The Best 15 Low-Maintenance Dog Breeds

(1) Shih Tzu

Hypoallergenic: Yes
Lifespan: 10–16 years
Temperament: Playful, Affectionate, Lively, Intelligent, Outgoing, Loyal
Mass: Female: 4–7.2 kg (Adult), Male: 4–7.2 kg (Adult)
Height: Female: 20–28 cm (Adult, At the withers) Male: 20–28 cm (Adult, at the withers)

Although their genetic makeup is closest to a wolf, Shih Tzus are nothing like their sometimes frightening counterparts! Shih Tzus are friendly low-maintenance dogs who make the perfect pals. Low-maintenance house dogs are great for families and seniors alike. They are a small dog breed so your furry friend won’t mind your shoebox in the sky. To keep your Shih Tzu low maintenance you should groom their hair every now and again—since they don’t have fur—like most dogs, their hair grows like ours does and sheds like ours does! Unless you want your sweet little Shih Tzu to look like Cousin It, grooming is one of the few maintenance aspects of these dogs and will keep your buddy’s hair tidy and clean.

(2) Portuguese water dog

Hypoallergenic: Yes
Lifespan: 12–15 years
Temperament: Intelligent, Obedient, Docile, Quarrelsome, Impetuous, Brave
Height: Female: 43–52 cm, Male: 50–57 cm
Weight: Female: 16–23 kg, Male: 19–27 kg

Originating from the Algarve in their namesake, Portugal, these hypoallergenic furry friends maximize the intelligence scale. Their webbed feet help them be key finders when it comes to swimming after lost gear or helping fishermen bring in the loot! We wish we could teach all dogs to fetch like that! The PWD has either wavy or tight curly fur. Since they do not shed they make cleaning up a cinch. These low-maintenance dogs are easily trainable and do not require intense grooming—making them a star choice on our list of low-maintenance dog breeds.

(3) Poodle

Hypoallergenic: Yes
Lifespan: 12–15 years
Height: Toy Poodle: 24–28 cm, Standard Poodle: 45–60 cm, Miniature Poodle: 28–35 cm, Medium Poodle: 35–45 cm
Temperament: Intelligent, Trainable, Instinctual, Alert, Faithful, Active

Behind the gold ribbon, you will find the regal, elegant and extremely obedient Poodle. This breed is known for being the “best in class show dog” because they listen, and can take orders from their owner very well. Poodles are very low-maintenance house dogs! Although their haircuts sometimes look like adult pompoms we can assure you that’s not necessary. A seasonal shaving to keep them cool in the summer will do the trick.

(4) Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier

Hypoallergenic: Yes
Lifespan: 12–15 years
Color: Wheaten
Weight: Male: 16–18 kg, Female: 14–16 kg
Temperament: Playful, Affectionate, Intelligent, Spirited, Energetic, Faithful
Height: Male: 46–48 cm, Female: 43–46 cm

One of the friendliest low maintenance dog breeds is the Wheaten Terrier, give him his Kong and you can leave him alone to play, but he’d rather play with you! The Wheaten Terrier loves to be silly, is great for new owners, and loves to meet new people. A puppy for life this breed does need some attention and care. Don’t forget to keep their coat and ears clean to keep their health in order. We love to use the Pet Slicker brush to keep the mats out of their fur. With a good health score, this furball will be easy on your pockets in their senior days!

(5) Chihuahua

Hypoallergenic: No
Lifespan: 12–20 years
Mass: 1.5–3 kg
Temperament: Lively, Devoted, Courageous, Alert, Quick

Short-haired Chihuahuas make the perfect low maintenance apartment dogs. They are tiny and adorable! Since they eat less their food becomes more affordable. A little goes a long way with these pocket-sized energy balls. Their short hair requires little to no grooming. A simple bath will suffice to keep clean!

(6) Boston terrier

Hypoallergenic: No
Lifespan: 13–15 years
Mass: 4.5–11 kg
Temperament: Lively, Intelligent, Friendly

Boston terriers have flat and short fur and flat and short snouts. This makes grooming a cake-walk but can mean they might snore louder than your partner after a night on the town! They’re just as social, too, so that even temperament will surely help while training them around other dogs.

(7) Pug

Hypoallergenic: No
Lifespan: 12–15 years
Temperament: Playful, Stubborn, Docile, Quiet, Charming, Sociable, Attentive, Clever
Height: Male: 30 cm (At the withers), Female: 25 cm (At the withers)

These snorting little ancient balls of chub are one of our favorites! Originally bred in China as royal dogs for the emperors, these flat and wrinkly-faced, curly-tailed gems are very low maintenance dogs. The pug is a quiet short-haired, low-shedding, low-energy dog breed. They are friendly with strangers and love to play and share everything with you (yes, everything!)  A weekly brushing and nail clipping will keep their coat shiny and smooth and ensure they have happy feet!

(8) Maltese

Hypoallergenic: Yes
Lifespan: 12–15 years
Temperament: Playful, Affectionate, Lively, Intelligent, Fearless, Docile, Sweet-Tempered, Responsive, Gentle, Easygoing, Active
Weight: Male: 3–4 kg, Female: 3–4 kg
Height: Male: 21–25 cm, Female: 20–23 cm

This breed is perfect for a small apartment or a new dog owner. Maltese are a playful, but low-energy dog breed. They love their walks around the neighborhood but don’t need an excessive amount of exercise. Maltese are very affectionate and often used as therapy dogs. Their easy-going temperament often matches ours, if we are calm they will be too; if we are high strung they will be responsive to that energy. Maltese are low-maintenance dog breeds that are our best friend for LIFE! They love to be cuddled and their fluffy hypoallergenic hair makes them soft and cuddly!

(9) Dachshund

Hypoallergenic: No
Lifespan: 12–16 years
Mass: 7.3–15 kg (Standard Size)
Temperament: Playful, Stubborn, Lively, Devoted, Courageous, Clever

Also known as a Weiner dog, how can you possibly not smile when you look at their little hot dog bodies! We LOVE the Dachshund! They are great dogs for seniors and families with children who have time to snuggle. They will be sure to get under the covers with you since they were once tunneling hunters this burrowing in the sheets mimics that of their genetic history. These short-legged friends are loyal and extremely obedient. Although have lots of energy due to their tiny legs, they can’t go very far. A little goes a long way with these pups! Using a harness rather than a collar will keep their neck and back healthy.

(10) Bichon Frise

Hypoallergenic: Yes
Lifespan: 12–15 years
Temperament: Playful, Affectionate, Gentle, Feisty, Cheerful, Sensitive
Weight: Male: 3–5 kg, Female: 3–5 kg

Sometimes mistaken for small toys, these white puffs of love and affection are a great low maintenance family dog. They are perky and friendly and with the right amount of exercise can make great apartment dogs. Luckily, once trained, the Bichon Frise can become extremely low-maintenance as they are very obedient. Since they are hypoallergenic their hair can grow long, some prefer to keep it that way while others prefer the minimal seasonal grooming to keep their pal clean and happy. If you do decide to keep their hair long, be sure to keep it out of their face, with a bow-tie hair pin… cute and a color for every day of the week!

(11) Bulldog

Hypoallergenic: No
Lifespan: 8–10 years
Temperament: Willful, Docile, Friendly, Gregarious
Weight: Female: 18–23 kg, Male: 23–25 kg
Height: Female: 31–40 cm, Male: 31–40 cm

Looks may be deceiving with these thick pups and we will warn you not to judge a book by a cover here. Their wrinkly faces and sometimes bared teeth are getting ready to give you big slobbery—so slobbery kisses everywhere! Bulldogs are extremely low-energy dogs, puttering around, and love being lazy! They are curious individuals so will not be shy to make new friends. Bulldogs do not require a ton of exercise and make excellent indoor dogs. However, like all dogs, you will still need to walk it, even if it’s just a brief stroll down the road.

(12) Rhodesian ridgeback

Hypoallergenic: No
Lifespan: 10–12 years
Temperament: Intelligent, Loyal, Dignified, Mischievous, Strong Willed, Sensitive
Weight: Female: 29–34 kg, Male: 36–41 kg
Height: Female: 61–66 cm, Male: 63–69 cm

Also known as a Rhodie these large dogs can be slightly mischievous but are intelligent once taught new skills. Having short hair requires minimal grooming. Weekly care will suffice. We love Rhodies because they are very quiet low-maintenance dogs with minimal to moderate exercise needs.

(13) Boxer

Hypoallergenic: No
Lifespan: 10–12 years
Temperament: Devoted, Playful, Intelligent, Fearless, Energetic, Friendly, Loyal, Bright, Calm, Confident, Cheerful, Brave
Weight: Female: 25–29 kg, Male: 27–32 kg
Height: Female: 53–60 cm, Male: 57–63 cm

This low-maintenance breed of dog looks muscular and imposing and playful and sweet all at the same time. They aren’t fully developed until the age of three, which for dogs is a very long time. This means they are playful and puppy-like for a long time. Despite this youthful development, they are very intelligent and easy to train. There short shiny coats are beautifully smooth and easy to groom. When they get excited they make a unique sound that is not a bark; best described as a “woo-woo” it is an attention-grabbing sound. Boxers are temperature sensitive and, like Goldilocks, they don’t like things too hot or too cold.

(14) Beagle

Hypoallergenic: No
Lifespan: 12–15 years
Temperament: Amiable, Intelligent, Determined, Excitable, Gentle, Even Tempered
Weight: Male: 10–11 kg, Female: 9–10 kg
Height: Male: 36–41 cm, Female: 33–38 cm

A compact, sturdy low maintenance dog with a big zesty personality! They want to share that big personality all the time. This is good because they are super friendly with everybody. This is bad because they detest being left alone, mischievously get into trouble and like to howl at everything. On the upside, they don’t shed much and are easy to groom.

(15) Basset Hound

Hypoallergenic: No
Lifespan: 10–12 years
Temperament: Tenacious, Affectionate, Devoted, Sweet-Tempered, Gentle, Friendly
Weight: Female: 20–27 kg, Male: 23–29 kg

With their bloodshot eyes and droopy faces, these low-maintenance furry friends look like they are recovering from a weekend bender. That look does not correlate to a grumpy attitude as these might just be the friendliest canines on this fair terra. Giving you sloppy drooly kisses—very drooly. At least it won’t get stuck much in their hair as they aren’t big shedders. These dogs do like to eat and can get chubby which can be super cute, but lead to some health problems.

Whether your dog preferences are low energy, or you would prefer a big dog or a small one, there is a dog for you. Thankfully, there are low-maintenance dog breeds out there that require just a little bit less work, so we can have time for everything else in our busy lives!  Low-maintenance dog breeds come in all shapes and sizes for new owners and for seniors or families with multiple dogs already. We hope this gave you a brief understanding and a better insight on what is the perfect low-maintenance dog breed for you! Every dog is going to require some work, dogs are like people they need love and affection, to be fed and walked and cared for… just like you!

Researching Dog Breeds?

If your looking for the perfect dog you should also check out the most protective dog breeds. These breeds of dogs will make anyone think twice about entering your home or approaching you with one of these dogs! There are some breeds specifically raised to protect your children too! For more information read this article “Most Protective Dog Breeds”.