Best small dogs
Big personality, small footprint. Portable, adaptable and easy to house — with plenty of character packed in.
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The ranked shortlist
Hand-picked by our editors using breed trait profiles — scores are out of 5.
1. Chihuahua
5/5The world's smallest dog with the world's biggest attitude.
2. Pomeranian
5/5A fox-faced pom-pom — a tiny spitz with a huge, bossy personality.
3. Dachshund
4/5Long dog, huge attitude — bred to go to ground after badgers.
4. French Bulldog
4/5Bat ears, big charm — the clownish city companion of the moment.
5. Boston Terrier
4/5The 'American Gentleman' — a dapper, bat-eared charmer in a tuxedo coat.
6. Shih Tzu
4/5A lion in miniature, bred for a thousand years of laps.
7. Havanese
4/5Havana's silk-coated charmer — a small dog with a headline personality.
8. Maltese
4/5Two thousand years of lapdog perfection in a cloud of white silk.
9. Italian Greyhound
4/5A Renaissance sprinter the size of a cat, built for sunbeams and speed.
10. Yorkshire Terrier
3/5Two kilos of silk-wrapped terrier certainty.
11. Papillon
3/5Butterfly ears, hummingbird energy, border-collie brain — in under five kilos.
12. Pug
3/5Multum in parvo — 'a lot of dog in a small space', wrinkles and all.
Small doesn't mean low-energy
A small dog is easier to house, transport and afford — but size and energy are separate things. Some toys are couch companions; others (hello, terriers) are pocket dynamos that need real exercise. Match the personality, not just the postcode.