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What Dog Breeds Are The Hardest To Train?
Many dog breeds are known to be difficult to train. Each breed is difficult for a different reason. Most of these difficult-to-train breeds have one thing in common, though, and that is that they are stubborn.
Stubbornness in a dog means that they will do whatever they want to do. This doesn’t mean that they are impossible to train, just that the owner or trainer will need to work extra hard to convince the dog to behave and learn commands.
The following sections go over some of the breeds that are best known for being difficult to train.
Siberian Husky
Despite being a popular dog among families, Siberian Huskies are known for being stubborn, dramatic, and difficult to train. These dogs have a lot of energy, which when not exerted can lead to behaviors like excessive chewing and destroying items in your home.
To combat these behaviors, experts recommend exercising and training with your Siberian Husky every day. They need to be fully worn out so that they won’t get bored and start damaging items around your home.
If this seems like too much work, then a Siberian Husky might not be the dog for you. There are plenty of other breeds that are easier to manage and train.
Rottweiler
Rottweilers are known for being extremely stubborn and loyal to their owners. If your rottweiler thinks that you are in any danger, they will react to try and protect you. This is true even in situations where you are completely fine. Because of this, rottweilers need to be well-trained before you take them to crowded areas or an off-leash dog park.
Many people recommend professional trainers for rottweilers. Their stubbornness makes them difficult to train and their loyalty can make them dangerous when out in public. You will want to know that your dog won’t unnecessarily hurt anyone while out in public.
Rottweilers, when properly trained, make extremely loyal and lovable pets. With a little bit of effort, you can have a well-trained rottweiler in no time.
Beagle
Beagles are known for being extremely intelligent with high energy levels. Their energy and stubborn attitudes make them difficult to train, especially for first-time dog owners. Beagles are scent hounds, so they love to use their nose when exploring. They can even be known to make a mess or destroy things in homes while following a scent.
Beagles are also known to bark a lot, and their attitudes and stubbornness make it difficult to train them not to bark. Training a beagle is doable, but you may need to hire a professional. Many people successfully own beagles as pets and they make wonderful additions to families.
Additionally, a group of these dogs is known as the “beagle brigade,” who are trained to sniff out illegal agricultural products at customs checks in airports. Beagles were chosen for this profession because of their excellent sense of smell, and they have been properly trained for the job. Training a beagle will take hard work and dedication, but it can be done.
Basset Hound
Similar to beagles, basset hounds are scent hounds that love to use their nose. Their general lack of obedience means that when a basset hound picks up an interesting scent, they will ignore all attempts to get their attention until they are satisfied with the smell.
Basset hounds are also known to be difficult to housebreak, which can be challenging when trying to live with a dog in your home. If you decide to adopt a basset hound, you will need to start house training them right away. You will need to be persistent with training so that you can build a bond together and they can learn to pay attention to you.
Chinese Shar-Pei
The Chinese Shar-Pei is a breed known for being difficult to socialize. With both other humans and other dogs, the Chinese Shar-Pei can be territorial and standoffish. This can lead to aggression and even violence if an unknown person or dog approaches their owner. They might see the approach as a threat and react accordingly.
If you plan to adopt a Chinese Shar-Pei, be prepared to practice obedience and socialization. You must know that your dog can get along with other dogs and people before taking them in public.
If you adopt a Chinese Shar-Pei and don’t attempt to train or socialize them, or you know that they are aggressive, you should not take them places where they will be around other dogs and people. This is best for the safety of your dog and others around you.
Afghan Hound
Afghan hounds are known for being intelligent and stubborn. They have even been compared to cats by some because of their independent nature. Afghan hounds are likely to do whatever they want and not listen to authority.
Afghan hounds have even been known to seemingly follow commands and learn tricks, then randomly decide not to follow them anymore. This can be frustrating for anyone trying to train their dog obedience commands and tricks.
Overall, the biggest challenge in training an afghan hound is their independent nature. If you want to adopt one of these dogs, it may be best if you can deal with an independent dog that won’t always listen to you. This means that they will always have to be on a leash when you go out, and you will have to keep a close eye on them at all times.
Bulldog
Bulldogs are a cute and loveable breed that is growing in popularity among dog owners. Bulldogs make great pets for laid-back owners because they are fairly lazy dogs. Bulldogs are known for enjoying eating and sleeping and not much else. However, this also means that they won’t enjoy training.
Bulldogs are not impossible to train. They will simply take more time, effort, and dedication to training than other breeds. Some dog breeds are eager to learn commands, but bulldogs would much rather be relaxing. If you adopt a bulldog, be prepared to put in some hard work for them to learn any commands.
Chow Chow
Chow chows are a dog breed known for their dominant personality. This means that they won’t want to listen to authority, which makes them difficult to train. Chow chows can also be territorial and jealous when it comes to their owners. This can lead to dangerous situations if you are ever approached by a stranger or unknown dog.
If you adopt a chow chow, be prepared to socialize them so that they can learn that strangers and other dogs are okay as long as they are not aggressive. If your chow chow continues to show aggression and territorial behavior, you may not be able to bring them to crowded places with lots of people and other dogs.
When you are training a chow chow, be sure to be firm and let them know who is in charge. Their dominant personality will take some time to overcome, but with firm training, they will learn that they need to listen to you.
Mastiff
Mastiffs are a dog breed known to be stubborn and difficult to train. One issue with training a stubborn mastiff is that they are so big that owners can’t do much as far as correcting behaviors physically. Mastiffs are large and strong, often weighing as much as their owners. It can be difficult to establish authority when your dog is as big as you are.
If you adopt a mastiff, you need to be firm and establish dominance early on. Practice training regularly so that you know that they understand your authority. You will want to be sure that your dog is obedient to you before taking them around other dogs. Because of their size, they can easily hurt other dogs or people without meaning to. You will need to be able to control them while you are out in case of an emergency.
What Makes A Dog Hard To Train?
Ultimately, dogs that are known to be difficult to train have a few personality traits in common. As we have said before, most difficult-to-train dogs are stubborn. They are not inclined to listen to their owners and will do whatever they want to do.
There are of course other common personality traits among these breeds that make them difficult to train. Some of them are highly intelligent, which means that they usually have minds of their own and are less likely to listen to authority.
Other dog breeds are incredibly loyal and territorial. This can even make them dangerous in certain situations. As an owner of a loyal and territorial dog, you need to teach your dog that in most situations, they should not act to protect you from other people or dogs. This will keep both of you and others around you safe.
At the end of the day, the dog breeds that we have mentioned here are known to be difficult to train due to breed personality traits. These dogs are not impossible to train. If you decide to adopt one of these types of dogs, you may need to put a little extra work in, but you will be able to train them.
If you are looking to adopt a dog that is easy to train, we recommend that you choose a mixed-breed dog or a breed that does not appear on this list.
How Do You Train Stubborn Dogs?
If you are finding that training your dog is not going well, you may have a stubborn dog. These dogs are not impossible to train, but you may need to put in some extra effort to make the training stick.
One of the most important things that you can do to help your dog during your training sessions is to keep to a strict routine, and include training in that routine. This routine will help provide some discipline for your dog because they won’t be able to do whatever they want whenever they want. A routine that includes training will also help you be consistent with your training sessions.
Next, make sure that you are spending enough time training your dog every day, and that you are spending enough time learning each command before moving on. Consistency and practice are key to solidifying a command in your dog’s mind. Make sure that you frequently review commands that you have successfully taught your dog, and spend lots of quality time together working on tricks and commands.
Finally, make sure that you are only using positive reinforcement during training sessions. Rewarding your dog with treats and food is much more effective for training than punishing bad behaviors. Most of the time, your dog won’t even realize what they have done wrong. However, with positive reinforcement, they know that they are rewarded for certain actions.
