What are the dog breeds that are easiest to train?
It takes dedicated time to train any dog, but some are going to be more willing to follow your commands than others.
1. Border Collie
2. Golden Retriever
3. German Shepherd
4. Poodle
5. Australian Shepherd
6. Shetland Sheepdog
7. Labrador Retriever
8. Doberman Pinscher
9. Papillon
10. Pit Bull
As every dog owner knows, individual dogs have their own personalities outside of their breed, but because of generations of domestication for certain tasks, some dog breeds are willing and ready to please! Here are the top 10 breeds that are the easiest to train:
Border Collie
This charming breed, known mostly for their high energy, is intelligent and athletic, meaning they are ready to follow your cue to learn complicated tasks. Training can put their energy to good use! One Border Collie, named Chaser, has learned the name of 1,022 of his toys, showing the incredible ability of the breed to learn and retain new information.
Golden Retriever
Goldens are many people’s favorite breed, partly because of their trainability! As their name states, they’ve been bred as “retriever dogs,” to accompany humans when they hunt. This means they have long worked alongside humans and have the ability to respond to human communication. They are friendly dogs and are great for families because of this eagerness to please their owners.
German Shepherd
German Shepherds are often used as police and search-and-rescue dogs, a testament to their intelligence and obedience. They are immensely loyal, so they are ready to obey their owners’ commands.
Poodle
Poodles are another breed that live to please their owners. Their numerous physical and intellectual abilities allow these pups to easily learn many commands. The obedience of these curly canines can be seen when they work as circus dogs and assistance dogs.
Australian Shepherd
This breed has more to them than their beautifully-colored coats! They excel in dog sports and as service dogs because of their obedient nature. This comes from their high energy which leads to a drive to be trained. This drive is intensified because they are a part of the herding group: they have been bred to work to please their owners. What more could a puppy parent want?
Shetland Sheepdog
Shelties are also high-energy herding dogs that have been bred to work alongside humans. They have a peppy personality that is just waiting to get a job done. Their ambition prepares them to respond well to training.
Labrador Retriever
Labs are easy-going and super willing to please their owners. This, combined with a high food motivation, makes them easy to train for various jobs (or just fun tricks).
Doberman Pinscher
Dobermans are alert and powerful, allowing them to devote their attention to their training. Described as “fiercely loyal,” they have the most important attribute for training: a devotion to their human. This comes from their history of being bred as guard dogs.
Papillon
These curious little dogs are ready to learn new things, especially with treat rewards. They’re a people-pleasing breed, so they’re waiting to do what you want. Compared to other small breeds, they’re especially trainable!
Pit Bull
Pibbles are the best. High-energy and SUPER intuitive when it comes to people, with the right training a pit bull will do anything for their human. These people-pleasing pups are very sensitive to their trainers, so make sure to use positive reinforcement. If you do that, you could basically get these dogs to run to the moon and back for you.
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