NNPets
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Which dog breed actually fits your life?

Seven questions about your space, exercise, grooming and household. All 36 breeds are scored against your answers, with every reason shown.

What this cannot tell you. The difference between two dogs of the same breed is usually larger than the difference between breeds. Use this to rule out real mismatches, then judge the actual dog. It is not a prediction about a puppy.
1 Where will the dog live?

A first filter, not a rule.

2 How much exercise can you realistically give every single day?

Be honest, not aspirational.

3 How much grooming are you willing to do?

Low-shedding usually means high-maintenance.

4 How much dog experience do you have?

About training capacity, not competence.

5 What adult size do you want?

Adult weights, not puppy weights.

6 How long would the dog be left alone on a typical weekday?

A common and avoidable source of distress.

7 Who else is in the home?

The one that matters most.

How the scoring works

Each breed is scored against 7 questions by 67 explicit rules — plain yes/no tests on breed attributes that add or subtract points. Maximum score is 37 points; the percentage shown is that score against the maximum, so it is a relative ranking, not a verdict.

Nothing is filtered out. Hiding poor matches would look more decisive and would imply a certainty the tool does not have, so every breed is ranked and conflicts are stated next to the breed rather than buried. If nothing fits well, the tool says that instead of promoting the least-bad option.

Breed reference table

Show the full dataset behind the quiz (36 breeds)

Energy is a coarse breed-level band, not a measurement. Every row links to the standard it came from.

Breeds in the match dataset (36)
Breed Weight Height Energy Coat Grooming Shedding Lifespan Source
Labrador Retriever 55–80 lb 21.5–24.5 in High short low high 11–13 yr standard
Golden Retriever 55–75 lb 21.5–24 in High long moderate high 10–12 yr standard
German Shepherd Dog 50–90 lb 22–26 in High medium moderate high 12–14 yr standard
French Bulldog 16–28 lb 11–13 in Low short low moderate 10–12 yr standard
Bulldog 40–50 lb 14–15 in Low short low moderate 8–10 yr standard
Poodle (Standard) 40–70 lb 15–22 in High curly high low 10–18 yr standard
Poodle (Miniature) 10–15 lb 10–15 in High curly high low 10–18 yr standard
Beagle 20–30 lb 13–15 in High short low moderate 10–15 yr standard
Rottweiler 80–135 lb 22–27 in Moderate short low moderate 9–10 yr standard
Yorkshire Terrier 4–7 lb 7–8 in Moderate long high low 11–15 yr standard
Dachshund 11–32 lb 5–9 in Moderate short low moderate 12–16 yr standard
Pembroke Welsh Corgi 22–30 lb 10–12 in High medium moderate high 12–13 yr standard
Australian Shepherd 40–65 lb 18–23 in Very high medium moderate high 12–15 yr standard
Border Collie 30–55 lb 18–22 in Very high medium moderate high 12–15 yr standard
Shih Tzu 9–16 lb 9–10.5 in Low long high low 10–18 yr standard
Chihuahua 2–6 lb 5–8 in Moderate short low low 14–16 yr standard
Boxer 50–80 lb 21.5–25 in High short low moderate 10–12 yr standard
Siberian Husky 35–60 lb 20–23.5 in Very high long high high 12–14 yr standard
Great Dane 110–175 lb 28–32 in Moderate short low moderate 7–10 yr standard
Pug 14–18 lb 10–13 in Low short low high 13–15 yr standard
Boston Terrier 12–25 lb 10–12 in Moderate short low low 11–13 yr standard
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel 13–18 lb 12–13 in Moderate medium moderate moderate 12–15 yr standard
Shetland Sheepdog 15–25 lb 13–16 in High long high high 12–14 yr standard
Australian Cattle Dog 35–50 lb 17–20 in Very high short low moderate 12–16 yr standard
Miniature Schnauzer 11–20 lb 12–14 in Moderate wire high low 12–15 yr standard
Bichon Frise 12–18 lb 9.5–11.5 in Moderate curly high low 14–15 yr standard
Maltese 4–7 lb 7–9 in Low long high low 12–15 yr standard
Pomeranian 3–7 lb 6–7 in Moderate long high moderate 12–16 yr standard
Cocker Spaniel 20–30 lb 13.5–15.5 in Moderate long high moderate 10–14 yr standard
Bernese Mountain Dog 70–115 lb 23–27.5 in Moderate long high high 7–10 yr standard
Doberman Pinscher 60–100 lb 24–28 in High short low moderate 10–12 yr standard
Shiba Inu 17–23 lb 13.5–16.5 in Moderate medium moderate high 13–16 yr standard
Whippet 25–40 lb 18–22 in Moderate short low low 12–15 yr standard
Greyhound 60–70 lb 27–30 in Low short low low 10–13 yr standard
Newfoundland 100–150 lb 26–28 in Low long high high 9–10 yr standard
Medium mixed breed 25–60 lb 16–24 in Moderate medium moderate moderate 10–14 yr standard

Frequently asked questions

How does this quiz work?

It scores all 36 breeds against your answers using 67 explicit rules, then ranks them. No model, no randomness — the same answers always give the same order, and every rule that helped a breed is listed next to it so you can disagree with the reasoning rather than a black box.

Does breed temperament predict an individual dog?

Only loosely. Variation between two dogs of the same breed is usually larger than the difference between breeds. Use this to rule out real mismatches — exercise you cannot provide, a coat you will not maintain — then judge the individual dog in front of you.

Why is exercise weighted so heavily?

It is the mismatch that ends worst. A working breed given 30 minutes a day does not become calm; it commonly becomes destructive, noisy or anxious. The question asks what you can do every day, not what you would like to do, because that is the answer people give aspirationally.

What if nothing scores well?

The tool says so instead of promoting the least-bad option. That usually means your exercise or time-alone answers rule out most breeds, and it is worth revisiting them — or considering an adult dog from a shelter, where you can assess the individual.

Sources

  1. American Kennel Club breed standards, linked from every row of the table above. akc.org
  2. ASPCA general dog care, for the mixed-breed entry. aspca.org

How these sources were chosen, and what this site does not do: about & methodology.

Educational use only. Breed-level tendencies describe populations, not individual animals. Talk to a veterinarian or a rescue about the specific dog.