16 Most Popular Small White Dog Breeds

Having an itsy-bitsy snow-white dog goofing and frolicking around will not only relieve you from stress but will also add a hint of inner peace and mental relaxation. What’s more? Most small white dog breeds have a mushy fur on which you’d want to nuzzle your face and feel ‘oh so good.’

If you are reading this article to enhance your knowledge about dog breeds or just to light up your mood, we give you a little warning here that you might feel compelled to adopt one of these small white dog breeds from the dogdom. Because they are too good to resist.

Small White Dog Breeds

According to the American Kennel Club standard, dogs weighing between 3 to 15 kg are termed small dogs.

There is also a size smaller than small dogs, which is termed toy size. As per the AKC standards, toy dogs weigh around 1 to 4 kg.

With that said, all of the small white dog breeds listed below weigh between 1 to 15kgs.

1. Bichon Frise

Playful, plucky, and perky, Bichon Frises are the white cotton candies that will fill your heart with their sweet and naive demeanor. The white color of this breed is their standard color and is the indicator of pure breeding, which means the AKC doesn’t recognize Bichon Frises in any other color. This breed is only available in four colors: white, white & apricot, white & buff, and white & cream.

Talking about their history, Bichon Frises originated in the Mediterranean region. Due to their calm and lap-dog behavior, they received immense popularity among royal ladies in the Italian nobility who used them as a fashion accessory.

2. Bolognese Dogs

Bolognese dogs are one of the cutest among small white dog breeds. They have a single coat with long, wavy, and silky hair that gives them a plushy and furry appearance. However, you need to regularly groom and wash their fur because their white color gets dirty easily, especially around the mouth, eyes, and feet.

If you don’t get enough time to wash them every two or three days, we recommend trimming their hair around feet, eyes, ears, and mouth so that it doesn’t get stinky and look stained.

Moreover, they shed hair minimally, making them a good choice for people with dog allergies.

3. Coton de Tulear

Coton de Tulears have a double coat with long wavy hair. Honestly, if these guys hide their faces between their legs, all you’d see is a plush furry cushion on which you will feel the urge to graze your hands.

Most of the Coton de Tulear owners prefer to tie their long silky hair into braids and ponies to enhance their charm.

An interesting fact about this small white dog breed is their name ‘Coton de Tulear.’ The word ‘Coton’ comes from their cotton-like fur that blankets their whole body, and ‘Tulear’ refers to their area of origin, Tuléar (Madagascar).

4. Cantonese Shar Pei Dogs

Cantonese is a Chinese language that evolved from the Sino-Tibetan languages spoken mainly in the city of Guangzhou and its surrounding area in Southeastern China, the area where Cantonese Shar-Pei dogs emerged.

The AKC recognizes this breed in a variety of colors, such as black, blue, brown, cream, and so on. The white color is not considered a standard for Cantonese Shar-Pei dogs. That said, white Shar-Pei dogs can be registered with the AKC. That is why we have included Shar-Pei in the list of small white dog breeds.

Cantonese has several skin creases on its body, front curled ears, and a wide face structure. If you look closely, you will find that these dogs are simply trimmed Chow Chows.

5. Havanese Dogs

Ranking the 24th most popular dog breed in the US, the Havanese is the national dog of Cuba that existed centuries ago.

They have small snouts and lustrous hair that go all the way from their head to toe. These dogs are not all-white; rather, they are parti-colored.

A parti-colored dog has a fur that has a combination of two different colors, in which one color makes the base while there are small patches or shades of other colors on the base color. In Havanese dogs, they have a white base color on which there can be shades of grey, cream, black, peach, and apricot.

6. Japanese Spitz

Number 6 on the list of small white dog breeds is the Japanese Spitz breed.

An excellent companion dog with calm and cordial conduct, the Japanese Spitz has an angelic appearance. Their pure-white furry body; pitch-black eyes, snout, paw pad; and cranberry-colored tongue give them a mien that will keep you captivated for moments, and you might end up adopting them to cherish their beauty every day.

These dogs only come in white color without any marking. What makes them unique is that the hair on their double coats is perfectly straight and erected, which increases their overall volume. However, if you wash them, their hair will sit down, and you’d see there is not much flesh underneath those thick hair.

7. Maltese Dogs

Maltese dogs have roots in Malta and were incredibly popular in ancient Greeks and Romans, so much so that they would extoll their beauty in poetry and writing. These dogs are known to have existed in Aristotelian times—around 370 BC.

What makes Maltese charming is their bright white color, easy-going persona, and satiny long hair covering their whole body.

8. Miniature American Eskimo Dog

If this dog stands still for a while, you will get confused if this small white dog is a real dog or a stuffed toy. However, the good thing is that an Eskimo will not stay at one place for long—you will know that it is not a stuffed toy.

American Eskimo dogs are high-energy dogs. They have boundless energy and an irrepressible sense of endless fun, making them fidgety and plucky. Nevertheless, their penchant for fun makes them good partners for dog owners who go for a slow walk daily.

It’s important to keep in mind that while these dogs have high-energy levels, their energy drains quickly, thanks to their small sizes if they exercise vigorously more often. Therefore, it is recommended to indulge them in low-impact physical activities only for 10 to 15 minutes.

9. Miniature American Shepherd

The exquisiteness of their fur is attention-grabbing. The neat calico patterns on American Shepherds make them devilishly attractive. Their fur has a combination of three or four colors, and their eyes are mostly blue, grey, or black.

This dog breed is currently ranked as the 34th most popular dog breed in the US, which is quite surprising because the breed was introduced in 2015 and rose to this rank quite rapidly.

We have added them to this list of small white dog breeds because their base color is mainly white, on which other colors are scattered impeccably.

10. Miniature Bull Terrier

Bull Terriers are famous for their easy-going behavior; their unique face shape which can be described as ‘egg-shaped’ from the front view and almost flat from the top view; and their triangular eyes that glisten with goofiness and affection.

Though Bull Terriers are intelligent, obedient, and visually appealing, they are only the 110th most popular dogs in the US. It is because of the numerous health issues, such as cardiovascular and kidney disorders, luxating patellas, deafness, and primary lens luxation.

11. Miniature Poodle

Enjoying the 7th most popular US dog breed position, Miniature Poodles stand tall, having a size of 10 to 15 inches. However, these dogs didn’t get their fame for nothing. Poodles are exuberant dogs with elevated levels of intelligence and trainability. Moreover, their lovesome behavior and endearing outlook make them eye candy of the canine world. They are also popular among those who love curly-haired dogs.

Miniature poodles are good at several canine games such as flyball, fetch, dog tricks, agility, and swimming. An interesting fact about poodles is that their name is derived from the German word ‘pudel,’ which means ‘to splash in the water.’ This indicates that these dogs are inherently water dogs, so any water sport is their favorite.

12. West Highland White Terrier

Innocent looking but dangerous to handle, West Highland White terriers belong to the terrier family, a family that was specifically bred to kill rodents, vermin, snakes, and foxes. West Highland White terriers might look delicate, but like other types of terriers, they are actually quite sturdy and have an excellent sense of smell that allows them to chase burrow animals, bring them back to their owners, and sometimes they even kill their hunts.

Unbelievable, right?

In addition to this, if these guys get bored, they get angry and throw mood tantrums. If you choose the West Highland white terrier from all the small white dog breeds, be sure to give him enough bonding and playtime.

Now that you have read all about small white dog breeds, you may want to take a look at more colorful dogs—calico puppies.

13. French Bulldog (Frenchie)

Also known as Frenchie, French Bulldogs is a sturdy and compact dog breed with a small body and a comparatively head and bat-like ears. Their small size and moderate energy levels mean they could be a perfect fit for apartment dwellers. They are extremely affectionate and friendly and make great family dogs as they get along with children and are welcoming of strangers. French Bulldog is overall easygoing and affectionate and is often listed as one of the dog breeds for first-time owners. Before bringing home a Frenchie, you should know that they thrive on human attention and contact, so leaving them home alone for long times won’t be a good idea as they would develop separation anxiety and behavioral issues.  

14. Puli

Pronounced as poo-lee, Puli is a small to medium dog breed known for its weird mop-like coat. Underneath all the wooly, dense, and waterproof coat lies a mischievous, agile, and friendly little companion. Originally bred as herding dogs and to work closely with humans, Pulik are active and playful dogs who love the company of their owners. With proper puppy disciplining and socializing at a young age, a Puli can learn to get along with children and other dogs in the house.

Before you bring home a Puli, you should know that they require daily grooming and daily physical and mental stimulation. However, Puli owners are advised not to overdo physical exercise when their Pulik puppies are young as their growth plates are yet to be fused.

15. Chinese Crested      

Lively and happy, Chinese Crested dog smake loving companions for dog lovers. They come in two varieties: hairless and coated. Where the hairless variety has smooth hairless skin except for hair tufts on the head, tail, and ankles, Coated variety is covered by these long silky hair all over and is often called “powderpuff.” Besides their looks, both varieties have playful and lively personalities.

For obvious reasons, hairless variety shed very little and thus could make a good choice for people with allergies. If you have allergies, you might also want to look into hypoallergenic dog breeds.

16. Chihuahua

Charming, smart, mean, and highly energetic, Chihuahuas are large dogs in small dogs’ bodies. Known for their mischievous nature, they make an entertaining friend. They are extremely loyal and affectionate little pups. They love their owners and tend to follow them around.

Given their highly intelligent and energetic nature, Chihuahuas should be given ample daily exercise and mental stimulation. Otherwise, they develop behavioral issues and become mean Chihuahuas. Besides that, you should also know that Chihuahuas don’t get along with strangers or kids.

Their entertaining personality makes them one of the most popular small dog breeds. It is because of the growing Chihuahua popularity that we see many dog breeds being crossbred with Chihuahuas to make small dog mixes like ShiChi, Chion, Malchi, Chipit, Bo-Chi, etc.

If you are bringing home a white dog breed, know that they get dirty really quickly, especially if they have a thing for rolling on the floor or digging in the garden. You might want to invest in the whitening shampoo for dogs.

Now that you have read all about small white dog breeds, you may want to take a look at black and white dog breeds or perhaps large dog breeds.