Mini Goldendoodle
A teddy-bear-shaped, low-shedding crossbreed that fits HDB rules and most family lifestyles, provided you can keep up with the grooming bill.
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: High
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Lifestyle
Apartment-friendly Beginner friendly Project ADORE eligibleShedding
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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 
Border Collie
The Border Collie is widely cited as the most intelligent dog breed in the world, which is the line every prospective owner hears first and almost no prospective owner fully…
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…
Goldendoodle
The Goldendoodle is a Golden Retriever and Poodle cross bred for low shedding and family compatibility. Highly trainable and sociable, it is one of Singapore's most popular large designer crosses, though its size rules it out of HDB housing. A smaller Mini Goldendoodle variant is also available separately.
Labradoodle
The Labradoodle is a Labrador Retriever and Poodle cross with a documented origin in guide-dog work. Highly trainable, sociable, and low-shedding, it is one of the most capable large crosses in Singapore, though its size makes it unsuitable for HDB housing.
Sheepadoodle
The Sheepadoodle is an Old English Sheepdog and Poodle cross, known for its striking black-and-white coat and playful, loyal nature. Confirmed available in Singapore through AVS-licensed importers, it requires experienced ownership, intensive grooming, and rigorous heat management.
Cocker Spaniel
The Cocker Spaniel is a soft-eyed, feathery-eared gundog originally bred to flush woodcock in the English countryside, which is a long way from a tenth-storey HDB flat in Toa…
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…
Golden Retriever
The first thing to settle, before anything else about the breed, is the housing. A Golden Retriever is a 25 to 34 kg dog that grows to roughly 60 cm at the shoulder, which puts it…
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…
Labrador Retriever
A Labrador's enthusiasm can brighten an ordinary day. Plan for the individual dog's activity, training and care, and check housing permission before committing.
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…
Papillon
The Papillon is the dog you keep underestimating until you have lived with one. It looks like a tiny ornamental spaniel with butterfly ears (papillon is French for butterfly…
Standard Poodle
The Standard Poodle is the breed most likely to surprise a Singapore household. The public image of the Poodle is the show-ring topiary haircut and a small white dog walking out…
Siberian Husky
The version of this guide that does the most good for the most dogs starts by saying the thing nobody enjoys saying: the Siberian Husky is the breed in this catalogue that the…
Singapore Special
The Singapore Special is the dog that has always been here. Generations of local mixed-breed dogs, shaped by Singapore's climate and streets long before any kennel club arrived to…
Toy Poodle
The Toy Poodle is, on the evidence, one of the most sensible small-dog choices an HDB household can make. It is one of the smartest breeds in the world (top three on most…
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…
Australian Terrier
A sturdy little working terrier from Australia with a weatherproof coat, a sensible head, and more stamina than a 6 kg dog has any right to have.
Border Terrier
A scruffy, otter-headed working terrier from the Scottish-English borders. Calm by terrier standards, sociable, surprisingly biddable, and a sleeper-hit HDB companion.
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.
Norwich Terrier
A small, prick-eared English working terrier with the temperament of a slightly more sociable Border Terrier. Rare in Singapore, well-suited to HDB life if you can find one.
Norfolk Terrier
A small, drop-eared English working terrier and the close cousin of the Norwich. Same temperament, softer face, slightly more ear-cleaning required in tropical humidity.
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.
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