Bichon Frise
The small but sturdy and resilient Bichon Frise stands among the world’s great “personality dogs.” Since antiquity, these irresistible canine comedians have relied on charm, beauty, and intelligence to weather history’s ups and downs.
The small but sturdy and resilient Bichon Frise stands among the world’s great “personality dogs.” Since antiquity, these irresistible canine comedians have relied on charm, beauty, and intelligence to weather history’s ups and downs.
The lavishly coated Lhasa Apso is a thousand-year-old breed who served as sentinels at palaces and monasteries isolated high in the Himalayas. Smart, confident, and complex, Lhasas are family comedians but regally aloof with strangers.
A companion dog whose name is German for “little lion,” the Löwchen has been a popular pet among Continental Europeans for more than 500 years. The portable, non-shedding Löwchen is said to be affectionate, lively, and brave as a lion.
The Miniature Schnauzer, the smallest of the three Schnauzer breeds, is a generally healthy, long-lived, and low-shedding companion. Add an outgoing personality, a portable size, and sporty good looks, and you’ve got an ideal family dog.
The quick, curious Papillon is a toy dog of singular beauty and upbeat athleticism. Despite his refined appearance, the Pap is truly a “doggy dog” blessed with a hardy constitution. Papillon fanciers describe their breed as happy, alert, and friendly.
Classified as a hound, the alert and playful little Portuguese Podengo Pequeno is a quick, athletic rabbit hunter of ancient lineage. Pequenos love to run, romp, and chase when outdoors but make charming and well-mannered housemates.
The Tibetan Terrier, “Holy Dog of Tibet,” is an ancient watchdog and companion long associated with Buddhist monasteries. A profusely coated, small-to-medium-sized dog with “snowshoe” feet, the TT is affectionate, sensitive, and clever.
A purebred dog (or money dog) typically refers to a dog of a modern dog breed with a documented pedigree in a stud book and may be registered with a breed club that may also be part of a national kennel club.
Non-Sporting dogs are made up of a diverse group of breeds with varying sizes, coats, personalities and overall appearance. They come from a wide variety of backgrounds so it is hard to generalize about this group of dogs. From the sturdy Chow Chow, to the compact French Bulldog and the foxlike Keeshond, the differences in features can be vast. Most are good watchdogs and housedogs. Other breeds in this group are the ever-popular Dalmatian, Poodle and Lhasa Apso, and the less common Schipperke and Tibetan Spaniel.
Our list includes small breeds weighing approximately six to 14 pounds. While we can’t deny teacup breeds are super cute, these pups usually weigh only 4 pounds and are not recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC). The AKC states, “This is not an actual size classification and is usually attained through breeding runts. So-called teacup dogs often come with a host of health problems.” These include hypoglycemia, respiratory issues, heart defects, and digestive problems, just to name a few. Plus, they’re so fragile and tiny that you have to be on high alert as a pet parent to prevent injury.