9 Best Small Dog Breeds For Small Living Spaces

Don’t you just love the thought of having someone welcome you home with pure happiness the moment you walk into the door?

If you left that job to your husband/wife, how is that working for you?

I guessed so.

Well you can’t blame your spouse simply because this is not something human beings naturally do.

Dogs however can play that role pretty well… for the whole of their lives. It’s not far fetched to determine that they are truly able to grant you unconditional love… as long as you reward it with  a treat every now and then.

But a warm welcome home is not all that a dog at home can offer you. It makes you smile and laugh, and it keeps you company any time you want.

So you have decided, or seriously thinking about, inducting a dog into your family. You want a big one like a Great Dane or a Husky. But you should think thrice about big dogs if you are living in a small house.

Big dogs need big space. And it is a little inconsiderate of you to bring a big boy into a home that is not big enough to house it.

Now of course, you make your own decision on how you want it to be. I’m not an animal expert. But I don’t recommend big dog breeds for small apartments.

I would think that anything under 1,000 square feet is a small house.

So if you do live in small spaces, what kind of small dogs would be a suitable pet?

1) Chihuahua

What better breed to start off the list with than the smallest pure breed around.

The Chihuahua is adorably cute because of it’s size. But don’t let that fool you.

They usually have big feisty personalities. And if you leave that unchecked, they would takeover the role of the alphamale in the house with no remorse.

In fact, if you observe dog packs containing various different breeds, you will often find that the Chihuahua in the group is often the leader that dominates.

Partly due to it’s size, we tend to pamper it too much and let it get away with a lot of stuff.

They are often fiercely loyal and protective over 1 person. So you need to socialize it from young to ensure that bad habits don’t develop into adulthood. This also means that they might not be great with kids if it’s world is centered around you!

2) Dachshund

The biggest riddle around Dachshunds is… whether their bodies are long or their legs are short.

I think it’s a little bit of both.

Their long body shape is awfully cute. And this make almost any funny action they make doubly cute and hilarious. You will find it hard not to smile when playing with it.

They tend to wag their tails at exceptional speed. Like a humming bird among dogs. Viewed from an odd angle, it truly looks like a live hotdog with a wagging tail.

If you like energetic dogs, the dachshund will never fail you in this aspect. Deceptively agile, they pack so much fun energy in that stocky body that you’d imagine that they are powered by a nuclear battery cell.

Can bark a lot if you don’t teach it not to.

3) Havanese

The Havanese is actually the national dog of Cuba. You don’t earn this type of recognition unless you have something under the hood.

And no. That has nothing to do with it’s political beliefs and you will not face visa problems for it to enter the country.

They are however, great companion dogs.

Bursting with affection, they tend to be great hosts if you often have friends and family over. They just love to mingle.

That is also it’s drawback. Havanese can get very anxious when left alone.

This means that unless you train it well, you can expect a lot of howling and barking when you leave the house.

4) Jack Russell

The famous dog with the big brown spots. They sometimes even wear them as eye-patches. Pirate style.

I’m not really sure… but I think the Jack Russell is probably the breed that has the most appearances on TV and movies. I can’t think of a different breed that has enjoyed more screen time than Jack Russells.

This is a dog that needs a lot of exercise. It will be more than suitable for a small house because of it’s compact size, but it will not be suitable for you if you are not outgoing.

It doesn’t just run. It jumps, somersaults, back-flips, a little parkour, and more.

You can only see a Jack Russell truly happy when you let it run about and having fun in wide open areas. At least make walking it a daily affair.

If not, it would feel like imprisonment to Jack.

Other than that, they tend to have little reservations with barking. So it might annoy your neighbors and yourself if you don’t keep that in check.

5) Maltese

The Maltese is often known as the white dog. People who are not schooled in dog identification almost always determines (even mistakenly) a small white dog as a Maltese.

Yes, I know it’s not the only dog with a white variant.

Owners often like to groom it to give it a fluffy flurry look. It has also become a popular dog for designers to style and send it for pet fashion shows and competitions.

So if you have a weird hobby of playing dress up with dolls. This dog is made for you.

6) Pomeranian

Oh boy! Pomeranians can get REALLY fluffy!

So much so that it can look like a moving fur ball with a couple of black dots as eyes.

They make great domestic pets. They are constantly curious and like to investigate everything. They can be independent. And more amusingly, they are a pleasure to hold and hug because of their coat.

But make sure to keep an eye on it especially around other dogs. Size doesn’t matter to this fuzzy playful livewire. It can really behave like a prick to bigger dogs… that have bigger bites.

7) Pug

Easily identified from it’s unique flat face.

And because of this lovely feature, you can often laugh yourself silly from the noticeable facial expressions a Pug makes.

It’s grouchy, grumpy, goofy, awkward, dorky, or even the “What did I do?” look can send you tumbling on the floor with laughter.

Their sometimes clumsy looking movements and antics can also be comical to watch.

Overall, this is a lazy dog that likes to sleep more than anything. But that might be a reason why owners love it to bits.

8) Shih Tzu

As you can imagine from it’s oriental name, Shih Tzus have a Chinese heritage.

It is another dog that’s often used as models to play dress-up with because of it’s natural long coat. Some are so audaciously styled that they don’t look like dogs!

It is the breed that is most often likened to teddy bears.

Shih Tzus can offer you a bundle of affection whenever you call. It’s is usually very social and friendly with other dogs. And it requires minimal exercise which will suit a small apartment.

It also has a high level of alertness. Making it a great watch dog.

9) Westie

Officially known as the West Highland White Terrier, the Westie originates from a Scottish descent.

Very cute as puppies… but then again… all puppies are cute…

Predominantly white in color, you can often distinguish them from their pointed ears.

It often has an instinctive attacking reflex when roughly handled. So be gentle when playing with it or it might just show you it’s teeth.

Other than that, it can be possessive with food and toys.

As it has a high level of intelligence, you can teach it a number of tricks as long as you are up to it. But you might have to refresh it’s training every once in a while as reminder.

10) Corgi

After completing the above list of 9, I realized that I’ve left out the Corgi. And I cannot live with myself if I exclude it from this list because… Corgis are super cute!

Corgis are visually distinctive and easy to identify due to its body shape and big ears. It has a slightly longer body and shorter legs. Sort of like a Dachshund. But believe me, you won’t confuse yourself between the 2.

They have the energetic nature of Jack Russells without the agility, goofy personality of Pugs, comical movements like Dachshunds, and the friendly curiosity of Labrador retrievers. And that is just scratching the surface of what you’ll find in this small package.

The minor drawback is that they tend to shed constantly. They can also be quite vocal. So be prepared to take these issues head-on if you bring one into the family.

Getting a dog is a commitment

Getting any pet is a long term commitment. So please do not bring a dog home from a “spur of the moment” decision.

But even though it can be a hassle to take care of a small dog, the rewards will be well worth it. Just ask any dog lover about the happiness their pets bring to their lives and they can hardly stop telling their stories.

Sure you can give it up for adoption later if you realize later that this commitment is too much to handle, especially in a small home. But you shouldn’t approach this with that mentality. That is like preparing to fail before you even started.