This article was updated on December 1st, 2023

Many people enjoy small, short-haired dog breeds because they are perfect for urban living and require little grooming. They also tend to shed a lot less than longer-haired breeds, which makes them easier to care for. In this article, we have compiled a list of 30 small dogs with short hair that weigh less than 30lbs and require minimal upkeep.

Small short-hair dog breeds

6 most popular short-hair dogs that are less than 30 pounds (small size)

The short-hair French Bulldog became the most popular breed in the United States in 2022, surpassing the Labrador and taking the top spot in the AKC rankings. In this section, we will explore the most popular short-hair dog breeds in the United States (according to the AKC ranking of the 200 most popular breeds). Let’s start with the new king, the French Bulldog.

1. French Bulldog (small: 16 to 28 pounds)

People love French Bulldogs for their charming and playful personalities, compact size, and adorable appearance. French Bulldogs also have short, smooth hair coats that are easy to care for: they do shed, but moderately, and brushing them once or twice a week is enough to manage their shedding.

• Lifespan: 10 to 12 years
• Key Character Traits: Adaptable, playful, smart
• Coat: Short and smooth. They are moderate shedders.
• Grooming Needs: Weekly brushing should be enough to keep the coat clean.

2. Smooth-coated Dachshund (extra-small: the miniature is up to 11 pounds)

Smooth-coated Dachshunds have short, sleek hair coats. They do shed moderately and require weekly grooming (brushing once or twice a week), to keep their coats shiny and healthy.

• Lifespan: 12 to 16 years
• Key Character Traits: Playful, stubborn, brave
• Coat: Short and shiny. They are moderate shedders.
• Grooming Needs: Weekly brushing should be enough to keep the coat clean.

3. Miniature Pinscher (extra-small: 8 to 12 pounds)

• Lifespan: 12 to 16 years
• Key Character Traits: Energetic, assertive, and independent. Miniature Pinschers are courageous and make excellent watchdogs despite their small size.
• Grooming Needs: Maintaining the short coat of a Miniature Pinscher is quite simple with a gentle brush once a week.

4. Pug (small: 14 to 18 pounds)

• Lifespan: 12 to 15 years
• Key Character Traits: Charming, mischievous, loving, sociable
• Coat: Short and smooth. Despite their short hair, pugs are known to shed quite a bit.
• Grooming Needs: Brushing should be done regularly to manage shedding.

5. Boston Terrier (small: 12 to 25 pounds)

• Lifespan: 13 to 15 years
• Key Character Traits: Friendly, intelligent, lively
• Coat: Short and smooth. They are moderate shedders.
• Grooming Needs: Weekly brushing to keep shedding in control.

6. Smooth-coat Chihuahua (extra-small: about 6 pounds)

• Lifespan: 14 to 16 years
• Key Character Traits: Alert, courageous, lively
• Coat: Smooth and shiny. They are moderate shedders.
• Grooming Needs: Weekly brushing should be enough to keep the coat clean.

Let’s take a look now at extra-small short-hair dogs who usually weigh less than 12 pounds.

Other extra-small short-hair dog breeds (about 3 to 12 pounds)

Smaller dogs with short hair tend to shed less since they have fewer hairs due to their small size. This means fewer grooming sessions and less hair scattered around your home, sofa, and clothes! Moreover, short-haired breeds usually only have a single coat, unlike many long-haired breeds who often have thick double coat. A single coat means less shedding, particularly during shedding season. In this section, we will review the miniature or extra-small dogs with short-hair coats, starting with the toy fox terrier.

Toy Fox Terrier (3.5 to 7 pounds)

• Weight: 3.5 to 7 pounds (1.6 to 3.2 kilograms)
• Lifespan: 13 to 15 years
• Key Character Traits: Intelligent, outgoing, and friendly. They are known for their high energy levels, agility, and quick learning ability.
• Grooming Needs: Minimal, with their short coat needing only occasional brushing to remove loose hair. They are a low-shedding breed.

Short-hair Russian Toy (3 to 6.5 pounds)

• Weight: 3 to 6.5 pounds (1.4 to 3 kilograms)
• Lifespan: 10 to 12 years
• Key Character Traits: Active, very playful, and sociable. Russian Toys are also known for their devotion and attachment to their owners.
• Grooming Needs: Russian Toys come in both long and short-haired varieties. The short-haired variety needs less grooming.

Italian Greyhound (7 to 14 pounds)

• Weight: 7 to 14 pounds (3 to 6 kilograms)
• Lifespan: 14 to 15 years
• Key Character Traits: Affectionate, intelligent, and companionable. They are often quite sensitive and do not do well with rough treatment or harsh training methods.
• Grooming Needs: Minimal due to their short and sleek coat.

Portuguese Podengo Pequeno (9 to 13 pounds)

• Weight: 9 to 13 pounds
• Lifespan: 12 to 15 years
• Key Character Traits: Playful, intelligent, active
• Coat: Smooth or wire. Both types shed moderately.
• Grooming Needs: Weekly brushing should be enough.

Japanese Terrier (10 to 12 pounds)

• Lifespan: 12 to 15 years
• Key Character Traits: Loyal, spirited, obedient
• Coat: Short and smooth. They are moderate shedders.
• Grooming Needs: Weekly brushing to keep shedding in control.

Toy Manchester Terrier (under 12 pounds)

• Lifespan: 15 to 17 years
• Key Character Traits: Alert, active, intelligent
• Coat: Short and smooth. They are minimal shedders.
• Grooming Needs: Occasional brushing to keep the coat healthy.

Other small short-hair dog breeds (up to 30 pounds)

In this section, we will review small short-hair dogs that are slighly bigger than the miniature ones – generally about 10 to 30 pounds.

Teddy Roosevelt Terrier (10 to 25 pounds)

• Weight: 10 to 25 pounds (4.5 to 11.3 kilograms)
• Lifespan: 14 to 16 years
• Key Character Traits: Affectionate, loyal, and intelligent. They are known for being excellent family pets that get along well with children.
• Grooming Needs: Minimal. This breed has a short, shiny coat that only requires occasional brushing to remove loose hair. They are also known to be a low-shedding breed.

Rat Terrier (10 to 25 pounds)

• Weight: 10 to 25 pounds
• Lifespan: 12 to 18 years
• Key Character Traits: Intelligent, affectionate, alert, lively
• Coat: Short and smooth. They are average shedders.
• Grooming Needs: They require minimal grooming, but weekly brushing can help keep shedding to a minimum.

Manchester Terrier (Standard – 12 to 22 pounds)

• Lifespan: 15 to 17 years
• Key Character Traits: Alert, active, intelligent
• Coat: Short and smooth. They are minimal shedders.
• Grooming Needs: Occasional brushing to keep the coat healthy.

Parson Russell Terrier (13 to 17 pounds)

• Lifespan: 13 to 15 years
• Key Character Traits: Energetic, intelligent, confident
• Coat: Smooth or rough. They are average shedders.
• Grooming Needs: Weekly brushing to remove loose hair.

Danish-Swedish Farmdog (15 to 20 pounds)

• Lifespan: 12 to 15 years
• Key Character Traits: Friendly, intelligent, active
• Coat: Short and smooth. They are average shedders.
• Grooming Needs: Weekly brushing to remove loose hair.

Smooth Fox Terrier (15 to 18 pounds)

• Weight: 15 to 18 pounds
• Lifespan: 12 to 15 years
• Key Character Traits: Active, intelligent, playful
• Coat: Short and smooth. They are minimal shedders.
• Grooming Needs: Occasional brushing to keep the coat healthy.

Cirneco dell’Etna (17 to 26 pounds)

• Lifespan: 12 to 14 years
• Key Character Traits: Affectionate, intelligent, independent
• Coat: Short and fine. They are minimal shedders.
• Grooming Needs: Occasional brushing to keep the coat healthy.

Shiba Inu (17 to 23 pounds)

• Lifespan: 12 to 15 years
• Key Character Traits: Alert, confident, courageous
• Coat: Thick double coat. They shed heavily twice a year.
• Grooming Needs: Regular brushing, especially during shedding seasons.

Miniature Bull Terrier (18 to 28 pounds)

• Lifespan: 11 to 13 years
• Key Character Traits: Courageous, full of spirit, comedic
• Coat: Short and smooth. They are minimal shedders.
• Grooming Needs: Occasional brushing to keep the coat healthy.

Finnish Spitz (20 to 33 pounds)

• Weight: 31 to 35 pounds
• Lifespan: 12 to 15 years
• Key Character Traits: Lively, intelligent, independent
• Coat: Dense double coat. They shed seasonally.
• Grooming Needs: Regular brushing, especially during shedding seasons.

Basenji (about 22 to 24 pounds)

• Weight: 22 to 24 pounds
• Lifespan: 13 to 14 years
• Key Character Traits: Independent, intelligent, affectionate
• Coat: Short and fine. They are minimal shedders.
• Grooming Needs: Occasional brushing to keep the coat healthy.

Brazilian Terrier (about 18 to 22 pounds)

• Lifespan: 12 to 14 years
• Key Character Traits: Alert, friendly, restless
• Coat: Short and smooth. They are moderate shedders.
• Grooming Needs: Weekly brushing should be enough to keep the coat clean.

Staffordshire Bull Terrier (24 to 38 pounds)

• Lifespan: 12 to 14 years
• Key Character Traits: Reliable, bold, courageous
• Coat: Short and smooth. They are moderate shedders.
• Grooming Needs: Weekly brushing should be enough to keep the coat clean.

German Pinscher (25 to 45 pounds)

• Weight: 25 to 45 pounds
• Lifespan: 12 to 14 years
• Key Character Traits: Energetic, watchful, strong-willed
• Coat: Short and dense. They are moderate shedders.
• Grooming Needs: Weekly brushing to remove loose hair.

Whippet (25 to 40 pounds)

• Weight: 18 to 48 pounds
• Lifespan: 12 to 15 years
• Key Character Traits: Calm, affectionate, playful
• Coat: Short and smooth. They are minimal shedders.
• Grooming Needs: Weekly brushing should be enough to keep the coat clean.

Norwegian Buhund (26 to 35 pounds)

• Weight: 26 to 40 pounds
• Lifespan: 13 to 15 years
• Key Character Traits: Energetic, adaptable, friendly
• Coat: Short, but thick and dense. They are moderate to heavy shedders.
• Grooming Needs: Weekly brushing, more often during shedding seasons.

Taiwan Dog (26 to 40 pounds)

• Weight: 26 to 40 pounds
• Lifespan: 10 to 13 years
• Key Character Traits: Independent, loyal, alert
• Coat: Short and dense. They are moderate shedders.
• Grooming Needs: Weekly brushing should be enough.

Small hairless or short-coated dogs

If you’re searching for low-maintenance dogs with short hair to minimize grooming and reduce shedding around your home and clothing, you may want to consider hairless dog breeds. Here are some dog breeds with either no hair or very short coats, and come in small to medium sizes (less than 30 pounds).

Peruvian Hairless Inca Orchid (18 to 26 pounds)

• Weight: 18 to 26 pounds
• Lifespan: 12 to 14 years
• Key Character Traits: Lively, alert, affectionate
• Coat: They come in hairless and coated varieties. Hairless ones do not shed while coated ones have minimal shedding.
• Grooming Needs: Hairless dogs need skincare like sunblock, moisturizer, and occasional baths. Coated ones require infrequent brushing.

Xoloitzcuintli (toy and miniature, 10 to 30 pounds)

• Weight: Toy: 10 to 15 pounds; Miniature: 15 to 30 pounds; Standard: 30 to 55 pounds
• Lifespan: 13 to 18 years
• Key Character Traits: Alert, loyal, calm
• Coat: Hairless or short-coated. Hairless dogs don’t shed; short-coated ones shed minimally.
• Grooming Needs: Hairless dogs require sun protection and moisturizing. Short-coated dogs need occasional brushing.

American Hairless Terrier (12 to 16 pounds)

• Lifespan: 14 to 16 years
• Key Character Traits: Intelligent, playful, energetic
• Coat: Hairless – hairless dogs don’t shed!
• Grooming Needs: Hairless dogs don’t need brushing but may require sun protection and moisturizing.

Related post: short-hair medium-sized dog breeds.