Can you guess the dog breed based on its puppy picture?

You’ve seen this foxy-like face and curled bushy tail before, but this pint-size feisty demeanour pup won’t get much bigger. In fact, fully grown it will only be about 18 centimetres tall and weigh under five kilograms. It is a spitz variety of Nordic descent with a stand-off coat – a thick undercoat that makes the outer coat stand out from the body. That comes in handy for chilly weather, but this diva won’t be pulling sleds like her larger cousins anytime soon.

Pomeranian

This pup is well-known for its hypoallergenic coat that is wavy and white. At just under 30 centimetres tall and five to eight kilograms fully grown, this pup is a dog-show favourite. Its soft and luxurious coat makes it look like a powder puff with legs. But under the fluff, you’ll recognize the peppy gait and playful and inquisitive eyes of this breed.

Bichon Frise

A whole lot of charm and a bit of mischievousness are packed into this stocky stunner. The wrinkles seem to form human expressions to let us know if the pup is happy, sad, or about to get into something it’s not supposed to. This pup comes in apricot-fawn, all black, or silver and all have the trademark black muzzle and tightly curled tail. It certainly has similar traits to certain bulldogs and Mastiff, but its size says it all: At a petite six to eight kilograms and 24 to 33 centimetres, many breeds are ruled out.

Pug

Go ahead, scoop up this delightful tiny pup and put it in your pocket. Whether long-haired or short-haired this teensy-weensy breed barely registers on the scale at under three kilograms and a petite 13 to 20 centimetres. The big saucy eyes set far apart on its apple-dome head already give this pup a distinctive look that is matched by its feisty and sassy personality.

Chihuahua

Hmm, the broad-scale face and wrinkles set on a tri-coloured face could suggest a couple of breeds at this puppy stage. But what will become of its ears? That’s where a big clue lies: Ears that are cropped to be long and tapered, standing high erect on the head, will give the appearance of wrinkles on the forehead, while ears kept natural will lay flat and close to the cheeks. Make a list…

Boxer