All dog breeds are beautiful in their own way, but some breeds are widely regarded as more attractive than others.

There is no universal formula for a beautiful breed, although most of the dogs on our shortlist have fluffy coats, vibrant markings, or unusual physical features – bright blue eyes, for example.

22 Of the Most Beautiful Dog Breeds

The following list of the most beautiful dog breeds is in no particular order.

If your favorite breed is missing from today’s roundup, let us know in the comments below the article.

Read on for some of the most eye-catching breeds in the canine kingdom.

1) Golden Retriever

One of the most popular dog breeds in the United States, the golden retriever was developed for hunting purposes and their ability to retrieve game birds undamaged. To achieve this, retrievers have soft mouths, preventing them from biting down with too much force.

Golden retrievers thrive in urban or suburban environments. They require lots of exercise.

Intelligent and pretty easy to train, these dogs are ideal for inexperienced or first-time pet parents. Retrievers are obedient by nature and responsive to commands.

Although typically healthy dogs with 15-year life expectancy, retrievers are prone to developing health complications like hip dysplasia and cancer.

2) Pomeranian

Pomeranian’s are known for their luxuriant double coats. These super-cute pups demand relatively little grooming compared to other long-coated dog breeds.

Pomeranians are smart and they are not as challenging to train as many tiny breeds.

While the Pomeranian is generally wary of strangers and should not be left alone with small children, these are loving and family-friendly dogs, as well as one of the most beautiful breeds.

3) Pharaoh Hound

The pharaoh hound is a unique dog breed that tends to polarize opinion. You might rate these dogs among the most beautiful breeds, or you may feel that they look strange.

This is one of the costliest breeds, so scratch this dog if you’re looking for an attractive pup that won’t break the bank.

These dogs have short hair and big ears. Lithe and graceful, pharaoh hounds were created to chase down large prey while hunting with their owners. Affectionate around people, pharaoh dogs don’t have the same unremitting energy levels as many hunting dogs.

If you can find and afford one of these dogs, they make great pets, even for inexperienced owners.

4) Alaskan Malamute

The Alaskan malamute is a wolf-like breed. Powerful and packed with muscle, these dogs have thick, long coats and upright ears.

Coat colorings are a mixture of black, white, and gray. These hues further enhance the wolf-like appearance of this breed.

Be prepared to put in plenty of time and effort into grooming your malamute. Additionally, these dogs require lots of interaction, mental stimulation, and exercise. If you’re an experienced pet parent looking for a rewarding new challenge, consider investing in a malamute if you have the time and energy to spare.

5) Dalmatian

Dalmatians are cute and whimsical dogs with polka dot coats.

Although these dogs are perhaps most renowned for working alongside firemen, they are well-rounded canines, agile and in possession of powerful hunting skills.

This breed is brimming with energy and require lots of vigorous exercise. This is not the best choice of dog if you live in an apartment.

6) Akita

The Japanese akita is an imposing and beautiful breed. Their bodies are loaded with muscle and their shoulders are broad and commanding. Akitas have dense, fluffy coats that serve to soften up the image of this breed.

Traditionally used for guard dog duties and boar hunting, akitas are now kept as pets all over the world.

Akitas come in many different color patterns, although most are a mix of the following colors:

• White
• Brown
• Black
• Gray

You may find it hard to resist petting your akita, but bear in mind that this breed sheds heavily. These dogs also drool.

If you have children at home, you’ll need to socialize an akita from a young age.

7) Doberman

The Doberman is a dog that looks commanding and regal. Their sleek and powerful postured combined with sharp, pointy ears means the breed can look intimidating at a glance, especially if you’ve never got up close to a Doberman before.

Similar to the Rottweiler below, this German breed is soft and friendly. These dogs are also quite sensitive. Despite their appearance, this dog loves nothing more than to cuddle up on the couch for some petting and praise.

8) Samoyed

Samoyeds have long and fluffy coats. These dense white coats may have been ideal for helping these dogs stay warm in Siberia, but they are not best suited to warmer climates. This breed also calls for lots of grooming.

If you live somewhere with cooler weather and you’re ready to take your dog to the groomer regularly, a samoyed can be a tremendously rewarding addition to your family. Make sure you keep this dog busy or they tend to become slightly destructive.

9) Chow Chow

Chows looks somewhat like lions. They have tufts of long fur draped around their heads and shoulders like manes.

This dog has a trademark squinting expression that ramps up the cuteness factor further.

This breed is notorious for being standoffish and aloof. Fiercely independent, chows keep to themselves to a greater extent than most other canine breeds. They are always eager to wander off, meaning you shouldn’t allow this breed to wander off-leash.

If you spend lots of time away from home, this breed is well worth popping on your shortlist.

10) Saluki

Salukis are fast and energetic dogs that love nothing more than running around at full clip. Their attractive physical features also enhance their aerodynamism. Long snouts, elegant tails, and lithe bodies make the saluki a lean, mean running machine.

You should do plenty of research before deciding to bring a saluki home. Although undoubtedly one of the most beautiful dog breeds and also very endearing, you’ll need to bear these pointers in mind:

• Salukis can be very difficult to train.
• This breed has remarkably high energy levels.
• You will need lots of secure space for these dogs to roam.
  

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11) Afghan Hound

Like the saluki, the Afghan hound was first used for sight hunting. The speed of these dogs means they find it easy to chase down a variety of prey.

These dogs have long, silky coats and a lightweight build. An ancient breed, Afghan hounds have long faces, giving them a combination of beauty and weirdness that appeals to dog lovers in the United States and beyond.

Due to the hunting origins of this breed, you’ll need to make sure you give your Afghan hound plenty of room to wander.

Note that this breed can be tricky to train. Also, their coats shed profusely. As long as you can deal with these challenges, an Afghan hound makes a beautiful and rewarding pet.

12) Poodle

The poodle is a strange looking dog that many feel is one of the most beautiful breeds out there.

With eye-catching coats that can be styled in many different ways, you’ll need to set aside plenty of time to groom these dogs, but the result will be worthwhile.

At a glance, you may imagine a poodle is a goofy breed, but they are super-smart.

These dogs can also be used for nose work – finding truffles, for instance – for agility trials, and for any activities based in water.

Poodles are also known to make wonderful therapy dogs, while standard poodles – the largest type – can make effective guard dogs.

13) Irish Setter

Irish setters boast silky and flowing coats colored in many hues, including strawberry blonde and mahogany.

With loving and outgoing personalities, Irish setters make great pets. Sweet and enthusiastic the breed is also filled with energy. As with all dogs that require lots of exercise, you should make sure this meshes with your lifestyle.

Similar to most bird dogs, Irish setters are easy to train and sociable. Fail to live up to your end of the bargain and leave an Irish setter without enough exercise and they will become highly destructive.

This beautiful breed makes a great addition to large families who love spending time outdoors.

14) Papillon

Papillons are incredibly cute and liable to provoke smiles from anyone they come across.

This dinky dog has an abundant and silky coat, lovable eyes, and expressive faces that can help you forget about all your worries. Their tufted ears are usually erect, increasing the cuteness of this breed.

While these dogs are small, they are not stereotypical lap dogs. You’ll need to interact with your papillon often, and you’ll also need to give him plenty of exercise.

Fun, fairly easy to care for, and capable of excelling in agility trials, is a papillon right for you and your family?

15) Great Dane

While there are many beautiful dog breeds, there are none who combine attractiveness and size in such a commanding fashion as the Great Dane.

Often labelled the largest traditional dog breed in the world, these dogs have more than a huge and muscular body on offer. Their faces are expressive and dignified. Although this dog lacks the flowing coat common to most attractive dog breeds, they are a sight to behold and worthy of inclusion on today’s shortlist.

The major drawback of this breed is the amount of drool they produce. Make sure you are comfortable with this before bringing a Great Dane home.

As long as you have lots of space at home and a secure yard in which they can roam, these dogs are easy to own and have moderate exercise requirements.

16) Shiba Inu

A shiba inu has small ears, a rounded head, and a dense coat that combine to make this one of the most adorable dog breeds.

These dogs call for lots of interaction and affection. They can’t get enough of cuddling on the couch and bringing big smiles to their owners’ faces.

You can find these dogs in many different colors, including:

• Cream
• Red
• Black and tan

While shiba inus tend to shed profusely, they are low-maintenance dogs and do not need too much grooming.

If you spend lots of time away from home, this loving dog will cope well in your absence, but he’ll also be delighted when you return from work.

17) Weimaraner

The Weimaraner is known informally as the silver ghost thanks to its immediately recognizable coat finished in resplendent gray. Heavy shedders, Weimeraners are not ideal for those with allergies or sensitivities.

To offset the icy look of the gray and wolf-like coat, these dogs have soft eyes that invite sympathy and plenty of pampering.

This breed looks similar to a Labrador retriever, although they are much more demanding and do not make a smart bet for first-time pet parents.

Smart and easily trainable, you’ll need to give this breed an abundance of intense exercise or they will develop destructive tendencies.

18) Rottweilers

Rottweilers might appear like intimidating dogs, but there is more to this breed than muscles and attitude.

With black and tan coats that are either short-haired or medium in length, the breed may not have a soft and luxurious coat, but they have striking yellow eyes that intensify their beauty.

Rottweilers are highly protective of their families and have personalities to match their good looks.

Rotties might be beautiful and endearing, but they are unsuitable for inexperienced or first-time dog owners. This breed may not be the first you associate with beautiful breeds, but if you have the chops to take control of a Rottie, you’ll have a loyal and protective friend for life.

19) German Shepherd

German shepherds are intelligent dogs with a strong work ethic. This breed is among the most featured on the big screen, and part of the reason for this is their good looks.

The German shepherd is a wolf-like dog with a loving expression and a gentle nature.

Some of these dogs have all-white coats, others all-black coats, and you can find German shepherds with coats of almost every color. The downside is that their coats shed heavily. Take them out often and vigorously brush their coats at least once a week. It’s no surprise that German shepherds are one of the most popular dog breeds in the United States.

20) Australian Shepherd

Australian shepherds have fluffy, multicolored coats and piercingly beautiful eyes. These look outstanding but also shed copiously, so make sure you’re prepared to invest some time in grooming and maintenance.

This breed has extremely high energy levels, so think twice if you don’t like the idea of walking a dog regularly. If this breed is not given enough exercise, they can become quite destructive.

21) Siberian Huskies

With super-fluffy coats and sharp blue eyes, Siberian huskies have ears that stand to attention and a luxuriant double coat. The markings on these dogs are equally distinctive, making for show-stopping good looks.

If you have never owned a dog before, this breed is not a good starting point. Demanding and requiring lots of exercise, these dogs can also be stubborn. They are smart dogs, but this does not mean they are easily trainable. Indeed, huskies are prone to ignoring commands.

Do not buy a Siberian husky just because you think it looks great. Do plenty of research first, and make sure you’re up to the challenge.

22) Brussels Griffon

The Brussels Griffon is not the most well-known of breeds, but it’s right up there among the best looking.

Weighing from 5 to 15 pounds, these dogs come in one of four main colors. Oversized black eyes give the Griffon an almost human appearance, endearing them to people the world over.

Alert and sociable, the Brussels Griffon is also quite easy to train. If you’re a first-time dog owner, one of these beautiful pups is a great introduction to pet parenting.

Conclusion

We trust that today’s guide has provided you with plenty of inspiration if you are considering a new dog this year.

Although all of the dogs listed above are attractive, you should not buy a dog just because you think it looks good. Make certain you research feeding, grooming, and exercise requirements. Also ensure that the breed you are selecting is suitable for your experience levels as a pet parent.

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