Who doesn’t love dogs? Finding your own little Man’s Best Friend may be a hard and difficult choice. Some may be too big and seem like a job to take care of, with medical and food expenses going through the roof with the larger ones. So, with that being said, I’ve narrowed it down to the top five small dog breeds that would be perfect to have in your home. To make this list as efficient as possible, I curated my own rating system out of 50 based on five subjects: cuteness, health and lifespan, cost and expenses, attitude and behavior, and how universally ownable they are. Every subject equals 10 points.
5. Shih Tzu
- Cuteness: 7/10– Cute little smushed lion face, better looking when properly groomed.
- Health/ Lifespan: 6/10– 10-16 years, but their flat face (Brachycephalic) may cause issues breathing.
- Cost/ Expenses: 7/10– Cost to buy is $1k-2k, grooming bills are normal priced (average $40-80).
- Attitude/ Behavior: 8/10– Calm, sociable dogs that can be both playful and lazy.
- Universal: 8/10– Good with kids and apartments, but allergies can act up around them more than other dogs.
- Full Score: 35/50
4. Maltese
- Cuteness: 9/10– Beautiful small angel clouds with a great smile, potentially a 10/10 when hair is taken care of.
- Health/ Lifespan: 8/10– 12-15 years, pretty healthy dogs overall.
- Cost/ Expenses: 5/10– Cost to buy is $1.5k-3k + grooming and vet bills may add up if overbred.
- Attitude/ Behavior: 7/10– Lovely dogs, but needs to be social– clingy dogs.
- Universal: 8/10– Hypoallergenic, pretty good with kids but too small and fragile for rougher children.
- Full Score: 37/50
3. Havanese
- Cuteness: 9/10– as cuddle-able looking as cuddle-able can be, just kind of looks like a tree with long hair (you could probably see a theme here).
- Health/ Lifespan: 8/10– Lifespan 14-16 years, but may suffer from patellar luxation which may cause arthritis in cases.
- Cost/ Expenses: 7/10– Cost $1.5k-2.5k, watch out for surgery expenses for ACL tears.
- Attitude/ Behavior: 9/10– Smart and easily trainable but may suffer from separation anxiety.
- Universal: 9/10– Hypoallergenic and works well with all places of living.
- Full Score: 42/50
2. Mini Schnauzer
- Cuteness: 6/10– If not for the cool little aura it has for looking like a grumpy old man it would be lower– aesthetic carries heavy on this subject.
- Health/ Lifespan: 9/10– 12-15 year lifespan, not many issues when it comes to health problems.
- Cost/ Expenses: 8/10– Cost $1k-2k, normal grooming costs and not many medical bills.
- Attitude/ Behavior: 9/10– smart and great with people of all ages.
- Universal: 10/10– Hypoallergenic and known for being extremely adaptable, whether you have a large family or live by yourself.
- Full Score: 42/50
1. Toy Poodle
- Cuteness: 10/10– Cutest little thing in the world, especially when they have that golden brown fried hair color + cuter than the Mini Poodles that may look funny they grown into their long limbs.
- Health/ Lifespan: 8/10– 12-15 year lifespan, pretty healthy but may be prone to genetic issues.
- Cost/ Expenses: 6/10– Cost $1k-3k + those grooming bills are NOT cheap.
- Attitude/ Behavior: 9/10– Crazy smart and loves their owners.
- Universal: 10/10– Hypoallergenic, one of the more trainable dog breeds out there– works for practically everyone.
- Full Score: 43/50
Although, yes, I made a list ranking small dogs using a rating system, there is no such thing as the “perfect dog breed.” Every dog breed has their positives and negatives. Everyone has their own situation that a dog may or may not fit– a specific preference that a breed may or may not meet. At the end of the day, the best dog breed is the one that matches your lifestyle and what makes you happy.
#AllDogsGoToHeaven