The toy dog breeds include greyhounds, terriers, pinschers, pugs, chihuahuas, pekingese, spaniels–the official list of the AKC is quite extensive. Regardless of breed, toy dogs are often cherished for their cuteness and cuddliness. In fact, many retain puppy characteristics for their entire lives, which may be one of the big attractions that toy dog breeds hold over larger breed dogs.

Small dog breeds are great pets for urbanites and dwellers in small spaces, but since their personalities are all different, it’s a good idea to look at their individual characteristics to see if they fit with your lifestyle.

People love their poodles! A very popular but often misunderstood breed of dog, the poodle has been with us for centuries. In fact, the intentional breeding of various sized poodles likely dates back hundreds of years, as opposed to other types of dogs which were bred this way only recently. Suffice to say that there have been oodles of poodles roaming the Earth for a very long time.

There’s no denying it — one of the cutest-looking dogs around is the Lhasa Apso. The puppies, especially, are just irresistible — but before one decides to purchase a Lhasa just because the kids are begging for one, there are some things you should know about this particular breed.

You can look at West Highland terriers and know if a particular one is the right size for your yard, home or lifestyle, but a little more in-depth knowledge is necessary to determine if Westies have the personality for you.

A quick but informative overview of the Poodle breed.

The Pomeranian is one of the toy breeds, weighing between 3 and 7 pounds (there are larger poms, and although not to the breed standard, they still make wonderful loving pets!). Intelligent and vivacious, these little dogs will steal your heart, but don’t let them get away with too much. They must be properly trained or they will become too demanding.

Read on for key facts about the Chihuahua.

Of the thirty-three terrier breeds (most of which were first used for hunting of some sort and so came up as aggressive and lively), the Wire Fox Terrier has a reputation for scampishness. That is, the breed with the challenging personality that has been identified throughout its history as being as foxy as the fox it was once used to hunt.

The Bichon Frise is outgoing, lively, happy and intelligent. Bichon Frises make excellent household pets, with their abiltity to get on with children, other dogs and strangers. The Bichon Frise responds well under correct training and tends to bond closely with its handler. Bichon Frises are naturally sociable dogs and enjoy being taken everywhere with the family.