25 low-maintenance dog breeds

Dying for a dog but not sure you can take care of one? Maintenance is a huge consideration for pet owners bringing a new canine companion into their homes, and some breeds are easier to care for than others.

The choice may be a bit easier now.

That’s because PetBreeds, a pets research site powered by Graphiq, has collected data on which dog breeds are the lowest maintenance.

The site’s data journalists used information from multiple sources, including Animal Planet, the American Kennel Club and DogChannel.com, to identify the 25 lowest-maintenance dog breeds among the top 100 most popular breeds in America. These are the dogs that require little grooming, shed the least, need minimal exercise and are easy to train.

So which dogs made the cut?

The data shows that the Boston terrier, the miniature bull terrier and the German pinscher are all great low-maintenance choices for pet owners.

Also on the list is the beloved Labrador retriever, which the American Kennel Club ranked number one for popularity in 2015. This dog only requires occasional grooming, but it does shed regularly. The pup’s demeanor makes it easy to train, which also factors into its low-maintenance reputation.

Some surprises also made the list. Less popular breeds, like the Schipperke and the Spinone Italiano – which ranked 108th and 112th on the AKC’s 2015 list – were classified as low-maintenance.

When searching for the perfect low-key pup, owners might do well to consider some of these more obscure breeds.