Coton de Tuléar
The Coton de Tuléar is the dog people meet at a friend's flat and ask about for the next three weekends. It is small, white, low-shedding, and built around a temperament so…
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
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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 
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…
Havanese
The Havanese is the national dog of Cuba, the only dog breed native to the country, and one of a small handful of pedigree breeds developed specifically for the role of being…
Italian Greyhound
The Italian Greyhound is what happens when a full-size sighthound is shrunk by two thousand years of selective breeding into the lap of a Renaissance noblewoman. It is small…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 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.
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.
Chinese Crested Dog
An elegant, near-hairless small dog that does surprisingly well in tropical climates. Affectionate, low-shedding, and easier on the lungs than fur-coated breeds, but the skin needs daily attention.
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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We're always adding new breeds. If you know one we should cover, send it our way.
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