10 of the best apartment dog breeds
Are you looking for a dog to come and live with you in your apartment? Here are 10 of the best breeds to choose from.
If you’re thinking of welcoming a dog into your family, you need to consider their personality and qualities – and whether they’re a match for an apartment.
Why? Because it’s important to ensure that your new dog’s energy levels match your apartment, and do not require a backyard or big space to run around in. Pick the wrong breed, and you’ll find them a nightmare to live with, and they’ll have a miserable life.
So, to help save you time and narrow down your choices, we’ve picked dog breeds that are well suited to apartments. If we covered every dog that can live happily in an apartment, it would take us multiple posts to write! So we’ve narrowed our selection to the following top 10.
1) Bichon Frise
The Bichon Frise is the perfect calm small dog for an apartment with little energy to expel each day. While they are playful, they love nothing more than snuggling up on the couch after a long day showering you with love. They don’t require much room to live either; they grow up to around 15 inches in height and weigh 4-7kg.
2) Pug
Pugs are an irresistible dog to have in your apartment. One of the main reasons they’re well suited is that they’re quite inactive and lazy dogs. Moreover, they don’t bark and tend to be quiet pets that won’t’ disrupt your neighbors. According to the AKC, they’re a small breed growing 10-13 inches and weighing between 14-18 pounds. Pugs are incredibly loyal animals and lapdogs.
3) Havanese
Havanese are dogs originating from Cuba and are suited to downtown environments like apartments. They’re a low shedding dog breed and can be classed as nearly hypoallergenic. This toy breed only requires moderate exercise; at the most, they need a brisk walk once a day.
They’re also incredibly easy to train and are the perfect companion for elderly people. On average, the Havanese can grow up to 8-12 inches in height and weigh 7-13lbs, therefore not needing much space.
4) French bulldog
French bulldogs, i.e., Frenchies, are a small toy breed that thrives off human companionship and rarely ever barks. All they need is a brisk walk each day around 10-15 minutes long to keep them in shape.
Apart from that, this breed generally has low energy due to their snout nose, making them couch potatoes. This breed prefers to lounge on the sofa all day than opting to play with its owner. On average, they can grow to 11-12 inches tall and weigh between 20-28lbs.
5) Shih Tzu
The Shih Tzu is a small breed perfect for any house type, especially apartments. Part of the reason for this is that they have a short and stout like posture. Moreover, they are incredibly loyal, affectionate, and love to cuddle up to their owners. While they require around 70 minutes of exercise each day, they also love to sit in your lap while watching TV. On average, the Shih Tzu can grow up to 8-11 inches and weigh between 4-8kg.
6) Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel can grow up to 12-13 inches and weigh between 6-8kg. Their small size alone makes them an excellent breed suited for apartments.
In fact, their small size makes them also ideal for a tiny studio. In addition to this, they also have a quiet nature meaning they’re less likely to bark and upset your neighbors. Alongside this, they’re a relatively low-maintenance breed shedding very little.
7) Dachshund
Dachshunds are incredibly small and don’t take up much space, making them an excellent choice for apartment owners. In addition to being compact, they’re playful animals that tend to bond with one person in particular. This breed can grow up to 8-9 inches tall and weigh between 16-32lbs.
8) Lowchen
The Lowchen is also known as the little lion dog, originating from Northern Europe. This breed is fantastic for apartments as they’re small and don’t take much room to eat, play or sleep.
They’re an incredibly smart breed that loves to play. Do note that sometimes they might be prone to barking; however, this can be easily managed with sufficient training. On average, this breed can grow up to 12-14 inches and weigh between 4-8kg.
9) Maltese
This gorgeous white fluffy toy breed is a dog that’s ideal for allergy sufferers as it does not shed much. The Maltese often displays a playful, affectionate, and easy-going personality, Originating from the Mediterranean. On average, this dog can grow up to 7-9 inches in height and weigh under 4kg.
10) Pomeranian
Pomeranians are fantastic apartment dogs as they also love to be indoors and around people. On average, this breed needs only 30 minutes of exercise a day which can easily be achieved through brisk walks. More this dog does not require much room growing up to 7-12 inches tall in height and weighing between 1.9-4kg.
If you’ve enjoyed reading about these 10 apartment dog breeds, you can also check out our article about 12 things to consider before adopting a dog.
