Dog breed selector: which dog breed is right for me?
Answer 10 quick questions about your home, your free time and the people your dog will live with. You get a ranked list of breeds, a match score for each and the reasons it fits (or doesn't).
Tim de JongWhat size of dog would you like?
Adult weight, by AKC breed standard.
Your best match
Answer a few questions
We score all 162 breeds in our database against your answers, using the AKC's 1-to-5 ratings for energy, shedding, barking, trainability and more. Your top matches show up here as you go, with the reasons each one fits.
Matches use average breed traits from AKC breed profiles. Individual dogs vary, so meet the dog (and ideally its parents) before you decide.
How does the dog breed selector work?
The quiz asks about the things that decide whether a dog fits your life: the size you want, where you live, how much exercise you can give, whether you have children or other dogs, and how much hair, grooming and barking you can live with. Each answer is compared with the same breed traits the American Kennel Club publishes for every recognized breed, which it rates on a 1 to 5 scale.
We score all 162 breeds in our database for every answer, then rank them. You can skip any question you don't care about; skipped questions simply don't count. Change an answer at any time from the summary at the end and the ranking updates straight away.
How are the matches scored?
Each answer turns into a fit between 0 and 1 for every breed. If you can give 30 to 60 minutes of exercise a day, a breed with an energy rating of 3 fits fully, a 4 fits partly and a 5 barely. Fits are then weighted, because some mismatches matter more than others, and averaged into the match percentage.
| Question | What it's compared with | Share |
|---|---|---|
| What size of dog would you like? | The breed's size class, from its standard weight | 22% |
| How much exercise can you give every day? | Energy level (1-5) | 13% |
| Are there children in the home? | Good with young children (1-5) | 11% |
| Where will the dog live? | Adaptability (1-5), size and barking | 9% |
| How much experience do you have with dogs? | Trainability and mental stimulation needs (1-5) | 9% |
| How do you feel about dog hair? | Shedding (1-5), or the AKC allergy list | 9% |
| How much barking can you live with? | Barking level (1-5) | 9% |
| Will the dog live with or meet other dogs a lot? | Good with other dogs (1-5) | 7% |
| How much grooming will you do? | Coat grooming frequency (1-5) | 7% |
| How should the dog react to visitors? | Openness to strangers or watchdog nature (1-5) | 7% |
A few answers act as deal-breakers so they can't be outvoted by everything else: a breed two or more size classes away from the size you picked, a breed that isn't on the AKC allergy list when someone at home is allergic, a breed rated 2 or lower with young children when you have them, and a heavy shedder (4 or 5) when you asked for as little shedding as possible. Those breeds keep their score but it is scaled down, so they drop below the breeds that fit.
Worked example: a first dog for a small apartment
Say you live in an apartment with a young child, can manage 30 to 60 minutes of walks a day, want a small dog that sheds little, and need it to be quiet and friendly with visitors. These are the answers we used:
- What size of dog would you like? Small
- Where will the dog live? Apartment or condo
- How much exercise can you give every day? 30 to 60 minutes
- How much experience do you have with dogs? This will be my first dog
- Are there children in the home? Yes, under about 8 years old
- Will the dog live with or meet other dogs a lot? Sometimes
- How do you feel about dog hair? As little shedding as possible
- How much grooming will you do? Brushing once or twice a week
- How much barking can you live with? It needs to be a quiet dog
- How should the dog react to visitors? Friendly with everyone
| Rank | Breed | Match | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Hairless Terrier | 88% | Small, 12–28 lb (5–13 kg) |
| 2 | Border Terrier | 86% | Small, 12–16 lb (5–7 kg) |
| 3 | Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | 86% | Small, 13–18 lb (6–8 kg) |
| 4 | Boston Terrier | 85% | Small, 12–25 lb (5–11 kg) |
| 5 | Shih Tzu | 85% | Small, 9–16 lb (4–7 kg) |
Notice that no breed hits 100% here. Wanting a quiet, low-shedding, kid-friendly dog that copes with apartment life asks a lot of one breed, and the quiz shows you which compromises each top pick involves.
Which answers matter most when choosing a breed?
Energy and exercise. A high-energy working or sporting breed in a home without time to exercise it is a classic mismatch. A bored dog finds its own jobs, such as chewing, digging and barking. Be honest about a normal rainy Tuesday, not your best weekend. Our dog exercise calculator gives a daily target by breed and age.
Coat care. Low-shedding coats like the poodle's need regular brushing and professional trims. High-shedding double coats need less trimming but more vacuuming. Neither is low effort, it's just a different kind of effort.
Children and visitors. Breed ratings for children and strangers describe tendencies, not guarantees. Every dog needs early socialization, and young children should never be left alone with any dog.
Noise. In shared buildings, barking causes more trouble than size does. If that's your situation, the apartment dog finder ranks breeds on exactly that.
What can't a breed tell you about a dog?
Breed is a good predictor of size, coat and looks, but a weak predictor of personality. In a 2022 study in Science covering more than 18,000 dogs, breed explained only about 9% of the variation in individual behavior. Physical traits, by contrast, were highly heritable. Traits such as how readily a dog responds to direction showed more breed influence than others, but within any breed you'll find calm dogs and busy ones, bold dogs and shy ones.
So use your matches to decide what size, coat and energy level to look for, then judge the individual dog. Meeting the parents, or adopting an adult whose temperament you can see, tells you more than any breed label.
What to do after you get your matches
- Put your top three into the dog breed comparison tool to see size, lifespan and every trait side by side.
- Spend time with adult dogs of those breeds: at a breed club event, a dog show, or a friend's house.
- Ask breeders or breed rescues about health testing and the problems they see most often in the breed.
- Budget before you commit. The first year is the most expensive, so check the puppy cost calculator as well.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best dog breed for a first-time owner?
Look for a breed with high trainability, moderate energy and a good record with children and strangers, and avoid breeds that need a job to stay happy. Choose 'This will be my first dog' in the quiz and the ranking leans toward eager-to-please breeds with lower mental stimulation needs.
Is a mixed-breed dog a good choice?
Yes. Mixed-breed and shelter dogs can make excellent pets, and an adult dog's personality is easier to judge than a puppy's because you can meet it first. Use the breed matches as a guide to what traits you want, then look for an individual dog that shows them.
How accurate are dog breed selector quizzes?
They are a starting point, not a verdict. A quiz can only compare your answers with average breed traits, and research shows individual dogs vary a lot within every breed. Use the results to build a shortlist, then meet adult dogs of those breeds and talk to breeders, rescues or breed clubs.
Which dog breeds don't shed?
Every dog sheds some hair and dander, but low-shedding breeds on the AKC list for allergy sufferers, such as poodles, bichons and schnauzers, leave far less hair around the house. Pick 'Someone at home has dog allergies' in the quiz to favor breeds on the AKC list for allergy sufferers, and see our hypoallergenic dog finder for more detail.
Should I choose a puppy or an adult dog?
Puppies need house training, socialization and a lot of supervision for their first year. An adult dog from a rescue or a retired breeding program often comes with known habits and energy level, which makes the match easier to judge.
Sources
Related tools
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- Dog breeds by trait finderFilter breeds by tail, eye color, coat, size, shedding, energy and more to find every breed with the traits you want.
- Dog breed comparisonPick two or three breeds to compare size, lifespan, coat, exercise and every AKC trait side by side, with a to-scale drawing.
- Wolf vs dog size comparisonPick any breed or enter your dog's size to see it next to an average gray wolf, drawn to scale.
- Hypoallergenic dog finderFilter the breeds that suit people with allergies by size, energy, grooming, coat and family fit.
- Apartment dog finderSet your size limit, exercise time and noise rules to rank every breed for apartment life.