Well, even though we are talking about small dog breeds recommended for a courtyard, you might think they don’t take much space anyway and can easily accommodate in an apartment.
Well, yes, yes you can! You can also keep any of the 5 small dog breeds that we will continue to talk about in your apartment.
Now, you can keep them in the apartment if you feel ready to deal with the high energy level these dogs have, and if not, you should at least put away everything that can be chewed or broken in the house, especially things you would want to stay untouched.
This is, in fact, the main reason why we made the following top list of 5 tiny dog breeds. Some of the following dogs are very good for guarding, others have the habit of barking very much, but they all have one thing in common: each of these fur buddies needs the right conditions to consume their huge energy.
Let’s get started!
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The Fox Terrier
Male Fox Terriers have a height no more than 15.5 inches and weigh 17 to 19 pounds, while females are smaller and weigh 15 to 17 pounds.
The Fox Terrier is a candy puppy! Full of life, playful and affectionate, it will accommodate as fast as you say “Fox!”, becoming a loyal companion to the whole family.
The Fox Terrier is, however, extremely energetic, having so much energy that it will constantly seek to consume it! Therefore, it will always look for something to play with, or it might look for some space to run.
Devoted and protective, the Fox Terrier is a very effective guard dog. With his excellent hearing, but also somewhat circumspect with foreigners, he will use his main alarm source, its barking, to alert its family of potential intruders.
Moreover, the Fox Terrier dog is a very skillful rodent hunter, so it will make sure that no mouse will dare to even cross your courtyard.
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Miniature Schnauzer
Miniature Schnauzers weigh approximately 13 to 15 lb. and are around 12- to 14-inch in height.
Like the Fox Terrier, the Miniature Schnauzer also has developed a set of remarkable abilities when it comes to home security.
You might also like our articles about the top 5 teacup dog breeds for apartments, the top 10 smallest dogs in the world, and the Toy Australian Shepherd.
Because of its high energy level, this tiny dog seems to be always on alert, and most of the time it is, barking every time it thinks it is appropriate if things are not in order.
Unlike Fox Terrier, however, the miniature Schnauzer has a more resonant barking, rather suitable for a larger dog, but it represents a major advantage in the courtyard.
But, if you live in an apartment, you really don’t want it to start barking when your neighbor comes home at 2 a.m., because it will wake up the whole neighborhood.
Moreover, if it doesn’t have the necessary space to consume its energy, your miniature Schnauzer will inevitably start to cause damage in the house. So, it’s better to raise it in the courtyard, where it can run as it pleases and as long as it wants.
For the rest, the miniature Schnauzer is a lovable, happy, energetic, loyal, and affectionate pup that will wait for you to get home and will be gloriously happy when it sees you.
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Scottish Terrier
Scottish Terriers are tiny dogs about 10 inches tall and usually weigh between 18 and 22 lb., depending on whether they are male or a female.
When it comes to energy consumption, the Scottish Terrier is practically a whirligig! Extremely energetic, the Scottish Terrier dog needs to be involved in a lot of exercises so that it will lose a great part of its energy, thus avoiding getting bored.
But, if it gets bored, you’d better make sure someone is watching it because most of the time the ways in which it chooses to use its energy are destructive.
Although I recommend it for a courtyard, you must know that it is not a good idea to leave it alone, not even there, because it can start to dig and won’t stop till it makes your lawn a mess.
As for its guard dog qualities, the Scottish Terrier excels, by combining the gentleness, loyalty, and sense of protection towards the family with an undefeated spirit, ready to fight with anyone, whether he is a foreign man, or another dog, regardless of its size.
And like the miniature Schnauzer, the Scottish Terrier was gifted with a penetrating baritone barking, rather specific for larger breeds, which it would not hesitate to use every time it feels that potential danger is in the area.
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Cairn Terrier
Cairn Terriers are about 13 – 14 pounds and reach a height of 9 ½ – 10 inches.
Cairn Terriers develops a personality very similar to its Scottish relative, presented earlier, sharing with it both the high energy level, sometimes its destructive ways of consuming it, and the guard dog qualities.
Its love for play and other intense physical activities is, in fact, a brand of all dogs, especially those who have a lot of energy, and the dog of the Cairn Terrier breed is by no means an exception.
But, as in the case of the Scottish Terriers, not even the Cairn Terrier dog will leave much of your freshly trimmed lawn intact if it gets bored, because you guessed, it likes to dig holes.
Unlike the Scottish Terrier, however, Cairn Earth develops an even more sharp sense when it comes to security, being very easy to alert, and, of course, when that happens it will respond immediately through its barking.
Leaving aside its distinctive personality elements developed based on its overflowing energy, the Cairn Terrier is extremely loyal to its family, playful, and assertive.
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Jack Russell Terrier
Jack Russell Terrier stands at about 10 to 15 inches in height and weighs 13 to 17 lb.
We finally reached the 5th tiny dog breed for the courtyard on our list and I said, I kept the best for the end.
Well, no matter how energetic, how good of a guard dog they are, or how good the other four tiny dogs on the list might be, none of them rise up to the Jack Russell Terrier.
The energy this pup has is impressive! Play with it as long as the day is, and at the end of the day, when you and all the family members will be absolutely exhausted, the little Jack will still be running around with you.
And if it doesn’t get the attention it wants or needs, just watch out! If it gets bored, it will certainly not sit down in a shadowed place to take a nap; it will bark, dig holes, chew everything that stands in its way. All of these should be taken into account to prevent it, or it will obsessively devastate your courtyard.
Like the other dogs, Jack Russell is very good at security, so good that it doesn’t know how to stop it! Being extremely protective of its family, it will practically bark continuously to alert everyone that a stranger is close.
The Jack Russell Terrier is also a very good hunter! And if you are glad that it will keep the rodents away from your yard, you must also know that this small ball of pure energy can often sight-eye even on cats or other pets.
But there are also things that the Jack Russell Terrier breed shares with the other little courtyard breeds presented, like overflowing trust, a huge appetite for life, love, and loyalty for the family.
With the sweet Jack Russell, I am also finishing our adventure through the adorable world of small and fluffy dog breeds!
If you have come to read it till the end, I hope it was a pleasant reading and that you learned new things about the smaller brothers of the great canine family.
