Dog Breeds Under 30 Pounds

Below is a complete list of all dog breeds under 30 pounds, which are considered to be small dog breeds if they weigh under 22 pounds.

Basically this is a complete list of all small dog breeds in size order, ranging from the biggest dog breeds up to the very small dog breeds so to speak.

If you are looking for the lightest dog breeds in the world just take a look below. These tiny dogs weigh under 10 pounds with the Pomeranian being the lightest of the whole bunch.

The smallest dog breeds in the world are called Teddy Bear dogs, or Zuchon, Shichon, Tzu Frise. They are also referred to as designer dog breeds, which is where you cross breed any of the small dog breeds featured below. Teddy Bear puppies are very cute and will weigh between 5 and 14 pounds when fully grown.

List of small dog breeds by size order with pictures

1. Staffordshire Bull Terrier: 11-17 k (24-37 lb) Under 30 Pounds 
2. Cardigan Welsh Corgi: 11–17 kg (24–37 lb) 
3. Swedish Vallhund: 11.5-16 kg (25-35 lb) 
4. Miniature Bull Terrier: 11-15 kg (24-33 lb) 
5. English Cocker Spaniel: 13-14.5 kg (28-32 lb) 
6. Miniature Poodle: 12-14 kg (26-31 lb) 
7. Beagle: 8–14 kg (18–31 lb) 
8. Tibetan Terrier: 8-14 kg (18-31 lb) 
9. American Cocker Spaniel: 11-13 kg (24-28 lb) 
10. French Bulldog: 11-12.5 kg (24-27.5 lb) 
11. Pembroke Welsh Corgi: 9-12 kg (20-26 lb) 
12. Mittel German Spitz: 10.5-11.5 kg (23-25 lb) 
13. Boston Terrier: 6.8–11.5 kg (15–25 lb) 
14. Regular Dachshund: 6.5-11.5 kg (14-25 lb) 
15. Puli: 10-11 kg (22-24 lb) Under 25 Pounds 
16. Basenji: 9.5 -11 kg (21 -24 lb) 
17. Dandie Dinmont Terrier: 8-11 kg (18-24 lb) 
18. Patterdale Terrier: 4.5-11 kg (10-24 lb) 
19. Rat Terrier: 4.5-11 kg (9-24 lb) 
20. Skye Terrier: 8.5-10.5 kg (19-23 lb) 
21. Scottish Terrier: 8.5-10.5 kg (19-23 lb) 
22. Shiba Inu: 10 kg (22 lb) 
23. Silky Terrier: 10 kg (22 lb) 
24. German Hunting Terrier: 9-10 kg (19.5-22 lb) 
25. Bedlington Terrier: 8 – 10 kg (18 – 22 lb) 
26. Klein German Spitz: 8-10 kg (18-22 lb) 
27. West Highland White Terrier: 7-10 kg (15.5-22 lb) 
28. Brazilian Terrier: 6.5 – 10 kg (14 – 22 lb) 
29. Toy Manchester Terrier: 5-10 kg (11-22 lb) 
30. Welsh Terrier: 9-9.5 kg (20-21 lb) 
31. Sealyham Terrier: 8-9 kg (18-20 lb) 
32. Miniature American Eskimo Dog: 4.5 -9 kg (10 -20 lb) 
33. Cesky Terrier: 7–8 kg (15.5–18 lb) Under 20 Pounds 
34. Wire Fox Terrier: 7-8 kg (15.5-18 lb) 
35. Smooth Fox Terrier: 7-8 kg (15.5-18 lb) 
36. Lakeland Terrier: 7-8 kg (15.5-18 lb) 
37. Pug: 6.5-8 kg (14-18 lb) 
38. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: 5-8 kg (11-18 lb) 
39. Parson Russell Terrier: 5-8 kg (11-18 lb) 
40. Lowchen: 4-8 kg (9-18 lb) 
41. Toy Poodle: 6.5-7.5 kg (14-16.5 lb) 
42. Cairn Terrier: 6 – 7.5 kg (13 – 16.5 lb) 
43. Schipperke: 5.5-7.5 kg (12-16.5 lb) 
44. Shih Tzu: 4.5-7.5 kg (10-16.5 lb) 
45. American Hairless Terrier: 2.5 -7 kg (5 -16 lb) 
46. Miniature Schnauzer: 6-7 kg (13-15.5 lb) 
47. Shetland Sheepdog: 6-7 kg (13-15.5 lb) 
48. Norwegian Lundehund: 6-7 kg (13-15.5 lb) 
49. Lhasa Apso: 6-7 kg (13-15.5 lb) 
50. Tibetan Spaniel: 4-7 kg (9-15.5 lb) 
51. Jack Russell Terrier: 4-7 kg (9-15.5 lb) 
52. Kyi-Leo: 4-6.5 kg (9-14 lb) Under 15 Pounds 
53. English Toy Spaniel: 3.6-6.4 kg (7.9-14.1 lb) 
54. Australian Terrier: 5 -6.5 kg (11 -14 lb) 
55. Japanese Spitz: 5-6 kg (11-13 lb) 
56. Coton De Tulear: 4-6 kg (9-13 lb) 
57. Lancashire Heeler: 3-6 kg (6.5-13 lb) 
58. Havanese: 3-6 kg (6.5-13 lb) 
59. Bichon Frise: 3 -6 kg (6.5 – 13 lb) 
60. Norfolk Terrier: 5-5.5 kg (11-12 lb) 
61. Norwich Terrier: 5-5.5 kg (11-12 lb) 
62. Pekingese: 4-5.5 kg (9-12 lb) 
63. Chinese Crested Powderpuff: 2-5.5 kg (4.5-12 lb) 
64. Chinese Crested Hairless: 2-5.5 kg (4.5-12 lb) 
65. Volpino:  4.5-5.4 kg (9.9-11.9 lb) 
66. Border Terrier: 5 – 7 kg (11 – 11.5 lb) 
67. Miniature Dachshund: 4-5 kg (9-11 lb) 
68. Miniature Pinscher: 4-5 kg (9-11 lb) 
69. Brussels Griffon: 2.3 – 5 kg (5 – 11 lb) 
70. Papillon: 4-4.5 kg (9-10 lb) 
71. Phalene: 4-4.5 kg (9-10 lb) 
72. Italian Greyhound: 3.5-4.5 kg (8-10 lb) 
73. Toy American Eskimo Dog: 2.5 -4.5 kg (5.5-10 lb) 
74. Affenpinscher: 3-4 kg (6.5-9 lb) Under 10 Pounds 
75. Bolognese: 3 – 4 kg (6.5 – 9 lb) 
76. Japanese Chin: 2-4 kg (4.5-9 lb) 
77. Japanese Terrier: 2-4 kg (4.4-8.8 lb) 
78. Yorkshire Terrier: 2.5-3.5 kg (5.5-8 lb) 
79. Maltese: 2-3 kg (4.5-6.5 lb) 
80. Chihuahua: 1-3 kg (2-6.5 lb) 
81. Prazsky Krysarik: 2.6 kg (5.7 lb) 
82. Pomeranian: 1.8-2.5 kg (4-5.5 lb) 

We now know that there are 82 dog breeds under 30 pounds, with the Staffordshire Bull Terrier at the top of the list weighing the most, and the Pomeranian at the bottom of the list weighing the least.

A mid range dog would be a Jack Russell Terrier or a Tibetan Spaniel all weighing under 20 pounds, there are 13 tiny dogs that weigh 10 pounds or under.

So which one of these small dog breeds is the right one for you? The dogs daily requirements has to meet your time availability, anyone with a heavy work schedule or busy family life does not need a high maintenance dog added to their list of things to do.

Which dog is the one for you?

We have a whole section on this site devoted to helping you choose the right dog for you and your family, just select the category that you require and read about all the small dogs in that section.

There are some other useful resources online that will help you choose the right dog for you, dogtime.com have a breed selector questionnaire, which produces the breed best suited to you after you answer a few simple questions.

If you want to look at pictures of all the small dog breeds in the world you can do so by looking through our small dog breeds a to z page, this is a good place to start your search.

Taking a look through pictures of all the small dog breeds will help you find one that you like the look of, after you have done that you need to check out the dogs profile. This will help you find out if the dog will be a suitable fit for you and your family.

Not only is the Pomeranian the lightest dog breed in the world weighing well under 10 pounds, it is also one of the most popular small dogs.

So why is this tiny dog so popular the world over? Well it is good with small pets, other unknown dogs, children and is even good around strangers. I think the main reason they are so popular is because they are just so god damn cute being a rather fluffy little dog, they are easy to train too.

On that note, which of these dog breeds under 30 pounds is the easiest to train? The honours in this category would go to the Yorkshire Terrier or the Poodle.

Now if you are looking for a dog that is low shedding then the Yorkshire Terrier and Poodle would fit the bill here too, these dogs are on the most popular list too, this has to be why. Dogs that are low shedding and easy to train make life easier for the owner, and are therefore going to be more popular than other breeds.

If you do suffer from dog allergies then one of these low shedding breeds would be more suited to you and your family. The good news is that there are treatments for dog allergies, so if you suffer from one of these allergies you can own a dog too.

Now some people get a dog because they do not live in a very nice neighbourhood and require some protection at home. This is when you can get yourself a watchdog. Not all dogs make good watchdogs, this is because some are friendly towards strangers or are even scared of them.

Some of the small dog breeds that make good watchdogs include the Yorkshire Terrier, the German Hunting Terrier and the Dandie Dinmont Terrier. Yes you have guessed it, most terriers make good watchdogs.

Believe it or not, some families will want a dog that is highly active with lots of energy. If your family gets out and about a lot, or if you want a dog to jog with you, a high energy dog would be best suited to you.

Some high exercise requirement dogs include the Australian Terrier, the Beagle and the Jack Russell Terrier. These dogs need at least two good walks each day together with long play sessions at home. You do need a lot of spare time to devote to these breeds.

On the flip side there are small dogs with low energy that are not so high maintenance, which include the Pug, Pekingese and the Lowchen. These small dogs only require one short walk each day, which is not going to take up too much of your time or effort.

The dogs with low energy will use up all of their energy through play at home, whether it is with you or by playing by themselves or with other pets in the house.

If you have children, young or old in the family there are certain breeds you can consider and ones you should definitely stay away from.

Some small dogs that are good around kids include the Pug, Havanese and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. It is also worth noting that no dog should be left unsupervised around any children.

If you have children you should read the dogs profile very carefully, some dogs are okay around children under the age of 5 and some are not and are just okay with children over the age of 7.

There are some breeds that are so small, definitely all the ones that weigh under 10 pounds, that are vulnerable around children playing and could easily get injured during boisterous play.

If you have other pets in your house, flat or apartment there are some breeds that have a high prey and chase drive and will cause harm to them. Some small dogs that get along with pets include the Maltese, Poodle and the Pekingese.

This is good news if you have cats, gerbils, hamsters or even birds in your house. Some breeds will only get along with cats if they have been brought up with them, do your research before you select a breed to go with.

Some dogs do not get along well with other unknown dog breeds, which can be problematic when out and about on walks. Some breeds that are good with other dogs include the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Coton De Tulear and the Havanese.

If you are a very sociable family and have people popping round your house often you are going to need a dog breed that gets along well with strangers. Some breeds are wary of strangers and some will bark excessively at them.

Dogs that are friendly towards strangers include the Bichon Frise and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. These dogs just love to be around people and crave attention.

So which of these dogs under 30 pounds is the best all round family dog based on this information. The honours for this category has to go to the Poodle, it certainly ticks all the boxes.

The Poodle is superb with kids and other pets including cats and dogs, makes a good little watchdog and is also very clever making it very easy to house train. Oh yes, if that’s not enough to convince you that this is the dog for you I should also tell you that they are low shedding too.

How to choose one of these small dogs

If you need to know anything about any of these small dog breeds just head on over to our home page, it includes a list of information you need to consider when choosing your small dog.

If you need some more information on how to choose the right dog for you and your family just take a look at the short video below, it includes a useful check list.

If you need more information on small dog breeds that are good for living in apartments you can head on over to Yahoo answers, there are some great tips and suggestions on there including some useful links.

This is the full list of all the small dog breeds under 30 pounds including information which I hope will help you choose the right dog for you and your family.

The small dogs that stay small

The small dog breeds under 2.5kg are the ones that are going to stay small, even when they are a fully grown adult dog. On the list there are exactly 12 breeds that could potentially weigh less than 2.5kg as a fully grown adult dog.

If you choose to go with such a small dog you need to be aware of all the small dog health problems that they could potentially get.

Yes, small dogs do suffer some health risks because they are just so tiny, the smallest breeds all carry the risk of getting Legg-Calve-Perthes. This is a joint problem of the hip, which can of course put the dog in a lot of discomfort.

A major health problem common with these tiny dogs is hypoglycaemia, the toy breeds are mostly affected by this when they are of puppy age. This will lead to muscular weakness and possible seizures and eventually death.

If you do choose to get a small dog that stays small you need to be aware that extreme temperature changes can be incredibly dangerous for them and could lead to death. If they get cold too quickly after being warm they could die, as they could by getting too hot too quickly too.

You do need to be responsible if you are going to go for one of these small dog breeds under 30 pounds, be sure that you can look after the dog correctly by doing as much research about the breed as possible.