Best for · For first-time owners

Best dog breeds for first-time owners

A good first breed forgives inconsistency. That means high trainability and a temperament that does not escalate when you get the timing wrong.

These breeds score 4 or higher on trainability with moderate energy. None of them raises itself - budget daily time for the first year.

Airedale Terrier
Terrier
Exercise needs: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: High
Alaskan Klee Kai
Companion breed
Exercise needs: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
American Bulldog
Working breed
Exercise needs: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Wash-and-go
American Eskimo Dog
Companion breed
Exercise needs: ModerateAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: High
American Hairless Terrier
Terrier
Exercise needs: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Wash-and-go
American Staffordshire Terrier
Terrier
Exercise needs: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Wash-and-go
American Water Spaniel
Sporting breed
Exercise needs: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
Australian Terrier
Terrier
Exercise needs: ModerateAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
Austrian Short Haired Pinscher
Companion breed
Exercise needs: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Wash-and-go
Barbet
Sporting breed
Exercise needs: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: High
Bergamasco Shepherd
Herding dog
Activity: ModerateAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
Bernese Mountain Dog
Working dog
Activity: ModerateAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: High
Black Russian Terrier
Working dog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: High
Blue Picardy Long Haired Pointer
Gun dog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Moderate
Border Terrier
Terrier
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Boston Terrier
Companion breed
Exercise needs: ModerateAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Minimal
Bourbonnais Pointer
Gun dog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Very low
Bouvier des Flandres
Herding dog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: High
Brazilian Terrier
Terrier
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Very low
Briard
Herding dog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Very high
Burgos Perdiquero
Gun dog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Very low
Catalan Sheepdog
Herding dog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Companion breed
Exercise needs: LowAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Moderate
Chesapeake Bay Retriever
Retriever
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Chinook
Working sled dog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Chodsky Pes
Herding dog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
Cocker Spaniel
Sporting breed
Exercise needs: ModerateAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Very high
Coton de Tulear
Toy companion
Activity: ModerateAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: High
Croatian Sheepdog
Herding dog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Curly Coated Retriever
Retriever
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Czech Spotted Dog
Companion dog
Activity: ModerateAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Danish-Swedish Farmdog
Farm and companion dog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Doberman Pinscher
Working guardian
Exercise needs: HighAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Minimal
Drentsche Patrijshond
Pointer
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
Dutch Sheepdog
Herding dog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: High
East European Shepherd
Guardian and working dog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
English Cocker Spaniel
Sporting breed
Exercise needs: HighAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: High
English Springer Spaniel
Gundog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Moderate
Entlebucher Mountain Dog
Herding and mountain dog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Low
Field Spaniel
Gundog
Activity: ModerateAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: High
Flat Coated Retriever
Gundog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Moderate
French Gascony Short Haired Pointer
Gundog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Low
French Long Haired Pointer
Gundog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: High
French Pyrenean Short Haired Pointer
Gundog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Low
German Long Haired Pointer
Gundog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: High
German Pinscher
Working and companion dog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
German Quail Dog
Gundog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Moderate
German Rough Haired Pointer
Gundog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Moderate
German Shepherd
Herding breed
Exercise needs: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: High
Giant Schnauzer
Working dog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: High
Golden Retriever
Sporting breed
Exercise needs: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: High
Grand Munsterlander
Pointing gundog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Moderate
Havanese
Companion toy
Activity: ModerateAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: High
Icelandic Sheepdog
Spitz herding dog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
Italian Pointer
Pointing gundog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Low
Japanese Spitz
Spitz companion
Activity: ModerateAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Moderate
Kerry Blue Terrier
Working terrier
Activity: Moderate-highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: High
Kooikerhondje
Sporting companion
Activity: Moderate-highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
Kromfohrlander
Companion dog
Activity: ModerateAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
Labrador Retriever
Sporting breed
Exercise needs: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Lagotto Romagnolo
Water dog
Activity: Moderate-highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: High
Lancashire Heeler
Herding dog
Activity: Moderate-highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Landseer
Working water dog
Activity: LowAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: High
Lapinkoira
Herding spitz
Activity: Moderate-highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
Lapphund
Herding spitz
Activity: Moderate-highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
Leonberger
Working giant
Activity: ModerateAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: High
Long Haired Collie
Herding dog
Activity: Moderate-highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: High
Majorca Ratter
Companion and ratting dog
Activity: Moderate-highAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Minimal
Manchester Terrier
Terrier
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Minimal
Miniature Poodle
Companion and gun dog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: High
Miniature Schnauzer
Terrier
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: High
Old Danish Pointer
Pointer
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Papillon
Toy spaniel
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
Phalene
Toy spaniel
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
Polish Lowland Sheepdog
Herding dog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: High
Pont Audemer Spaniel
Sporting gun dog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Moderate
Poodle (Standard)
Non-sporting breed
Exercise needs: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Very high
Poodle Medium
Companion and gun dog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: High
Portuguese Sheepdog
Herding dog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Moderate
Portuguese Water Dog
Working water dog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: High
Prague Ratter
Companion dog
Activity: ModerateAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Puli
Herding dog
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: Very high
Ratter Terrier
Terrier
Activity: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Rottweiler
Working guardian
Activity: ModerateAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Shetland Sheepdog
Herding breed
Exercise needs: HighAlone-time tolerance: LowCoat care: High
Shiloh Shepherd
Herding breed
Exercise needs: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
Smooth Collie
Herding breed
Exercise needs: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Stabyhoun
Sporting breed
Exercise needs: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Terrier breed
Exercise needs: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Low
Standard Schnauzer
Working breed
Exercise needs: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
Toy Fox Terrier
Toy breed
Exercise needs: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Minimal
Toy Poodle
Companion dog
Activity: ModerateAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: High
Vastgotaspets
Herding breed
Exercise needs: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
Welsh Corgi Cardigan
Herding breed
Exercise needs: ModerateAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
Welsh Corgi Pembroke
Herding breed
Exercise needs: ModerateAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
Welsh Springer Spaniel
Sporting breed
Exercise needs: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
White Swiss Shepherd Dog
Herding breed
Exercise needs: HighAlone-time tolerance: ModerateCoat care: Moderate
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