A small companion dog could be an excellent pet for you, if you are elderly, have a sedentary lifestyle, live in an apartment, or travel. Due to their small size, they dont need to exercise as much—one or two walks per day is fine. They eat and eliminate smaller amounts and need less space than the larger breeds, so they are easier to handle in a small apartment. Their mobility makes them easy to bring along when traveling by a car or a plane, theyre lightweight, and easy for a disabled or elderly person to pick up and carry.
However, the UKC companion dog group does include a few breeds that are larger or were originally bred for other purposes. For example, dalmatians were bred to accompany carriages on up to 60 or 70 mile trips, the schipperke were bred for working on canal barges, as well as catching vermin and keeping guard. There are even some of the very small companion breeds that were bred for working and may need more training and exercise than the other companion breeds. For example, Yorkshire terriers were bred to be ratters, so they are usually bold and assertive.
