10 Dog Breeds for People With Allergies, and How to Live Well With One

Poodles come in three sizes. The Toy stands up to 10 inches and weighs about 4 to 6 pounds, the Miniature stands over 10 and up to 15 inches at about 10 to 15 pounds, and the Standard is over 15 inches and weighs about 40 to 70 pounds. Life expectancy runs about 10 to 18 years.

The curly coat sheds very little but mats easily, so plan on thorough brushing and regular professional grooming. Poodles are highly intelligent, usually very trainable and need daily physical and mental exercise. They tend to be alert and vocal, and social individuals struggle with long hours alone.

The practical point is the choice of three sizes with three different exercise profiles. A Miniature can fit an apartment, while a Standard needs more room and activity. If you want a low-maintenance coat or a sedentary dog, another breed will fit better. Ask breeders about screening for progressive retinal atrophy, hip dysplasia and other breed-linked conditions.

The Bichon Frise stands 9.5 to 11.5 inches and weighs 12 to 18 pounds, and it lives 14 to 15 years. The curly double coat holds on to loose hairs, so visible shedding stays low.

That detail drives the routine. Brush at least two or three times a week, and daily is better, because brushing removes the hair that would otherwise end up on your floor. Plan on a clip about every four to six weeks.

Bichons are playful, curious and generally easy to train with rewards. They need walks and play rather than strenuous work. They are social and family-oriented, may bark when alert, and do poorly with regular long stretches alone. A Bichon fits an apartment, and it suits a household with time for grooming and company. Named health concerns include patellar luxation, eye disease, dental disease and skin allergies. For more affectionate small dogs, see our companion dog breeds.

The Miniature Schnauzer stands 12 to 14 inches, weighs 11 to 20 pounds and lives 12 to 15 years. The wiry topcoat over a softer undercoat sheds little, and it needs frequent brushing and combing plus clipping or hand-stripping on a regular schedule.

These dogs are smart, lively and alert, with a watchdog and vermin-hunting background. Expect more barking than you get from a lapdog, and teach the dog early to settle when you leave. Daily walks, play and training games keep one content.

The distinctive point is a compact apartment-friendly body with a strong watchdog streak. Many fit family life well, though terrier prey drive can affect small pets. It suits people who enjoy training and want an alert small dog. If you want a very quiet home, look at another breed. The parent club recommends cardiac and eye screening.

The Portuguese Water Dog is the athletic choice on this list. Males stand 20 to 23 inches and weigh 42 to 60 pounds, females stand 17 to 21 inches and weigh 35 to 50 pounds, and the breed lives 11 to 13 years. The curly or wavy coat sheds little and needs regular brushing, bathing and clipping.

Webbed feet and a history of working with fishermen explain the strong love of water and activity. Bo, the Portuguese Water Dog who joined the Obama family in 2009, brought the breed wide attention. Expect vigorous daily exercise and purposeful jobs such as swimming, retrieving and training games.

This dog suits an active household with time and a plan for a demanding coat. A bored Portuguese Water Dog may bark or get into trouble, and long workday absences are hard on one. It can be good with children and active dogs when socialized. Ask breeders about hip dysplasia, juvenile dilated cardiomyopathy and progressive retinal atrophy testing.

The Maltese is among the smallest breeds here, standing about 7 to 9 inches and weighing under 7 pounds, and it commonly lives 12 to 15 years or longer. The long, straight, silky hair sheds minimally.

A small body does not remove the daily routine. Plan on daily brushing and combing, regular baths and attention to dental care. A shorter trim is one way to make the coat easier to manage.

Maltese are intelligent and lively, they respond to positive training, and they can be stubborn. Exercise needs are modest, with daily walks and indoor play. They can be vocal and may develop separation-related behavior. They suit apartments and respectful older children. Because of their size, homes with rough handling, young children or large pets need extra care. See our small dog breeds for more compact companions. Patellar luxation, liver shunts and dental disease are named health concerns.

The Havanese stands 8.5 to 11.5 inches, weighs 7 to 13 pounds and lives 14 to 16 years. The long, soft, silky coat sheds relatively little, and daily brushing keeps it tangle-free unless you keep it in a short trim.

That short-trim option is the practical point. Clipping the coat changes your grooming time, but it leaves the dog's social needs the same. Havanese are intelligent, outgoing and usually eager to please, with moderate exercise needs.

They usually get along with children and nonaggressive pets. They can be serious watchdogs, though barking often stays moderate. They do poorly when left alone for hours, so they suit a home where someone is around. Apartments are a good match. If you want an independent dog, another breed fits better. Eye disorders, patellar luxation and heart murmurs are among the named health concerns. Spanish speakers may know it as Bichón habanero.

The Shih Tzu stands 9 to 10.5 inches, weighs 9 to 16 pounds and lives 10 to 18 years. The long, flowing hair has low visible shedding, and it needs daily brushing, regular baths, eye-area care and professional trimming.

This breed has unusually low exercise needs for a low-shedding dog. Shih Tzus are affectionate, playful and outgoing, and they do best with praise and rewards, though house-training can take patience. The flat face adds heat and eye-care considerations, so keep exercise gentle in warm weather and keep up with eye care.

A Shih Tzu suits an apartment and indoor family life with supervision, and it handles company better than long isolation. Barking varies and can increase with boredom. If you want a rugged outdoor jogging partner, choose another breed. Named health concerns include hip dysplasia, cataracts and corneal dryness. For apartment living in general, see our apartment dog breeds.

Males stand about 18.5 to 19 inches and weigh 35 to 40 pounds, females about 17.5 to 18 inches and 30 to 35 pounds, and the breed lives about 12 to 14 years. The silky, softly wavy, low-shedding coat needs daily brushing and combing to prevent mats.

The soft look comes with working-terrier intensity. Wheatens are exuberant, friendly and devoted, sometimes stubborn, and their energy stays medium to high into adulthood. That makes this the choice for someone who wants a medium-sized, energetic terrier rather than a lapdog.

Terrier alertness can produce barking. Wheatens are usually affectionate with children and compatible with pets when socialized, but prey drive and exuberance call for training. Apartment living works only with substantial daily exercise. Breed-club health screening matters here, because named concerns include protein-losing nephropathy, protein-losing enteropathy, renal disease and hip dysplasia.

The Chinese Crested stands about 11 to 13 inches, weighs 8 to 12 pounds and lives about 13 to 18 years. It comes in two varieties. The Hairless has exposed skin with hair on the head, feet and tail, and the Powderpuff has a fine, full coat.

The Hairless variety shifts the routine from coat brushing toward sunscreen, skin care, temperature management and dental care. It sheds little loose hair, but the skin still needs attention. Powderpuffs need regular grooming of the full coat.

Cresteds are lively, affectionate, playful and strongly people-oriented. Moderate exercise with short walks and indoor play is typical. They can be alert and vocal, they fit apartments, and they often do well with respectful children and other pets. Their social nature makes long isolation hard. Rough children can hurt a fragile dog. Dental disease, patellar luxation, eye disease and sunburn or skin problems in hairless dogs are named health concerns.

Males stand about 17 to 19 inches and weigh 28 to 35 pounds, females about 16 to 18 inches and 24 to 31 pounds, and the breed lives about 15 to 17 years. The woolly, curly coat sheds little, but it needs regular brushing and controlled trimming, because neglect can produce dense mats.

This is a truffle-hunting breed, so scent games and search work are natural outlets. Lagotti are intelligent, affectionate and energetic, and they need daily exercise, training and nose-based activities. Hiding treats around the yard or house gives one a job that matches its history.

With socialization, the Lagotto is usually family-compatible. Work drive can make long isolation difficult, and bored dogs may bark. Apartment living requires serious daily activity. The breed suits an active household that enjoys training. If you want a decorative companion that lounges, choose another breed. Juvenile epilepsy, storage disease and hip and elbow dysplasia are named concerns.