‘I’m a dog trainer and people are surprised when I tell them hardest breed to train’

If you're looking to get a dog, you may want to know which breeds are the hardest to train so you know what you're getting yourself in for – but it turns out the answer may surprise you

If you're contemplating bringing a new furry friend into your life, you might be on the lookout for dog breeds that are a breeze to train, hoping to make your life easier in the long run. Let's face it, training a dog can be a daunting task that demands time, patience, and consistency.

Every pet is unique, with its own set of needs, and you might wonder if some breeds are more receptive to training than others. Adam Spivey, the founder of Southend Dog Training, was recently asked on his TikTok account to name the “hardest breed to train” – and his response might surprise you.

UK-based dog trainer Adam, who has been training dogs and sharing his expertise on social media since 2012, revealed: “For me, without a shadow of a doubt, the ones that are the hardest, the ones that are the most unpredictable, the ones that are the least likely to listen, the ones that are going to have the biggest fears, phobias, bad habits – humans. Any dog trainer worth their salt should be able to remove the handler and get that dog to behave very, very quickly.

“The hard part is getting the owner to understand why the dog is doing what it's doing and how to change their behaviour to influence the dog's behaviour for the better. That is the key to a decent dog trainer. The dog is easy. People quickly realise when they come to the training centre that I'm training them more than I'm training the dog. Hardest breed to train? Humans.”

Yorkshire Canine Academy has named the top three most challenging dog breeds to train, based on their own opinions. The Beagle snagged the third spot, with the academy noting that “all they want to do is sniff, they don't want to engage with you, they don't want to listen, they want to get their nose down and sniff”.

Huskies came in second because “all they want to do is pull” as explained by the dog trainer on YouTube, who pointed out the breed's innate desire to pull on the lead, making it tough to teach them to walk calmly on a loose leash. Topping their list is the Chow, described as “very aloof” and “stoic”.

The trainer elaborated: “They do not like to be trained. They don't want to work with people. They want to chill out. Very independent. They want to do their own thing.”

In response to Adam's video, several viewers concurred that Beagles are indeed a difficult breed to manage. One viewer inquired about the Chow Chow, while others shared their experiences, with one commenting: “This is so true! My reactive dog training has been my trainer watching us and giving me tips on what I need to do. I do it and the dog is improving so quickly!” Another chimed in with a broader perspective: “It's us!!! WE (collectively) don't spend the time and effort needed to understand a dog's behaviour.”