Dog breed checker: Singapore & Malaysia
Choose Singapore for HDB breed-list checks, or Malaysia for DVS import and Kuala Lumpur licensing checks. Enter the full breed name, including its size or variety. A list match does not grant permission to import or keep a dog.
Check DVS import lists and Kuala Lumpur’s separate DBKL licensing lists. For other Malaysian councils, confirm their own rules.
The HDB list (61 breeds, plus approved crosses)
- Affenpinscher
- Australian Silky Terrier
- Australian Terrier
- Bichon Frise
- Bohemian Terrier
- Bolognese
- Brussels Griffon (also known as Griffon Bruxaellois)
- Bichon Havanese
- Border Terrier
- Boston Terrier (Lightweight or Middle weight)
- Cairn Terrier
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- Chihuahua
- Chinese Crested Dog
- Chinese Imperial Chin
- Chinese Temple Dog (Classic or Miniature)
- Coton de tulear
- Czech Terrier
- Dachshund (Light or Miniature)
- Dandie Dinmont Terrier
- English Toy Spaniel
- Griffon Belge
- German Hunting Terrier
- Griffon Brabancon
- Hairless Dog
- Italian Greyhound
- Jack Russell Terrier
- Japanese Spaniel (also known as Chin)
- Japanese Spitz
- Lhasa Apso
- Little Lion Dog
- Lakeland Terrier
- Maltese
- Manchester Terrier
- Miniature Pinscher
- Miniature Schnauzer
- Norfolk Terrier
- Norwich Terrier
- Papillon
- Pekinese
- Pomeranian
- Poodle (Toy or Miniature)
- Pug
- Schipperke
- Scottish Terrier
- Sealyham Terrier
- Shetland Sheep dog
- Shih Tzu
- Silky Terrier
- Small Continental Spaniel
- Small English Terrier
- Small Spitz
- Smooth Fox Terrier
- Toy Fox Terrier
- Toy Terrier
- Tibetan Spaniel
- Volpino Italiano
- West Highland Terrier
- Wire-Haired Fox Terrier
- Welsh Terrier
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Cross of any 2 breeds in items 1 to 61
Malaysia import lists (DVS) and DBKL licensing schedules
Banned from import: Pit Bull Terrier / Pit Bull (incl. American Pit Bull, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier); Akita; Japanese Tosa; Dogo Argentino; Fila Brasileiro; American Bulldog; Neapolitan Mastiff.
Restricted (MAQIS approval to import): Bull Mastiff; Bull Terrier; Doberman; German Shepherd (incl. Alsatian, Belgian and East European Shepherd); Rottweiler; Perro de Presa Canario (2013 general regulation).
DBKL prohibited breeds: Pit Bull Terrier / Pit Bull (incl. American Pit Bull, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier); American Bulldog; Neapolitan Mastiff; Japanese Tosa; Akita; Dogo Argentino; Fila Brasileiro.
DBKL small-dog schedule (licence approval required): Miniature Pinscher, Bichon Frise, Pekingese, Papillon, Toy Poodle, Japanese Chin, Maltese, Pomeranian, Chihuahua.
DBKL controlled breeds: Rottweiler, Doberman, German Shepherd, Bull Mastiff, Bull Terrier, Perro de Presa Canario.
Sources: HDB Guidelines on Keeping Pets (checked 16 September 2026); DVS general import regulations (2013 text with March 2026 notice); DBKL dog-licence schedules (checked 17 September 2026). Lists change — confirm on the official page before you commit to a breed.
How this tool works
The Singapore list is HDB's own "HDB-approved dog breeds" table from its Guidelines on Keeping Pets page (checked 16 September 2026), reproduced verbatim with common nicknames mapped to the official names — "westie", "yorkie", "toy poodle", "mini schnauzer". The check uses exact breed names and unambiguous nicknames. Broad terms, fragments and designer crosses ask for more detail instead of borrowing a verdict from a similar name. The standard breed list is separate from assistance-dog and Project ADORE/K-9 eligibility. HDB and AVS sources checked 16 September 2026.
The Malaysia checks use the Department of Veterinary Services import regulations — the general scheduled and non-scheduled country lists (2013 text with the March 2026 country-list notice) — and DBKL's Kuala Lumpur schedules for prohibited, controlled and small dogs. The Malaysia results also require an exact breed name or recognised alias. A missing match is not an approval or a prohibition. DBKL ownership rules are separate from DVS import rules, and other councils must be checked individually. DBKL schedules checked 17 September 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is a corgi HDB approved?
Neither the Pembroke nor the Cardigan Welsh Corgi is on HDB's standard breed list. Any assistance-dog eligibility must be established separately under HDB's requirements. Temperament alone is not an exception.
Can I keep two dogs in an HDB flat?
No. HDB allows one dog of an approved breed per flat, plus up to two licensed cats since September 2024. The usual private-premises limit is three cats or dogs combined; AVS approval is needed to exceed it.
Can a mixed-breed dog live in an HDB flat?
HDB lists crosses of two approved breeds; confirm both parents and any variety restrictions. A local mixed-breed Singapore Special up to 55 cm at the shoulder may qualify through Project ADORE — adopted from an approved partner, licensed, sterilised, microchipped and obedience-trained.
Sources
- HDB — Guidelines on Keeping Pets (approved breeds and special schemes, checked 16 September 2026)
- AVS — Project ADORE and retired K-9 scheme
- AVS — limits of ownership
- DVS Malaysia — non-scheduled-country import rules with March 2026 notice
- DVS Malaysia — scheduled-country import rules with March 2026 notice
- DBKL — dog licence management