Dogs, in general, are incredibly intelligent animals. Dogs are considered on the same intelligence level as a 2.5-year-old child. While all dogs can read our physical and verbal cues and even feel emotions like jealousy or depression, some dog breeds stand out as more intelligent and ready to learn. If you are looking for a breed that is easy to train so that you can enter competitions – or just have a really well-behaved pup – you may want to consider one of these dog breeds.

dog breeds for training

What makes an easily-trained dog?

The following breeds share some specific qualities that help them master their training more quickly than others, but there are some other factors that you can control to make the training process as smooth as possible. First, consider your dog’s age. Puppies won’t be able to concentrate for long, so keep your training sessions short and fun. As the dog gets older, it will focus better and sit through more extensive sessions. Keeping your pup healthy both physically and mentally is excellent for training as well. Under-stimulated dogs or suffer from anxiety or fear will not learn as readily as healthy-minded pups. Also, if your dog doesn’t get enough exercise, it will be too over-energetic to listen and learn well.

Best Dog Breeds to Train

  1. Border Collie: Border collies are one of the breeds best known for their boundless energy and eagerness to work. They love to be given a job, whether carrying their own supplies while on a tiring hike, working hard on the agility field, or picking up new skills during training. Their daily exercise requirements may be overwhelming for some, but if you can give them an active lifestyle, they make great pets.
  2. Australian Shepherd: Aussies are beautiful dogs who are also ready to get to work the second they wake up in the morning. Be sure to give them plenty of enrichment for both their brains and their bodies because otherwise, they tend to turn destructive to get out their restlessness.
  3. Blue heeler: These pups are so smart, you will hardly believe it. Even if yours has never set foot on a farm, you will likely notice them trying to “herd” members of your family while you’re running around in the backyard. They are remarkably loyal and ready to please – you will have a great time bonding and training with them.
  4. Labrador or Golden Retriever: Retrievers are widely known as “family dogs” for a reason. They have endless loyalty and love for their families. They are playful and enjoy learning because they are so eager to please. While their energy requirements are lower than heelers, collies, or shepherds, they still need decent exercise each day. Retrievers are great to train as service or hunting dogs.
  5. German Shepherd: There is a reason these dogs are used so often as part of K9 units and in the military–they are loyal to their owners and extremely trainable. They need frequent exercise and tend to have bad hips, so you need to be careful of the intensity of the exercise they get as they get older.