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Ranking · 50 breeds

The most trainable dog breeds

Which breeds pick up new cues fastest and enjoy working with you — and which need more patience. Every breed links to 30 step-by-step training guides.

Score = average of the AKC's trainability rating and our own (both 1–5). Breeds with the same score share a rank. A low score doesn't mean a breed can't learn — independent breeds just need shorter sessions, better rewards and more patience.

Exceptionally easy to train

  1. 1Labrador Retriever5.0AKC 5 · ours 5
  2. 1Golden Retriever5.0AKC 5 · ours 5
  3. 1German Shepherd5.0AKC 5 · ours 5
  4. 1Poodle5.0AKC 5 · ours 5
  5. 1Australian Shepherd5.0AKC 5 · ours 5
  6. 1Doberman Pinscher5.0AKC 5 · ours 5
  7. 1Shetland Sheepdog5.0AKC 5 · ours 5
  8. 1Border Collie5.0AKC 5 · ours 5
  9. 1Belgian Malinois5.0AKC 5 · ours 5
  10. 1Portuguese Water Dog5.0AKC 5 · ours 5

Very easy to train

  1. 11Rottweiler4.5AKC 5 · ours 4
  2. 11German Shorthaired Pointer4.5AKC 5 · ours 4
  3. 11Miniature Schnauzer4.5AKC 5 · ours 4
  4. 11English Springer Spaniel4.5AKC 5 · ours 4
  5. 11Brittany4.5AKC 5 · ours 4
  6. 11Vizsla4.5AKC 5 · ours 4
  7. 11Weimaraner4.5AKC 5 · ours 4
  8. 11Collie4.5AKC 4 · ours 5

Easy to train

  1. 19Pembroke Welsh Corgi4.0AKC 4 · ours 4
  2. 19Cavalier King Charles Spaniel4.0AKC 4 · ours 4
  3. 19Cane Corso4.0AKC 4 · ours 4
  4. 19Bernese Mountain Dog4.0AKC 4 · ours 4
  5. 19Boston Terrier4.0AKC 4 · ours 4
  6. 19Havanese4.0AKC 4 · ours 4
  7. 19Cocker Spaniel4.0AKC 4 · ours 4
  8. 19Bichon Frise4.0AKC 4 · ours 4
  9. 19Australian Cattle Dog4.0AKC 4 · ours 4

Moderately easy

  1. 28French Bulldog3.5AKC 4 · ours 3
  2. 28Dachshund3.5AKC 4 · ours 3
  3. 28Yorkshire Terrier3.5AKC 4 · ours 3
  4. 28Boxer3.5AKC 4 · ours 3
  5. 28Shih Tzu3.5AKC 4 · ours 3
  6. 28Pug3.5AKC 4 · ours 3
  7. 28Newfoundland3.5AKC 3 · ours 4
  8. 28Rhodesian Ridgeback3.5AKC 4 · ours 3
  9. 28Samoyed3.5AKC 4 · ours 3

Takes patience

  1. 37Bulldog3.0AKC 4 · ours 2
  2. 37Great Dane3.0AKC 3 · ours 3
  3. 37Pomeranian3.0AKC 3 · ours 3
  4. 37Mastiff3.0AKC 3 · ours 3
  5. 37Chihuahua3.0AKC 3 · ours 3
  6. 37Maltese3.0AKC 3 · ours 3
  7. 37West Highland White Terrier3.0AKC 3 · ours 3
  8. 37Bloodhound3.0AKC 4 · ours 2
  9. 37Akita3.0AKC 3 · ours 3
  10. 37St. Bernard3.0AKC 3 · ours 3

Independent — a training challenge

  1. 47Beagle2.5AKC 3 · ours 2
  2. 47Siberian Husky2.5AKC 3 · ours 2
  3. 47Basset Hound2.5AKC 3 · ours 2
  4. 50Shiba Inu2.0AKC 2 · ours 2

Method and sources

Each breed's score is the mean of two 1–5 ratings: the trainability rating published in the American Kennel Club breed profiles, and the dogs.academy editorial rating used across our breed guides, which weighs how readily the breed responds to reward-based training, its independence and its attention span. Ratings describe tendencies of the breed; individual dogs vary a lot, and early socialization and consistent positive-reinforcement training matter more than breed.

Easy to train isn't the same as easy to live with: many top-ranked herding and working breeds need a lot of daily exercise and mental work. If you're choosing a dog, try our breed quiz, and read how dogs learn.

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