General Information: Average Height: 20 – 23½ in Average Weight: 35 – 60 lbs Average Life Span: 10 – 14 yrs Coloring: All are permissible; most common coats include white body with black, grey, or red markings Area of Origin: Siberia Similar Breeds: Alaskan Malamute, Samoyed, Akita Inu, American Eskimo Dog, Alaskan Husky   History and Origin: Along with the Samoyed and the Alaskan Malamute, the Siberian Husky is a direct descendent of an ancient Spitz-type wild dog, making it [...]

General Information: Average Height: 6 – 12 in Average Weight: 7 – 12 lbs Average Life Span: 12 – 15 yrs Coloring: Single, bi- and tri-colored; red, tan, apricot, white, sable, black Area of Origin: United States Similar Breeds: Shih Tzu, Yorkshire Terrier, Shih Poo, Yorki Poo; any small mix breed dog with either the Shih Tzu or the Yorkshire Terrier History and Origin: Developed in the United States as part of the “designer dog” breed popularity, the Shorkie is [...]

General Information: Average Height: 9 – 10½ in Average Weight: 9 – 16 lbs Average Life Span: 12 – 15 yrs Coloring: All colors and combinations are accepted Area of Origin: China Similar Breeds: Lhasa Apso, Havanese, Maltese, Japanese Chin, Pekingese   History and Origin: One of the oldest dog breeds, the Shih Tzu is one of only a handful of breeds with genetics closely resembling those of the wolf. Believed to have been developed as early as 800 BC, [...]

General Information: Average Height: 8 in – 12 in Average Weight: 10 – 15 lbs Average Life Span: 12 – 15 yrs Coloring: Single, bi-and tri-colored; white with black, brown, apricot, grey, red Area of Origin: United States Similar Breeds: Shih Tzu, Poodle, Shichon (Shih Tzu/Bichon Frise), Lhasapoo (Lhasa Apso/Poodle), Bichpoo (Bichon/Poodle); any mix with a Shih Tzu or a Poodle History and Origin: The Shih Poo is a “designer dog” breed; bred to be an ultimate companion dog, it [...]

General Information: Height: 9 – 12 in Weight: 10 – 15 lbs Life Span: 12 – 15 yrs Coloring: Single, bi- and tri-colored; white, apricot, tan, black, silver, brown, gray Area of Origin: United States Similar Breeds: Shih Tzu, Bichon Frise, Shihpoo, Bichpoo; any small designer dog bred for companionship History and Origin: A “designer dog” breed developed in the 1990s with the goal of producing the ultimate hypoallergenic companion breed, the Shichon is a mix between a Shih Tzu [...]

General Information: Average Height: 18 – 17 in Average Weight: 18 – 22 lbs Average Life Span: 12 – 15 yrs Coloring: Red, sable, black and tan, white Area of Origin: Japan Similar Breeds: Akita Inu, Chow Chow, American Eskimo Dog, Keeshond   History and Origin: Believed to be one of the oldest dog breeds, the Shiba Inu is the smallest of the six original spitz dogs of Japan. Despite its small size, the Shiba was used to hunt not [...]

General Information: Average Height: 10 – 15 in Average Weight: 14 – 18 lbs Average Life Span: 12 – 15 yrs Coloring: White; white with black or tan markings; white with black and tan markings. The base color must always be white Area of Origin: England Similar Breeds: Parson Russell Terrier, Russell Terrier, Fox Terrier, Welsh Corgi   History and Origin: The Jack Russell Terrier is small working terrier type first bred by the Reverend (Parson) John Russell in Devonshire, [...]

General Information: Height: 21 – 24 in Weight: 55 – 80 lbs Life Span: 10 – 12 yrs Coloring: All shades of golden; from almost white to red Area of Origin: Scotland Similar Breeds: Labrador Retriever, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Curly- Coated Retriever, Flat -Coated Retriever, Irish Setter   History and Origin: A gun dog specializing in retrieving game quickly and harmlessly, the Golden Retriever is of Scottish origin, developed in the mid nineteenth century. Technological advances in hunting rifles created [...]

General Information: Average Height: 8-11 in Average Weight: 7 –-10 lbs Average Life Span: 12 –-15 yrs Coloring: Bi –and tri- colored; white with patches of any color Area of Origin: France Similar Breeds: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, English Toy Spaniel, Long-haired Miniature Dachshund   History and Origin: The Papillon is of toy spaniel origin, whose ancestry is traceable through paintings dating back to the sixteenth century. Artists such as Watteau, Mignard, and Paolo Veronese included the “Butterfly Dog” in [...]