Low Exercise Dog Breeds

Many people don't have enough time during the day to exercise their dog. Some breeds of dogs require a long daily walk, while there are others that can get by with a quick walk to the corner and back. One would think that the smaller the dog, the lower the exercise requirement would be. This isn't always true, though. Small breeds with fast metabolisms or that are fairly muscular will require more exercise than dogs with slow metabolisms or lower amounts of muscle mass. Here are four breeds that don't require large amounts of exercise.

Miniature Pinscher

The Miniature Pinscher, or Min-Pin, is a medium small breed that is very spirited and animated. Even though this is a very energetic breed, they don't have a high muscle mass for their size and thus don't require long walks or strenuous playing for optimal health. Min-pins are also pretty good with children, being very even tempered dogs. An added benefit is that because they are short haired dogs, they don't require much in the way of grooming. Min-Pins will normally weigh between 9 and 13 pounds fully grown, and will grow to a maximum of 12 inches tall.


The Pekingese is a small breed of dog that doesn't require much in the way of exercise due to their low muscle mass. They are long haired dogs that will require lots of grooming. Normally having a white coat, these dogs will also need baths more often than dark haired dogs. The Pekingese will grow to a maximum of nine inches tall and up to 12 pounds when fully grown. The Pekingese is a dog breed that is normally okay with children, and is quite spirited and lively.


The pug is another medium small breed dog that requires very little exercise or grooming. Because the pug will normally grow no larger than 11 inches and 18 pounds, it makes an excellent lap dog. They are extremely loyal and affectionate pets that are normally quiet and docile, making them pretty good with children. According the AKC, pugs are classified in the "Toy" group.

Toy Poodle

The toy poodle, not to be confused with the much smaller teacup poodle, is a small breed dog that doesn't require much strenuous exercise to stay healthy. However, the toy poodle is a high maintenance dog with heavy grooming needs due to the heavy and heavily curled coat. These dogs are usually very intelligent, lively and they love to mimic and learn. As the name implies, this breed is considered a "Toy" by the AKC.  At a maximum of 10 inches in height and seven pounds, this is a very small breed of dog.

Dogs that fall into the medium and medium to small size range will normally require less in the way of exercise than larger dogs. Some of this is because of their small size and ability to obtain acceptable amounts of exercise just running around the house. However, their low exercise requirements are also attributable to the fact that they don't have very much muscle mass to support.