What is the smallest dog breed?

The Chihuahua, at a typical 3 to 6 lb and 5 to 8 in at the withers. The Pomeranian starts at 3 lb as well but runs to 7, and the Toy Fox Terrier runs 3.5 to 7. A range describes a breed, so an individual dog can land outside it.

Are teacup dogs a breed?

No. Teacup is a seller's word rather than a breed or a size any breed standard describes, so no row in this table is a teacup dog. The breeds here are the smallest that standards do describe.

Which tiny breeds shed the least?

Five of the eleven are marked low shedding: the Affenpinscher, the Maltese, the Toy Poodle, the Silky Terrier and the Yorkshire Terrier. The Pomeranian and the American Eskimo Dog, with their stand-off double coats, are marked high.

Do these breeds stay small as adults?

Every figure is a typical adult range, so these are the sizes the breeds are described at once grown. Weight moves with age and with the individual animal, and a mixed-breed dog is not bound by any breed's range.

Tiny Dog Breeds Under 10 lb

This page opens the small breed table with the weight capped at 10 lb and under: the eleven breeds whose typical adult top weight is 10 lb or less, sorted lightest first. They are the Chihuahua, the Pomeranian, the Toy Fox Terrier, the Maltese, the Toy Poodle, the Yorkshire Terrier, the Papillon, the toy American Eskimo Dog, the Affenpinscher, the Miniature Pinscher and the Silky Terrier. Each row gives the adult weight and height range, the coat, how much it is described as shedding and how much the breed moves. Keep the low-shedding coats, sort by height or A to Z, or raise the cap to 15 or 25 lb.

Matching breeds11of 46 in the table

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Showing 11 of 46 breeds, sorted by weight, lowest first.

Small dog breeds with their typical adult weight and height, coat, shedding and energy
			Coat	Energy
ChihuahuaToy	3 to 6 lb	5 to 8 in	Smooth, or long with a soft undercoatSheds: moderate	moderate
The smallest breed there is, with a rounded apple head, erect ears, and either a smooth or a long coat.
PomeranianToy	3 to 7 lb	6 to 7 in	Profuse double coat that stands off the bodySheds: high	high
A spitz reduced to the toy group, with a foxy face and a tail lying flat over the back.
Toy Fox TerrierToy	3.5 to 7 lb	8.5 to 11.5 in	Short, satiny and fineSheds: moderate	high
An American toy taken down in size from the Smooth Fox Terrier, with large erect ears and a satin coat.
MalteseToy	4 to 7 lb	7 to 9 in	Long, flat, silky single coat with no undercoatSheds: low	moderate
A white floor-length single coat over a body the standard holds under seven pounds.
Poodle (Toy)Toy	4 to 6 lb	8 to 10 in	Dense, curly single coatSheds: low	moderate
The smallest poodle, 10 inches or under at the withers, with the same curly single coat as the larger two.
Yorkshire TerrierToy	4 to 7 lb	7 to 8 in	Fine, silky single coat, steel blue and tanSheds: low	moderate
Steel blue and tan, with a single coat that can grow floor length over a body under seven pounds.
PapillonToy	5 to 10 lb	8 to 11 in	Long, fine single coat with fringed earsSheds: moderate	high
American Eskimo Dog (Toy)Non-Sporting	6 to 10 lb	9 to 12 in	Dense white double coat with a ruffSheds: high	high
AffenpinscherToy	7 to 10 lb	9 to 11.5 in	Harsh and shaggy, about an inch longSheds: low	moderate
Miniature PinscherToy	8 to 10 lb	10 to 12.5 in	Short and hard, lying flatSheds: moderate	high
Silky TerrierToy	8 to 10 lb	9 to 10 in	Flat, glossy, silky single coatSheds: low	high

Typical ranges, not a promise about a dog. Typical adult ranges from published breed-standard descriptions, filtered and sorted exactly as you set them. An individual dog lands inside or outside these ranges, so this describes a breed and never predicts a dog. The table filters and sorts and stops there: it does not score breeds, rank them or tell you which one belongs in your home, and it carries no health, feeding or training claim. Nothing is uploaded, and your filters are kept in this browser only.

Common questions

What is the smallest dog breed?: The Chihuahua, at a typical 3 to 6 lb and 5 to 8 in at the withers. The Pomeranian starts at 3 lb as well but runs to 7, and the Toy Fox Terrier runs 3.5 to 7. A range describes a breed, so an individual dog can land outside it.
Are teacup dogs a breed?: No. Teacup is a seller's word rather than a breed or a size any breed standard describes, so no row in this table is a teacup dog. The breeds here are the smallest that standards do describe.
Which tiny breeds shed the least?: Five of the eleven are marked low shedding: the Affenpinscher, the Maltese, the Toy Poodle, the Silky Terrier and the Yorkshire Terrier. The Pomeranian and the American Eskimo Dog, with their stand-off double coats, are marked high.
Do these breeds stay small as adults?: Every figure is a typical adult range, so these are the sizes the breeds are described at once grown. Weight moves with age and with the individual animal, and a mixed-breed dog is not bound by any breed's range.

Typical adult ranges from published breed-standard descriptions, filtered and sorted exactly as you set them. An individual dog lands inside or outside these ranges, so this describes a breed and never predicts a dog.