Use this guide to narrow your search for the breed best suited to your lifestyle. These breeds were accepted by The American Kennel Club as of April 1, 2007.

 

Size:

Extra Small: 10 pounds or less.
Small: 10 to 25 pounds.
Medium: 25 to 50 pounds.
Large: 50 to 100 pounds.
Extra Large: 100 pounds or more.

 

Exercise Needs and Grooming Requirements:
*= Low; **= Moderate; ***= High

 

EXTRA SMALL

 

AKC RANKING

GROUP

EXERCISE NEEDS

APARTMENT

GROOMING

 

Brussels Griffon

 

63

Toy

 

*

Yes

 

**

 

Chihuahua

11

Toy

*

Yes

*

 

Italian Greyhound          

59

Toy

 

*

 

Yes

 

*

 

Japanese Chin

 

72

Toy

 

*

 

Yes

 

**

 

Maltese

18

Toy

*

Yes

***

 

Papillon

35

Toy

*

Yes

**

 

Pomeranian

14

Toy

*

Yes

***

 

Silky Terrier

70

Toy

**

Yes

***

 

Toy Fox Terrier

 

89

Toy

 

**

 

Yes

 

*

 

Yorkshire Terrier

 

2

Toy

 

*

 

Yes

 

***

 

 

SMALL

 

AKC RANKING

GROUP

EXERCISE NEEDS

APARTMENT

GROOMING

 

Affenpinscher

125

Toy

     *

  Yes

      *

 

American Eskimo Dog

109

Non-Sporting

      **

   No

     **

Australian Terrier

113

Terrier

   **

   Yes

     **

 

Bedlington Terrier

128

Terrier

       **

   Yes

   ***

 

      Basenji              

84

Hound

   **

    Yes

      *

 

Border Terrier

81

Terrier

   **

   Yes

      *

 

Boston Terrier

15

Non-Sporting

        *

    Yes

      *

 

Cairn Terrier

48

Terrier

   **

   Yes

     **

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

27

Toy

     *

    Yes

     **

 

Chinese Crested

52

Toy

     *

Yes

      *

Dandie Dinmont Terrier

144

Terrier

    **

    Yes

     **

English Toy Spaniel

120

Toy

     *

    Yes

     **

Fox Terrier, Smooth

102

Terrier

   ***

    No

      *

Fox Terrier, Wire

78

Terrier

   ***

    No

     **

Havanese

38

Toy

     *

    Yes

    ***

Lakeland Terrier

127

Terrier

   ***

    No

    **

Lhasa Apso

46

Non-Sporting

     *

    Yes

   ***

Manchester Terrier (Standard)

106

Terrier

    **

    No

      *

Manchester Terrier (Toy)

106

Toy

    **

    No

      *

Miniature Pinscher

23

Toy

     *

  Yes

      *

Miniature Schnauzer

10

Terrier

    **

   Yes

     **

Norfolk Terrier

115

Terrier

    **

   Yes

      *

Norwich Terrier

94

Terrier

    **

   Yes

      *

Parson Russell Terrier

75

Terrier

   ***

   No

      *

Pekingese

49

Toy

     *

   Yes

    ***

Pug

13

Toy

     *

   Yes

      *

Schipperke

82

Non-Sporting

   ***

   Yes

      *

Scottish Terrier

42

Terrier

    **

   Yes

     **

Sealyham Terrier

149

Terrier

    **

    No

     **

Shiba Inu

65

Non-Sporting

    **

   Yes

     **

Shih Tzu

9

Toy

   ***

   Yes

    ***

Skye Terrier

146

Terrier

     *

   Yes

    ***

Swedish Vallhund

N/A

Herding

    **

    No

     **

Tibetan Spaniel

101

Non-Sporting

    **

   Yes

    ***

Tibetan Terrier

95

Non-Sporting

    **

   Yes

    ***

Toy Poodle

8

Toy

    **

   Yes

    ***

Welsh Terrier

91

Terrier

   ***

   Yes

     **

West Highland White Terrier

33

Terrier

    **

   Yes

     **

 

Whippet

60

Hound

   ***

Possible

      *

Miniature Bull Terrier

129

Terrier

   ***

   No

      *

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Medium

 

AKC RANKING

GROUP

EXERCISE NEEDS

APARTMENT

GROOMING

American Water Spaniel

133

Sporting

   ***

   No

      *

Australian Cattle Dog

67

Herding

   ***

   No

      *

Australian Shepherd

34

Herding

   ***

   No

      *

Beagle

5

Hound

   **

   Yes

      *

Border Collie

56

Herding

   ***

   No

      *

Brittany

31

Sporting

   ***

   No

      *

Bulldog

12

Non-Sporting

    *

   Yes

      *

Bull Terrier

61

Terrier

   ***

   No

      *

Canaan Dog

150

Herding

   **

   No

      *

Chinese Shar-Pei

47

Non-Sporting

   **

   Yes

      *

Chow Chow

64

Non-Sporting

   **

   No

    ***

Cocker Spaniel

16

Sporting

   **

   Poss.

    **

English Cocker Spaniel

74

Sporting

   ***

   No

    **

English Springer  Spaniel

26

Sporting

   **

   No

    **

Field Spaniel

126

Sporting

   ***

   Yes

    **

Finnish Spitz

147

Non-Sporting

   **

   No

    **

French Bulldog

36

Non-Sporting

   *

   Yes

    *

German Pinscher

143

Working

   ***

   Yes

    *

Glen of Imaal Terrier

153

Terrier

   **

   Yes

    *

Irish Terrier

123

Terrier

   ***

   No

    **

Keeshond

93

Non-Sporting

   **

   Yes

    ***

Kerry Blue Terrier

114

Terrier

   ***

   No

    **

Lowchen

132

Non-Sporting

   **

   Yes

    ***

Norwegian Buhund

N/A

Misc.

   **

   No

    **

Norwegian Elkhound

92

Herding

   **

   No

    **

Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

110

Sporting

   ***

   No

    **

Polish Lowland Sheepdog

142

Herding

   ***

   Yes

    ***

Poodle (Miniature)

        8

Non-Sporting

   ***

   Yes

    ***

 

Portuguese Water Dog

69

Working

   ***

   No

    **

Puli

140

Herding

   ***

   Yes

    ***

Pyrenean Shepherd

N/A

Misc.

   **

   No

     *

Shetland Shepherd

20

Herding

   ***

   Yes

    ***

Siberian Husky

25

Working

   ***

   No

    **

Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier

62

Terrier

   ***

   Yes

    **

Staffordshire Bull Terrier

80

Terrier

   ***

   No

     *

Standard Schnauzer

99

Working

   ***

   No

    **

Sussex Spaniel

145

Sporting

   **

   Yes

    **

Welsh Corgi Cardigan

79

Herding

   **

   Yes

     *

Welsh Corgi Pembroke

 

22

Herding

   **

   Yes

     *

Welsh Springer Spaniel

124

Sporting

   ***

   No

    **

 

Dachshund

6

Herding

      *

   Yes

     *

 

Large

 

AKC RANKING

GROUP

EXERCISE NEEDS

APARTMENT

GROOMING

 

Airedale Terrier

55

Terrier

    ***

   No

     *

 

Afghan Hound

87

Herding

    ***

   No

     ***

 

Akita

53

Working

    ***

   No

     *

 

Alaskan Malamute

57

Working

    ***

   No

     **

 

American Staffordshire Terrier

66

Terrier

    ***

   No

     *

 

Anatolian Shepherd

111

Working

     **

   No

     **

 

Basset Hound

28

Hound

      **

   Yes

     *

 

Bearded Collie

104

Herding

      **

   No

     **

Beauceron

N/A

Hound

    ***

   No

     *

Belgian Malinois

 

90

Herding

    ***

   No

     *

Belgian Sheepdog

122

Herding

    ***

   No

     **

Belgian Tervuren

107

Herding

    ***

   No

     *

Black and Tan Coonhound

 

131

Hound

    ***

   No

     *

Bloodhound

 

45

Hound

    ***

   No

     *

 

Borzoi

96

Hound

    ***

   No

     *

Bouvier des Flandres

86

Herding

    ***

   No

     **

Boxer

7

Working

    ***

   No

     *

Briard

 

118

Herding

    ***

   No

     **

Chesapeake Bay Retriever

 

50

Sporting

    ***

   No

     *

Clumber Spaniel

 

121

Sporting

    ***

   Possible

     **

Collie

 

37

Herding

    ***

   No

     **

Curly-Coated Retriever

 

137

Sporting

    ***

   No

     **

Dalmation

85

Non-Sporting

    ***

   No

     *

Doberman Pinscher

21

Working

    ***

   No

     *

Dogue de Bordeaux

N/A

Misc.

     **

   No

     **

English Setter

98

Sporting

    ***

   No

     **

Flat-Coated Retriever

100

Sporting

    ***

   No

     *

Foxhound, American

151

Herding

    ***

   No

     *

Foxhound, English

155

Herding

    ***

   No

     *

German Shepherd Dog

3

Herding

    ***

   No

     *

German Shorthaired Pointer

19

Sporting

    ***

   No

     *

German Wirehaired Pointer

73

Sporting

    ***

   Yes

     *

Giant Schnauzer

83

Working

    ***

   No

    ***

Golden Retriever

4

Sporting

    ***

   No

     *

Gordon Setter

88

Sporting

    ***

   No

     **

Greyhound

136

Herding

    ***

   Yes

     *

Harrier

154

Hound

    ***

   No

     *

Ibizan Hound

138

Hound

    ***

   No

     *

Irish Setter

68

Sporting

    ***

   No

     **

Irish Water Spaniel

139

Sporting

    ***

   No

     **

Komondor

148

Working

    ***

   No

     ***

Kuvasz

130

Working

    ***

   No

     *

Labrador Retriever

1

Sporting

    ***

   Possible

     *

Old English Sheepdog

71

Herding

    ***

   No

   ***

Otterhound

152

Herding

    ***

   No

     **

Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen

119

Herding

    ***

   No

     *

Pharaoh Hound

141

Hound

    ***

   No

     *

Plott

108

Misc.

    **

   No

     *

Pointer

103

Sporting

    ***

   No

     *

Poodle (Standard)

8

Non-Sporting

    ***

   Yes

   ***

Redbone Coonhound

N/A

Misc.

    ***

   No

     *

Rhodesian Ridgeback

54

Hound

    ***

   No

     **

Rottweiler

17

Working

    ***

   No

     *

Samoyed

76

Working

    ***

   No

     **

Saluki

116

Hound

    ***

   No

     *

Scottish Deerhound

135

Hound

    ***

   No

     *

Spinone Italiano

117

Sporting

     **

   No

     **

Vizsla

43

Sporting

    ***

   No

     *

Weimaraner

30

Sporting

    ***

   No

     *

Wirehaired Pointing Retriever

105

Sporting

    ***

   No

     *

 

Giant

 

AKC RANKING

GROUP

EXERCISE NEEDS

APARTMENT

GROOMING

Bernese Mountain Dog

41

Working

    ***

   No

     *

Black Russian Terrier

134

Working

    ***

   No

     **

Bullmastiff

40

Working

    ***

   No

     *

Great Dane

24

Working

    ***

   No

     *

Great Pyrenees

58

Working

    ***

   No

     *

Greater Swiss Mountain Dog

97

Working

    ***

   No

     *

Irish Wolfhound

77

Hound

    ***

   No

     *

Mastiff

32

Working

    ***

   Possible

     *

Neopolitan Mastiff

112

Working

    ***

   No

     *

Newfoundland

44

Working

    ***

   Possible

     **

Saint Bernard

39

Working

    ***

   Possible

     **

Tibetan Mastiff

51

Misc.

    ***

   No

     **