A Florida woman's pet chihuahua was officially named the world's shortest dog living by Guinness World Records at a height of only 3.59 inches. Pearl, a dog belonging to Orlando resident Vanesa Semler, was officially measured by veterinarian Giovanni Vergel and confirmed to be the shortest dog living. The shortest dog ever, a dwarf Yorkshire terrier owned by British man Arthur Marples, was measured at 2.8 inches tall before his death in 1945.