10 Small, Cute Dogs That Don’t Shed Much

While cute is a subjective term, most people can agree that tiny dogs are usually regarded as some of the cutest canines around. And if you are interested in a small, adorable dog that’s also low-shedding, you’re in the right place, as that’s what we’ll discuss in this post. I have spent most of my life with several dogs and horses and have fought the battles of homes and cars filled with dog and pet hair, so trust me when I say, the following breeds are worth a close look.

The 10 precious pups below are each manageably sized and low-shedding to boot:

1. Teacup Maltese
2. Maltipoo
3. Teacup Yorkie
4. Cairn Terrier
5. Bichon Frise
6. Papillon
7. Havanese
8. Bolognese Dog
9. Shih-Tzu
10. Morkie

Read on to see why each dog made our list!

1. Teacup Maltese

• Shedding Level: 1/5 (very low shedding)
• Grooming Effort: 4/5 (high maintenance coat)

When it comes to tiny, cute dogs, look no further than teacup breeds. These are some of the smallest four-legged friends around!

While I could have spotlighted the regular-sized Maltese, the Teacup Maltese is even smaller, so I thought this mini breed was fitting. Compared to the larger dogs I have experience caring for, this teacup breed is a sip of pleasure!

The Teacup Maltese only reaches heights of eight inches, and the dog weighs between four and five pounds on average. Be sure to handle this tiny dog delicately!

Since the Teacup Maltese is even smaller than the already low-shedding standard-sized Maltese, that means even less shedding out of the teacup variety.

Ah, but being small does not make the Teacup Maltese any easier to groom. You’ll still have to brush its long fur regularly with a pin brush and use your fingers to loosely detangle mats before they get severe. When the time comes to bathe your Teacup Maltese, use a small portable tub or even your bathroom or kitchen sink. These tips will help keep your home more free of dog hair.

2. Maltipoo

• Shedding Level: 1/5 (very low shedding)
• Grooming Effort: 4/5 (high maintenance coat)

I’m not done talking about the Maltese yet, not really, anyway.

You see, next on the list is the Maltipoo, a mixed-breed canine that’s half Maltese, half Miniature Poodle.

That makes the Maltipoo a good size for your parameters. The dog grows no more than 14 inches tall and can be as tiny as eight inches. The Maltipoo weighs between five and 20 pounds.

Both the Poodle and the Maltese are very low-shedding canines, so the Maltipoo is as well. This dog has a single layer of fur and not too much surface area, after all. Once again, compared to some of the double-coated dogs I have raised and groomed over the years, the Maltipoo is a darling breed to investigate.

The genes of both dogs come through in the Maltipoo’s coat, which is partially curly and partially long and wavy. If that sounds like a tough coat to maintain, that’s because it is.

Make it a habit to groom the Maltipoo with a slicker brush, but don’t brush too deep or too hard, or you could yank on the dog’s curls.

If you don’t have a slicker brush handy, a bristle brush works as well, but only for Maltipoos with a finer coat and fewer curls.

At least you only have to brush the Maltipoo a few times per week and not every day. As with any dog, no matter how tiny, a regular schedule helps keep your home more free of dog hair!

3. Teacup Yorkie

• Shedding Level: 1/5 (very low shedding)
• Grooming Effort: 5/5 (very high maintenance coat)

The little ball of fluff that is the Teacup Yorkie is undeniably adorable.

Teacup Yorkies are five to seven inches tall. They weigh no more than two to four pounds, so they’re precious, fragile little babies.

Given that they’re merely smaller versions of the Yorkshire Terrier, which is regarded for its barely-there shedding propensity, the Teacup Yorkie won’t shed much either.

If anything, the Teacup Yorkie should shed even less since it has a reduced surface area compared to a standard-sized Yorkie. It’s the same story as with the Teacup Maltese.

Now, Yorkies are known for their long, flowing locks. Even a small Teacup Yorkie can grow a full coat, so maintaining this dog is going to be anything but easy.

If anything, the Teacup Yorkie is the hardest to groom yet on this list.

The small size and fragility of the Teacup Yorkie demand a gentle approach when grooming. Use a metal comb that’s suited for small dogs when brushing this dog to avoid hurting your fur baby.

If the long locks of your Teacup Yorkie are getting overwhelming, you can always trim this dog and give it a youthful puppy cut. At its size, the Teacup Yorkie is sort of a forever puppy anyway.

4. Cairn Terrier

• Shedding Level: 2/5 (low shedding)
• Grooming Effort: 3/5 (average maintenance coat)

If you’re looking for a purebred, standard-sized dog that’s still small and cute, allow me to introduce the Cairn Terrier.

This dog reaches heights of nine to 12 inches for females and 10 to 13 inches for males, so the Cairn Terrier stays plenty small. The dog weighs no more than 18 pounds.

The Cairn Terrier sheds moderately more than the other dogs I’ve looked at today but not excessively by any means.

That said, the Cairn Terrier does shed seasonally. That said, since the dog is low-shedding enough, the extra fluff that comes out in the summer and winter isn’t too terrible.

Keeping a well-groomed Cairn Terrier isn’t too terrible either. The dog has a rugged coat that requires weekly brushing with a slicker brush; feel free to brush twice per week if you have the time. Keeping this schedule helps keep your home more free of dog hair.

When the Cairn Terrier begins shedding seasonally, I’d recommend ramping up its brushing to every day to control shedding.

You also have to hand strip the Cairn Terrier, which means pulling out dead hairs with your own hands. You could, of course, always take your dog to a groomer for this task.

5. Bichon Frise

• Shedding Level: 1/5 (very low shedding)
• Grooming Effort: 5/5 (very high maintenance coat)

Poofy, white, fluffy, and sweet, the Bichon Frise checks a lot of boxes for what you’re looking for in a dog. I used to be a professional dog sitter for up to 8 dogs at a time and the Bichon was always one of my most agreeable houseguests.

The dog doesn’t shed much at all. If anything, the Bichon is regarded as one of the lowest-shedding dogs, right up there with the Poodle.

Your Bichon Frise will shed, but in such small amounts that it will barely be perceptible.

Well, until seasonal shedding time. Then you’ll notice white hairs throughout the house in larger quantities, but even still, nothing out of control.

The Bichon Frise is small enough for your standards as well. The dog reaches sizes of nine to 12 inches. Bichons weigh between 8.8 and 15 pounds, so they’re not too heavy either.

The only catch, so to speak, is that the Bichon Frise is quite the high-maintenance canine. Its coat is tough to care for due to its texture and layers.

You’ll have to brush the Bichon’s coat regularly to pull out dead fur and reduce instances of tangles.

Since the Bichon Frise grows hair continually, you’ll also have to get into a regular trimming routine or keep the number of a groomer on hand.

6. Papillon

• Shedding Level: 2/5 (low shedding)
• Grooming Effort: 2/5 (low maintenance coat)

The butterfly-eared dog from France known as the Papillon could be just the four-legged friend that you’ve been searching for.

For starters, the dog is small, measuring eight to 11 inches tall.

Paps also don’t shed much for three reasons.

The first is that the dog has a single coat.

Secondly, that coat consists of long hairs.

All dogs grow hair across a four-stage cycle. The cycle includes periods of active growth followed by stoppage, rest, and finally, shedding.

A longer-haired dog takes more time to grow its hair, which adds a delay before reaching the fourth stage of the cycle, shedding. This is to your benefit as a dog owner!

Thirdly, the Papillon is also a relatively small dog, so it doesn’t have a lot of surface area for shedding. All of these qualities help keep your home more free of dog hair!

Even better is that the Papillon is relatively easy to groom. You can get away with brushing this dog’s smooth, long coat weekly or twice per week using a metal comb or slicker brush.

7. Havanese

• Shedding Level: 1/5 (very low shedding)
• Grooming Effort: 4/5 (high maintenance coat)

It’s hard not to take one look at a dog like the Havanese and fall in love.

This tiny pup, originating from Cuba, stands at 8 ½ to 11 ½ inches tall and weighs between seven and 13 pounds.

Right up there with the Poodle and Maltese, the Havanese is regarded for its extremely low rate of shedding. Few dogs shed as little as these elite few.

The Havanese has a coat full of long fur, which you already know makes a dog quite low-shedding. Further, the Havanese is small, so there’s not much dog to shed. All of these qualities help keep your house more free of dog hair.

Now, if only grooming the Havanese was as easy as cleaning up its shed fur, but unfortunately, it isn’t. You’ll have to get into a regular habit of using a pin brush, combing daily around seasonal shedding periods. This will keep the Havanese’s coat free of mats and knots.

You can trim the Havanese if you wish, as the dog looks quite cute this way.

8. Bolognese Dog

• Shedding Level: 1/5 (very low shedding)
• Grooming Effort: 5/5 (very high maintenance coat)

Bolos or Bolognese Dogs, as they’re also known, definitely deserve a spot on this list.

After all, the Bolo is very, very low-shedding due to the dog’s single coat and long hair.

The Bolognese Dog is also on the small side, standing at about 12 inches tall and weighing no more than 8.8 pounds.

Tending to the Bolo’s coat will be a time-consuming endeavor again and again. Their coat is described as woolen and can get fluffy and thick if you don’t stay on top of it. The coat can also easily knot and tangle.

With a pin brush, plan to comb the Bolognese Dog’s coat at least a few times a week.

9. Shih-Tzu

• Shedding Level: 2/5 (low shedding)
• Grooming Effort: 5/5 (very high maintenance coat)

The Shih-Tzu is part of that elite collection of dog breeds that shed so little that it’s barely anything.

That’s not to say that this Chinese royal dog doesn’t shed at all, as all dogs with hair do.

The dog is double-coated, but its long fur tends to trap a lot of the hair that would otherwise come out all over the house and furniture.

The Shih-Tzu is also very small, standing at eight to 11 inches tall and weighing no more than 16 pounds. It too has a reduced surface area for shedding.

The long coat of a Shih-Tzu is prone to knots, tangles, and mats, which will require your careful monitoring to manage. I’d recommend brushing the dog every day with a slicker brush or pin brush to keep its coat tangle-free. With daily brushing, your home will be more free of dog hair.

The Shih-Tzu can grow long hair in its eyes, between its toes, and over its mouth, so you will have to commit a chunk of time to trimming as well (or let a groomer do it).

10. Morkie

• Shedding Level: 2/5 (low shedding)
• Grooming Effort: 4/5 (high maintenance coat)

The last small, cute dog on this list is the Morkie, which is a cross between the Yorkshire Terrier and the Maltese.

You already know how little those two ultra-small dog breeds shed, and so the same level of shedding translates to the Morkie as well.

Morkies are single-coated, small, and long-haired, which is like hitting the jackpot in the shedding department.

Just how small? The Morkie stands at 12 inches tall and weighs no more than 13 pounds, so pretty small, I’d say!

Like both its parents, though, the Morkie is rather difficult to groom.

With a slicker brush or a pin brush, you should regularly comb the dog’s fur to detangle it. Daily brushing is best.

You’re also free to trim the Morkie or allow a groomer to take care of it.

Conclusion

The 10 dogs on this list are all small, low-shedding, and undeniably cute.

Keep in mind, however, that dogs can become larger than their breed standard, so if your dog is overeating, then it could become larger than average.

Furthermore, things like poor diet, fleas, overbathing, and undiagnosed medical conditions can all cause excessive shedding. So if your dog is shedding more than you think it should, the safe thing to do may be to take them to a vet for a checkup.

Either way, I hope you found this post helpful, and if you’d like to share your thoughts on what we’ve discussed in this post, chime in below. Thanks for stopping by!