Although dogs are known to be loyal and affectionate, their temperament and intelligence vary widely across breeds. Some dogs are independent-minded and will always want to do things their own way. Such dogs are stubborn and take longer to train.
Other dogs are intelligent and can learn new commands after several repetitions. Others are eager to please and obedient. Usually, the easiest dogs to train are those who excel in intelligence scores and obedience. Here are some of the easiest dog breeds to train.
Top 5 Easiest Dog Breeds to Train
According to professional dog trainers, there are no bad dogs. It's a matter of training. In most cases, dogs repeat the behaviors that tend to give them the desired outcomes. For instance, if heavy pulling lets you let go of the leash so they can wander around, they'll keep pulling.
However, one thing we can all agree on is that some dog breeds are smarter than others. They show better capabilities in solving problems such as food puzzles. In the same way, some dogs are simply willing to follow commands, and some, even if they already know the commands, are less compliant.
As a result, some dogs are simply difficult to train. The bad news is that living with such dogs is risky, as they might not respond to commands during emergencies, such as the stop command when it's running towards a busy street, attacking a stranger, or picking fights with other dogs.
Untrained dogs with unruly behaviors, such as attacking other animals and chasing after pedestrians and cars, are usually excluded from dog parks and public spaces. They are even a safety concern at home, especially with small children. That's why you need an easy-to-train dog breed, such as the following.
1. Border Collie
The Border Collie was created in Northumberland on the border between England and Scotland. In fact, they are called Border Collies because, at one point, they were separated from the regular Collie breed. The Border Collie is one of the most popular breeds on the planet, which should come as no surprise.
According to psychologist Stanley Coren, the Border Collie is the world's smartest dog breed. In his intelligence tests, a Border Collie was able to identify 1022 different toys. These dogs are basically bred to be your independent-thinking, problem-solving partner who's willing to take your directions.
So, if you have sheep at the top of that mountain and you don't want to go up there yourself, just send this dog. He will bring them down in a nice, calm, gentle manner. He uses his eyes to control and intimidate them, but just enough to get them to move.
Those are awesome herding skills compared to other breeds that use a motion or a bark that's a little rougher and scarier on the sheep.
Trainability
The high adaptive intelligence and instinctive intelligence make it easy for Border Collies to learn and obey new commands.
According to Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs book, Border Collies can grasp new commands in less than five repetitions with a 95% success rate. In fact, Border Collies hold some of the following canine intelligence world records.
- Balancing record for walking 100 meters in under 3 minutes while balancing a can on the head
- Recognition record for knowing the names of over 1000 items
- Skateboarding record for skateboarding for 100 meters in under 20 seconds
- Tricks record where two Border Collies did 28 tricks in less than one minute
When you combine this intelligence with their eager-to-please nature, they are virtually the easiest dog breeds to train.
2. Golden Retriever
Golden Retrievers have long been a family favorite. These dogs are super intelligent, loyal, and devoted, which makes them fabulous family pets and great working dogs. The Golden Retriever was developed in Scotland in the height of the wildfowl hunting game for the elites..
Since the Retriever breeds couldn’t retrieve game from land and water, the Water Spaniels were introduced into the existing Retriever breeds, establishing the Golden Retriever.
Fast forward, today these dogs aren't just good at retrieving games like birds, but they're also good family pets and service dogs. In fact, Golden Retrievers are listed as the top three best dogs in America. But that's no surprise.
Golden Retrievers are one of the most cool-headed dogs out of the many dog breeds all over the world. These dogs are calm, loyal, lovely and family friendly. They get along well with children and other dogs. With enough training, they can get along well with smaller pets such as cats and rabbits.
Trainability
Golden Retrievers rank as the 4th most intelligent dog breeds. Combining this intelligence level with their loyal and obedient nature makes these dogs one of the easiest to train. One unique thing about Golden Retrievers is that they have a higher tolerance to pain and injuries than other dogs.
That means these dogs can act cool-headed even when they are hurt. As a result, the chances of these dogs losing their temper and refusing to follow your commands when things like getting bitten by other dogs or hurt by a child are low. Maybe that's why these dogs are used in services like therapy and pinning down drug smugglers.
3. German Shepherd
The German Shepherd is one of the world's most versatile and adaptable dog breeds. That is why it's a favorite in military guide work and as a family guardian. These dogs' calm and confident nature is hard to resist.
German Shepherds are a modern dog breed with origins dating back to 1899. As the name suggests, the German Shepherd was developed in Germany. Its primary role was protecting farmers' and shepherds' flocks of sheep.
It's no surprise that the breed was heavily used in Germany for both the extermination camps and on the military campaigns in World War One and Two. German Shepherds actually gained popularity after World War One due to their strength, intelligence, amazing trainability and obedience.
It's like the German Shepherd ticked all the boxes to become an ideal service dog for the handicapped and military and police dog for protection and garden work. In fact, it's like German Shepherds dominated all modern working fields like search and rescue scent work and military protection.
Trainability
German Shepherds are the third most intelligent dog breed. These dogs can grasp new commands after 6-8 repetitions. That makes German Shepherds easy to train. Even the breed founder mentions that one of the key traits of this breed is working aptitude.
That means German Shepherds have a strong drive and motivation. Maybe that's the reason a number of German Shepherds have received medals and awards for their bravery and dedication in military service.
The breed is even featured in books and movies. For example, there are two German Shepherds who have stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
4. Poodle
Poodles are one of the most ancient dog breeds. According to scientists and historians, Poodles were one of the first dog breeds that humans ever recorded in existence. The very first depictions of Poodles can be traced back to Ancient Rome thousands of years ago.
Now, there are three most popular Poodle sizes: the toy, miniature, and standard Poodle. The smallest toy Poodle is roughly 10 inches or under at the shoulders. The standard Poodle can range anywhere from 25 to 30 inches tall, whereas the miniature Poodle is around 15 inches tall.
Trainability
Poodles are the second most intelligent dog breed, coming after the Border Collie. In the Stanley Coren's tests, Poodles were able to learn a new command with fewer than 5 repetitions! Plus, the Poodle's success rate of obeying a known command on the first try was 95%.
Not only are Poodles some of the quickest learners in the canine kingdom, but they're also some of the most obedient animals in the world. As a result, these dogs are loyal and easy to train. No wonder Poodles are often called man's best friend.
In fact, some of the biggest and brightest stars owned Poodles of all variations. For instance, the mother of all contemporary pop divas, Barbara Streisand, famously owned a Poodle in her early days as a multi-platinum artist. Even the legendary Elvis Presley, along with his ex-wife Priscilla Presley, owned a toy Poodle.
5. Papillon
Papillons are one of the oldest of the toy Spaniels who are often depicted as companions of the rich. There's not much information on the breed's history, and it is also unclear as to where the Papillon originated from. However, the breed has been seen in portraits dating back to the 16th century, which is a testament to the breed's existence back.
Historians still have questions about the origins of their ancestors. For example, some believe that Papillons originated from China, as they closely resemble the Chinese Pekingese. Others claim that the Papillon may be related to the Japanese Chin instead.
Then there's a large camp that believes these dogs were always in Europe as a downsized version of older Eastern European dog breeds. Regardless, Papillons have one of the strictest and most precise breed standards.
As you know, the American Kennel Club is notorious for having extremely descriptive dog breed standards with strict guidelines. However, no breed standard may be as strict and precise as the Papillon's.
Not only does the standard specify whether the dog should always be a certain color, but also what colors, how partial the colors can be and where these colors or patches may appear on the coat.
Trainability
Papillons are one of the smartest dog breeds when it comes to obedience and working intelligence. According to Stanley Coren, Papillons are the eighth smartest dog breeds in the world! That means they're crazy-fast learners.
You can teach a Papillon a basic command in fewer than five repetitions. That's like teaching them something in just a few minutes! They're also some of the most obedient dogs in the world. For example, just like Poodles and Border Collies, Papillons are able to obey a known command on the first try with a 95% success rate.
So, just because the Papillon has a small head and proportionately small brain, it doesn't mean that it can't compete with the best in terms of dog intelligence. In fact, a Papillon has become the first and only dog to win all three major international dog shows in a single year.
Final Thoughts
The primary determinants of how trainable a dog is are the level of intelligence and the dog's willingness to please. That's regardless of whether the dog is a small, medium, or large breed. The above easy-to-train dog breeds are also the most popular dog breeds in the world. Probably, it's because their good behavior makes them better family companions.