companion dog
Kept for company
A companion dog is a dog kept primarily for companionship rather than for working purposes like herding, hunting, or guarding.
The term often describes breeds specifically developed for this role—toy breeds, lapdogs, and other small dogs bred to be affectionate household pets: She adopted a companion dog after retiring.
The phrase also appears in contexts distinguishing pets from service or working animals.
- Golden RetrieverAffable blond sporting breed
- MalteseFrom the island near Sicily
- Shih TzuTibetan toy breed
- BeagleHistoric British survey ship
- lapdogSmall cuddly canine
small dog · couch potato · breed · Chihuahua · family pet · emotional support · French Bulldog · wet nose · wagging tail · Pomeranian · Labrador Retriever · man's best friend · canine · best friend · good boy · affectionate · puppy love · devoted
- dog typespurebred, mixed breed, crossbreed, mongrel, mutt
- service animalsservice dog, service animal, guide dog, hearing dog, assistance dog
companion dogworking dog
Dog bred for tasks
working breed · guard dog · hunting dog · herding dog · police dog
companion dogwild dog
Undomesticated canine species
stray dog · street dog · junkyard dog · dingo · wolf