American Eskimo Dog
Size: Tiny to medium, Toy 9-12”, Miniature 12-15”, Standard 15”
Color: White, white with biscuit cream
Protection level: Will bark, loud and lots
Energy level: High, especially smaller sizes, calms down with age
Life expectancy: 13-15 years
Good with children: Yes, if kids are respectful
Performance abilities: Agility, obedience, tracking, therapy
Shedding: Heavy
Grooming: Regular brushing
Potential health concerns: PRA, patellar luxation, epilepsy, diabetes, HD
Recommended health clearances: OFA, CERF
Best with: Active and active people, fenced yards, calm, structured environment
Not for: Fussy owners, isolation, young or unruly kids, gardeners
Bichon Frise
Size: Small, Toy 9.5-11.5”, 14-16 lbs.
Color: White
Protection level: Will bark
Energy level: Moderate
Life expectancy: 14 years
Good with children: Yes
Performance abilities: Agility, obedience
Shedding: Minimal with proper grooming
Grooming: Brush every day, trim occasionally
Potential health concerns: PRA, patellar luxation, epilepsy, cataracts, HD, bleeding
disorders
Recommended health clearances: OFA, CERF
Best with: Indoor life, frequent grooming
Not for: Outdoorsy, macho owners, isolation
Boston Terrier
Size: Small, 15-25 lbs
Color: Black, seal, brindle, all with white markings
Protection level: Will bark warning
Energy level: Moderate to high, calms down with age
Life expectancy: 10-14 years
Good with children: Excellent
Performance abilities: Agility, obedience
Shedding: Minimal
Grooming: Minimal
Potential health concerns: Deafness, patellar luxation, epilepsy, cataracts, heart anomalies
Recommended health clearances: OFA, CERF, BAER
Best with: Positive reinforcement, lots of attention and lap time, fenced yards
Not for: Temperature extremes, rough children, outdoor kenneling
Bulldog
Size: Medium to large, 40-60 lbs.
Color: White, red, fawn, brindle, piebald, red brindle
Protection level: Low, but looks intimidating
Energy level: Low
Life expectancy: 8-9 years
Good with children: Excellent
Performance abilities: Obedience (all the way to the food bowl!)
Shedding: Yes
Grooming: Brush regularly; frequently clean skin folds above nose and around screw tail
Potential health concerns: Cataracts, heart defects, HD, ectropion, dry eye, entropion, elongated palate, cherry eye, stenotic nares, small trachea, inverted or recessed tails,
hypothyroidism
Recommended health clearances: OFA, CERF, heart exam
Best with: Protection against heat and humidity, relaxed households
Not for: Active owners, neat freaks, isolation
Chinese Shar-pei
Size: Medium, 18-20”, 40-65 lbs.
Color: Various solid colors
Protection level: High
Energy level: Low to moderate
Life expectancy: 7-12 years
Good with children: Varies, socialize early
Performance abilities: Obedience, agility, therapy, tracking
Shedding: Yes
Grooming: Brush regularly; clean ears frequently
Potential health concerns: Demodectic mange, HD, bloat, amyloidosis, entropion, bloat, autoimmune diseases, malabsorption, hypothyroidism
Recommended health clearances: OFA, CERF, amloidosis history
Best with: Confident, physically strong owners
Not for: Submissive people
Dalmation
Size: Medium to large, 19-24”, 45-70 lbs.
Color: White with liver or black spots
Protection level: Moderate
Energy level: High
Life expectancy: 11-13 years
Good with children: Yes, if raised with them
Performance abilities: Obedience, agility, road trials, tracking, flushing and retrieving,
Shedding: Year-round, hair clings to everything, less shedding with regular brushing
Grooming: Brush often with a rubber curry
Potential health concerns: Deafness, HD, diabetes, pannus, PRA, glaucoma, uvate bladder
stones
Recommended health clearances: OFA, BAER, uric acid test
Best with: Active owners, training, fenced yard, sense of humor
Not for: Impatient or inactive people, neat freaks, allergy sufferers
Finnish Spitz
Size: Medium, females 15.5-18”, 23 lbs, males 17.5-20”, 29 lbs
Color: Shades of golden red
Protection level: Good
Energy level: Adjustable
Life expectancy: 13-14 years
Good with children: Excellent
Performance abilities: Hunting
Shedding: Seasonal
Grooming: Brushing
Potential health concerns: Cataracts, HD
Recommended health clearances: OFA, CERF
Best with: Interaction, reward training, hunters
Not for: Instant response, kennels, quiet, military-style training
French Bulldog
Size: Small, 11-14”, 20-28 lbs
Color: A variety – common colors include cream, brindle, pied, black-masked fawn
Protection level: Low
Energy level: Moderate
Life expectancy: 10 years
Good with children: Yes
Performance abilities: Therapy, obedience
Shedding: Minimal, seasonal
Grooming: Brush once a week, clean around wrinkles and ears
Potential health concerns: Stenotic nares, allergies, patellar luxation, elongated soft palate, distichiasis, jubenile cataracts, elbow dysplasia, HD, spinal abnormalities
Recommended health clearances: OFA, CERF, vWD
Best with: Indoor life, air condition, another French bulldog companion
Not for: Isolation, runners and hikers, extreme temperatures
Keeshond
Size: Medium, females 17”, 35 lbs, males 18”, 40-45 lbs.
Color: Gray tipped with black
Protection level: Will bark, but is friendly
Energy level: Medium
Life expectancy: 12-15 years
Good with children: Excellent
Performance abilities: Therapy, obedience, agility, tracking, scent hurdles, flyball
Shedding: Seasonal
Grooming: Brush and comb once a week; once a day during shed
Potential health concerns: PRA, MVD, HD, patellar luxation, renal cortical hypoplasia, cataracts, diabetes, hypothyroidism, autoimmune disorders
Recommended health clearances: OFA, CERF
Best with: Regular grooming, affectionate owners, sense of humor
Not for: Outdoor life, intimdation
Lhasa Apso
Size: Small, females 10-11”, 11-18 lbs.
Color: All
Protection level: Moderate
Energy level: Low to medium
Life expectancy: 14 years
Good with children: Depends on the dog
Performance abilities: Supervisor
Shedding: Minimal
Grooming: Extensive, brush once a day and bathe weekly
Potential health concerns: PRA, HD, patellar luxation, cataracts, entropion, intervertebral disc disease, vWD, distichiasis
Recommended health clearances: OFA, CERF, vWD
Best with: Regular grooming, training, early socialization
Not for: Outdoor life, instant acceptance of everyone
Lowchen
Size: Small, females 12-14”, 12-18 lbs.
Color: Any color
Protection level: Will bark
Energy level: Medium
Life expectancy: 14-16 years
Good with children: Yes, will well-behaved kids
Performance abilities: Obedience
Shedding: Sheds into coat
Grooming: Brush regularly, clip for shows
Potential health concerns: PRA, patellar luxation, cataracts
Recommended health clearances: OFA, CERF
Best with: Lots of attention
Not for: Outdoor life, isolation
Miniature Poodle
Size: Small, females 10-15”, 12-20 lbs.
Color: Silver, brown, black, gray, blue, white, café au lait, apricot or cream
Protection level: Low but will bark
Energy level: High
Life expectancy: 14-16 years
Good with children: Excellent with older children
Performance abilities: Obedience, freestyle, agility
Shedding: Hardly any
Grooming: Lots; clipping and scissoring, often done professionally, ear hair plucked
Potential health concerns: PRA, patellar luxation, cataracts
Recommended health clearances: OFA, CERF
Best with: Lots of attention
Not for: Outdoor life, isolation
Standard Poodle
Size: Large, females 22-25”, 40-65 lbs, males 24-27”, 50-80 lbs.
Color: Silver, brown, black, gray, blue, white, café au lait, apricot or cream
Protection level: Moderate
Energy level: High, but calm as housepets
Life expectancy: 10-13 years
Good with children: Excellent, though can be a bit energetic for young kids
Performance abilities: Performers, agility, service-field dogs, freestyle, tracking, obedience, water and upland fowl retrievers
Shedding: Hardly any with regular grooming; great for allergy sufferers.
Grooming: Lots; groom once a day with metal comb, slicker and pin brushes, clip and scissor every 4-6 weeks
Potential health concerns: PRA, patellar luxation, cataracts, bloat, SA, epilepsy, renal cortical hypoplasia, Addison’s Disease, entropion
Recommended health clearances: OFA, CERF, vWD, skin punch for SA
Best with: Regular grooming, fenced yards, people who can afford professional grooming, interaction
Not for: Isolation
Schipperke
Size: Small, females 10-12”, males 11-13”, less than 18 lbs.
Color: Black
Protection level: Alert with a sharp bark
Energy level: High
Life expectancy: 12-15 years
Good with children: Yes, with early socialization
Performance abilities: Obedience, hunting small game, agility
Shedding: Seasonal- lots
Grooming: Minimal, some brushing, more during shed
Potential health concerns: PRA, cataracts, epilepsy, entropion, Legg-Perthes, hypothyroidism
Recommended health clearances: OFA, CERF
Best with: Fenced yards, protection against heat, training, active owners
Not for: Isolation, quiet life, off-leash walks, laps
Shiba Inu
Size: Small to medium, females 13.5-14.5”, males 14.5-16.5”, 18-25 lbs.
Color: Red sesame, black/ tan, brindle, black sesame; may have white markings
Protection level: High
Energy level: Moderate, adjustable
Life expectancy: 12-15 years
Good with children: Yes, with early socialization
Performance abilities: Tracking, small game hunting
Shedding: Seasonal
Grooming: Minimal, some brushing, more during shed
Potential health concerns: Patellar luxation, HD, hypothyroidism
Recommended health clearances: OFA, CERF
Best with: Lots of human interaction, fenced yards, early and continuous training and
socialization
Not for: Off-leash walks, instant or top-scoring obedience, submissive owners
Tibetan Spaniel
Size: Small, 10”, 9-15 lbs.
Color: All colors
Protection level: Will bark
Energy level: Medium to high
Life expectancy: 15-18+ years
Good with children: Yes, with gentle ones
Performance abilities: Obedience (if you’re determined), agility
Shedding: Seasonal
Grooming: Mist with water and use a pin brush
Potential health concerns: Patellar luxation, HD, PRA, liver shunt, Legg-Perthes,
microphthalmia
Recommended health clearances: OFA, CERF
Best with: Active, social people
Not for: Outdoor life, harsh handling
Tibetan Terrier
Size: Small to medium, females 14-17”, 18-30 lbs.
Color: Any color
Protection level: Moderate
Energy level: Medium as puppies, low to medium as adults
Life expectancy: 15-18+ years
Good with children: Yes, with well-behaved ones
Performance abilities: Obedience, agility
Shedding: Sheds within coat, minimal clean up
Grooming: Lots during adolescence, easier with puppies and adults
Potential health concerns: Patellar luxation, HD, PRA, cataracts, lens luxation, vWD,
hypothyroidism
Recommended health clearances: OFA, CERF
Best with: Lots of human interaction, regular grooming
Not for: Outdoor life, young children