The short answer
22 small breeds shed very little. If you want the least work, choose a short-coated one: Chihuahua, Italian Greyhound, Boston Terrier, Miniature Pinscher. They shed almost nothing and need no professional grooming at all. If you want a coat that traps dander for allergy reasons, the silky and curly small breeds (Maltese, Shih Tzu, Yorkshire Terrier, Bichon Frise, Toy Poodle) are the traditional pick, but they cost $60 to $120 every four to eight weeks for the dog's entire life. The shedding is the same. The workload is not.
Small dogs dominate the non-shedding category for a simple reason: many of the breeds developed as companions rather than workers have long or curly coats that hold their hair. That gives anyone shopping by size the widest choice they will find, and it also makes this the size where the grooming trap catches the most people.
The genuinely easy small low shedders
These breeds shed very little and need essentially no grooming. They rarely appear on non-shedding lists because those lists were written with allergy sufferers in mind, and a short coat traps less dander than a curly one. If your goal is simply less hair and less work, this is your group.
The trade-off is that they do shed a little, and short stiff hairs weave into fabric more stubbornly than long soft ones. For a genuinely hair-free home the coat-holding group is better. For the least total work, nothing here is beaten.
The famous ones, and what they cost
These are the breeds people picture when they think of a small dog that does not shed. The coat holds every loose hair, which is genuinely useful for allergies and genuinely expensive to maintain.
Skip the schedule and the coat mats against the skin, which is painful and usually ends in the dog being shaved down. Groomers see it constantly, almost always from owners who were told the breed was low maintenance. Our full breed scoring guide explains how the grooming numbers are calculated.
Two things to budget for beyond the coat
Dental care. Small mouths crowd teeth, which drives plaque and gum disease, and professional cleaning under anesthetic becomes a recurring cost for many toy breeds. It catches people who chose a small dog expecting a cheap one.
Noise, if you share walls. Several small low-shedding breeds are alert barkers. In an apartment that matters far more than hair, so ask the rescue how the specific dog behaves when left alone rather than assuming size predicts it.
Browse low-shedding rescue dogs across Canada
See the actual coat on an actual dog rather than predicting it from a breed name.
See non-shedding dogs for adoption →Frequently Asked Questions
What small dogs don't shed?
Around 22 small breeds shed very little, which is why this size dominates every non-shedding list. They divide into short-coated ones like the Chihuahua, Italian Greyhound, Boston Terrier and Miniature Pinscher, which need almost no grooming, and coat-holding ones like the Maltese, Shih Tzu, Yorkshire Terrier, Bichon Frise and Toy Poodle, which shed just as little but need a professional groom every four to eight weeks.
What is the easiest small non-shedding dog to look after?
A short-coated small breed. The Chihuahua, Italian Greyhound, Boston Terrier and Miniature Pinscher all combine very low shedding with a coat that needs nothing more than occasional brushing. They are the lowest-effort small dogs available, and they rarely appear on non-shedding lists because those lists are usually written for allergy sufferers rather than for people who want less work.
Do small non-shedding dogs need professional grooming?
The silky and curly ones do, permanently. A Maltese, Shih Tzu, Yorkshire Terrier, Bichon Frise or Toy Poodle needs clipping every four to eight weeks at roughly $60 to $120 a visit, plus brushing several times a week to stop the coat matting. Short-coated small breeds need none of it. Both groups shed about the same amount, so this is the real decision.
Are small non-shedding dogs good for apartments?
Usually yes on size, but noise matters more than shedding in a building with shared walls. Many small breeds are alert barkers, and a dog that vocalises when left alone will cause more trouble than one that leaves hair on the sofa. Ask the rescue directly whether the specific dog is quiet when alone, and check your building rules, since some set weight limits regardless of temperament.
Do small dogs have other hidden costs?
Dental disease is the big one and it is easy to miss when comparing breeds. Small mouths crowd teeth, which drives plaque and gum disease, and professional dental cleaning under anesthetic is a recurring expense for many toy breeds. Budget for it alongside grooming rather than assuming a small dog is automatically a cheap dog.
Dogs That Don't Shed
The full picture across every size, and why no dog is truly non-shedding.
Medium Dogs That Don't Shed
The hardest size to fill, and the one breed that solves it.