Small Dog Breeds That Make Great Apartment Pets

Dogs are adorable creatures in the world, puppies are even more. Do not you wish that your pet remains the small cute puppy forever? Yes, it is possible; several canines stay their tiny appearance throughout life. These little dogs look like toys and are often called pocket dogs. The small dog breeds usually weigh between 7 and 35 pounds.

The tiny dogs are more manageable than large or medium-sized ones. They fit perfectly in your home. Moreover, these cute tiny canines are playful, obedient and extremely intelligent. They will respond to you and learn things more promptly.

They are even friendly with kids. Their loyalty is the best fact about them. Having a little friendly pup in your home lifts your mood and creates a better atmosphere in the home.

Best small dog breeds

Let’s check out the adorable smallest dog breed in the world.

Japanese Chin

If you like the furry one, Japanese Chin is going to win your heart with their adorable look and nature. It is one of the best small dog breeds and fits smoothly into your lap. This breed is extremely cheerful, dainty and easy to pet. The weight of the Japanese Chin usually comes between 4 to 9 pounds with a height of 11 inches maximum.

Though, most of the dogs of this breed remain 8 inches. This breed generally appears with an approximate lifespan of 10 to 14 years.  The best thing about this dog breed is their beautiful long hair. They love cuddling and need fine grooming every certain period.

Pumi

Pumi dogs are generally small, but few of the dogs of the breed can grow in a medium size. You can expect a Pumi dog to stay with you for around 12 to 13 years. Their charm and cuddling attitude are enough to soften the heart of a dog lover. Even a person who is not fond of dogs can be carried away with their adorable manner. The average height of a Pumi dog ranges between 15 to 17 inches. These small dog breeds weigh around 22 to 29 pounds.

Their innocent eyes, curly furs, and beautiful color make them the best choice for petting art home. Similar to the Japanese Chin, this breed needs periodical shaving and grooming.

Maltese

When talking about the smallest dog breeds in the world, forgetting Maltese can be the worst thing. These small snowballs have been in the list of favorites for the past thousand years. The lovable canine comes with a life expectancy of approximately 12 to 15 years. The Maltese dog breed is well-known because of its obedient and fearless manner. This tiny canine breed gives you great company and also suitable for involving in several dog sports. According to the dog experts, this breed comes among the smartest dog breed. If you train them well, they can win you a trophy in rally races.

The average height of this gorgeous breed remains between 8 to 10 inches with a weight of a maximum of 7 pounds. Its silky smooth hair can beat yours too if you carefully groom it regularly.

 Beagle

Beagle is the most popular breed in the list of the smallest dog in the world. This breed is extremely intelligent and can listen to you very carefully. Having a Beagle as a pet at home can give you great satisfaction as it is playful and spirited. These pups are great at smelling games. A well trained Beagle can assist you in inspection with the help of any familiar smell.

The life span of this intelligent dog breed is around 10 to 15 years. The pups weigh about 18 to 30 pounds and their height remains between 13 inches to 15 inches. As they have short furs, these breeds require less grooming.

Lhasa Apso

One must not miss counting the name of Lhasa Apso while mentioning the top tiny dog breeds. Do not get sway away by their innocent face; this breed is great as watchdogs. They bark at strangers and warn you whenever they come across an unfamiliar face. But keeping Lhasa as a pet will never dishearten you; this cute little pup is always going to cheer your mood, be loyal and play with your kids.

The usual life expectancy of Lhasa Apso ranges somewhere between 12 to 15 years. The soundest fact is, if you are enough lucky, this bed is going to accompany yo0u beyond 15 years. With a weight of 12 to 15 pounds and a height of 9 to 11 inches, the Lhasa Apso firs well in your lap and great for cuddling.

Norwich Terrier

Another amazing small dog breed is the Norwich Terrier. Usually, pocket dogs or tiny canine breeds are kept to relish a friendly company. But, this breed is a complete package in a small size. The fearless, hardworking dog meets with all your expectations. They go well with family and kids and are very obedient. They will shape themselves as exactly as you will train them. Moreover, you will not find any difficulty in tra8ining them as they are extremely intelligent.

With a height within 10 inches at the shoulder, this pup weighs approximately not more than 12 pounds. They are always happy and will care for your whole family all the time. The Norwich Terriers are just the embodiment of toy puppies.

Pug

The one that becomes the brand endorsement of Vodafone is another top example of the small dog breeds. Pugs are extremely affectionate with human beings. The only downside of this dog is that they can never be a great watchdog as the breed shows its adorable charm even to strangers. Though they are a bit more stubborn than the other dog but good training can reduce that stubbornness.

Pugs usually stand with a height of 10 inches to 12 inches at the shoulder. The weight of the breed remains between 14 and 18 pounds. Pugs are always ready to play games with you. The maximum life span of the dog breed is 12 to 15 years.

Dachshund

You may not believe but the pocket-sized Dachshund has all those qualities of a large watchdog. Being lovable and friendly, the dog breed will notify you with the unfamiliar faces. But, the only downside of the breed is not whether its children or adults, if they don’t belong to the family owner, they can be a bit aggressive. So, the owner must always keep an eye on them. The dog breed is best to play games with. They are always curious, ready to dig and play scent-guessing games.

The lively and active dog breed appears with a life expectancy of about 12 15 years. The breed comes in different colors. The most commonly seen Dachshunds are black, gray, chocolate brown, etc. The tiny dog enjoys a height of 5 inches to 6 inches.

Shih Tzu

Among all small dog breeds, the one that has been the favorite across the whole world is the Shih Tzu. The dog breed is widely known as mini lions. The Shih Tzu is great to keep at home and get attached along with all the family members. Apart from human beings, Shih Tzu dogs behave perfectly with other creatures even with cats. The most happening fact about the dog is that a well trained Shih Tzu can take good care of your kids, play with them heartily.

The Shih Tzu dogs flaunt their beautiful long furs and need well grooming to maintain their beauty. The beautiful Shih Tzu dog breeds are similar to the breed of Lhasa Apso. The usual height of the breed is 9 inches to 10 inches and the breeds weigh between 9 to 16 pounds.

Shiba Inu

If you have watched the famous dog movie Hachiko, you must be aware of the Shiba Inu. The adorable dog breed is the oldest small dog breed in Japan. This breed is chiefly popular due to its loyalty and playful attitude. The Shiba Inu is popular among the top native dog breeds in Japan. The appeal of Shiba is sure going to cheer you up in your bad mood. The smart dog breed can be easily trained. The average lifespan of Shiba Inu survives between 10 to 18 years. Their height is no longer than 8 inches to 11 inches and weighs around 9 to 16 pounds. If you are looking for a perfect companion, go and pet a Shiba.

Pembroke Welsh Corgi

The next popular canine among the smallest dog breed in the world is the Corgi. Their intelligence and happy mood make them desirable among human beings. Very few dogs are left with children trouble-freely, Corgi breed is one of them. Despite their charming manner, the breeds work well as a watchdog. They can be a little noisier around strangers, but it is only a positive aspect of the breed.

The Pembroke Welsh Corgi lives a maximum of 12 to 14 years and weighs around 30 pounds. The maximum height of the tiny pup is about 10 inches to 11 inches.

West Highland White terrier

The West Highland White Terrier is one of the most popular small dog breeds in Scotland. The reason for the breed being the number 1 choice is their intelligence. Within a few days, they can easily adapt to your lifestyle and give you the best company like nothing else. Another fun fact of the breed is that they can adjust peacefully with the other pets at your home.

The White terriers own a fantastic personality. They know how to greet people, they responded well in your cal and learn things better and fast.  But, the breed requires proper training otherwise they can become stubborn.

Generally, the West Highland relishes a lifespan of 12 to 16 years. The more they are engaged in different exercises, the fitter they become. The stature of the breed appears approximately 10 inches to 11 inches at the shoulder and weigh about 13 to 22 pounds.

Pekingese

Who can forget to mention about Pekingese while talking about the smallest dogs in the world? If you judge the breed by its miniature size, it can be your greatest mistake. The small-sized Pekingese are enough courageous. In the race of bravery, the breed can compete with several large breeds. The Pekingese looks extremely cute with their double coated hairy body. Unlike other breeds, Pekingese relishes the company of the adults rather than the kids.

Talking about their nature, the 10 pounds weighted satin balls like to stay independent and playful. They remain alert all the time and are great watchdogs. If they are socialized with other pets from an infant age, they can live with them peacefully.

Bichon Frise

One can instantly fall in love with the small dog breed Bichon Frise because of its cute appearance. The best fact about the dog is that despite having beautiful curly hairs, they do not shed much. The breed is perfect to keep in a small-sized apartment as they are tiny and requires less activity or exercise. They play well with balls and other dog toys.

One most favorite attribute of their nature is that they always remain happy and cheerful. The curious little pups stand 9 inches to 10 inches at the shoulder and relish a weight of 12 to 18 pounds. These tiny balls are extremely intelligent and can guard your house well. The life limit of these peppy and curious breeds ranges between 14 to 15 years.

Alaskan Klee Kai

Alaskan Klee Kai is the small version of Husky. If you are fond of the breed but do not have enough space in the house, opt to pet an Alaskan Klee. The only difference between it with Husky is the Alaskan Klee Kai weighs only up to 16 pounds. This breed learns things smoothly and makes superb watchdogs.

This amazing small dog breed seeks a lot of attention from its owner and offers a great company. Moreover, they howl back in response to your call and play with their owner cheerfully.

These are the 15 best tiny dog breeds and their personal traits. All of them are profoundly trainable and are great to make a pet.