Top 10 Smallest Dogs In The World. List Of 2022

Smaller dog breeds certainly have some advantages over larger breeds. For instance, smaller dogs like the Chihuahuas or the Pomeranians are better fits for certain lifestyles than larger dogs like the Irish Wolfhounds or the Doberman Pinschers.

By I Kid You Not , in Did You Know Explained Facts to Know , at January 21, 2023 Tags: dogs, small dogs

Undoubtedly, dogs are one of the most popular pets in most parts of the world. They offer unconditional love, constant companionship, emotional support, incredible psychological benefits, and warm hugs.

Dogs are man’s best friend. Caring for a dog teaches one to be responsible and sensitive. With time, they become pivotal family members. Their presence comforts people when they are sad or stressed.

Playing with them and taking care of them adds variety to the daily routine of life. Yet, in the current high-paced lifestyle, looking after dogs is difficult.

People opt for small-sized dog breeds so that they can take care of them with greater ease.

As evident, smaller dog breeds are generally easier to care for as they have feeding and veterinary expenses. Smaller dogs are easier to take out for strolls and socialize with acquaintances.

Some dog owners prefer to own dogs that stay small throughout their lives, as they are more suited to urban living conditions. Smaller breeds can easily fit in their apartments and adjust with their families, especially kids.

Top 10 smallest dog breeds in the world

Affenpinscher

The Affenpinschers are fun-loving dogs, who tend to be mischievous. They are characterized as having the face and impish nature of a monkey, so they are also known as Monkey Terriers.

With a confident personality, they stand at a height of less than a foot. Earlier, in the 1600s, they were used to get rid of pests in German stables. They are loyal, entertaining, and very affectionate. They require a moderate amount of activity, like indoor play or going out for a brisk walk.

Height: 9-11.5 inches
Weight: 3-5 kg 7-10 pounds
Life Expectancy: 12-15 years

Brussels Griffon

This small breed was first seen in Brussels, in the 1800s. Initially, they were kept as rough dogs meant to drive rats out of stables. Eventually in the 1870s, they became sophisticated lap companions when the Belgian Queens took a liking to them.

These dogs are loyal, alert, and curious. They have either smooth or rough coats. They come in various colors: red, black-and-reddish-brown called belge, black and tan, and black. They are highly sociable, and energetic, stick close to their favorite humans, and have a low threshold for loneliness.

Height: 7-10 inches
Weight 4-5 kg
Life-Expectancy– 12-15 years

Chihuahua

The terrier-like Chihuahua is the national symbol of Mexico, placed among the oldest dog breeds in America. It is an alert, balanced, and graceful dog. These small dogs are famed for their loyalty and charm. They have erect ears and luminous eyes. They have a huge personalities and a big-dog attitude. Being confident and compact, they prove to be ideal city pets.

Height: 5-8 inches
Weight: does not exceed 3kg
Life Expectancy: 14-16 years

English Toy Spaniel

Bred to be the companions of kings, the English Toy Spaniels are bright, loving, and willing to please dogs. The coats of these pampered lapdogs come in several varieties: red and white (Blenheim); black and tan (King Charles); white, black, and tan (Prince Charles), and a solid red (Ruby). These small dogs are as royal and proud as their aristocratic breeders and owners.

They can be proud, willful, and discriminating in their choice of friends. But with their favourite humans, they are very affectionate at home and curious to play.

Height: 9-10 inches
Weight: 4-6kg
LIfe Expectancy: 10-12 years

Italian Greyhound

The favorite companion of the noblewomen in the Middle Ages, especially in Italy, this small hound is agile, obedient, playful, athletic.Known for its speed and endurance, this small breed is exceptionally slender and graceful.

Their long, fine-boned legs are their distinguishing features.They run at high speed by using double-suspension gallop. Being highly sensitive, they need companionship and extra care, especially in cold weather. They don’t like to be left alone at home for long hours.

Height: 13-15 inches
Weight: 3-6kg (7-14 pounds)
Life Expectancy: 14-15 years

Maltese

The Maltese is a gentle and fearless smaller-sized dog breed.

They greet everyone as companions. They are believed to have originated in Malta, a tiny island south of Sicily. Their glamorous white coat gives them a haughty and noble look.. Their body is compact and their shoulder blades are sloping. They have dark eyes, black noses, and long silky coats. Their amiable spirit and vigour let them excel as therapy dogs. Their commendable qualities like agility, obedience, rally and tracking make them a capable competitor in dog sports.

Height: 7-9 inches
Weight: below 3kg (7 pounds)
Life Expectancy: 12-15 years

Papillon

Papillon dogs are blessed with a hardy constitution and are known for their athleticism. They have large, wing-shaped ears: some having erect ears; others have downed ears known as the Phalene type.

They have a plumed tail and long, silky coat of various color combinations, with the base colour being white. They are agile, dainty and elegant dogs who can thrive in all seasons. These small dogscan be trained to do all kinds of tricks.

Height 8-11 inches
Weight: 2-5kg (5-10 pounds)
Life Expectancy: 14-16 years

Pomeranian

The smallest of the spitz breeds, the Pomeranians gained popularity mostly from the times of Queen Victoria – the queen loved the breed. Today, these tiny dogs are one of the most popular and loved dog breeds.

They have glorious coats, smiling, foxy faces, and vivacious personalities. Their abundant double coat comes with hairy frills extending over their chests and shoulders. They are loyal, alert, smart and live happily as an ideal companion in both cities and the suburbs.

Height: 6-7 inches (some can be 7-11 inches too)
Weight: 1-3 .5kg (3-8 pounds)
Life Expectancy: 12-16 years

Silky Terrier

Natives of Sydney, Australia, Silky Terriers are known for their energy, curiosity and high spirits. They have glorious blue-and-tan, silky coats which are straight and glossy and their wedge-shaped heads are topped by a lot of hair.

They have erect V-shaped ears and almond-shaped eyes. They are capable of adapting to most living situations.

They iar is human-like and they shed less than other breeds. They tend to be shy and don’t take too well to strangers at first – but can be trained to be social. One thing though – they bark a lot!

Height: 9-10 inches
Weight: around 5kg 10 pounds
Life Exopectancy: 13-15 years

Havanese

Havanese, the only dog breed native to Cuba, is also known as the National Dog of Cuba.

They are cheerful little dogs, vivacious, sociable and are now becoming popular with American city dwellers. They have a curled-over tail and a gorgeous silky coat which comes in a wide range of colours. Their small bodies are sturdy and they are highly adaptable, content with any hospitable environment.

Their amiablility and social skills make them ideal city dogs.

These extroverted small dogs are smart and trainable and have the comic instincts of a natural born clown.Hence, naturally, they are trick dogs. They are also admirable watchdogs though they bark minimally.

Height: 8.5-11.5 inches
Weight: 3-6kg (7-13 pounds)
Life Expectancy: 14-16 years

Top 10 smallest dogs breeds in India

Dachshund

Called sausage dogs because of their long, slinky body, Dachshunds are an affectionate small dog breed. These affectionate dogs have paddle-shaped tiny short legs. Yet, they can run about easily.

With a distinctive long snout that increases their breathing rate, these dogs have a large lung capacity. These small sausage dogs are very affectionate with their owners.

They are clever, playful, fearless and brave, and are thus ideal watchdogs. hence they can be ideal watchdogs. They are perfect for a small apartment in a high-rise building.

They can be stubborn and notorious sometimes, and are suspicious towards strangers.

Height: 20 to 23 cm
Weight 7 to 14.5 kg
Life Expectancy: 12 to 16 years

Beagle

The Beagle is an affectionate and active companion dog. This popular dog breed is intelligent and has a moderate temperament. It’s a scent hound and has an exceptional sense of smell.

One thing to know about Beagles is that they need a lot of exercise and also companionship with their owners. If you leave them alone, they can be moody and destructive.

Remarkably, the small Beagle can sniff out mice in a-more-than-an-acre-sized field within a few minutes.

Height: 33 cm to 41 cm
Weight: 10 to 12 kg
Lifespan: 12 to 15 years

Indian Spitz

The Indian Spitz is a small dog witha soft chest, fluffy tail, pointy fox-like ears, and a milky white double coat.

The coat is usually a solid black or brown, rarely a mix of colors.

These dogs were originally bred for hunting in cold weather conditions.Today they are one of the easiest dogs to live with. They just need regular brushing to keep their long coats healthy.

Height: 35-45 cm
Weight:12-20 kg
Lifespan: 12-15 years

Pug

Pugs were once the loyal companions of Chinese royalty. Brought from China to Europe in the 16th century, they were popularized in Western Europe by the House of Orange and the House of Stuart.

These small dogs are friendly and fun-loving . They have wrinkly, short-muzzled faces and curled tails.

The breed is characterized by a fine, glossy coat which generally comes in a variety of colors. They have compact, square bodies and thick, well developed muscles. They have a strong-willed and charming personality.

They are docile, playful and love human companionship. Their size makes them an extremely popular city-dog choice in the 21st century.

Height: 25-36cm
Weight: 6-8.5 kg
Lifespan– 12-15 years

Jack Russell Terrier

Small in size, the Jack Russell Terrier is an alert and energetic, dog.

It is an exceptional hunting dog. In ancient times, it was a favorite dog breed among sailors who used to keep them to control rats on their ships. These small dogs are easy to maintain for they shed less. They are very close to family members, affectionate and caring. They get along well with children.

Height: 25 – 38 cms
Weight: 6.4 to 8.2 kg
Lifespan: 13 to 16 years

Cocker Spaniel

Cocker Spaniels are gentle dogs very fond of human companionship – in fact they cannot survive without their masters and hate being alone.

They can be golden or black, or black and white in colour.

In the ancient days, these dogs were used as hunting companions . Being fond of water, they love to swim and play. They have a gentle character and are very intelligent. They are highly affectionate and crave companionship.
They can be moody and arefond of hunting squirrels.

Height: 36 cm to 43 cm
Weight : 12 to 16 kg
Lifespan:12 to 13 years

Poodle

The Poodle is considered to be the second smartest dog in the world. They are super smart and very active. Poodles were bred to retrieve things from the water, so are very agile.

These small dogs are sociable and elegant as well.. They have distinctive thick, curly coats and harsh fur. They are active dogs, requiring physical and intellectual activities on a regular basis. Poodles are excellent companions to children and they socialize extremely well with others.

Height: 11 to 17 inches
Weight: 5 to 9 kg
Lifespan: 12 to 14.5 years

Indian Pariah Dog

The Indian Pariah dog, also known as the Desi dog, or Indie, is native to the Indian Subcontinent. These dogs are medium-sized, having a squarish/rectangular build and short coats.

They do not shed a lot and so they dont require daily grooming. They are characterized by erect ears, almond-shaped eyes, wedge-shaped heads, and curved tails.

They can be trained easily, often used as guard dogs or police dogs. They are very alert, territorial and defensive. Veterinarian Premlata Choudhary stated that “desi dogs are much more intelligent and hardy than most pedigreed dogs that people spend so much money on.”

Height: 20 to 25 inches
Weight: 20 to 30 kgs
Lifespan: 13 to 15 years

Bichon Frise

The Bichon Frisé is a small dog with a long and curly tail, a slightly rounded skull, black nose, dark round eyes, and a curly dense hypoallergenic coat, that is soft and velvety.

It is gentle, playful, and affectionate and get along well with other dogs and children. Bichons also train well and love to perform for their masters.

Generally, these dogs are sociable, but do show territorial tendencies.

Height: 9 to 12 inches
Weight: Approximately 6 to 11 kgs
Lifespan: 12 to 15 years

Miniature Schnauzer

Popular worldwide, Miniature Schnauzers have a square shaped build and a double coat of wiry exterior fur on the outside and a soft undercoat on the inside. Their shedding is minimal, almost to the extent of being unnoticeable. However, they are high-maintenance in terms of grooming and need to be groomed and trimmed every five to eight weeks.

They can be considered a hypoallergenic breed. They are characterized by a rectangular head, bushy beard, moustache and eyebrows, natural forward-folding ears, thin and short tails and dark, oval eyes.

They are alert, friendly, intelligent, willing to please and playful. Due to their ability to learn and obey commands, they are grouped among “excellent working dogs”.

Height: 12 to 14 inches
Weight approximately 5 to 9 kgs
Lifespan: 12 to 15 years

Did You Know?

The smallest dog in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, is a chihuahua named Milly from Puerto Rico. She stood 3.8 inches tall and weighed approximately one pound. Unfortunately, Miracle Milly passed away in 2020.

But surprisingly, the smallest dog in the world ever recorded was a dwarf Yorkshire terrier. It was owned by Arthur Marples from the United Kingdom. This dog had a height of 2.8 inches to the shoulder and 3.75 inches from nose to tail.

Do you have a dog? Or looking to get one? Hope this article helped you decide 🙂

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Top 10 Smallest Dogs In The World. List Of 2022