Border Collies are wonderful. But they are medium-sized dogs. And they require a lot of attention.
A neighbor has a small poodle; not the tiniest, but quite compact. She’s a lovely little dog–smart & responsive. Without excessive barking–or shedding!
I remember a show on Animal Planet were they would review 4 or 5 breeds and have commentary from groomers, vets, trainers and others.
IIRC, they raved about the Cavalier King Charles-saying how close to perfect the breed is (but with some health issues).
That’s great, Bad News Baboon!
Thanks for rescuing!
Q
OMG. Cutest. Dog. Ever.
Yes, even cuter than a pug. 
Have you considered a Papillon? Small size, very intelligent and easy to train. They do require brushing but no trimming. They are silly, love to make their people laugh, and very, very loyal. There are always a lot of Paps looking for homes thru rescue.
Oh… and they’re cute:
My Jay (RIP sweet boy) and Cricket
And did I mention CUTE???
My Bunny at 8 weeks.
I’m am admittedly biased, but what about a miniature aussie? They’re SUPER intelligent, cute, loyal and fun. (mine’s name is Cricket :D). Now, they’re not purse-small, but they’re certainly small enough for a young girl to handle and cuddle on her lap.
Missed the edit window. Yes, I know about the piccie rule, but I don’t know how to post them sorry!
Haha. Never in a million years would I think that a dog would like wearing clothes, it’s just not natural, and I told my wife as much.
So of course, our Maltese loves wearing clothes.
I recommend a Maltese:
Pros: very loving, smart, brave,
Cons: expensive, long hair, seperation anxiety
Maltese are willing to go along with almost anything that their humans want to do. If this means getting dressed up in doll clothes and riding in a stroller, then most Maltese will be happy to do this. Especially if it means getting attention from other humans.
As for the gunk around the eyes, about all you can do is wash their faces every day. There are eye drops made to reduce the tear stains, but I wouldn’t bother with that for any dog that isn’t getting shown. And Maltese DO need to be combed out daily, even with short cuts.
But they are adorable, and loving, and just the right dog for a gradeschooler who wants a cute companion dog.
Border collies are great dogs, but they are definitely a medium-sized breed and bigger than most beagles. The OP has specifically asked for something under 15 pounds. Border collies are twice that.
I’ll have to jump on the Maltese bandwagon. I knew WPBA Hall of Famer Diana Minor’s (Aerosmith Joe Perry’s Sister-in Law) pair of Maltese, Auggie and Taz as neighbors to my Lhasa Apso… a pair of milder mannered, friendly, lovable, and easy going dogs I have never known… they were a slight bit obstinate, though… but in a totally laid back way.
Maybe obstinate isn’t the right word for Maltese… no, they are slightly aloof.
I am disappointed to report that my beloved little girl has proven to be bad with children. She is so sweet I was stunned yesterday when she snapped at a little girl at a party. I have never once seen a bit of aggression from her before that. Whether this is typical of the breed, or whether she was tormented by children before I got her, I can’t say.
Can’t believe that nobody has recommended a Sheltland Sheepdog (aka Sheltie). Great disposition - a beautiful, smart, and hardy animal. Extremely easy to train. Weighs around 20 lbs, so not too big. And it won’t have a bit of trouble in putting two Boston Terriers in their place.
Another plus for a Sheltie - very little dog odor, even when wet.
Daylate - They’ve been mentioned.
StG
I had a maltese/poodle mix from my late teens until about my early 30s. She was an intense one-person dog, and while super intelligent and sweet, she wasn’t much of a fan of kids or strangers. But CUTE and malleable? Yes. She was great with people once she got to know them, but she was a bit standoffish for the first 3 meetings or so.
But your daughter might appreciate that her pet is THAT loyal to her and just her.
My father in law has a Pom/Papillion. They have a weird co-dependent relationship so the dog tends to be a freak when he’s around, and gets overly anxious. However, in the right circumstances, she’s super sweet and really smart. And, for a dog that probably weighs in around 8 lbs, she’s brave; she always puts my 55 lb. hound mix in her place.
We got a Keeshond 6 years ago, and we love her to pieces. They are easily trained and very friendly. They have two coats of fur, so they do need brushing. However, when they shed, the fur tends to come off in clumps rather than individual hairs, which makes cleanup easy. A full grown Keeshond is about 30 pounds, but she looks a bit bigger because of the fur.
They love cold weather. Ours would sit out in the snow for hours, and come in with snowballs the size of golf balls stuck to her. They do need to be walked regularly. Also, keep in mind that they do bark - the breed was originally bred as watch dogs, so they like to keep an eye on things. (Note I said watch dog, not guard dog.)
She is very loving, loves to play and be scratched, and knows that she’s the queen. but Keeshonden are great.
You can find more information here (a link to the breeder we used).
Ah, Shinna… I’ll agree, Kees are WONDERFUL dogs! My parents used to raise/show them and I have never known sweeter dogs. They are gentle and loving and very cute! If the OP wants a med. sized dog, a Keeshond would be an excellent choice!
Funny, because the only 2 shelties I’ve known have been nasty, snippy little beasts. Insufficient sample size, I know, but enough to turn me off of the breed.