5 Best Small Miniature Dog Breeds
Looking for a small miniature breed? Here's a list of the five best.
5 Small Impressive Miniature Dog Breeds
A lot of people want a giant dog or at least a really large one, but bigger is not always better for everyone. Large dogs cost more to keep, usually need more exercise, and don't do so well in apartments.
Miniatures almost always do okay in small spaces. Some miniature breeds have been around a long time, while others are a product of breeders who bred small versions of their favorite breed. Here are five of the best you'll find:
- Italian Greyhound
- Klee Kai
- Miniature Pinscher
- Shetland Sheepdog
- Miniature Schnauzer
The Shetland Sheepdog is a popular small miniature breed.
1. Italian Greyhound
A frail-looking dog, the Italian Greyhound (IG) is a sighthound and a miniature of the Greyhound found at the race tracks. (IG breeders and fanciers will tell you that their dog is NOT a miniature of the large dog: Decide for yourself.) The dog only weighs about 3–8 kilos (7–17 pounds) and is relatively tall and thin.
The IG makes a good companion, but if any dog is injury-prone, this is the one. They are okay with kids but can easily be dropped, so they fare better in a quiet home without young children. They have to be leashed all the time when outside since they will run away after anything they see and require special breakaway collars that will allow them to get loose if their collar gets caught.
This skinny miniature actually has more health problems than a lot of full-sized dogs. The most common is periodontal disease, so their crowded little teeth need to be brushed daily. They can also have epilepsy, eye problems like cataracts and retinal atrophy, luxated patellas (trick knees), hypothyroidism, and quite a few less common problems. They live about 12 or 13 years, a good lifespan but not one of the best for a small breed.
Why is the Italian Greyhound so impressive? They can run at a speed of up to 40 km/h (25 mph), ripping across the field like a little horse. The IG is not quite a Greyhound, but he is close.
An Alaskan Klee Kai
2. Klee Kai
This rare dog breed is fairly new and was actually bred to look like a miniature Siberian Husky. True miniatures are only about 5 kilos (11 pounds) and 38 cm (15 inches) high at the withers, but there are also smaller dogs (toys) and larger Klee Kais (standards) that still look like miniature Huskies.
Like Siberian Huskies, the Klee Kais are pretty easy to care for. (They are clean, do not smell as bad as some breeds, and do not need to be bathed very often.) Like Siberians, they shed a lot. Since they are so small, it may not sound like that big of a deal, but anyone who has owned a Pomeranian will be able to tell you differently. When they blow their coat, the hair comes out in huge clumps and usually manages to get everywhere.
There still isn’t much information about the health problems of Klee Kai, but most dogs seem to be healthy. Siberian Huskies have become popular, but a lot of people don’t realize how much exercise dogs of that breed need. An Alaskan Klee Kai is a little more aloof than a Siberian Husky, but they are as impressive as the big sled dog and a lot easier to take care of.
Min Pin running free.
3. Miniature Pinscher
A miniature Doberman! Well, not really. There were all sorts of dog breeds mixed up to produce this one, and the Doberman probably didn’t have anything to do with it.
Dobies were brought to the US before Min Pins, though, so everyone who saw them thought they looked like a miniature of that breed. The AKC made it even worse by saying in the breed standard, the dog needed to look like a Doberman in Miniature, but the Min Pin has actually been around a lot longer than the Dobie. It looks like a small Dobie to me, though.
They act tough, too, but since they are so frail, they are more nervous and nippy around small kids. Min Pins are pretty easy to take care of since they have short coats, but they do best with people used to handling dogs. Besides being prone to injuries (like the Italian Greyhound), they are also diagnosed with patellar luxation (trick knee), eye problems, and Legg-Calves-Perthes disease, or loss of the head of the femur.
Min Pins can live around 14 or 15 years, and of course we always hope for longer. Keep this impressive little Miniature on a leash and under control and those years will go by in no time.
4. Shetland Sheepdog
People used to say, “I have a miniature Collie,” but this wasn’t accurate. The breed actually has a name—the Shetland Sheepdog—and, except for their looks, they are not really a miniature Collie. A lot of other dog breeds were involved in making this miniature. They used to be called “Shetland Collies,” but the Rough Collie breeders were not happy with that, and it was changed to the Shetland Sheepdog (Sheltie). (That makes me wonder how the Border Collie managed to hang on to his name.)
Like all miniatures, they are small but not tiny. They are usually about 7–10 kilos (15–22 pounds), long-haired, tri-colored, and athletic. Shelties are intelligent, rated 6th by Stanley Coren in The Intelligence of Dogs. (I do not agree with all of the ratings in the book, but the information on breeds like the Sheltie is accurate. If you are looking for your next dog, this book is a good place to start.)
If you can put up with a lot of barking, the health issues are not bad. They have some eye problems, just like the full-size Collies (Collie Eye Anomaly), and some of them have epilepsy, allergies, and hip dysplasia. There is also a serious type of cancer of the bladder found in Shelties.
If you keep them groomed and give them a job to do running around the show ring performing agility or moving around the farm herding the small livestock, the Sheltie is an impressive small dog.
5. Miniature Schnauzer
This little dog is actually the most famous miniature of all. The full-size and giant versions of this breed are not even that popular, but this miniature is one of the most common dog breeds around the world year after year.
One reason they are so popular is they do not shed much. A lot of breeds don’t shed much, but this dog is also good with kids, is okay for an apartment, learns well during obedience training, and excels in dog sports like agility. They are not too small, weighing in at a hefty 4–7 kilos (usually 10–15 pounds).
Miniature Schnauzers do have some health problems. They have a high level of fats in their blood, an inherited condition called hyperlipidemia. It makes them more likely to suffer from pancreatitis. Sometimes they develop bladder stones, diabetes, or skin problems. Hip dysplasia is a problem, too, even though they are so small, not the type of dog usually seen suffering from this disease.
If all is well, they live about 12 years, and sometimes even a lot longer!
Of course, I could have included Miniature Dachshunds, Miniature Bull Terriers, or Miniature Poodle. All are good; none of them are as impressive as what I was looking for.
If you are looking for one of the miniature dog breeds, be sure to check your local animal shelter. A miniature dog may have been picked up as a stray or dropped off because he does not like the new baby. Small dogs usually find homes quickly, and big black dogs are usually left homeless in a dark kennel, but you can never be sure until you visit or call around.
It is also a good idea to check with Petfinder.com and see if anything is available in neighboring cities or states.
If you want to purchase from a breeder, take the time to visit some dog shows, see the dogs that you like, and ask for some recommendations. Do not buy from any sites online that you are not able to visit—you are probably supporting a puppy mill and a dog shipping and wholesale operation.
Can't make up your mind on what kind of dog you want to choose? If you like small dogs with impressive attitudes, you should go out there and find a miniature.
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© 2013 Mark dos Anjos, DVM
Comments
Mark dos Anjos, DVM (author) from The Atlantic Rain Forest, Brazil on May 01, 2020:
Thelma, you can contact a breeder. Here is an article by a breeder in the US; it might help. https://discover.hubpages.com/animals/A-Breeders-P...
You can also contact your local animal shelter and find out if they have any miniature dogs avaialble.
Thelma Victorian on April 30, 2020:
How can I get two small puppies that stay small
Mark dos Anjos, DVM (author) from The Atlantic Rain Forest, Brazil on November 03, 2019:
John, try searching the website Petfinder.com
John Powell on November 03, 2019:
We ars look for shetland sheepdog girl or boy we bin look for 17 yare how and sill look for one we live in tameside. can you hlop me to find one