

The owner of one of these pooches needs to be a consistent trainer to turn one of these fur-babies into a family pet. They like to bark, howl, dig, and wander around the neighborhood.

Originally bred to be scent hounds, these hunting dogs still love to just be a dog. Although Basset Hound has short legs, they are still heavy with strong bones and muscles.

Not as well-research as many other breeds in terms of trainability, yet several studies found this breed express fear which affects their susceptibility for training. They always believe that their way of doing things is better. Apparently, it is this independent thought (and their temperament) that makes Saint Bernards one of the hard to train dogs. This requires a lot of intelligence and independent thought. They can do these things with little to no supervision. For centuries, the Saint was bred to perform many functions, such as those mentioned, and farm hand duties. While the true origins of the Saint Bernard are sketchy, we do know that the monks of Saint Bernard’s Pass used them as guard dogs and rescue dogs. SIMILAR: 15 Most Stubborn Dog Breeds That Are Difficult To Train 20 Most Hard to Train DogsĪ breed that several studies confirmed is difficult to train is Saint Bernard. The above is to say that in some situations, a breed that ranks as hard to train may actually be easier to train than a more trainable breed if certain conditions are met. Other factors (non-breed related) should also be considered, such as dog's upbringing, environment, history, health, age and more.Owners' skills and abilities should also be taken into consideration.These breeds are not impossible to train, but rather harder than others.

Alexander reviews experiences of dog trainers and found a pattern that it's much easier to train a Labrador to retrieve than a Great Pyrenees (and plenty more examples).īased on the available data, we've compiled a list of 20 hard to train dogs as demonstrated in the above studies. For example, in “ Click for Joy!“, author Melissa C. We can find plenty more proof of the differences between breeds for how they perceive training both in studies and regular literature ( 10, 11). There are multiple genetic factors that affect how easy it is to train a specific breed, with dog's temperament, fear and aggression being one of the primary criteria ( 7, 8, 9). Labrador Retrievers were found to be best guide dogs due to behavioral phenotypes in their genome ( 6, 7). For example, a different 2018 study found Border Collies rank at the top of the list for detection work ( 5). Some breeds were also found to be better at specific training and work. They found breeds like Collie, Whippet, GSD and retrievers to be easy to train, while breeds like Borzoi, Chow Chow, Saint Bernard scored low on trainability ( 2). In a 2018 study, as part of the goal to figure each breed's popularity, authors assessed them for trainability as well. Studies found great variability based on breed (genetics) in how they perceive visual and audible cues, their overall attitude towards training, obedience and behavior during commands, and other factors ( 2, 3, 4). There's now enough research in this area as scientists continue to map out breeds and rank them in order of easiest to hardest to train. It means you may need to invest extra time (and money) into achieving the goal. While the below listed hard to train dogs may be a challenge, that doesn’t mean they cannot be trained. While all dogs are susceptible to training, it has been proven that breed matters in how easy or difficult it will be to train the dog ( 1).
