Miniature Dog Breeds

While there are many small dog breeds, the term "miniature dog breeds" typically refers to down-sized versions of an established breed. Some minis are recognized as a breed in their own right or as an official variety of the original breed. In some cases, people selectively breed smaller and smaller specimens of a breed to create designer dogs that are much in demand. The miniature Beagle is one example.

The Italian Greyhound, pictured here, is the result of selectively breeding progressively smaller Greyhounds to produce a small, companionable pet. These dogs stand 13 to 15 inches tall.

The Miniature Bull Terrier is a smaller version of the Bull Terrier. Interestingly enough, some breeders didn't think the original Bull Terrier was large enough, and they attempted to breed for a larger version. So, dogs the size of the Mini Bull may have been predominant at the time, but they were officially separated out from the Bull Terrier breed around the beginning of the 19th century.

These dogs stand 10 to 14 inches tall on average.

Although the Miniature Pinscher is diminutive, it is not a miniaturized version of the Doberman Pinscher as its name and its looks might lead you to believe. It's generally thought that the breed was developed using Italian Greyhounds, Dachshunds and German Pinschers as the foundation stock.

Min Pins typically stand 10 to 12 1/2 inches tall.

Poodles come in three size varieties, and the Miniature Poodle is actually the mid-size variety which stands over ten inches tall and up to 15 inches maximum. The Toy Poodle is even smaller and must stand lower than ten inches tall.

The Miniature Schnauzer was bred down from the Standard Schnauzer using small specimens of that breed and interbreeding them with Poodles and Affenpinschers

Miniature Schnauzers stand approximately 12 to 14 inches tall.

The PBGV, as the breed is referred to, is a down-sized descendent of the larger Griffon Vendéen, also known as the the Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen.

The PBGV stands 13 to 15 inches tall and is a scenthound.

The Shetland Sheepdog, or Sheltie, is essentially a miniaturized version of the Standard Collie, although it has some Border Collie genetics behind it.

The Sheltie stands 13 to 16 inches tall.

Dachshunds come in two sizes. The Standard Dachshund weighs anywhere between 16 and 32 pounds. The Mini weighs 11 pounds or under.

To learn more about these amazing little dogs, visit Miniature Dachshund Facts.