Small Curly-Haired Dog Breeds: 4 Most Popular Worldwide

Small Curly-Haired Dog Breeds: 4 Most Popular Worldwide
Photo by Viktor Talashuk / Unsplash

What kind of dog is small with curly hair? The first small dogs with curly hair that everyone could think of would probably be the famous Poodle, Bichon Frise, or the Bolognese. Yes, indeed These three breeds are the most popular worldwide, but there is one more wonderful breed to discover in this article.

Generally, curly-haired dog breeds are also hypoallergenic pups. So the combo between cute and safe brings a major plus when it comes to choose the right dog breed for you.

Continue reading to find the best small curly-haired dogs. 🥰

What small dogs have curly hair?

Table of contents
  1. Toy Poodle
  2. Bichon Frise
  3. Bolognese
  4. Pumi

1. Toy Poodle - the most famous curly-haired dog breed

toy poodle curly hair

The Toy Poodle is a small dog breed distinguished by its hypoallergenic, curly coat. This breed comes in a range of colors, including white, black, apricot, silver, and many others, and have a distinctive, fluffy appearance.

Toy Poodles generally measure around 10 inches (25 cm) in height at the shoulder and weigh between 4-6 pounds (1.8-2.7 kg). They are the smallest size of the Poodle breed.

🐾 Traits
Toy Poodles are excellent family pets because they are very trainable and intelligent. The physical and mental health of Toy Poodles must be maintained because they are also quite active and require frequent exercise.
These tiny curly dogs are wonderful companion animals and are renowned for their warm and caring personalities.

✂️ Grooming
The Toy Poodle's curly coat requires regular grooming to maintain its health and appearance. The coat should be brushed at least once a week to prevent matting and tangling, and clipped every 4-6 weeks to maintain its shape.

Coat. The coat should be clipped by a professional groomer or a person who has been trained to clip Poodles.

Brushing. Poodles are hypoallergenic, which means they shed less than other breeds, but they do shed hair. Regular brushing will help to minimize shedding and keep the coat healthy. The hair around the ears, paws, and anus should be trimmed regularly to keep the dog clean and prevent matting.

Bathing. Require regular bathing to keep their coat clean and shiny.

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2. Bichon Frise - the second curliest small dog with a cloudy look

bichon frise curly hair

The Bichon Frise is known for its playful and affectionate nature. This tiny dog has a distinctive, fluffy, and curly coat that is hypoallergenic and comes in a variety of colors including white, cream, apricot, and silver.

The Bichon Frise is by default a small breed of dog that typically measures around 9-11 inches (23-28 cm) in height at the shoulder and weighs between 6-12 pounds (2.7-5.4 kg).

🐾 Traits
Bichon Frises are highly intelligent and trainable, making great family pets. They are also very sociable and love to be around people and other animals, making them suitable for homes with children and other pets. Being lively and energetic, a Bichon Frise enjoys playing and going for walks.

✂️ Grooming
The Bichon Frise's coat requires regular grooming to maintain its health and appearance.

Coat. To maintain its shape, the coat should be brushed at least once a week to prevent matting and tangling, plus clipped every 4-6 weeks.
To keep their coat fluffy and curly, you can use a slicker brush and a metal comb to remove tangles and mats, and a pair of scissors to trim any stray hairs.

Bathing. Require regular bathing.

In order to keep the dog clean and avoid matting, the Bichon Frise's hair around the paws, anus, and ears should also be frequently clipped. Because of its thick and fluffy coat, a Bichon Frise has to be professionally groomed on a regular basis to maintain its best appearance.

3. Bolognese - were originally bred as companion dogs for nobility in medieval Italy

Bolognese curly haired dog

Bolognese dogs have a long, fluffy, and soft coat that is typically white in color. Its coat has a soft undercoat and a longer, coarser topcoat. The long hair on the ears, tail, and legs is usually fluffy.

The Bolognese is a tiny dog breed that typically weighs between 7-10 pounds and stands around 9-11 inches tall at the shoulder.

🐾 Traits
This small white curly haired dog is also a great family dog, being well suited for small homes or apartments. Known to be good with children and other pets, they are generally calm and gentle, but they can be suspicious of strangers.

✂️ Grooming

Coat. Their long, fluffy, white coat requires regular grooming to maintain its appearance, even though they have a low shedding coat.

Brushing. Regular brushing is necessary to keep the coat in good condition and to remove any loose hair. A slicker brush or a pin brush is recommended. The coat should be brushed at least once a week.

Bathing. Bolognese dogs only require occasional bathing, usually every 6 to 8 weeks or as required. Use a gentle dog shampoo while bathing your dog to prevent skin discomfort. Additionally, make sure that all of the soap is properly washed out because any leftover soap might irritate skin and cause the coat to matte.

After bathing, it's essential to completely dry the coat with a towel or a blow dryer set to low heat. Your dog's coat can be brushed and styled to the desired appearance once it has dried.

4. Pumi - able to learn new commands and tricks quickly

pumi curly haired dog
A small to medium-sized dog breed, the Pumi normally weighs 20 to 35 pounds and measures 17 to 19 inches height at the withers.

Its dense, wavy coat is usually a blend of black, gray, and white. Although the coat is weatherproof and non-shedding, it does need regular maintenance to keep its beauty.

✂️ Grooming
Regular grooming is necessary to keep the coat from matting and tangling and to preserve its look. For the coat to remain in good shape and to get rid of any loose hair, regular brushing is required. It is advised to use a pin brush or slicker brush. At least once a week, the coat needs to be brushed.

Pumis do not require as regular bathing as some other breeds because of their weather-resistant, wavy, dense coat.

Pumis are extremely active pups with a strong propensity for herding livestock. They are also renowned for being exceptionally bright and trainable. They are renowned for being fiercely devoted to and protective of their families.


In conclusion, small curly dog breeds such as the Poodle, Bichon Maltese and Bolognese are great companion dogs for those who have limited space and are looking for a low-shedding, hypoallergenic pet.

Grooming is an important aspect to keep in mind when considering a small white curly dog breed, as they require regular grooming to maintain their fluffy coats.