[WHY] Popular pups: Why Koreans like certain tiny dog breeds

Seventeen member S.Coups holds his Coton de Tulear Gogooma in a YouTube video. [SCREEN CAPTURE] 

There are select dog breeds that are popular in the K-pop scene. Girls’ Generation’s Taeyeon has a Poodle, EXO’s Sehun owns a Bichon Frise, Seventeen’s S.Coups has a Coton de Tulear and Blackpink’s Jennie has a Pomeranian.

What do they have in common? They’re all small purebreds.

This celebrity preference reflects a broader national trend. At one pet store in Songpa District, southern Seoul, all the puppies for sale were small purebreds or designer breeds — including Maltese, Bichon, Pomeranian, Maltipoo (a mix of Maltese and Poodle) and Maltipom (a mix of Maltese and Pomeranian). One fully grown adult Maltese at the shop — now harder to sell because it was no longer a small puppy — weighed just 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds).

Small puppies are placed inside small glass showcases at a pet shop in western Seoul. [WOO JI-WON] 

While the law defines dogs under 10 kilograms as small and those over 25 kilograms as large, the actual standard for “small” is often stricter in Korea. Only dogs under 5 kilograms are widely considered small, and some dog day cares set the cutoff even lower, at just 4 kilograms.

Korea is one of the fastest-growing pet-owning countries. In 2024, 26.7 percent of households — about 5.91 million — owned pets, according to KB Financial Group’s latest pet report. The number of dogs reached 5.46 million.

But it’s not just any dogs — most are small purebreds. Over 70 percent of pet dogs were purebred, with Maltese being the most popular breed at 20.4 percent, followed by poodles at 18.9 percent, the report said.

This national preference for certain small breeds has remained consistent over time. Since 2018, all four of its pet ownership surveys have consistently ranked Maltese and poodles as Korea’s top two breeds, according to KB Financial Group’s data.

This stands in stark contrast to the United States, where, according to a 2024 survey by the pet-sitting app Rover, mixed-breeds of all sizes are most popular.

So why do Koreans prefer small, purebreds — and show little affection for larger, mixed-breed dogs?

From working dogs to designer breeds

Historically, dogs in Korea were kept for practical purposes — as working animals. Until the 1990s, it was common in rural areas to see medium to large mixed-breed dogs or native Jindos guarding homes and farms.

“Even today, many people still keep dogs that way in the countryside,” said Kim Young-hwan, the head of the animal rights group CARE. “They were valued for their utilitarian role.”

But in the 1990s, pet shop culture from Japan took hold. Shops that displayed and sold small purebreds in glass showcases began to appear. Whereas people once adopted mixed-breed dogs from neighbors or friends, they now picked up perfectly groomed small dogs from pet shops. These dogs were marketed as “cute” and “luxurious,” often labeled with names like “toy poodle” or “teacup Maltese." Owning a dog became more about fashion.

The media also played a huge role in fueling the trend. In the 1990s, breeds like Yorkshire terriers, shih tzus, schnauzers and Cocker spaniels gained popularity through TV and celebrity exposure, casting small purebreds as stylish. 

By the 2000s and 2010s, Pomeranians, Bichon Frises, Maltipoos, and Maltese dominated pet shops. Celebrities who kept them as pets and posted selfies and photos of them — like Park Seo-jun, who owns a Bichon — further reinforced their image as high-end companions and inspired fans to want one, too.

Actor Park Seo-joon and his Bichon [PARK SEO-JOON'S INSTAGRAM] 

One of today’s most sought-after breeds is the purebred Coton de Tulear, a breed owned by singer Lim Young-woong. It gained more fame after cast members Lee Na-yeon and Nam Hee-doo appeared with Cotons in Season 1 of Tving’s 2021 dating show “EXchange.” They sometimes go for as much as 10 million won ($7,000) in pet shops.

“Many people treat dogs like luxury items,” said CARE head Kim. “This obsession is no different from chasing the best meat. Animals are seen as objects. That’s the truth — and it’s deeply rooted.”

Kim also pointed to Korea’s group-oriented mindset as a reason for the preference toward small purebred dogs. “People want dogs that match a shared image of what is considered small and cute,” he said.

Structure, lifestyle and the small-dog advantage

Urban life in Korea supports the small-dog preference. With most households living in apartments, raising a large dog is usually impractical.

“Korea has far more apartment and that creates an environment that favors small dogs,” said Prof. Lee Kyeong-dong of Companion Animal Science at Dongshin University. “In rural or suburban homes, 60 to 70 percent own small dogs and about 20 to 25 percent own medium to large breeds. But in apartments, large dogs make up less than 10 percent.”

The rise in single-person households has also played a role. “Small dogs can snuggle in your arms,” Prof. Kim added. “As more people live alone, they crave intimacy.”

There’s also a matter of practicality, Prof. Kim said. “A large dog’s poop can be three to 10 times that of a small dog — and that alone is a lot to manage."

Owners are discouraged from owning big dogs due to the prevalent fear of them in a city where it has only recently become common to see dogs being walked. 

A woman posted on Instagram about taking her three large dogs, including a wolfdog, to the Starfield shopping mall [SCREEN CAPTURE] 

In April, a woman walking three large dogs, including a wolfdog, at Starfield mall — where dogs are allowed — faced harsh online criticism for not using muzzles. She defended herself, saying the breeds weren't legally required to wear muzzles and that she could control them in emergencies. Still, there was public backlash, with some saying she shouldn’t have brought the dog to a place where small children were running around.

Limited access to pet-friendly services also makes owning large dogs harder. Some dog hotels and day cares only accept dogs under 10 kilograms. A day care in Mapo District separates pricing into tiers based on size — up to 4 kilograms, 9 kilogramsand 13 kilograms. The larger the dog, the higher the cost.

One cafe in Hanam only allows dogs under 10 kilograms, while many cafes across the country accept only small to medium dogs.

Adoptions reflect the same bias

The preference for small purebreds is also evident at animal shelters. 

Mixed breed dogs waiting to be adopted at an animal shelter in Gyeonggi [WOO JI-WON] 

At one shelter in Gyeonggi, around 20 dogs awaited adoption. The ones adopted within just a few weeks? Two Maltese and a spitz. None of the seven large dogs found homes, and even mixed-breed dogs under 10 kilograms — some weighing as little as 5 — had been waiting for months. A few large dogs had been at the center for over two years before volunteers raised funds to transfer them to a private shelter.

CARE head Kim, whose animal rescue team saves hundreds of dogs each year, said that when they rescue purebred dogs, they rarely worry about finding them homes. “They almost always get adopted — especially if they’re small,” he said. “Even slightly larger purebreds usually find homes.”

As for mixed breeds or native Jindos, most are sent abroad. But even that’s getting harder.

“There was a time when foreign adopters pitied Korean dogs because of the country’s dog meat reputation,” Kim said. “But now that legal reforms are in place and interest in Korea has cooled, it’s harder. Only breeds that are expensive in their home countries tend to be adopted well.” A law passed in January 2024 bans the breeding, slaughter, distribution and sale of dogs for meat. It will go into full effect in 2027. 

Designer breeds and ethical concerns

What’s trending now at pet shops is hybrids, including Maltipoms — a mix of Maltese and Pomeranian — and Pomapoos — mix of Pomeranian and Poodle. These mixes are bred to be even cuter and more unique, often with color patterns.

A maltipoo with a unique black head is on sale at a pet shop in western Seoul. [WOO JI-WON] 

Pochacco, a popular dog on Instagram [POCHACO'S INSTAGRAM] 

“Dogs with special features like a black head are especially expensive,” said the pet shop employee. White dogs with black markings have gained popularity on social media in recent years — such as Pochacco.

At the pet shop, two Maltipoos born in April were priced differently. One was labeled VVIP, the other VIP. The only difference was the VVIP had a black head and a white body — making it more “unique.”

But experts warn that such aesthetic-driven breeding has consequences.

“When breeders keep selecting for smaller and smaller traits, they go beyond natural limits,” said Prof. Kim Sung-jae of Companion Animal Science at Kyungbok University. “That makes these dogs more vulnerable to disease.”

He added that mixed breeds and native Jindos are generally healthier.

“Creating purebreds often means breeding dogs with similar genes, which is inbreeding. That leads to inherited diseases and reduced genetic diversity, weakening their overall resilience.” 

A culture in transition

While Korea still has a long way to go in embracing large or mixed-breed dogs, the culture is slowly changing. Adoption from animal shelters — where many dogs are mixed breeds — is on the rise. The KB report also showed that adoptions of shelter or rescue dogs rose from 23.1 percent in 2023 to 27.7 percent in 2024.

Some local governments are stepping in with incentives. In Seoul’s Seocho District, adopters can receive up to 500,000 won to help cover veterinary and health checkup costs.

Perceptions of mixed-breed dogs are gradually improving as well.

“In the past, it was unthinkable to walk a dog — once considered livestock. Now, it’s possible, and owners hold their heads high and feel proud,” said CARE's Kim.

Reference
Written by WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]
Provided by Korea JoongAng Daily

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