Best for · Active and sporty

Dog breeds for active and sporty owners

These breeds are a lifestyle commitment: 2+ hours of real activity daily, not a weekend hobby. Underworked, every breed below develops behavior problems.

All of them score 5 on our energy scale. If your activity is seasonal or optional, pick from the moderate-energy tier instead.

American Foxhound
Hound
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Wash-and-go
Anglo French Hound De Petite Venerie
Hound
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Wash-and-go
Appenzeller Sennenhund
Herding breed
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Ariegeois
Hound
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Wash-and-go
Ariegeois Short Haired Pointer
Sporting breed
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Wash-and-go
Artois Hound
Hound
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Wash-and-go
Australian Cattle Dog
Herding breed
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Australian Kelpie
Herding breed
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Australian Shepherd
Herding breed
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Moderate
Austrian Short Haired Hound
Hound
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Wash-and-go
Auvergne Short Haired Pointer
Sporting breed
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Wash-and-go
Basque Shepherd Dog
Herding breed
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
Bavarian Mountain Hound
Hound
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Wash-and-go
Beagle Harrier
Hound
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Wash-and-go
Bearded Collie
Herding breed
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Very high
Beauceron
Herding dog
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Low
Belgian Malinois
Herding breed
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Low
Belgian Shepherd Dog
Herding dog
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Moderate
Belgian Shepherd Groenendael
Herding dog
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: High
Belgian Shepherd Laekenois
Herding dog
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Moderate
Belgian Shepherd Tervuren
Herding dog
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: High
Bernese Hound
Hound breed
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Billy
Scent hound
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Very low
Blond Brittany Hound
Scent hound
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Low
Blue Coonhound
Scent hound
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Very low
Blue Lacy
Herding dog
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Very low
Border Collie
Herding breed
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Moderate
Braque Dupuy
Gun dog
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Very low
Brittany Spaniel
Gun dog
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Low
Canadian Eskimo Dog
Working sled dog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: High
Czech Fousek
Pointer
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
Czechoslovakian Wolfdog
Working wolfdog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Moderate
Dalmatian
Companion and coach dog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Dutch Shepherd
Herding breed
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Moderate
East Siberian Laika
Hunting spitz
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
English Foxhound
Scenthound
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Eurohound
Sled and sport dog
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
German Hunting Terrier
Working terrier
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
German Short Haired Pointer
Gundog
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Low
German Wire Haired Pointer
Gundog
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Moderate
Greenland Dog
Spitz sled dog
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
Hungarian Short Haired Pointer
Pointing gundog
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: Very lowCoat care: Minimal
Hungarian Wire Haired Pointer
Pointing gundog
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: Very lowCoat care: Moderate
Irish Red And White Setter
Setter gundog
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Moderate
Irish Setter
Setter gundog
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Moderate
Irish Water Spaniel
Water gundog
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Moderate
Italian Segugio
Scent hound
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Low
Jack Russell Terrier
Working terrier
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Low
Jamthund
Spitz hunting dog
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
Jura Hound
Hound breed
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Karelian Bear Dog
Spitz hunting dog
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Kerry Beagle
Scent hound
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Minimal
Lapponian Herder
Herding dog
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Low
Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog
Herding and working dog
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Minimal
Lucerne Hound
Hound breed
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Miniature Pinscher
Toy
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Minimal
Mudi
Herding
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Low
Norwegian Buhund
Herding spitz
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
Sporting
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
Parson Russell Terrier
Terrier
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Patterdale Terrier
Terrier
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Picardy Shepherd
Herding
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
Plott Hound
Scent hound
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Plummer Terrier
Terrier
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Pointer
Sporting gun dog
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Low
Poitevin
Scenthound
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Low
Poodlepointer
Sporting gun dog
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Low
Portuguese Pointer
Sporting gun dog
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Low
Pumi
Herding dog
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Moderate
Pyrenean Shepherd
Herding dog
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Moderate
Russo European Laika
Spitz and hunting dog
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Moderate
Saint Germain Short Haired Pointer
Sporting gun dog
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Low
Schiller Hound
Scenthound
Activity: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Low
Schwyz Hound
Hound breed
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Siberian Husky
Working breed
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: High
Slovakian Hound
Hound breed
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Slovakian Rough-haired Pointer
Sporting breed
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
Small Munsterlander
Sporting breed
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
Spanish Water Dog
Herding breed
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
Styrian Coarse-haired Hound
Hound breed
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Swiss Hound
Hound breed
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Weimaraner
Sporting breed
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Low
Weimaraner Long Haired
Sporting breed
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Moderate
Weimaraner Short Haired
Sporting breed
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Low
Welsh Sheepdog
Herding breed
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
West Siberian Laika
Spitz breed
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
Yakutian Laika
Spitz breed
Exercise needs: Very highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: High
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