What are the easiest dog breeds to train?

To be precise, there are many breeds, more than 300 listed by the Société Centrale Canine. But are there breeds that are easier to train than others?

Do you want to adopt a dog and don’t know which breed to go for? Are you afraid of choosing a species that does not suit you, a breed that is difficult to educate?

Let me guide you and enlighten you on the easiest breeds to educate if they exist.

Table of Contents

The different breeds of dogs

As mentioned above, the Société Centrale Canine (SCC) identifies very exactly 355 breeds which are then divided into ten distinct groups by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI):

Group 1: Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs (except Cattle Dogs)
Group 2: Pinscher and Schnauzer Types – Molossoids – Mountain Dogs and Swiss Cattle Dogs to Other Breeds
Group 3: Terriers
Group 4: Dachshunds
Group 5: Spitz and Primitive Types
Group 6: Hounds, Blood Search Dogs, and Related Breeds
Group 7:
Pointing Dogs Group 8: Game Retrieving Dogs – Game Lifting Dogs – Water Dogs
Group 9:
Group 10: Sighthounds

There are also two distinct categories following January 6, 1999, relating to dangerous and stray animals, also called the “law on dangerous dogs.”

These so-called “dangerous” dogs are therefore classified into two categories:

1st category which concerns:

Dogs are commonly called “Pit Bulls” and are associated by their physical characteristics with the American Staffordshire Terrier and which is not registered in a herd book recognized.
Dogs commonly called “Boerbulls” are associated by their physical characteristics with the Mastiff and are not registered in a recognized herd book.
Tosa-type dogs that are not registered in a recognized herd book.

2nd category concerns:

All dogs of the American Staffordshire Terrier breed.
All dogs of the Rottweiler breed and all dogs associated by their physical characteristics with the Rottweiler are not registered in a recognized herd book.
All Tosa breed dogs.

Choose the breed of your dog.

Each breed will have its specificities, but each dog will have its character. Obviously, we can find similarities, and we can make generalizations of instincts and temperaments according to each breed. Still, above all it is necessary to integrate the fact that each dog is an individual in its own right!

The danger to absolutely avoid when choosing the breed of your future dog is to base yourself only on physical and not behavioral criteria.

Of course, instinctively, you will turn to this or that type of dog because it is not in our nature to go against our desires and desires, but this should not be your only selection criterion nor the only reason you want to adopt a dog.

Choosing the breed of your future dog also means considering the natural instincts relating to each breed group, which may be more or less developed and marked depending on the individual.

A few examples: The Cane Corso is renowned for being a great guardian, as is the German Shepherd. The Border Collie is famous for wanting to control the movement of people/animals/objects as much as possible. Jack Russel is renowned for his tenacity and stubbornness when following a lead etc.

So choosing a breed means being aware of the different problems you may encounter if you do not use the dog for its primary purpose (herd, sled, hunting, guarding, etc.) and, above all, knowing how to control its specific instincts and how to model them so that they can be livable in everyday life.

In my opinion, from the moment you accept the different character traits of your dog, you do not want to eliminate them but rather take them into account in your techniques and methods of education: it’s won!

The breed that is easiest to train will be the breed that suits you the most.

In my opinion, there are certain breeds and dogs that are “easier” to train, but this will depend enormously on the relationship established between the master and his dog as well as the responses to the dog’s needs by the master.

For example, a Border Collie may be very easy to train for a shepherd but not for someone who does not use it for work. We will also discuss later the fact of adopting a so-called “intelligent” dog breed and the mistakes not to make.

What is an accessible education?

Moreover, in my opinion, accessible education is quite a subjective concept since a dog may seem “easy” to educate for one person and not for another.

It depends on your level of knowledge of the dog, your experience as a master and “educator,” and also the means you want to invest in the education of your dog (whether material, physical or financial).

Each master will have his own expectations and requirements, so they will sometimes be very different for everyone. For example, for my part, having a strict heel is not one of my requirements when I walk my dogs, in this, the education was not very difficult since I “just” had to teach them not to shoot.

But for someone who sees a particular requirement in strict healing, learning may be longer and therefore considered more “complicated” depending on the point of view.

If you want to go further by using a practical and recognized method to educate your dog at a lower cost, I advise you to look at the “Train your dog in 15 minutes a day”.

Are intelligent dogs so easy to train?

As mentioned above, it seems essential to me to take stock of the so-called “intelligent” dogs and, therefore, potentially more accessible to train than the others.

In my opinion, all dogs are intelligent; only the breeds initially selected for work (herding, guarding, hunting, etc.) will breed more apt to work and, therefore collaborate with their master. But beware, who says intelligent dog above all says dog capable of very quickly understanding and observing the faults and weaknesses of his master and taking advantage of them.

There is no perfect dog, and even within working breeds and therefore potentially intelligent, you may encounter obstacles in specific learning if they are not inculcated with respect for the true nature of the dog.

Focus on the most popular groups of breeds:

Without wanting to make generalities, let’s see all the same, by “popular” groups of breeds, the different temperaments that can emerge.

Companion and pleasure dogs: which are specially dedicated to the company of humans, hence the name. But beware, pleasure and companion dogs are first and foremost dogs.

It’s not just stuffed animals that you leave on the couch all day! They, too, will need the motivation to listen, the expense to express themselves, and the attention to be fully fulfilled.

Sheepdogs: which are originally used to accompany shepherds, hence the name again. These are dogs who will be keen to cooperate with their master, and therefore, their education may prove to be “easy”. However, if their (very important) expenditure (physical but especially mental) are not met, they can quickly become the worst companions daily.

Hunting dogs: which are specially intended for hunting, pursuit, etc. They may not be suitable for everyone due to their instincts which can be very restrictive daily.

Often very independent, these dogs are not “easy” to train despite their great intelligence: the pursuit instinct often takes precedence over everything else. And just like sheepdogs, without a maximum expense, these dogs can easily develop behavioral problems.

Terriers: as with some hunting dogs, terriers are often very stubborn dogs with a very assertive character (because that is what is required of them as part of their initial work). It can be very frustrating for a master who wants a very close relationship to have a burrow because once the truffle is outside, nothing matters except the smells to track.

The primitive races: are often very independent and do not necessarily exceed either in obedience. There are always exceptions of course, but many dogs such as Husky, Malamute, etc. find themselves in a refuge because the masters had seen in them only magnificent balls of hair to look at.

These very primitive breeds, therefore, need all the more that we consider them as they really are and that we take into account their highly developed primary instincts and may therefore not be compatible with certain “classic” lifestyles.

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