Best Small Dogs for Families

Below is a list of the very best small dogs for families. These dogs are good with children and other pets that you might have in your family.

Just be sure that if you have a large family that you do have spare time available to take care of a small dog. All these dogs need exercise and attention too.

Some breeds are higher maintenance than others and have rather high energy levels. The dogs below are relitively low maintenance and are a perfect fit for family life.

Best Small Dogs for Families List

1. Beagle 
2. Poodle 
3. Pembroke Welsh Corgi 
4. Bichon Frise 
5. Shih Tzu 
6. Maltese 
7. Miniature Schnauzer 
8. Havanese 
9. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel 
10. Pug 

Which Dog is Best Fit For Your Family?

The Beagle is great with children although can be a little nippy, so is more suited to families with older children over the age of 5. Beagles are great with other dogs and cats and any other small pets that you might have. Beagles do shed so are not good for families that have anyone that suffers from allergies in them. Beagles have lots of energy so do require frequent walks, if your family is short on time then this is probably not the small dog for you.

The Poodle is a delicate breed so is probably not suited to families with small children. The Poodle will need time to adjust to other dogs and pets that you might have in the family. The Poodle is a low shedding breed so is good for families that have allergy sufferers in them. These small dogs require regular exercise, a few walks a day will be enough.

The Pembroke Welsh Corgi are good with older children, they are known to nip so are not suitable for families with young children in. This breed will be good with all other pets that you have in the house, although they do shed a lot, not great for families with allergy sufferers. This breed is a herding dog therefore requires regular walks and has lots of energy to burn, not suitable for families with little time.

The Bichon Frise breed are great with children of all ages and love to play. This breed is also known to get along with all other small animals including cats and other dogs. Their coat is high maintenance and does require regular grooming, not so good for allergy sufferers. These small dogs are quite energetic so need regular walks and could be destructive around the house if left home alone for long periods.

The Shih Tzu is great with kids, good with other dogs, cats and other small pets. Basically this is the perfect small dog for a family. Their long coat does need daily grooming, which could be a problem for allergy sufferers. This is not an active dog and will be happy and content with just a few short walks each day.

The Maltese needs to be treated gently and is really not suited to families with younger children in them. If this breed has been brought up with other cats and dogs they will get along with them. This breed does not shed very much so will be suited to families with allergy sufferers in them. These dogs will be very active around the home, just one walk every day will be enough for them.

The Miniature Schnauzer is good with children of all ages and with other dogs. You should know that these dogs are not good for families with small pets. These small dogs will chase and kill hamsters, rats and other small animals. These dogs hardly shed at all, so are perfect for allergy sufferers. One good walk each day is enough for this small dog combined with energetic play at home.

The Havanese is the perfect family dog and is great with kids of all ages. This small dog breed loves other dogs and will be friendly with other small pets that you have in the house including cats. It is also a good choice of breed for allergy sufferers, they hardly shed any fur at all. These small dogs have a medium amount of energy to burn, one long walk each day with plenty of play time at home will keep them happy and content.

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel love to play with children of all ages. These dogs are small though, you have to teach your kids to play gently with them so they do not harm them. These small dogs will get along well with other dogs and have been known to get along with cats and other small pets, although it is not guaranteed. These dogs are average shedders so might not be suitable to allergy sufferers. These dogs will be happy with a short walk each day and a good amount of play time at home or run around the garden.

The Pug is great with kids of all ages and is not fragile like some of the other small dog breeds. The Pug will get along with other dogs and other small animals like cats, rabbits and gerbils. These dogs do shed a lot, so are no good for families with allergy sufferers in them. These small dogs will be more than happy with just one short walk each day and will be quite lazy around the house. If you want a dog to take on family days out for games of fetch and long walks then this is definitely not the best dog for your family.