Small Dogs Under 10 Inches
One common criterion many first-time potential dog owners look for in a small dog (puppy) is the weight—when he reaches adulthood. I rarely have anyone asking me about the height—when the puppy would be at when he reaches maturity.
If you shop base on weight alone (small dogs under X lbs), you are missing out many good candidates who might make a better match to your personality. Secondly, if you live in a small-sized apartment and work 50 hours a week, those hyperactive tiny dogs (i.e. Toy Fox Terrier) won’t make great companion for you. That said, they are not totally wrong candidates for busy people with limited space area. There are ways to work around it but I won’t get into this here, for now.
To illustration my point above, let’s compare two dogs of about the same height with different weight and energy level.
| Breed | Toy Fox Terrier | Skye Terrier |
| Height (inch) | 8.5 – 11 | 10 – 11 |
| Weight (lb) | 3.5 – 7 | 25 – 40 |
| Energy Level | 4 out 5 | 2 out 5 |
Clearly, no first-time potential small dog owner would consider Skye Terrier if they shop base on weight alone. Another example would be Miniature Schnauzer (12-14″/13-15lbs) and Basset Hound (14″/40-60lbs).
Note: Dogs who fall under 17” of height would consider as small or small-medium dogs, in my opinion. I’m using Boston Terrier’s height as my cut off line.
So before you finalize your decision, do spend a moment to look at their height. And see how many wonderful dogs you are missing out on.
Small Dogs Under 10 Inches
| Breed | Height (inch) |
| Dachshund (miniature) | 5 – 6 |
| Chihuahua | 6 – 9 |
| Pekingese | 6 – 9 |
| Dachshund (standard) | 8 – 9 |
| Yorkshire Terrier | 8 – 9 |
| Maltese | 9 – 10 |
| Norfolk Terrier | 9 – 10 |
| Silky Terrier | 9 – 10 |
| Cairn Terrier | 9.5 – 10 |
| Norwick Terrier | 10 |
| Scottish Terrier | 10 |
| Tibetan Spaniel | 10 |
| Toy Poodle | 10 |
Small Dogs at 10 to 14 Inches
| Breed | Height (inch) |
| Dandie Dinmont Terrier | 8 – 11 |
| Japaness Chin | 8 – 11 |
| Papillion | 8 – 11 |
| Pomeranian | 8 – 11 |
| Shih Tzu | 8 – 11 |
| Toy Fox Terrier | 8.5 – 11 |
| Havanese | 8.5 – 11.5 |
| Brussel Griffon | 9 – 11 |
| American Eskimo Dog (Toy) | 9 – 12 |
| Affenpinscher | 9.5 – 11.5 |
| Bichon Frise | 9.5 – 11.5 |
| Australia Terrier | 10 – 11 |
| Border Terrier | 10 – 11 |
| English Toy Spaniel | 10 – 11 |
| Lhasa Apso | 10 – 11 |
| Pug | 10 – 11 |
| Skye Terrier | 10 – 11 |
| West Highland White Terrier | 10 – 11 |
| Pembroke Welsh Corgi | 10 – 12 |
| Toy Manchester Terrier | 10 – 12 |
| Miniature Pinscher | 10 – 12.5 |
| Schipperke | 10 – 13 |
| Miniature Bull Terrier | 10 – 14 |
| Sealyham Terrier | 10.5 |
| Cardigan Welsh Corgi | 10.5 – 12.5 |
| Chinese Crested Dog | 11 – 13 |
| French Bulldog | 11 – 13 |
| Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | 12 – 13 |
| Lowchen | 12 – 14 |
| Miniature Schnauzer | 12 – 14 |
| Parson Russell Terrier | 12 – 14 |
| Glen of Immal Terrier | 12.5 – 14 |
| Basset Hound | 14 |
Small Dogs at 14 to 17 Inches
| Breed | Height (inch) |
| Poodle (minature) | 10 – 15 |
| American Eskimo Dog (miniature) | 12 – 15 |
| Bulldog | 12 – 15 |
| Beagle | 13 – 15 |
| Italian Greyhound | 13 – 15 |
| Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen | 13 – 15 |
| Sussex Spaniel | 13 – 15 |
| Shetland Sheepdog | 13 – 16 |
| Lakeland Terrier | 13.5 – 14.5 |
| Cocker Spaniel | 13.5 – 15.5 |
| Shiba Inu | 13.5 – 16.5 |
| Welsh Terrier | 15 – 15.5 |
| Manchester Terrier | 15 – 16 |
| Tibetan Terrier | 15 – 16 |
| Boston Terrier | 15 – 17 |
| English Cocker Spaniel | 15 – 17 |
| Fox Terrier (smooth & wire) | 15.5 |
| Bedlington Terrier | 15.5 – 16.5 |
| Basenji | 16 – 17 |
| Puli | 16 – 17 |
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