Find out which small breed of dog is the right one for you and your family. Read about each of the small dog breeds characteristics, quirks and qualities.
Before you get your dog you need to know that you are ready for it. This guide will help you decide if you can manage the dog you like.
We look at time, cost, living arrangements, allergies, health, exercise, children and many more aspects of owning one of these small dog breeds.
Pictures & Names of Cute Small Dog Breeds That Stay Small
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Papillon
- Affenpinscher
- Chihuahua
- Maltese
- Beagle
- Dachshund
- Shih Tzu
- Havanese
- Jack Russell Terrier
List of Things to Consider When Choosing Your Dog
By reading this you will be aware of the responsibilities involved in owning a dog. Below are a few things to take into account before you go ahead and choose your dog.
Time
Getting a dog is going to eat up a lot of your time. Just think, you are going to have to have the time to wash, play, walk, feed, go to the vet and train your dog.
Are you ready for washing a dogs coat after a long muddy walk? Do you want to clean up dog mess when you are walking around the streets?
So if you have some spare time and you think you can handle these responsibilities then one of these dogs just might be for you. If you don’t have a lot of time are you going to give something up to free up some time to care for your new dog?
You need time for your dog everyday and if you have kids or work full time then this could well be a major problem for you.
Your Home
First of all you need to know if you are allowed to have dogs in your home. If you are renting your accommodation you might not be allowed to have a dog in your home.
If you do own the property poodle then you need to be prepared of the damage that a dog can do around the place. A dog might chew your table chair legs, knock down fencing in the garden and even attack other pets that you have.
Also there is all the others that live in your home to consider, are they as willing to look after the dog as you are? Dogs do need a lot of exercise and do require some space to run around in. Does your home have a big enough garden for this or do you live near a space for them to run around in?
If you do not look after your dog properly by giving them sufficient time outside the house they will become agitated and hard to look after.
There is also the matter of where your dog goes to the toilet. You do need to take your dog outside for this, do you have an area or are you willing to take them to an area where they can do their business.
Cost
As you would expect owning a dog is going to cost you money, do you have the spare cash to own a dog? To know this you need to estimate how much it is going to cost you per week or month to own a dog.
Now take a look at how much spare cash you have, do you have enough to look after this dog properly. If you don’t have enough and you really want a dog ask yourself where can I make savings in my life in order to afford having a dog in my home.
Things to consider when calculating the cost of owning a dog:
- Food including treats, chews and bones
- Vet treatments
- Pet insurance
- Equipment and toys
- Pay for a dog walker if required
- Dog kennels for when you are on holiday
Exercise
Dogs have to be exercised every day, you have to play with them and give them love and affection to ensure their mental well-being.
You should be aware that working dog breeds and younger dogs require more exercise, if you can’t provide this then opt for an older dog or a breed that you can handle.
You really have to asses your living style and wonder if you have sufficient time in your life to give your dog everything they need to stay happy and well.
If you have a very physical job and get home tired everyday are you going to be willing to take your dog out for a walk? Just consider how much energy you have left at the end of the day to devote to your new dog, this is very important.
Health
A dog, believe it or not can have an affect on your health. First of all you need to know if you or anyone that is going to be in regular contact with your dog has an allergy to them.
If you do suffer from dog allergies then you should choose a dog that does not shed their hair, this will help. People are allergic to the dogs skin, if you are this person then nothing will help here I am afraid to say.
Now there is the matter of if you are healthy enough to look after a dog, are you fit enough to take your dog on long walks?
Can you bend down to pick up the dogs poo? If you are an older person looking to get a dog for companionship do you have someone to look after it if you fall ill and maybe have to go into hospital for some time.
Know-how
If you are getting a particular breed of dog you might need some specialist knowledge in how to look after them correctly. Do you have the knowledge to look after the breed of dog that you like?
As you would expect some breeds are a whole lot easier to look after than others. The more information you can find out about the breed the better, fully understand what each breed requires from you.
Planning ahead
You also need to think about the future a little here. If you are young and single are you looking for a partner, will they be allergic to dogs, or just not like them at all.
If you are just married do you plan to have kids in the future? This could be a major problem, some dog breeds get super jealous when they lose attention to a baby.
If this is the case you need to plan ahead. Be sure to opt for one of the child friendly small dog breeds and make sure it is around children a lot before you have yours.
You should also consider your work, do you plan on changing jobs any time soon? If so will your hours change, will you still have the time to care for your dog?
If you already own a dog
Sometimes having two dogs in your home could be a problem. Just think you are going to have double the amount of work to do.
When dogs get used to each other they do stick together and copy each other. If your new dog has any bad habits these can and more than likely will be passed onto your other dog.
Take note that barking can become a problem when you have more than one dog. There is also the issue of walking, can you handle walking two dogs by yourself, do you have anyone to help walk your dogs if you can’t do them both by yourself.
A good tip before you do get a new dog if you already have one is to introduce the dogs to each other, if they get on in the first instance then you could well be onto a good thing.
Size
Small dog breeds typically weigh less than 10 kilograms and will be short, the Yorkshire Terrier is just 9 inches long. Dog breeds are put into groups, there are seven groups. The breed groups that include small dogs are Terriers, Toys, Hounds, Pastoral (Herding) and utility dogs.
There is also what is know as a Teddy Bear dog breed and designer dog breeds. This is when cross breeding between small dog breeds occurs. For example, you would partner a Bichon Frise with a Shih Tzu, which will result in a Zuchon, which is a Teddy Bear dog. Of course there are many other combinations.
Toy dogs are small in height and make great little pets. Most of the time, if they are looked after in the right way they are mild-mannered and will love being with you.
Small dogs might not be the quickest learners but do like to get close with you and love to be fussed over a lot. If you are looking for your very first dog, then a toy dog is an excellent choice.
Small dog breeds are just perfect for those of you out there with limited space, but I should warn you that they are known for health problems. So do check your dog over before you buy it.
The smallest small dog breed, if that makes sense, is the Pomeranian, which weighs just 5.5 pounds at its maximum weight as a fully grown adult dog. All small dog breeds weigh under 30 pounds, we have a full list in size order on this site including pictures.
Physical Characteristics
Some small dog breeds will not shed any fur at all, small dogs with a thick coat could shed all day long particularly in a hot environment. If your dog gets uncomfortable it can and will become bad tempered.
If you choose a small fluffy dog with long hair then it will need daily grooming. Some breeds, like the Yorkshire Terrier can get long hair that covers their eyes, you will need to tie it back or cut it off every now and again. Also this long hair can get into their food when they eat and will get very stinky, you will have to be prepared to wash it often.
Dogs that shed will need regular visits to your local grooming shop, this could get very costly for you. Think about getting a short haired dog if this is a problem for you.
Small dogs with squashed faces and short noses can’t exercise as often and are known to snore, this is definitely worth taking into account when choosing your new dog. Also dogs with loose skin around the face will dribble, so be prepared for saliva stains around the home.
Some breeds are a lot more lively characters than others and require a lot more exercise. Some breeds love to lie about a lot, choose carefully which breed will suit you and your family the most.
The general rule is that small dogs are more energetic around the house and are of course a lot easier to control when out on walks.
How to use this site
We will list the following useful information about each small dog breed to help you decide if it is right for you:
- Name and breed
- Size, weight, coat, colour and lifespan
- The dogs character
- Any special characteristics
- Their exercise requirements
- How they behave around certain people
- Things to look out for
- Who the perfect owner would be