What is cuter than a fluffy, snowy white dog? Fortunately, humans have been breeding certain dogs to be white and fluffy for millennia, and sometimes it’s not just for cuteness. The fluffiness keeps out the cold, allows the dog to blend into snowy and icy terrain, and lets it more easily shake off the snow if it comes from Arctic lands. In this list, the dogs are purebred, and white is the only color allowed for the coat, though areas of ivory or fawn are allowed. Here is a list of nine white fluffy dog breeds.
#9. American Eskimo
The American Eskimo originated in Germany.
This beautiful dog with its fluffy, pure white coat comes in toy, miniature, and standard sizes. The toy stands nine to 12 inches at the shoulder and weighs six to 10 pounds.
The miniature is over 12 inches but less than 15 inches at the shoulder and weighs 10 to 20 pounds, and the standard stands 15 inches but no more than 19 inches at the shoulder and weighs 18 to 35 pounds.
Whatever size it is, the American Eskimo has a foxy look about the head, erect ears, and carries its tail high and curled over its back. Beneath the profuse coat, the skin is gray or pink, but in contrast to the snowy coat the dog’s eyelids, gums, the pads of its feet, and its nose are black.
The American Eskimo is intelligent, has an affectionate nature, and is great with children.
These beautiful animals are highly intelligent but are often known for being stubborn and are prone to excessive barking. They really need to be socialized along with correct introductions to strangers and other pets. American Eskimo eventually warm up to strangers and are rather accepting once comfortable.
Even a standard-sized dog is small enough to do well in an apartment as long as it gets its exercise and its daily walk. Another good thing about the American Eskimo is its long life. This dog can live 15 years or longer.
#8. Bolognese
The Bolognese is more intelligent than its closely related breeds.
A small white fluffy dog breed that’s been around since the time of ancient Rome, the Bolognese was often given as a gift between the rich and powerful. It is treasured for its friendly but dignified disposition and the beauty of its coat, which is as fluffy as cotton.
The Bolognese is a small dog that stands between 10 and 12 inches at the shoulder and weighs between five and nine pounds, so it can be carried around easily. The white coat has no undercoat and forms little tufts around the dog’s body.
It is a surprisingly robust little dog, with an egg-shaped head, sturdy legs with round feet, and a round, black nose. It is a good dog for a family with older children and is small enough for an apartment. However, like all dogs, it needs a good long walk at least once a day and a place to exercise.
#7. Maremma Sheepdog
theMaremma Sheepdog was originally bred to guard livestock.
This is a big dog, meant to herd sheep in its native Italy. Like the Bolognese, this dog is ancient. Its head is large in proportion to the rest of its body and reminds some people of the head of a bear. Its white coat, which can come with areas of ivory though pure white is preferred, is long and fluffy, with a ruff around the neck, a profuse tail, and the feathering about the thighs.
It is a muscular dog with a strong, straight back and powerful shoulders.
It stands between 23.5 and 28.5 inches high at the shoulder and weighs between 66 and 100 pounds. It is intelligent, and its intelligence makes it a bit of a challenge to train as it wants to do its own thing.
Yet, as a dog bred to protect sheep against the wolf, it is brave and loyal and makes a good guard dog, though it is not recommended for the novice dog owner.
The Maremma Sheepdog is not only unsuited for an apartment, but it can be happy being left outdoors. It needs lots of space to exercise in as well as long walks and permission to run at liberty now and then.
The dog’s coat makes it unsuitable for hot climates, and if it’s kept outside, it needs a shady place to rest during warm days and lots of water. One tip is to toss handfuls of ice into the dog’s water bowl when it’s warm out. The Maremma sheepdog lives between 11 and 13 years.
#6. Bichon Frise
The Bichon Frise is known for being a good companion breed.
This white fluffy dog breed is related to the Bolognese, though its origins are in 15th century Spain. It is one of the fluffiest dogs out there, and its coat is groomed to make it look, basically, like a great collection of cotton balls.
The pure white of its fur contrasts beautifully with its round black eyes and a black nose. The coat itself has a silken feel and is double, with the topcoat being a bit curlier and a little tougher than the undercoat. One good thing about the Bichon Frise is that it doesn’t shed, and its fur is hypoallergenic.
On the other hand, the dog needs a lot of careful grooming. Every month or so the Bichon Frise should be groomed by a professional. This small dog, which stands nine to 12 inches at the shoulder and weighs between seven and 12 pounds, is lively, loving, and can live 15 years or longer.
It is a great dog for apartment living as long as it gets its walks and exercise.
#5. West Highland White Terrier
West Highland White Terriers were originally bred to have big barks.
Developed in the Highlands of 19th century Scotland to hunt rats, this white fluffy dog breed shares the assertiveness and liveliness found in most terriers, big or small. This little dog stands 10 to 11 inches at the shoulder and weighs between 15 and 22 pounds, which makes it heavy for its size.
It has a round skull, tiny, pointed, erect ears, and an erect but naturally short tail. Its skull is round, and the fur around its head is often groomed for the face to resemble a powder puff. It is a great city dog and thrives in apartments as long as it has its walks.
The one drawback — if it is a drawback — is that the fluffy coat needs a lot of grooming, and the dog should be tended by a professional now and then. The Westie also shares the boon of small dogs in that it has a long life of 15 years or more.
#4. Japanese Spitz
The Japanese Spitz is known as the “cloud dog.”
This fluffy little dog is prized for its lively and playful nature, and though it is small it makes an excellent watchdog. Its pure white coat is luxurious, with a mane so long that it reaches down to the breastbone, feathering on the feet and the thighs and a heavily plumed tail that curls over the back.
It has a foxy head with a long muzzle and erect, triangular ears, though its feet are said to be catlike. This dog looks like the American Eskimo but is not related to it. Though it was developed in Japan in the 1800s, it is believed to be descended from the Russian Samoyed.
The Japanese Spitz stands 12 to 14 inches high at the shoulder and weighs only between 11 and 13 pounds. An intelligent dog, it has few health problems and does well in an apartment. When taken for walks it loves to be at liberty for a bit. The Japanese spitz lives between 10 and 16 years.
#3. Owczarek Podhalanski
TheOwczarek Podhalanski is also known as theTatra Mountain Sheepdog and Tatra Shepherd dog.
This dog with the jawbreaker of a name is also called the Tatra Mountain Sheepdog. It originated in Poland in the 1700s as a guardian of livestock. A big and muscular dog with a solid white or cream coat, it stands 24 to 34 inches high at the shoulder and can weigh between 100 and 150 pounds.
It has a powerful, thick neck and strong legs. Its feet are large with thick soles to protect them as the dog guarded goats and sheep in the Carpathian mountains.
The Owczarek Podhalanski is docile and friendly, but its sheer size makes it unsuitable for an apartment. Its double coat, harsh on the top and soft and dense below, makes it able to live outside in a climate that doesn’t get too hot.
The coat of this sheepdog is remarkable as it is self-cleaning, but it does shed a lot in the late spring and needs regular brushing. The Tatra Mountain sheepdog lives between 10 and 12 years.
#2. Kuvasz
Kuvasz dogs served as guard dogs for the nobility in the late 15th century.
The Kuvasz, developed in 13th century Hungary to guard flocks much like the Tatra Mountain Sheepdog, is known for the unusual beauty of its head, which is long and elegant. It has a double coat that grows into a long mane around the dog’s neck. The fur is also long and thick on the body, tail, and legs. The white or cream color of the dog’s fur contrasts beautifully with its eyes, lips, nose, and eyes, which are all dark.
This big dog, which stands 22 to 26 inches high at the shoulder and can weigh between 80 and 100 pounds, is an excellent companion for a family with children, as it is loyal and protective. However, it is ideal to get a Kuvasz puppy when the children are still babies or toddlers so that they can grow up together.
The Kuvasz is too big and energetic for an apartment and must have at least a big backyard. Its thick coat makes it amenable to cold weather, but the best situation is for the dog to alternate between inside and outside. Like a lot of large dogs, the kuvasz is prone to hip dysplasia, and it must be said, it drools a bit.
Like the Owczarek Podhalanski, its coat cleans itself but should still have a weekly brushing to avoid matting. The Kuvasz lives between 10 and 12 years.
#1. Samoyed
Samoyeds are pack animals.
This dog comes by its fluffy white coat honestly, for it was bred in Russia in the 1600s to herd reindeer, pull sleds, and cuddle up with its people at night to keep them warm. Unlike the American Eskimo and the Japanese Spitz who resemble it, the Samoyed is a medium-sized dog that stands 18 to 22 inches high at the shoulder and weighs between 50 and 65 pounds.
As can be expected, it is a muscly dog with a deep chest and powerful hindquarters. It has a beautiful, lion-like mane and its feet are cushioned with fur. It famously holds its fluffy tail curled over one side of its body.
The Samoyed is an excellent family dog and is so friendly that it makes a bad watchdog. Its beautiful coat, however, needs lots of grooming and sheds fairly heavily. The dog is long-lived for a dog of its size and can live as long as 15 years.
