Cairn Terrier
The Cairn Terrier is one of the oldest working terrier breeds in Britain, developed on the Isle of Skye and the Western Highlands for the specific job of hunting vermin among the…
Breeds
Dog breeds for Singapore life
Filter by HDB eligibility (HDB's approved breed list), size, energy, heat tolerance and the bills. Every guide is written for someone walking a dog in this heat, in this housing.
HDB approved ADORE route
Energy
More 1
Lifestyle
Apartment-friendly Beginner friendly Project ADORE eligibleShedding
Low Medium HighBarking
Quiet Normal VocalAnnual cost
Under S$3,000 S$3,000 to S$4,500 S$4,500 to S$6,000 Over S$6,000 
Chihuahua
The Chihuahua is the world's smallest recognised dog breed, descended from the ancient Techichi companions of pre-Columbian Mexico, named after the Mexican state where 1800s…
Pembroke Welsh Corgi
The Pembroke Welsh Corgi is a small dog that is clearly something larger in temperament and history, and it is not on HDB's list of approved breeds for flats. At 10 to 14…
Standard Dachshund
The Standard Dachshund is a working badger hound, and that sentence is the entire argument of this guide. The breed was developed in 17th century Germany to track, corner, and…
Jack Russell Terrier
The Jack Russell Terrier is a working fox terrier developed by an English clergyman in the 1800s for the specific job of going to ground after foxes. Roughly nothing about that…
Japanese Spitz
The Japanese Spitz is one of the most photographed dogs in Singapore, and once you have lived next to one you understand why. It is a brilliant small white cloud with black eyes…
Maltese
The Maltese is the dog that has outlived most empires. It has been sitting on Mediterranean laps for at least two thousand years, and the breed standard has barely changed in that…
Miniature Dachshund
The Miniature Dachshund is a scenthound shortened, lowered, and miniaturised to chase badgers underground in 19th-century Germany. None of those words describe a typical HDB…
Miniature Pinscher
The Miniature Pinscher is a small, athletic, opinionated dog with a personality that the breed clubs traditionally describe as "the King of Toys", which is a polite way of saying…
Miniature Schnauzer
The Miniature Schnauzer is what you get when a German farmer in the 1880s wanted a smaller version of the family Standard Schnauzer that could still keep the barn free of rats and…
Pomeranian
The Pomeranian is what happens when a sled-pulling spitz from northern Europe gets bred down for several centuries until it can fit in a handbag. Underneath the fluff is still a…
West Highland White Terrier
The West Highland White Terrier was bred in 1800s Argyll for vermin work on cold, wet Scottish hillsides, which is approximately the opposite of the climate a Westie now faces on…
Yorkshire Terrier
The Yorkshire Terrier started its working life in Victorian Yorkshire mills, killing rats for the textile foremen. It has since been bred down by roughly 70 percent and now lives…
Australian Silky Terrier
A small, silky-coated terrier that looks like a Yorkie's slightly sturdier Australian cousin. Spirited, low-shedding, opinionated, and well-suited to HDB living.
Schipperke
A small, sharp-eared Belgian barge dog with the energy of a Border Collie and the silhouette of a tiny tuxedoed fox. Brilliant, watchful, and absolutely not low-maintenance.
Shetland Sheepdog
A small, intelligent herding dog that looks like a 10 kg Rough Collie. Brilliant, sensitive, deeply trainable, and one of the heaviest-shedding dogs on the HDB list.
Toy Fox Terrier
A brilliant 3 kg smooth-coated American toy terrier with a working dog brain, named on HDB's approved list of breeds for flats.
A breed we don't cover yet?
We add new breed guides every week or two. If you're looking for one we haven't written up, tell us. It bumps the queue and helps us prioritise what Singapore owners are actually asking about.
Suggest a breed →How we rate these breeds
Every breed guide on this site is written for the version of dog ownership that actually happens in Singapore. That means HDB approval is the first question, not a footnote. The approved breed list comes from HDB, the ownership limits from AVS guidance, and Project ADORE eligibility for local mixed-breeds is treated the same way the regulator treats it. Check the official rules and any additional conditions for Specified Dogs before committing.
Cost bands are editorial planning estimates, not a verified market survey or provider quotes. Check current food, grooming and veterinary prices for the individual dog, then adjust the cost calculator. Allow for acquisition, home preparation, routine care and unexpected costs separately. Insurance has exclusions, limits and co-payments, so it does not replace accessible emergency savings.
Trait ratings are editorial comparisons of typical breed tendencies. They are not a validated behavioural assessment, a documented community survey, or a prediction for an individual dog. Read each profile's source and uncertainty notes. Discuss the dog's behaviour, health and care needs with its rescue, breeder and veterinarian.
Directory filters and labels use the information recorded in each breed profile. Missing or unresolved evidence should not be read as approval. A housing label concerns eligibility; it does not promise quiet behaviour, safety around children, or suitability for every first-time owner. Project ADORE partners assess the individual rescue dog.
Spot one we missed?
We're always adding new breeds. If you know one we should cover, send it our way.
Suggest a breed →