Man’s best friend has been around for a long time, so long, in fact, that there’s been enough breeding to significantly alter the way they look. While you have some breeds that remain attractive due to their fluffy/cuddly coats and cute faces, other breeds aren’t as lucky. Unfortunately, some breeds have less desirable traits that result in ugly faces, bodies, or even coats.
In this article, we reveal the ugliest dog breed, along with a handful of runner-ups. We also take you through features that make ugly dogs appear that way. That said, it’s important to note that a dog’s ugliness is always subjective, so some of these dog breeds may be surprising to you. Read below to discover the ugliest dog breed.
It’s hard to say that any dog breed is ugly, but some breeds do stand out. As hard as it is to make this list, we take you through some of the ugliest dog breeds below.
The English bull terrier is not a good-looking dog. Many dogs on this list have some redeeming qualities, but the English bull terrier just looks like an egg. The shape of their head is rounded and oblong, which gives it an alien-like appearance. We’ll even go as far as saying that this dog looks like a different animal entirely.
That said, the English bull terrier can be cute in its own way. Plus, they’re famous for their use as Target’s mascot back in the 1990s – known as Bullseye. While they may not be the best-looking dogs, they have many other traits you like to see in dogs, including loyalty, affection, and kindness. These dogs live for around 10 to 13 years, weigh between 50 to 70 pounds, and reach 20-22 inches at the shoulder.
The sighthound family of dogs isn’t known for its handsome appearance or petty coat, and the borzoi is no exception. These dogs have a unique appearance that stands out, but not always in a good way. When you pair their small head and long snout with their tall stature and long coat, you get a dog that looks out of proportion.
While the borzoi might not be the prettiest dog, you’ll find that they’re some of the fastest dogs around. In fact, borzoi translates to swift in English, which makes sense because borzois can run up to 40 miles per hour. These dogs are also fast for their size, as most borzois weigh between 75 to 105 pounds and reach up to 28 inches at the shoulder.
The Chinese crested dog is famous for its appearance. These dogs have long, fluffy hair at the base of their legs, covering their tail, and all over their head – hanging down from the top all the way to their shoulders. While they have hair in these places, those are about the only places you’ll find it. The rest of their body is left uncovered or with a coat of hair so short you barely notice it. This isn’t helped by the spots that are found across their body, which are often uneven in size and shape.
The overall result is a dog that looks, well, unique. For some, the Chinese crested is the most beautiful dog on the planet, and for others, it is one of the ugliest; it’s rare to see a dog with this much controversy when it comes to looks. To make matters worse for these guys, Chinese crested dogs are small; they weigh between 8-12 pounds and only reach about 13 inches at the shoulder. They make up for their lack of height and ugliness with a long lifespan, high levels of intelligence, and plenty of loyalty. There are also Chinese crested dogs that have coats, although rare, and created malts, a mix between Malteses and Chinese cresteds.
The Xoloitzcuintli is similar to the Chinese crested dog due to its hairless nature, which is one of the main reasons it’s considered an ugly dog. Unfortunately, the patches of hair that it does have tend to make matters worse due to being thin, patchy, and sporadically placed around the body; it tends to show the most on the head. Unlike the Chinese crested, though, the Xoloitzcuintli offers a little more variety. There is a toy version, a miniature variant, and the standard breed. While their size differs depending on the breed, their appearance doesn’t change all that much; it’s up to you to pick how you want your ugly.
While the Xoloitzcuintli is one of the uglier dog breeds, they’re also a charming one. They’re some of the most lovable dogs that you can find, and they often display a lot of affection. Loyalty is also something these dogs are known for, along with being smart enough for most types of positive reinforcement training. In fact, these dogs can learn a wide range of commands and even be used as service dogs or emotional support animals without too much fuss. Therefore, if you can get past their looks the Xoloitzcuintli is one of the best canine companions you can adopt.
The puli is one of the more unique dogs on this list due to the way their coat looks. The reason this dog is ugly is because it looks like their coat is made entirely of dreadlocks. If you love dreadlocks, we can’t fault you for falling in love with the puli at first glance. On the other hand, petting them may feel rough and dreadlocks don’t quite look right on dogs, especially on small dogs where the dreads are practically touching the ground.
Still, pulis are adorable companions that love to show their human companions affection and loyalty. Plus, if you make it past their rugged dreadlock-filled exterior, you’ll find a cute little dog with a small nose, pink tongue, and happy round eyes. On average, pulis live for around 10-15 years, weigh between 25 and 40 pounds, and can reach up to 17 inches at the shoulder. It’s important to note that while it may be tempting to trim their hair to see what’s hiding beneath their long coats, it’s not a good idea as it serves as a protective layer for their skin.
The Chihuahua is another ugly dog breed – or one of the cutest little dogs on the planet depending on who you ask. The controversy comes down to their size, short coat, and massive eyeballs. At the end of the day, we can all agree on the fact that these dogs look a little funny, or at least disproportionate. Even if we bring up the long-haired version of the Chihuahua, not much changes due to their small size and massive eyes.
Not only do they look unique, but they are also vocal dogs that love to bark. They make up for this with their affection and loyalty, but it’s not always easy to handle an avid barker who’s not soft to the touch or particularly attractive. Still, Chihuahuas are popular dogs, and you can find them all across the United States and Mexico. Plus, Chihuahuas tend to stick around for a while with an average lifespan of 12 to 18 years.
Pugs are popular dogs that have been around for hundreds of years. In fact, they’re some of the most popular dogs across the world due to their small size, loyalty, and energetic personality. That said, these dogs can be a sight for sore eyes, depending on who you ask. They have flat and wrinkled faces, bulging eyes, and curly tails (if you can even call them that). Pugs are also chunky, stocky, and come in pretty drab colors including black and apricot.
While plugs can be ugly, they’re not ugly on the inside. Once you get past their shriveled face, wheezing, and smooshed nose, you’ll find that they’re affectionate and charming. You’ll soon fall in love with these soft little canines if you can get past their looks and noises. Still, we believe that these dogs deserve all the love in the world.
Mastiffs aren’t known for being good-looking dogs. That said, the honor of the ugliest mastiff goes to the Neapolitan Mastiff. These dogs are massive animals that weigh up to 150 pounds. While their size alone might be enough to turn some people away, that’s not their ugliest trait. You’ll find that these dogs have loose skin that’s loaded with wrinkles. Their jowls also tend to leak a bit, so you’ll find plenty of drool and saliva around your home if you don’t clean up after then – especially after dinnertime.
While these dogs may not be the most handsome dogs around, that doesn’t mean they’re ugly on the inside. These dogs are easy to train and great for working as guard dogs, police dogs, and even service animals. Not only are Neapolitan Mastiffs easy to train, but they’re also loyal and affectionate once they get to know their human companions.
Have more questions about ugly dog breeds, like whether or not their lack of attractive qualities impacts their health? We provide answers below.
We know that we covered some of the most common ugly dog breeds you can come across, but what about the ugliest? That title belongs to Wild Thang, an eight-year-old Pekingese. The reason that Wild Thang became the world’s ugliest dog without being a breed that’s commonly known for its ugliness is due to a case of canine distemper that happened when they were only 10 months old.
Unfortunately, Wild Thang went through some permanent changes and coat issues that would eventually help win the World’s Ugliest Dog competition. While Wild Thang may have won an award for being ugly, it’s still an award nonetheless.
You might be curious about whether or not the ugliest dog breeds also tend to be the least popular dog breeds. While this may be true for the puli, it’s not the case for the rest of the ugly dog breeds. This is due to most unpopular breeds, like the English foxhounds, being challenging to find.
Some other unpopular dog breeds include:
While these breeds are unpopular, that doesn’t make them bad dog breeds; they’re just not bred as often and can be tricky to adopt.
The most recent Deadpool movie featured one of the ugliest dogs on the big screen. In fact, the dog in the movie, Peggy, won the title of Britain’s ugliest in 2023. While Peggy is not a looker, she caught Ryan Reynolds’ eye and was chosen for the role of Dogpool. From there, the rest is history as Peggy won the hearts of millions around the world during the premier of the third installment of the Deadpool series. Peggy is a great example of how beauty really can be in the eye of the beholder.
We covered a lot of ugly dogs, but what about the prettiest ones? If none of the ugly dogs we covered in this article are catching your eye, don’t worry; there are plenty of beautiful dog breeds out there. Some of these breeds include:
These are only a handful of the prettiest dog breeds and you’ll find that there are dozens of great options out there for you.
We don’t like to call any dog breeds ugly, but we have to admit that some are uglier than others. In this article, we took you through some of the uglier breeds out there, but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve a little love, too. After all, it’s what’s on the inside that counts.
That said, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so don’t let a dog’s appearance stop you from adopting the perfect canine companion; even the ugliest dog breeds can have some of the best personalities and trainability.