bark.
Small · 12–15 years
Russell Terrier
Small, mostly white fox-hunting terrier known to most people as the Jack Russell; a bundle of nerve, speed and mischief in a ten-inch frame.
Small · 12–14 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
Cairn Terrier
Scruffy little Highland terrier once used to flush vermin from rock piles; cheerful, plucky and more biddable than most of its terrier cousins.
Small · 13–15 years
Miniature Pinscher
Fearless, high-stepping German ratter in a toy package; curious and quick, with an escape-artist streak that keeps owners on their toes.
Toy · 12–16 years
Basenji
Central African hunting hound that yodels instead of barking and grooms itself like a cat; clever, independent and endlessly curious.
Small · 13–14 years
Rat Terrier
Lean, pied American farm terrier that cleared barns of vermin for generations; quick, trainable and more easygoing than its name suggests.
Small · 12–18 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
Border Terrier
Otter-headed working terrier from the Anglo-Scottish borderlands; tough enough to run with hounds, yet unusually mellow and affectionate indoors.
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
Toy Fox Terrier
Big-eared American toy with a true terrier engine; clever enough to learn tricks in minutes and bold enough to challenge dogs ten times its size.
Toy · 13–15 years
American Eskimo Dog
Snow-white American spitz in toy, miniature and standard sizes; a former circus performer that is quick to learn, quick to bark and loves its people.
Toy–Medium · 13–15 years
Aussiedoodle
Designer cross
Australian Shepherd and Poodle cross that combines herding drive with a curly, often merle coat; a cross with no breed status.
Toy–Large · 10–14 years
Bernedoodle
Designer cross
Bernese Mountain Dog and Poodle cross that keeps the tricolor look with a curlier, lighter-shedding coat; a cross, not a breed.
Small–Large · 12–15 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
Chiweenie
Designer cross
Chihuahua and Dachshund cross: a long-bodied, big-voiced little dog devoted to one person; a mix with no registry standard.
Toy · 12–16 years
Cockapoo
Designer cross
One of the oldest designer crosses, pairing Cocker Spaniel with Poodle for a small, cheerful, curly companion; not a recognized breed.
Toy–Medium · 13–16 years
Goldendoodle
Designer cross
Golden Retriever and Poodle cross, not a recognized breed: a sociable, wavy-coated family dog that varies by generation and size.
Small–Large · 10–15 years
Labradoodle
Designer cross
Labrador Retriever and Poodle cross first bred as a guide-dog prospect; a friendly, busy hybrid rather than a registered breed.
Small–Large · 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
Morkie
Designer cross
Maltese and Yorkshire Terrier cross, a toy-sized mix with a long silky coat and a big-dog attitude; not a recognized breed.
Toy · 12–15 years
Pomsky
Designer cross
Pomeranian and Siberian Husky cross, usually produced by artificial insemination, giving a husky look in a small package; not a breed.
Small · 12–15 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
Schnoodle
Designer cross
Miniature Schnauzer and Poodle cross with a wiry-to-curly coat and a watchful streak; a hybrid without a breed standard.
Toy–Large · 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
Yorkipoo
Designer cross
Yorkshire Terrier and Toy Poodle cross: a tiny, lively, low-shedding companion that exists as a mix, not a recognized breed.
Toy · 12–15 years
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