Updated
What dog should I get?
Eleven questions about your home, your household, your time and your budget — then every breed we have data for, ranked, with each score explained. Facts come from the registries, lifespans from a 580,000-dog study, temperament from a 13,700-dog study; where we have no data we say so instead of guessing.
Keeshond best fit
best fit of the 203 breeds that pass your filters
203 of 203 breeds still fit
- 1
Keeshond
Fits97 / 100
- medium, 35–45 lb
- 12–15 yr (AKC) · 12.3 yr median (study)
- companion mixed, energy 2/4
Component Weight Score Evidence Space at home
a house with a small yard and a medium breed (35–45 lb).12% 100% fact Exercise match
Utility and companion breeds were bred for tier 2 of 4 activity; you offered tier 2.18% 100% breed group Time alone
Separation-related behaviour around the study average (45 dogs of this breed, Salonen 2020); individual dogs vary.10% 82% study Grooming effort
A coat of this type needs effort 2 of 3; you offered 2.8% 100% fact Household fit
Nothing in your household counts against this breed.10% 100% fact Experience needed
Within your experience.8% 100% fact What you want the dog for
Utility and companion breeds against: companion.10% 90% breed group Monthly budget
About $61 a month for food and grooming (RER × 1.6 at the weight midpoint, $6/kg dry food).5% 100% fact Climate
A mild climate suits every coat.4% 100% fact Velcro or independent
No preference stated.5% 100% fact Wary or friendly with strangers
No preference stated.5% 100% fact Calm or lively
No preference stated.5% 100% fact - 2
Dalmatian
Fits96 / 100
- large, 45–70 lb
- 11–13 yr (AKC) · 13.2 yr median (study)
- companion mixed, energy 2/4
Component Weight Score Evidence Space at home
a house with a small yard and a large breed (45–70 lb).12% 90% fact Exercise match
Utility and companion breeds were bred for tier 2 of 4 activity; you offered tier 2.18% 100% breed group Time alone
Separation-related behaviour around the study average (123 dogs of this breed, Salonen 2020); individual dogs vary.10% 86% study Grooming effort
A short coat needs effort 1 of 3; you offered 2.8% 100% fact Household fit
Nothing in your household counts against this breed.10% 100% fact Experience needed
Within your experience.8% 100% fact What you want the dog for
Utility and companion breeds against: companion.10% 90% breed group Monthly budget
About $66 a month for food and grooming (RER × 1.6 at the weight midpoint, $6/kg dry food).5% 100% fact Climate
A mild climate suits every coat.4% 100% fact Velcro or independent
No preference stated.5% 100% fact Wary or friendly with strangers
No preference stated.5% 100% fact Calm or lively
No preference stated.5% 100% fact - 3
Chinese Shar-Pei
Fits96 / 100
- large, 45–60 lb
- 8–12 yr (AKC) · 10.6 yr median (study)
- companion mixed, energy 2/4
- No behaviour study data
Component Weight Score Evidence Space at home
a house with a small yard and a large breed (45–60 lb).12% 90% fact Exercise match
Utility and companion breeds were bred for tier 2 of 4 activity; you offered tier 2.18% 100% breed group Time alone
No study data for this breed; a group-level guess.10% 83% breed group Grooming effort
A short coat needs effort 1 of 3; you offered 2.8% 100% fact Household fit
Nothing in your household counts against this breed.10% 100% fact Experience needed
Within your experience.8% 100% fact What you want the dog for
Utility and companion breeds against: companion.10% 90% breed group Monthly budget
About $62 a month for food and grooming (RER × 1.6 at the weight midpoint, $6/kg dry food).5% 100% fact Climate
A mild climate suits every coat.4% 100% fact Velcro or independent
No preference stated.5% 100% fact Wary or friendly with strangers
No preference stated.5% 100% fact Calm or lively
No preference stated.5% 100% fact - 4
Schipperke
Fits96 / 100
- small, 10–16 lb
- 12–16 yr (AKC) · 14.2 yr median (study)
- companion mixed, energy 2/4
Component Weight Score Evidence Space at home
a house with a small yard and a small breed (10–16 lb).12% 90% fact Exercise match
Utility and companion breeds were bred for tier 2 of 4 activity; you offered tier 2.18% 100% breed group Time alone
Separation-related behaviour around the study average (74 dogs of this breed, Salonen 2020); individual dogs vary.10% 84% study Grooming effort
A coat of this type needs effort 2 of 3; you offered 2.8% 100% fact Household fit
Nothing in your household counts against this breed.10% 100% fact Experience needed
Within your experience.8% 100% fact What you want the dog for
Utility and companion breeds against: companion.10% 90% breed group Monthly budget
About $32 a month for food and grooming (RER × 1.6 at the weight midpoint, $6/kg dry food).5% 100% fact Climate
A mild climate suits every coat.4% 100% fact Velcro or independent
No preference stated.5% 100% fact Wary or friendly with strangers
No preference stated.5% 100% fact Calm or lively
No preference stated.5% 100% fact - 5
Norwegian Lundhund
Fits96 / 100
- small, 12–18 lb
- 12–15 yr (AKC)
- companion mixed, energy 2/4
- No behaviour study data
Component Weight Score Evidence Space at home
a house with a small yard and a small breed (12–18 lb).12% 90% fact Exercise match
Utility and companion breeds were bred for tier 2 of 4 activity; you offered tier 2.18% 100% breed group Time alone
No study data for this breed; a group-level guess.10% 83% breed group Grooming effort
A short coat needs effort 1 of 3; you offered 2.8% 100% fact Household fit
Nothing in your household counts against this breed.10% 100% fact Experience needed
Within your experience.8% 100% fact What you want the dog for
Utility and companion breeds against: companion.10% 90% breed group Monthly budget
About $24 a month for food and grooming (RER × 1.6 at the weight midpoint, $6/kg dry food).5% 100% fact Climate
A mild climate suits every coat.4% 100% fact Velcro or independent
No preference stated.5% 100% fact Wary or friendly with strangers
No preference stated.5% 100% fact Calm or lively
No preference stated.5% 100% fact - 6
French Bulldog
Fits94 / 100
- medium, 18–28 lb
- 10–12 yr (AKC) · 9.8 yr median (study)
- companion mixed, energy 2/4
- Coat not documented
Component Weight Score Evidence Space at home
a house with a small yard and a medium breed (18–28 lb).12% 100% fact Exercise match
Utility and companion breeds were bred for tier 2 of 4 activity; you offered tier 2.18% 100% breed group Time alone
Separation-related behaviour below the study average (100 dogs of this breed, Salonen 2020); individual dogs vary.10% 90% study Grooming effort
The coat is not documented in our data.8% 50% no data Household fit
Nothing in your household counts against this breed.10% 100% fact Experience needed
Within your experience.8% 100% fact What you want the dog for
Utility and companion breeds against: companion.10% 90% breed group Monthly budget
About $43 a month for food and grooming (RER × 1.6 at the weight midpoint, $6/kg dry food).5% 100% fact Climate
A mild climate suits every coat.4% 100% fact Velcro or independent
No preference stated.5% 100% fact Wary or friendly with strangers
No preference stated.5% 100% fact Calm or lively
No preference stated.5% 100% fact - 7
Tibetan Terrier
Fits94 / 100
- medium, 18–30 lb
- 15–16 yr (AKC) · 13.8 yr median (study)
- companion mixed, energy 2/4
- Coat not documented
Component Weight Score Evidence Space at home
a house with a small yard and a medium breed (18–30 lb).12% 100% fact Exercise match
Utility and companion breeds were bred for tier 2 of 4 activity; you offered tier 2.18% 100% breed group Time alone
Separation-related behaviour around the study average (104 dogs of this breed, Salonen 2020); individual dogs vary.10% 87% study Grooming effort
The coat is not documented in our data.8% 50% no data Household fit
Nothing in your household counts against this breed.10% 100% fact Experience needed
Within your experience.8% 100% fact What you want the dog for
Utility and companion breeds against: companion.10% 90% breed group Monthly budget
About $45 a month for food and grooming (RER × 1.6 at the weight midpoint, $6/kg dry food).5% 100% fact Climate
A mild climate suits every coat.4% 100% fact Velcro or independent
No preference stated.5% 100% fact Wary or friendly with strangers
No preference stated.5% 100% fact Calm or lively
No preference stated.5% 100% fact - 8
Bulldog
Fits93 / 100
- medium, 40–50 lb
- 8–10 yr (AKC) · 9.8 yr median (study)
- companion mixed, energy 2/4
- Coat not documented
- No behaviour study data
Component Weight Score Evidence Space at home
a house with a small yard and a medium breed (40–50 lb).12% 100% fact Exercise match
Utility and companion breeds were bred for tier 2 of 4 activity; you offered tier 2.18% 100% breed group Time alone
No study data for this breed; a group-level guess.10% 83% breed group Grooming effort
The coat is not documented in our data.8% 50% no data Household fit
Nothing in your household counts against this breed.10% 100% fact Experience needed
Within your experience.8% 100% fact What you want the dog for
Utility and companion breeds against: companion.10% 90% breed group Monthly budget
About $65 a month for food and grooming (RER × 1.6 at the weight midpoint, $6/kg dry food).5% 100% fact Climate
A mild climate suits every coat.4% 100% fact Velcro or independent
No preference stated.5% 100% fact Wary or friendly with strangers
No preference stated.5% 100% fact Calm or lively
No preference stated.5% 100% fact - 9
Boston Terrier
Fits93 / 100
- medium, 12–25 lb
- 11–13 yr (AKC) · 11.8 yr median (study)
- companion mixed, energy 2/4
- Coat not documented
Component Weight Score Evidence Space at home
a house with a small yard and a medium breed (12–25 lb).12% 100% fact Exercise match
Utility and companion breeds were bred for tier 2 of 4 activity; you offered tier 2.18% 100% breed group Time alone
Separation-related behaviour around the study average (77 dogs of this breed, Salonen 2020); individual dogs vary.10% 82% study Grooming effort
The coat is not documented in our data.8% 50% no data Household fit
Nothing in your household counts against this breed.10% 100% fact Experience needed
Within your experience.8% 100% fact What you want the dog for
Utility and companion breeds against: companion.10% 90% breed group Monthly budget
About $38 a month for food and grooming (RER × 1.6 at the weight midpoint, $6/kg dry food).5% 100% fact Climate
A mild climate suits every coat.4% 100% fact Velcro or independent
No preference stated.5% 100% fact Wary or friendly with strangers
No preference stated.5% 100% fact Calm or lively
No preference stated.5% 100% fact - 10
American Eskimo Dog
Fits93 / 100
- medium, 6–35 lb
- 13–15 yr (AKC) · 11.3 yr median (study)
- companion mixed, energy 2/4
- Coat not documented
- No behaviour study data
Component Weight Score Evidence Space at home
a house with a small yard and a medium breed (6–35 lb).12% 100% fact Exercise match
Utility and companion breeds were bred for tier 2 of 4 activity; you offered tier 2.18% 100% breed group Time alone
No study data for this breed; a group-level guess.10% 83% breed group Grooming effort
The coat is not documented in our data.8% 50% no data Household fit
Nothing in your household counts against this breed.10% 100% fact Experience needed
Within your experience.8% 100% fact What you want the dog for
Utility and companion breeds against: companion.10% 90% breed group Monthly budget
About $41 a month for food and grooming (RER × 1.6 at the weight midpoint, $6/kg dry food).5% 100% fact Climate
A mild climate suits every coat.4% 100% fact Velcro or independent
No preference stated.5% 100% fact Wary or friendly with strangers
No preference stated.5% 100% fact Calm or lively
No preference stated.5% 100% fact
193 more below the top ten
What the top match will actually need
- Adult weight
- 35–45 lb
- Life expectancy (AKC)
- 12–15 years
- Median lifespan (2024 study)
- 12.3 years
- Food a day (neutered adult)
- 985 kcal
- Dry food a month
- 8.4 kg
- Food and grooming a month
- about $61
- Grooming need
- medium
Feeding calculator for a Keeshond · What a dog costs a month
Food: resting energy 70 × kg0.75 × 1.6 at the weight midpoint, dry food at 3,500 kcal/kg and $6/kg; grooming $0 / $10 / $60 a month by coat. Assumptions, not quotes.
What breed can and can’t tell you
Breed predicts size, coat and lifespan well. It predicts temperament weakly: a 2022 study of 18,000 dogs found breed explains about nine per cent of the variation in behaviour. That is why the personality questions here carry a small weight and every score says where its number came from.
At a shelter, look for the size and coat this list points to and meet the individual dog. An adult mixed-breed of the right size and coat is a match the registry lists cannot show you.
No dog is hypoallergenic. Low-shedding coats reduce dander in the house; they do not remove it. Spend time with the breed before you commit.
When to see a vet
- Before you buy a flat-faced breed (the heat-risk flag), ask a vet about airway assessment; breathing surgery is common and expensive.
- For any large or giant breed, ask the breeder for hip and elbow scores of both parents and see the certificates.
- Where the breed club recommends heart, eye or DNA screening, ask for the results; a breeder who cannot show them is the wrong breeder.
- Book a vet visit in the first week for any new dog, whatever the list says.
How the score is built, and sources
Twelve components, each 0–1, weighted: exercise 18 %, space 12 %, time alone 10 %, household 10 %, purpose 10 %, grooming 8 %, experience 8 %, budget 5 %, climate 4 %, and three personality questions at 5 % each. Two optional refiners (longer life, quiet neighbours) add 5 % each. Where a breed has no data a component scores 0.5 and says "no data". Study prevalences are shrunk toward the study average: p′ = (p·n + b·50) ÷ (n + 50).
Table of 392 breeds built 2026-09-19: weight on record for 264, published lifespan for 155, behaviour study data for 93. Sources reviewed 19 September 2026. Each names the figure it supports.
- Which breeds exist, their group and US popularity; adult height, weight and life expectancy ranges — American Kennel Club, breed pages and "Dog breeds sorted by group"
- FCI-recognised breeds, their group and official standard — Fédération Cynologique Internationale, Nomenclature of breeds
- Published median lifespan and 95 % interval per breed; skull-shape classification — McMillan K. M. et al., "Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death", Scientific Reports 14:531, 2024 (UK, 584,734 dogs; Tables S3 and S5)
- Fear, noise sensitivity, aggression, separation-related behaviour, hyperactivity by breed (% of dogs scored high), and the study averages the shrinkage uses — Salonen M. et al., "Prevalence, comorbidity, and breed differences in canine anxiety in 13,700 Finnish pet dogs", Scientific Reports 10:2962, 2020 (open dataset, Supplementary Dataset 2)
- Why temperament is weighted lightly: breed explains about 9 % of behavioural variation — Morrill K. et al., "Ancestry-inclusive dog genomics challenges popular breed stereotypes", Science 376(6592), 2022
- Food estimate: resting energy 70 × kg^0.75 and the neutered-adult factor 1.6 — WSAVA Global Nutrition Toolkit, calorie needs for healthy adult dogs (after NRC 2006)
- Which breeds count as low-shedding for the allergy filter (plus hairless and corded coats) — American Kennel Club, "Hypoallergenic dogs" breed list
- "No dog is hypoallergenic": low-shedding coats reduce, not remove, dander — American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, pet allergy overview
- Coat descriptions and adult sizes for breeds outside the AKC list — Wikipedia breed infoboxes (CC BY-SA), each citing the breed standard linked from the result card
This page is an educational estimate, not veterinary advice.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of dog should I get?
Answer the eleven questions above. The list ranks breeds by how well their size, coat, energy, original purpose, lifespan and study-measured behaviour fit the life you described, and shows the working for every score.
Why is there no "personality match" percentage?
Because no honest number exists. Breed explains only about nine per cent of behavioural variation (Morrill et al. 2022). The three personality questions are weighted at fifteen per cent in total and each score names its evidence.
Why does a breed say "no data"?
Behaviour data comes from one open study of 13,715 dogs that covers 93 of the 392 breeds. For the rest we score the personality lines as neutral rather than invent a figure.
Is any dog hypoallergenic?
No. Allergens come from dander and saliva, not hair length. The allergy filter keeps the breeds the American Kennel Club lists as low-shedding, plus hairless and corded coats, which keep less dander in the house.
Why do the two lifespans differ?
The AKC range is the club’s stated figure. The published median comes from a 2024 study of 584,734 UK dogs. They disagree systematically — the AKC runs optimistic for small breeds and pessimistic for some giants — so we show both.
Why are some breeds missing?
The list shows breeds on your market’s registry (the AKC for the United States). Switch the market or tick "show rare breeds" to see all 392.
Can I trust a breed to have a temperament?
Trust it for size, coat, lifespan and the job it was bred for. For temperament, meet the dog and the parents; two dogs of one breed can differ more than two breeds.