The Most Popular Tiny Dog Breeds in America

By Hristina Byrnes Published Jun 7, 10:00AM EDT

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The Most Popular Tiny Dog Breeds in America — © Jovanka_Novakovic / Getty Images

“Go big or go home” is a popular expression but this mindset doesn’t always apply to having dogs as pets. For example, the French bulldog and beagle are just two of the 10 most popular breeds in the country, and they weigh less than 30 pounds. Some of America’s most adored pooches are so petite that they even weigh less than a standard gallon of milk.

24/7 Tempo has compiled a list of the most popular tiny dog breeds in the U.S. We reviewed data from the American Kennel Club, which registers dog breeds, to determine our list. We only considered breeds that do not usually weigh more than 10-12 pounds.

Small dogs — those that grow to be about a foot tall — are particularly popular companions. They are easy to manage as they don’t require much living or play space and easily adapt to different environments.

Some of the tiny dogs on the list are great for families and make a good watchdog. They are suspicious of any stranger who passes through the home or near the kids.

Small dogs may look like the perfect lap warmers when in fact they have very tough personalities. Though having a dog is certainly rewarding in many ways, the path to forming a friendship can be challenging, especially with some breeds — these are the hardest dogs to train.

Click here to see the most popular tiny dog breeds in America

To identify the most popular small dogs in the United States, 24/7 Tempo used the 2020 ranking of the most popular breeds in the country, according to the American Kennel Club, the country’s purebred dog registry. It currently lists 197 dog breeds. We took the 27 most popular tiny breeds. We only considered breeds with male dogs not usually weighing more than 10 pounds, per the information the AKC provides on each breed. Information on popularity, height, temperament, and breed category also came from the AKC.

Affenpinscher
> Popularity: 163 out of 197
> Height: 9-12 inches
> Weight: 7-10 pounds
> Life expectancy: 12-15 years
> Personality: Confident, Famously Funny, Fearless
> Group category: Toy

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Löwchen
> Popularity: 161 out of 197
> Height: 11-13 inches
> Weight: 10-15 pounds
> Life expectancy: 15 years
> Personality: Affectionate, Outgoing, Positive
> Group category: Non-sporting

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Portuguese Podengo Pequeno
> Popularity: 157 out of 197
> Height: 8-12 inches
> Weight: 9-13 pounds
> Life expectancy: 12-15 years
> Personality: Playful, Charming, Lively
> Group category: Hound

English Toy Spaniel
> Popularity: 138 out of 197
> Height: 9-10 inches
> Weight: 8-14 pounds
> Life expectancy: 10-12 years
> Personality: Gentle, Playful, Intelligent
> Group category: Toy

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Xoloitzcuintli (toy)
> Popularity: 131 out of 197
> Height: 10-14 inches
> Weight: 10-15 pounds
> Life expectancy: 13-18 years
> Personality: Loyal, Alert, Calm
> Group category: Non-sporting

American Eskimo Dog (toy)
> Popularity: 119 out of 197
> Height: 9-12 inches inches
> Weight: 6-10 pounds
> Life expectancy: 13-15 years
> Personality: Playful, Perky, Smart
> Group category: Non-sporting

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Tibetan Spaniel
> Popularity: 118 out of 197
> Height: 10 inches
> Weight: 9-15 pounds
> Life expectancy: 12-15 years
> Personality: Playful, Bright, Self-Confident
> Group category: Non-sporting

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Schipperke
> Popularity: 114 out of 197
> Height: 11-13 inches (male), 10-12 inches (female)
> Weight: 10-16 pounds
> Life expectancy: 12-14 years
> Personality: Confident, Alert, Curious
> Group category: Non-sporting

Toy Fox Terrier
> Popularity: 113 out of 197
> Height: 9-12 inches
> Weight: 4-7 pounds
> Life expectancy: 13-15 years
> Personality: Friendly, Alert, Intelligent
> Group category: Toy

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Japanese Chin
> Popularity: 111 out of 197
> Height: 8-12 inches
> Weight: 7-11 pounds
> Life expectancy: 10-12 years
> Personality: Charming, Noble, Loving
> Group category: Toy

Silky Terrier
> Popularity: 108 out of 197
> Height: 9-10 inches
> Weight: 10 pounds
> Life expectancy: 13-15 years
> Personality: Friendly, Quick, Keenly Alert
> Group category: Toy

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Brussels Griffon
> Popularity: 89 out of 197
> Height: 7-10 inches
> Weight: 8-10 pounds
> Life expectancy: 12-15 years
> Personality: Loyal, Alert, Curious
> Group category: Toy

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Rat Terrier
> Popularity: 83 out of 197
> Height: 10-13 inches (miniature), 13-18 inches (standard)
> Weight: 10-25 pounds
> Life expectancy: 12-18 years
> Personality: Friendly, Inquisitive, Lovable
> Group category: Terrier

Coton de Tulear
> Popularity: 80 out of 197
> Height: 10-11 inches (male), 9-10 inches (female)
> Weight: 9-15 pounds (male), 8-13 pounds (female)
> Life expectancy: 15-19 years
> Personality: Charming, Bright, Happy-Go-Lucky
> Group category: Non-sporting

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Chinese Crested
> Popularity: 79 out of 197
> Height: 11-13 inches
> Weight: 8-12 pounds
> Life expectancy: 13-18 years
> Personality: Affectionate, Alert, Lively
> Group category: Toy

Miniature Pinscher
> Popularity: 77 out of 197
> Height: 10-13 inches
> Weight: 8-10 pounds
> Life expectancy: 12-16 years
> Personality: Fearless, Fun-Loving, Proud
> Group category: Toy

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Russell Terrier
> Popularity: 72 out of 197
> Height: 10-12 inches
> Weight: 9-15 pounds
> Life expectancy: 12-14 years
> Personality: Alert, Inquisitive, Lively
> Group category: Terrier

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Italian Greyhound
> Popularity: 69 out of 197
> Height: 13-15 inches
> Weight: 7-14 pounds
> Life expectancy: 14-15 years
> Personality: Playful, Alert, Sensitive
> Group category: Toy

Papillon
> Popularity: 53 out of 197
> Height: 8-11 inches
> Weight: 5-10 pounds
> Life expectancy: 14-16 years
> Personality: Friendly, Alert, Happy
> Group category: Toy

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Maltese
> Popularity: 38 out of 197
> Height: 7-9 inches
> Weight: 7 pounds
> Life expectancy: 12-15 years
> Personality: Gentle, Playful, Charming
> Group category: Toy

Chihuahua
> Popularity: 34 out of 197
> Height: 5-8 inches
> Weight: 6 pounds
> Life expectancy: 14-16 years
> Personality: Charming, Graceful, Sassy
> Group category: Toy

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Havanese
> Popularity: 24 out of 197
> Height: 9-12 inches
> Weight: 7-13 pounds
> Life expectancy: 14-16 years
> Personality: Intelligent, Outgoing, Funny
> Group category: Toy

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Pomeranian
> Popularity: 23 out of 197
> Height: 6-7 inches
> Weight: 3-7 pounds
> Life expectancy: 12-16 years
> Personality: Inquisitive, Bold, Lively
> Group category: Toy

Shih Tzu
> Popularity: 20 out of 197
> Height: 9-11 inches
> Weight: 9-16 pounds
> Life expectancy: 10-18 years
> Personality: Affectionate, Playful, Outgoing
> Group category: Toy

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Yorkshire Terrier
> Popularity: 13 out of 197
> Height: 7-8 inches
> Weight: 7 pounds
> Life expectancy: 11-15 years
> Personality: Affectionate, Sprightly, Tomboyish
> Group category: Toy

Poodle (Toy)
> Popularity: 7 out of 197
> Height: No more than 10 inches inches
> Weight: 4-6 pounds
> Life expectancy: 10-18 years
> Personality: Agile, Intelligent, Self-Confident
> Group category: Toy

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Poodle (Miniature)
> Popularity: 7 out of 197
> Height: 10-15 inches
> Weight: 10-15 pounds
> Life expectancy: 10-18 years
> Personality: Active, Proud, Very Smart
> Group category: Non-sporting

About the Author Hristina Byrnes →

Hristina Byrnes is the editor of 247Tempo.com, where she handles the site's assignments and editing. She holds a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University, which she earned in 2012, and she specializes in translating complex health data research into engaging, accessible stories for a general audience.

When she's not poring over the latest data sets or brainstorming story ideas, you can find Hristina watching tennis, playing tennis with her son, or trying to get her daughter into tennis.