Small calm dog breeds
Small and calm is the most requested combination and the most treacherous: many small dogs come with a big engine. These 4 breeds combine small size, energy ≤ 3 and barking ≤ 3.
How this list was built
The rule, out in the open
- Size: very small (toy) or small
- Energy ≤ 3/5
- Barking ≤ 3/5
4 of 30 directory breeds qualify · 26 don't · 0 have no data for a field in the rule (left out, named below)
The numbers come from the Lord Chucho deck: the scale published by the AKC and the books in our library, with a citation on every bar. Where there's no data, there's no breed: we'd rather leave the gap than make it up.
There are 4 breeds, not twenty, and that's honest: most of the small dogs on the deck have more energy or more voice than their size suggests.
With their bars and their citations
The 4 breeds that qualify
French Bulldog Bulldog Francés
- Size
- small
- Energy3/5couch potatomarathonerSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Affection with family5/5reservedglued to youSource: The New Complete Dog Book, 23rd edition (American Kennel Club) · confidence high
- Adaptability5/5needs its space and routinesettles anywhereSource: The New Complete Dog Book, 23rd edition (American Kennel Club) · confidence high
- Barking1/5nearly silentreports everythingSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
Pug
- Size
- very small (toy)
- Energy3/5couch potatomarathonerSource: The New Complete Dog Book, 23rd edition (American Kennel Club) · confidence high
- Affection with family5/5reservedglued to youSource: The New Complete Dog Book, 23rd edition (American Kennel Club) · confidence high
- Adaptability5/5needs its space and routinesettles anywhereSource: The New Complete Dog Book, 23rd edition (American Kennel Club) · confidence high
- Barking1/5nearly silentreports everythingSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
Shih Tzu
- Size
- very small (toy)
- Energy3/5couch potatomarathonerSource: The New Complete Dog Book, 23rd edition (American Kennel Club) · confidence high
- Affection with family5/5reservedglued to youSource: The New Complete Dog Book, 23rd edition (American Kennel Club) · confidence high
- Adaptability5/5needs its space and routinesettles anywhereSource: The New Complete Dog Book, 23rd edition (American Kennel Club) · confidence high
- Barking3/5nearly silentreports everythingSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
Maltese Maltés
- Size
- very small (toy)
- Energy3/5couch potatomarathonerSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Affection with family5/5reservedglued to youSource: The New Complete Dog Book, 23rd edition (American Kennel Club) · confidence high
- Adaptability4/5needs its space and routinesettles anywhereSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Barking3/5nearly silentreports everythingSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
And for your life, which one?
A list narrows things down; the recommender crosses your home, your energy, your kids and your neighbors with these same data, in seven questions.
Other collections
More breeds for…
- Small 13
- Medium 8
- Large 12
- for kids 16
- Calm 10
- Smart 10
- Affectionate 22
- for apartments 7
- that (almost) don't shed 10
- Guard 11
- Large calm 3
- The most common in Mexico 11
- that bark little 8
- Easy-to-train 20
- for first-time owners 12
- for older people 5
- for running 6
- that get along with cats 11
- for a house with a yard 13
- for hot climates 9
- All collections →