Easy to train tops many want lists when looking to bring a new dog into a person’s life. And, while all dogs can be trained and have an inherent desire to please us, there are some that are easier to train than others. Let’s get to know some of the easy to train dog breeds.
10. Border Terrier: The Border Terrier, compared to its other Terrier brethren, is a relatively unknown breed. This is Maisy, my Border Terrier. Like most Terrier breeds, the Border Terrier is intelligent. However, she lacks the typical Terrier fire. She’s even-tempered, affectionate and eager (perhaps sometimes too eager) to please. She is a Terrier though, which means she can be a bit on the stubborn side and does have a tendency to tune you out when she’d rather be doing something else. But, that can be easily overcome with a bit of patience, praise and of course treats. Because of the Border Terrier’s desire to work, they are easy to train.
9. Shetland Sheepdog: The Shetland Sheepdog appears to be a smaller version of the Rough Collie, which appears later on this list. Like the Collie, the Shetland Sheepdog is intelligent and eager to please working dog, originally bred, as the name suggests, to herd sheep. As with many herding breeds, the Shetland Sheepdog is an independent thinker, but they are bred to pay close attention to the wishes of their people making the Shetland Sheepdog a quick learner.
8. Pumi The active and intelligent Pumi is a Hungarian herding breed that needs a job to do and that desire to work makes them fairly easy to train. This is an affectionate home companion that also does well in dog sports.
7. Swedish Vallhund: Similar to a Corgi, Swedish Vallhunds are a short-legged herding breed bred to work independently while also paying attention to their owner’s desires. They are active and intelligent dogs that need a consistent owner but are relatively easy to train.
6. Papillon: Most toy breeds are stubborn and difficult to work with, but the Papillon is a hidden gem in the toy group. These dogs are very intelligent and quite eager to please. Small but active. this small breed enjoys learning new tricks and does well in a variety of dog sports.
5. Collies (Smooth & Rough): Both the Smooth and Rough Collies are large herding dogs that were bred to be independent workers yet sensitive to their owner’s needs. These are intelligent dogs that are easy to train as they aren’t as energetic as some of the other herding breeds. The average dog owner won’t have trouble keeping up.
4. German Shepherd: I had some reservations about including the German Shepherd Dog on this list. It’s highly intelligent, in fact, one of the most intelligent dogs on the planet. The sheer number of skills a GSD can master is mind shattering. And it can pick up those skills with as few as 2-3 repetitions, which is quicker than I can learn most commands. But, the German Shepherd is not for the novice trainer. This breed may be a bit too intelligent; a free-thinker. The GSD’s independence and willful personality can overwhelm a novice trainer. But, I decided to add this awesome dog, considered to be a Jack of All Trades in the dog world, because that’s what dog training courses are for; not to train your dog, but to train you how to train your dog. Once you’ve learned the basics of dog training, training your German Shepherd, or any other dog, for that matter, will be a breeze. I highly suggest dog training courses.
3. Labrador Retriever: The Labrador Retriever is the number one most popular dog in the US for many reasons. It’s friendly, sturdy and easy to train. They are sweet, fun-loving dogs that are easy to train and want nothing more than to keep their owner’s happy. The Lab isn’t the smartest dog on this list; actually far from it. But it’s happy, friendly eager to please nature definitely tips the balance in its favour when choosing an easy to train a dog for your family.
2. Golden Retriever: There’s not a lot to say about the Golden Retriever that I just didn’t say about the Lab. The Golden Retriever might not be the brightest crayon in the box but are among the most easily trained dogs. In fact, in the past few decades, the Golden, along with the Lab has become the most widely used dogs as Service dogs. The largest advantage that the Golden has over other dogs on this list is that they are forgiving of their owner’s mistakes. This makes them a super choice for novice dog trainers.
1. Poodle (Standard, Miniature, Toy) Don’t be fooled by the Poodle’s fancy hairdos; this breed is even-tempered and aims to please their humans. All sizes of Poodle – Standard, Miniature, and Toy – are incredibly intelligent dogs that are eager to please and pick up training quickly. You will find the poodle on several lists as being one of the easiest dog breeds to train. All dogs are individuals, as well as the people that train them, of course, so this list is a generalization of which breeds are usually fairly easy to train basic obedience and house manners. If you’re looking for a breed that’s easy to train for competition, these might work for you as well. With some effort on your part, you’ll have a well-behaved dog that probably knows a fancy trick or two! Which breed do you think should be on this list? Who’d we miss? Let us know in the comments.