might be in luck! ¹
Do you have nightmares about the amount of time that you spent vacuuming with your last dog?
Are you after a breed of dog that doesn’t shed or at least a dog that won’t leave a thin film of hair in your living room?
And how about the barking? Did your last canine companion bark at anything that moved, including shadows and falling leaves?
Can your nerves not take any more?
I have created a list of seven breeds of small dogs that don’t shed or bark (too much.)
If this sounds too good to be true, then pinch yourself and read on.
Pros/ cons barking
A dog’s bark is loud and like a baby’s crying it is designed to get attention as soon as possible.
The loudest dog bark has been recorded at 113 dB and you can listen to it here.
There is no scientific proof but most of us seem to think that small dogs bark more than big dogs.
One reason for this is because by barking a small dog can appear bigger.
A combination of the volume of a dog’s bark combined with its frequency can be very stressful to be around for an owner, their family and even their neighbours.
Finding a dog that is quieter is a very attractive proposition but quiet dogs do come with one significant disadvantage- they are hopeless watch dogs.
And now having discussed the pros and cons of barking, let’s move on.
Are there any disadvantages to owning a dog that doesn’t shed?
Pros/ cons shedding
Speaking as the owner of two golden retrievers, I fight a daily battle everyday with dog hair – trying and failing to keep my house “hair free”.
And when they are shedding, it is carnage!
There isn’t a disadvantage to owning a dog that doesn’t shed.
Not only will your vacuum last longer but your house won’t smell as much of “dog”!
The only disadvantage is that narrowing the selection of small dogs to choose from.
Let’s crack on and look at the first small dog breed on my list that doesn’t bark or shed..
[1] French Bulldog
A French Bulldog’s fur is smooth, short and very fine.
Because of this you will hardly notice any hair that is shed.
Their fur is not hypoallergenic though.
Frenchie’s don’t bark a lot but that doesn’t stop them from making a range of weird and wonderful noises.
So if a French Bulldog doesn’t bark or shed (a lot), what do they do?
Why should you choose a Frenchie over any other small breed of dog.
They are so full of life and character, that is why.
My step daughter has one and he is an absolute loveable riot…
Standing about 30 cm tall and weighing around 9 kg, Frenchie’s are incredibly friendly, gentle and tolerant.
If you have toddlers and small children, these dogs will form a very close bond to them.
The dog and the children make excellent playmates.
Because Frenchies have minimal exercise needs, it makes it easier when you have small children because there is less to fit in.
They come in a rage of colours including; Tan, Blue, Fawn, Brindle and White.
Although they can live up to 14 years, many French Bulldogs have a range of serious health issues because they have difficulty breathing.
Getting hold of one might be a real struggle because these dogs are so popular at the moment, although you might be able to pick up one from your local shelter because they are also being abandoned in greater numbers.
[2] Italian Greyhound
Greyhounds ³
An Italian Greyhound has a very short and smooth coat, more silk than fur and they are generally very quiet.
And they have a very timid look, don’t they?
If you want a dog that can be both couch potato and sprinter, then you might be interested in an Italian Greyhound.
Like their larger cousins, Italian Greyhounds are well known for being lazy but when they choose to, they can also move like “the clappers”.
Their turn of speed is so fast, that they shouldn’t be allowed off lead in unfenced areas because they could take off and chase any small animal that moves.
An adult male can be as tall as 37 cm but they weigh a mere 5 kg.
They are incredibly playful and they love human company.
And if all of these qualities aren’t enough to win your vote, then they also have a unique habit of sleeping on high surfaces such as window sills or the back of sofas.
[3] Boston Terriers
In this post, I explained how Boston Terriers are fairly unique Terriers because they generally like cats.
They are also quite unique in Terrier terms because they are appearing in a list of dogs that don’t bark!
Sometimes, they can be confused with French Bulldogs because they look pretty similar but they don’t have the same difficulties breathing, because a Boston’s snout is much longer.
But Boston’s are physically larger than a Frenchie: they stand about 35 cm tall and weigh up to 11 kg.
Apart from not shedding and not barking, Boston Terriers have a lovely temperament.
Nicknamed as “American Gentlemen” because of their fine manners and their “tuxedo” looks, this breed is incredibly friendly and inquisitive.
They like nothing more than going for a walk in their local part- part of it is for the exercise and partly for the chance to catch up with “old friends”.
[4] Chinese Crested
shed! ⁵
Whereas all of the breeds that I have looked at up to this point have had short and fine hair, the Chinese Crested dog has hair on only a small portion of their body.
They actually come in two varieties:
Hairless- these dogs only have hair on their head, tail and ankles
Powderpuff- these dogs have a very fine coat of hair all over their body.
But most importantly, neither variety sheds too much.
If you are thinking that if this dog doesn’t have a coat then, whoopee, they don’t need grooming either.
You might need a re-think.
Dogs without hair can have very sensitive skin that needs almost as much attention as fur!
Neither are they known for barking a lot although they are known to become quite anxious if they are left alone too much and this can cause them to bark.
In terms of size, they can range in size from 25 cm to 33 cm and weigh between 3 and 4 kg.
They are great family dogs who are full of love and affection.
However, they are incredibly sensitive and so they do not take well to being told off or to living in homes that are too chaotic and noisy.
[5] Basenji
The Basenji is one of my “list” favourites because it has appeared in another of my lists, a breed of dog with a long neck.
It’s claim to fame is that it is also called “the barkless dog” because the noise it makes is more of a yodel that a bark.
Their coat is made up of very short and fine hairs, which doesn’t shed much.
Not to the point where your vacuum cleaner will notice much.
Another bonus is that these dogs are incredibly clean and have the fastidious grooming habits of cats.
In terms of colors, their coat comes in: red, black, brindle, tan, black and white to list the most common combinations.
A Basenji is a dog that is a “large” small dog, standing as it does around 40 cm high and weighing about 10 kg.
Just looking at one you can tell that this is a dog that is very alert and intelligent as you would expect from a dog that was bred to flush game out of the African undergrowth.
They are also highly affectionate and will make a great family pet.
But only if as a family you can meet their need for a massive amount of exercise!
[6] Bolognese
I can’t say this name without thinking of spaghetti!
Named after the Italian town where the dish also originates, Bolognese dogs are small toy dogs who only come in one colour- white.
Their coat is a mass of small curls.
Neither does the coat shed heavily, although the time that you might save from vacuuming, might have to be spent on grooming, because these curls will need lots of attention to look this fantastic.
For a small dog, they are known to be quiet and to bark much less than other small breeds.
They don’t seem to be very territorial, which helps.
In terms of height, a Bolognese can be up to 30 cm tall and weigh between 4 and 6 kg.
They were bred to be companion dogs and so these dogs enjoy nothing more than spending time with their owner and enjoying nothing less than being left alone!
I don’t know about you but I look at a white haired dog and shudder at all the work involved in keeping the coat that white and mud free.
[7] English Toy Spaniel
I have just realised that a King Charles Spaniel is the most famous version of a toy spaniel!
A quick look on the Internet shows that many other people are also confused…
There are four varieties, each defined by the colour of the coat.
Blenheim Spaniel has a red and white coat
King Charles has a black and tan coat
Prince Charles has a white, black and tan coat
Ruby Spaniel has a solid red coat.
This is a breed that is defined by those long and droopy ears.
A mark of how gentle this breed is, is that they appear on my list of small dogs who like cats.
And of course they are quiet and don’t bark too much.
A quick look at their coat shows that for this list, it is quite long: there is quite a lot of fur.
But Toy spaniels only have a single coat (layer) of fur and so they don’t shed as much as breeds with double coats, such as a Finnish Spitz or a Pomeranian.
In terms of size, they are about 30 cm tall and weigh from 6- 9 kg.
As a breed they are highly adaptable and want to please their owners as much as possible.
Want to lounge around? You got it! A quick trip to the local coffee bar? Let me just grab my coat!
Photo Credits
¹ Photo by Charlie Green on Unsplash
² Photo by Darby Henjum on Unsplash
³ Photo by Brian Taylor on Unsplash
⁴ Photo by Casey Horner on Unsplash
⁵ Photo by Katie Bernotsky on Unsplash
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