12 Quietest Dogs for Apartments — our top picks
French Bulldog
French Bulldog: small-sized, low energy and medium trainability — a strong fit for flats with thin walls and close neighbors. Muscular flat-faced breed with bat ears and adaptable personality. Excellent apartment companion.
Whippet
Whippet: medium-sized, medium energy and medium trainability — a strong fit for flats with thin walls and close neighbors. Medium-sized sighthound, gentle and quiet indoors. Perfect balance of athleticism and calm companionship. Worth knowing before you commit: the Whippet does badly left alone all day.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: small-sized, medium energy and high trainability — a strong fit for flats with thin walls and close neighbors. Gentle toy spaniel with silky coat and sweet expression. Perfect family companion with sporting dog heritage. Worth knowing before you commit: the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel does badly left alone all day.
Boston Terrier
Boston Terrier: small-sized, medium energy and high trainability. American Gentleman with tuxedo markings and friendly disposition. Intelligent and easy-going companion.
Basenji
Basenji: small-sized, high energy and low trainability. Barkless African hunting dog with cat-like cleanliness. Independent, intelligent, and unique. Worth knowing before you commit: the Basenji needs serious daily exercise, and gets destructive without it.
Pug
Pug: small-sized, medium energy and medium trainability. Charming flat-faced toy breed with wrinkled face and cheerful personality. "Multum in parvo" - much in little. Worth knowing before you commit: the Pug sheds heavily enough that cleaning becomes a daily routine.
Cavapoo
Cavapoo: small-sized, medium energy and high trainability. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Poodle cross. Gentle and friendly with reduced shedding. Worth knowing before you commit: the coat is real work — the Cavapoo needs frequent brushing and regular professional trims.
English Bulldog
English Bulldog: medium-sized, low energy and low trainability. Iconic British breed with distinctive wrinkled face and muscular build. Gentle, courageous companion despite breathing challenges. Worth knowing before you commit: the English Bulldog is stubborn enough that first-time owners often struggle.
Greyhound
Greyhound: large-sized, medium energy and medium trainability. Fastest dog breed, built for speed. Gentle "45mph couch potato" with calm indoor temperament. Worth knowing before you commit: a strong prey drive makes off-leash recall a long project for the Greyhound.
Shiba Inu
Shiba Inu: small-sized, medium energy and low trainability. Smallest Japanese spitz breed with fox-like appearance. Independent, clean, and alert with strong personality. Worth knowing before you commit: the Shiba Inu sheds heavily enough that cleaning becomes a daily routine.
Shar Pei
Shar Pei: medium-sized, low energy and medium trainability. Chinese breed with distinctive wrinkles and blue-black tongue. Independent and loyal but can be aloof.
Irish Wolfhound
Irish Wolfhound: giant-sized, low energy and medium trainability. Tallest dog breed, gentle giant with calm temperament. Ancient breed once used to hunt wolves. Worth knowing before you commit: the Irish Wolfhound does badly left alone all day.
How this ranking works: each of DoggyQ's 321 breeds is scored on the traits that decide this particular question — the same trait ratings shown on each breed's own guide page, so you can check the reasoning rather than take a ranking on faith. Read more about our methodology, or see which breed you look like from a single photo.
Popular breeds that are a poor fit for flats with thin walls and close neighbors
Belgian Malinois
The Belgian Malinois is a popular choice, but its trait profile pulls against flats with thin walls and close neighbors. On top of that, the Belgian Malinois needs serious daily exercise, and gets destructive without it.
German Shorthaired Pointer
The German Shorthaired Pointer is a popular choice, but its trait profile pulls against flats with thin walls and close neighbors. On top of that, the German Shorthaired Pointer needs serious daily exercise, and gets destructive without it.
Yorkshire Terrier
The Yorkshire Terrier is a popular choice, but its trait profile pulls against flats with thin walls and close neighbors. On top of that, the coat is real work — the Yorkshire Terrier needs frequent brushing and regular professional trims.
Which dog do you look like?
Take one photo and an AI model tells you which of our 321 breeds you most resemble, and which features gave it away. Free, no account, and your photo is never stored. It is a game rather than advice — but every match links straight into that breed's real guide.
See which dog you look likeFrequently asked questions
- What is the quietest dog for an apartment?
- Based on temperament and care needs, the French Bulldog ranks as the top choice for flats with thin walls and close neighbors, followed by the Whippet and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
- How was this list of dogs for flats with thin walls and close neighbors chosen?
- Each breed is scored on the traits that matter most for flats with thin walls and close neighbors — such as energy, size, grooming and temperament — using DoggyQ's breed database. The same trait ratings are printed on each breed's own guide page, so you can check why a breed placed where it did.
- Which popular breeds are a poor fit for flats with thin walls and close neighbors?
- The Belgian Malinois, The German Shorthaired Pointer, The Yorkshire Terrier all rank near the bottom for flats with thin walls and close neighbors despite being widely chosen — usually because the traits that make them appealing elsewhere work against them here.