There are plenty of dog breeds in the world from which you can choose your pet dog. You can bring home a large dog like St. Bernard or Great Dane if you have a big house and big car. However, if you are not ready for big dogs, you can always go in for some small dog breed like a toy poodle or Bichon Frise. However, if you still aren't happy with their size, you can adopt a puppy from the smallest breed.

The Smallest Puppy Breed
The smallest breed is that which is less than 22lbs in weight or shorter than 16 inches in height. You will come across many small dog breeds that are much heavier or taller, but they are considered to be a borderline between medium and small dog breeds. However, here we will concentrate on the smallest one.

According to the American Kennel Club, Chihuahua is the smallest dog breed in the world. The toy breeds according to American Kennel Club (AKC) are as follows:
  • Affenpinscher
  • Brussels Griffon
  • Cavalier King
  • Charles Spaniel
  • Chihuahua dogs
  • Chinese Crested
  • English Toy Spaniel
  • Havanese dogs
  • Italian Greyhound
  • Japanese Chin
  • Maltese
  • Manchester Terrier
  • Miniature Pincher
  • Papillon
  • Pekingese
  • Pomeranian
  • Poodles
  • Pug
  • Shih Tzu
  • Silky Terrier Toy
  • Toy Fox Terrier
  • Yorkshire Terrier
The Smallest of Them All
The Chihuahua has won the title of the smallest dog breed ever, hands down. The question is what does it take to become the smallest breed? A Chihuahua needs to be less than 6 pounds to be qualified as the smallest dog breed by the AKC. They should be about 6 to 8 inches tall and have a smooth, glossy coat. Or a long shaggy coat is also considered. Any other dog breed that beats the height and weight of the Chihuahua will be considered as the smallest dog breed. The second is the miniature poodle that is about 10 inches in height and 6 to 9 pounds in weight.

The record holder of the smallest dog in the world was a Chihuahua that was living in Slovakia and measured about 5 inches. After the sad demise of this record holder, the title was won by Lake Country, Florida Chihuahua named Dancer. He lost his title to two other contenders and finally the record holder title was won by Boo Boo. He is only four inches tall and the smallest dog in the world.

Information on Chihuahuas
Here's some information about the Chihuahuas in brief. Chihuahuas are devoted dogs and will protect their masters from any threat despite their size. Do not be fooled by their tiny size, they can cause much damage to as a German Shepherd would to an intruder.

Chihuahuas love to socialize and do not like being left alone by their owners. They are not suitable for owners who work all day and cannot spend time with the dog. They also are not ideal pets for children and tend to nip and growl whenever they get a chance. Although they are small, do not underestimate the dog grooming requirements of this dog. If you are not ready to commit yourself to the dog for a considerable time of your day, do not bring home this dog.

Chihuahuas are known for their devotion and ferocity and tend to become jealous when their owner showers more attention on someone else other than them. Chihuahuas are not only the smallest dog breeds in the world, but a high energy dog in a small package.