Rarely is anything more satisfying than cuddling a small fluffy dog breed or running your fingers through their soft, cotton-like coats.
It’s exactly the soft, white coat that makes these dogs so appealing. When you add their small build into the equation, you get the ideal snuggle buddy and therapy dog when you need it.
Most of you already know some of these doggies. You’ve heard of the popular dog breeds like the Chihuahua, Pomeranian, Maltese, and Bichon Frise. Cool, but what about the Tibetan Terrier or Cairn Terrier? Have you heard of them?
Even if you haven’t heard of these exotic pooches, today, you will learn a thing or two about small fluffy dog breeds, 31 of them!
So, let’s get started and take a dip into this pool of cuteness.
1. Miniature Australian Shepherd
The miniature Australian Shepherd is a mini version of the famous Australian Shepherd. The mini version weighs 17 to 30 pounds. Just imagine how little a toy Australian Shepherd must weigh!
Just like the Aussie Shepherd, the miniature Aussie Shepherd has a lovely temperament, pleasing aesthetics, and exceptional intelligence.
The reason they’re on our list of small fluffy dog breeds is their long, smooth, double-layered coat. Just like the other pups here, the miniature Australian Shepherd is high-maintenance but absolutely worth it!
2. Biewer Terrier
Let’s meet the rarest dog breed in the world! This is a Biewer Terrier, a cross between a Yorkshire Terrier with a piebald gene. This unusual combination make for an adorable, little pooch with stunning looks!
Besides being so rare, Biewer Terriers are also one of the smallest dogs, weighing only 4 to 8 pounds.
Biewer Terriers are lovely pets. Surprisingly, they’re low-maintenance dogs, suitable for living in flats and homes too. These dogs are considered hypoallergenic since they don’t shed a lot, which is always a huge plus!
3. Toy Poodle
The popular Poodle comes in many different sizes, including standard, miniature, and toy. The Toy Poodle is the smallest and the cutest of all the Poodles. Consider it a compact version of the standard Poo that can go anywhere with you.
These dogs are highly intelligent and utterly elegant.
Fun fact: out of all Poodle sizes, the Toy Poodle, weighing only 5 to 10 pounds, is the friendliest!
4. Norwich Terrier
The Norwich Terrier is small (11 to 12 pounds), but their personality is huge, bold, and fearless.
These pups were once used as hunting dogs to hunt small prey like rodents or hares.
Nowadays, the Norwich Terrier is a small fluffy dog breed popular as a cuddle pooch and a lap dog that will always stick by your side.
5. Cairn Terrier
The average weight of Cairn Terrier is 10 to 16 lbs
Cairn Terriers are popular in Scotland for their work as hunting and herding dogs. These pups weigh 10 to 16 pounds and have a thick coat with a shaggy outer layer that keeps them warm in the cold Scottish Highlands climate. They’re working dogs with full-on winter gear.
We’d like to think this shaggy outer coat makes this dog breed shaggy chic!
6. Tibetan Spaniel
Who can resist a Tibetan Spaniel?
This is a little pupster with a smushy face you just want to shower with kisses!
The Tibetan Spaniel is a cute dog with a lovely appearance: a dome-shaped head, large eyes, and fluffy body weighing 9 to 15 pounds.
The best part about this unique small fluffy dog breed is that they’re super friendly and very affectionate.
7. Chinese Crested Dog
You either love them, or you don’t, but you are sure to feel something about this breed. You can already tell we’re talking about the Chinese Crested Dog – a hairless pooch that surprises everyone who first sees one.
But, wait! Isn’t this an article about small fluffy dog breeds? Exactly! There are two types of Chinese Crested dogs. We’re focusing on the Powderpuff one with a long, smooth, fluffy double coat.
8. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
The best example of a lap dog is the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. They’re small, fluffy, and sweet, weighing 13 to 18 pounds. And they even come in a teacup version!
One of the most stunning features of this breed is its long, smooth, and silky coat. This breed is pretty high-maintenance, so you will need to brush the coat three to four times a week to keep it sparkling and shiny.
9. Tibetan Terrier
This is a dog breed on the larger end of the small fluffy dog breeds list. The Tibetan Terrier weighs from 18 to 30 pounds, but it’s equally cute and adorable as any other breed on this list. They have a fluffy coat with a shaggy outer layer.
You may know them as the “holy dogs of Tibet.” No wonder they’re considered holy with all the intelligence, versatility, and affection they have in their little bodies!
10. West Highland White Terrier
The average weight of a West Highland White Terrier is 15 to 20 lbs
The West Highland White Terrier is also known as the Westie. These pups weigh 15 to 20 pounds, have a thick, white coat with large black eyes and nose – kinda like a white teddy bear!
This dog is native to Scotland, where they used to work as hunting and watchdogs. Today, Westies are beloved family pets that simply need to be socialized to function properly.
Read Also: Why Westies Are The Worst? 13 Reasons To Think About
11. Japanese Chin
Here’s a pup that once served as a lap dog for East Asian and European nobility. Japanese Chins are now rare dogs, often considered exotic and unique.
They’re also small (weighing only 7 to 9 pounds) and fluffy, with only one coat layer, which is quite amazing.
12. Dandie Dinmont Terrier
While all the other dogs on this list have a fluffy coat, this dog has a fluffy head. The Dandie Dinmont Terrier is known for its top knot, but the rest of its body is also fluffy and a bit wavy.
This is another larger fluffy dog, weighing 18 to 24 pounds, with a unique sausage dog build – a long torso and disproportionately short legs.
13. Cockapoo
Everyone knows this designer dog breed!
Another small fluffy dog breed we love is the Cockapoo. This is the crossbreed of a Cocker Spaniel and Miniature Poodle and one of the fluffiest and friendliest dogs in the world.
Usually, this mix takes after the Poodle side, featuring a thick, curly coat that gives it its fluffy appearance.
Like its Poodle parent, the Cockapoo is very smart and caring, perfectly capable of adapting to any family home.
14. Japanese Spitz
The average weight of a Japanese Spitz is 11 to 20 lbs
When you see a Japanese Spitz, you see 11 to 20 pounds of white cloud with legs and a pointy face peeking out from the fluff.
This is one of the fluffiest small dog breeds, but they come with a downside. These are high-maintenance dogs, so your groomer will have lots of work to do. They need regular brushing to keep that amazing coat tangle and mess-free.
15. Yorkshire Terrier
Weighing only 4 to 7 pounds, Yorkies for Yorkshire Terriers are one of the smallest dog breeds on our list. Their teacup versions are so tiny and cute, they’re to die for! This dog comes in three main variations: smooth long, smooth short, and wiry long.
All of them are equally charming, but the long-haired one is a favorite for many dog lovers because of its fluffy looks.
The best thing about this dog breed is that they’re considered hypoallergenic, meaning they shed very little.
16. Pekingese
Pekingese puppies are not fluffy. They’re beyond fluffy!
With their adorable looks, Pekingese dogs are famous for their unique faces featuring big, round eyes and flat snouts.
Back in the day, the Pekingese was a popular lap dog among Chinese nobility. They’re still a beloved choice for a lap dog and great companions for us, regular folks.
17. Sheltie
The Sheltie or the Shetland Shepherd is a Scottish dog breed, weighing 11 to 24 pounds, that was once used as guide and guard dogs.
With long, wispy coats, Shelties are unique pooches ready to knock you off your feet. Their coat is especially fluffy and thick around the neck and sides of the face.
Fun fact: Shelties are considered the 6th most intelligent dog breed.
18. Papillon
No other dog is like the Papillon. Seriously, a dog that resembles a butterfly (papillon means butterfly in French) with its wing-shaped ears? That’s amazing!
Together with a long, silky coat, and happy eyes, the Papillon is the embodiment of perfection.
These are small dogs weighing only 8 to 10 pounds and are considered amazing lap dogs. The Papillon becomes easily attached to its humans, and thriving on human attention. You can say they’re clearly “velcro dogs.”
19. Little Lion Dog
The Little Lion Dog or the Löwchen dog breed is one of the rarest dogs in the world. Only a handful of these dogs are registered every year. This is a sad fact when you know how amazing these pups are.
Think of them as little, adorable, fluffy bundles of joy!
20. American Eskimo Dog
People have a hard time telling apart the American Eskimo Dog and other similar Spitz-type dogs, especially the Japanese Spitz.
Both dogs have spitz facial features and snowy white fluffy coats. Still, there are many differences between these species, especially size-wise.
The American Eskimo Dog is larger, weighing 15 to 40 pounds.
As for their personality, these dogs are smart cookies, loyal to the bone, and obedient. They make terrific family pets and are great with children.
21. Lhasa Apso
Photo from: @busterapsolutely
Despite being so adorable, Lhasa Apso doggies were once used as protection dogs. In fact, they served as watchdogs in Tibetan monasteries. With their loud barking, Lhasa Apsos used to chase away intruders and alert the monks.
Nowadays, these lovely pooches are usually companion dogs or bred to compete in shows. No wonder they win so many blue ribbons – they’re beautiful, elegant, and worth admiring.
Read Next: Top 4 Lhasa Apso Breeders In The United States Of 2022
22. Volpino Italiano
Also known as “the little Italian fox,” the Volpino Italiano is a spitz-type, fluffy pup that can easily be mistaken for an American Eskimo, Japanese Spitz, or German Spitz dog.
The difference between the Volpino Italiano and the other Spitz dogs is its size, since Volpinos are smaller, and the coat color, which can be red. Volpino dogs weigh 9 to 14 pounds.
These dogs have narrow faces, making them resemble a fox, hence their nickname.
23. Affenpinscher
The Affenpinscher is also known as the Monkey Terrier, thanks to its ape-like facial features. This is a small fluffy dog breed with a coat that’s a bit rough to the touch. It requires daily brushing and detangling, but they still shed way less than other fluffy dogs.
Because of their low-shedding trait, the Affenpinscher is considered a hypoallergenic dog breed.
24. Miniature Poodle
Photo from: @poodlebucky
The average weight of a Miniature Poodle is 15 lbs
The Miniature Poodle is a medium-sized option of the Poodle breed, weighing around 15 pounds. Miniature is always the best choice if you don’t want a large Poodle that comes with huge responsibilities or the smaller version that’s more fragile.
The Miniature Poodle is less aloof than a Standard Poodle. It’s also calmer, friendlier, and easier to manage.
25. Bolognese Dog
Photo from: @knutte_roffe_bolognesedogs
One of the smallest dogs in the world is the Bolognese dog, weighing only 2.5 to 4 pounds. This makes them the best dogs for apartment living.
But, it’s not only its size that makes the Bolognese Dog so special. It’s its thick and fluffy coat too! The coat is so soft you can run your fingers through it. It’s not prone to shedding and matting, making it a delight to groom. It’s one of the smallest dogs not only on our list but in the world. They are the perfect pets for apartment settings as they are very comfortable indoors.
Their fluffy coats are also unique. Despite being thick and fluffy, it is surprisingly light and easy to run your fingers through. It is also less prone to shedding and matting, making maintaining it very easy.
26. Coton de Tulear
The Coton de Tulear is the national dog of Madagascar. This small fluffy dog breed has survived more shipwrecks you can imagine. They’re little heroes with white coats as soft as cotton.
Sadly, there are not many Coton de Tulear dogs in the world. They’re considered exotic, and their numbers are decreasing despite their popularity.
27. Shih Tzu
Shih Tzus are probably the most pampered dogs ever. They have thick, long coats with styles that vary from floor-length to teddy bear cuts.
These little dogs are divas!
But, it’s not only their amazing hairstyles that make the Shih Tzu so special: it’s their loyal and affectionate nature. However, socialization is crucial since they can be a bit possessive.
28. Bichon Frise
Bichon Frises are another dog breed considered little fluffy clouds with feet. These fluffballs will win you with their sweet looks and incredible quirkiness.
These adorable white teddies used to be bred to catch vermin on ships. But, it’s their pleasing appearance that relieved them from that horrible job. The Bichon Frise quickly became a companion for nobility in European countries.
This dog can grow its coat very long, even though they’re hypoallergenic. But, most dog owners like to keep their coats shorter, which gives them that fluffy teddy bear look.
29. Maltese
Maltese dogs are one of the most adorable out there. There’s something about their coat that invites you to run your fingers through it.
Luckily, their rich, fluffy coat is not a nightmare to maintain. They’re considered hypoallergenic and shed very little. A good brushing once or twice a week is just fine.
30. Pomeranian
Pomeranians, or Pom-Poms, are small fluffy dogs perfectly named according to their looks. These little fluffy balls resemble pom-poms, and they couldn’t be cuter! Well, they could – just ask a breeder for a white Pom!
This is one of the smallest spitz-type dogs, weighing only 3 to 7 pounds, and is considered a toy breed. It’s been a popular lap dog for centuries.
31. Havanese Dog
Havanese dogs have one of the fluffiest coats of all the small fluffy dog breeds.
This is a rare dog breed, but its popularity is rising thanks to its small build and lovely personality. You can tell the Havanese is a velcro dog.
But we like to say it’s a valuable family dog and considered an equal part of the family.
What Is The Best Small Dog That Doesn’t Shed?
We have many non-shedding small dogs on our list. It’s really hard to pick only one of them, but we’ll have to go with the Maltese. This dog breed is easier to find than some other non-shedding pups like the Affenpinscher. Maltese pups are friendly, caring, and love being companion dogs.
Conclusion
So, which one of these 31 small fluffy dog breeds is the cutest one for you?
Umm, we’d have to go with… all of them!
The cute side of the canine world never looked cuter!