If your are searching for one of those trendy small dogs then you no doubt know that there are many breeds to choose from. The most popular type of small dog is the kind that will fit into your pocket or the lap sized small dog. But with so many breeds to pick from how do you choose the small canine that is right for you?



With a little advice and some tips on what you should know about certain small breed types, then you should have very little difficulty choosing from the types of small dogs that fit your taste and lifestyle. 

The main thing you should learn about the different types of small dogs is that they are generally referred to as toy breeds. It is important to take note of this to escape any confusion when the pet shop owner suddenly launches into a moving dialogue of the positive attributes of toy breeds, only to find out later that he is actually talking about the same thing.

Some marketing types may even refer to types of small dogs as pocket-size or saucer types. Keep in mind that they’re all the same; they all refer to the universal category of small breed dogs.

This being said, here are some typical types of small dogs that you might be interested in:

Toy Breeds

These types of small dogs are known for their smarts and entertaining natures. They like to play but also prove to be very good companions and lap warmers.

The American Kennel Club lists 21 types of small dogs in the toy family, including Affenpinscher, Brussels Griffon, English Toy Spaniel, Chihuahua, Shih Tzu, Pug, and Yorkshire Terrier. Other popular breeds are Maltese, Papillon, Poodle, Manchester Terrier, Pomeranian, and Miniature Pinscher.

Toy breeds are wonderful pets for seniors or persons who have reduced mobility. Toy breed dogs do not feel fidgety in confined space.

Small Pure Breed Dogs

There are eight breed groups under this particular category of small breed dogs acknowledged by the American Kennel Club. These are:

* Sporting

* Hound

* Working

* Terrier

* Toy

* Non-sporting

* Herding

* And Miscellaneous

These small dogs weigh less than twenty five pounds. There might be some confusion identifying this breed since these dogs are often peppered throughout the other groups. The list of small pure breed dogs listed below are not in the Toy Group:

* Australian Terrier

* Basenji

* Beagle

* Bichon Frise

* Bedlington Terrier

* Border Terrier

* Boston Terrier

* Cairn Terrier

* Dandie Dinmont Terrier

* Lakeland Terrier

* Lhasa Apso

* Lowchen

* Miniature Schnauzer

* Norfolk Terrier

* Norwich Terrier

* Parson (Jack) Russel Terrier

* Puli

* Schipperke

* Scottish Terrier

* Sealyham Terrier

* Shiba Inu

* Skye Terrier

* Smooth Fox Terrier

* Tibetan Spaniel

* Tibetan Terrier

* Welsh Terrier

* West Highland White Terrier

* Wire Fox Terrier

So have fun and get out there and find the small dog that is just right for you.