What's the easiest breed? Discussions

Cav but the health problems are a major down point and they do require more grooming than others.

Guess it depends what you want from your dog really but I find ex-racing greyhounds very undemanding, take whatever is offered and are very happy with very little. Having had several different large breeds over the years and a couple of smaller ones and a terrier too, I'd go for an older greyhound every time now, as I too am getting older and look for something easily managed.

I'm coming at this thread from a slightly different angle - the angle of viewing breeds from a point of view of working with them.

When you've worked in a kennelling environment (I've worked in both boarding and rescue kennel environments) you soon learn which breeds are "easy" as opposed to "more difficult".

For me, its easy. One breed is WAY easier to look after in a kennel environment - greyhounds.

I have never, EVER met a greyhound that is "difficult" in any way, shape or form. They've always been laid back, easy to catch when they run out of the kennel (although rarely bother to run out of the kennel in the first instance anyway!), easy to walk, get on with people and other dogs, prefer to relax, don't jump up, never had one "hump" me lol, never been snarled at, snapped at or ever had any cause for concern with one.... generally a totally "easy" dog to work with.



But agree that each and every dog is very different - I've known fabulous golden retrievers for instance but equally I've known some total terrors too. Equally I agree with the general concept that Andrex puppies train themselves - as a dog behaviourist/trainer I have seen a LOT of labradors (both in and out of kennel environments) that are absolute hooligans and in 99% of cases its because they grew up with little or no training and the owners believed they were easy and would just "be good" by their very nature!

I think it is down to the individual person as well. I've seen a few CKS who are bonkers but that is down to the owner. I think Insomnia mentioned the owners personality and I think that is spot on.

Any idiot owner can spoil a good dog - I have known a few. I trained a pointer for someone and I reckon she was one of the best pointers I have seen. Handed her over with training for the handler and I later heard she had rehomed into a pet home because she was too much to handle. That dog was a cracking dog and I wish that I had known that was the case but we lost touch for a few years and I only found out afterwards. When we left that dog, she was doing brilliantly. Not saying pointers are the easiest of breeds to own though! lol

Helen

I'd vote greyhounds too, met so many working in the vet school, fantastic, laid back dogs

One day when I have more time on my hands I will rescue a few ex-racing greyhounds!

Returning to Labs ( for obvious reasons ) how about the cleaning after them factor ?

Lots of people don't take shedding into account and it can be a major PIA even with regular grooming !

Every dog is different so people can only really talk about their own expeirences at the end of the day, whats easy for one person maybe prove more then one can handle for another.

None of mine (that I actually know the breed of), that's for sure!

Scout, however, is quite honestly the easiest dog (apart from grooming and shedding) I have ever owned/worked with! She's smart, energetic when we want her to be, and calm when we dont, easy to train, snuggles like a teddy bear, is small, without being too small, doesn't bark much, sleeps most of the day, and, with being deaf, you can move around, put away the groceries, etc, before she knows you're home! LOL

One of the aspects I considered when I got Bella the Min Pin was nothing to do with shedding, feeding, health issues or easy to train - it was that my lifestyle now requires my dog to be a lot more 'independent' than my beloved CKC was. Because at least twice a year I have to have her boarded - and she is absolutely FINE with that - she loves going there and they love having her.

It would have KILLED my old CKC Charlie Girl to be away from me for any length of time, left alone for hours, or put into a strange environment with other dogs and strangers. She was left just twice in her life - once with my sister (and she hardly ate while I was gone) and once when one of my kids came to stay with her (and she was apparently 'looking' for me all the time). But I knew when I got her that they are not recommended for people who are likely to leave them on their own a lot. And even the vets said she wasn't a 'good candidate' for being boarded in kennels.

The Ayatollah Bella doesn't even look back! All those dogs - GREAT! All these new people - GREAT!!

So I suppose the 'easiest breed' depends as much on the potential owner, their lifestyle and routine as it does on the likely or inherent traits, issues and personality of the dog.

I still absolutely adore cavvies. It's true they require a lot of grooming and cleaning but I never considered that to be a problem at all.

Out of all the breeds I have owned the two easiest breeds have been greyhounds and CKCS.
The most difficult dog was a Lab

I would second that

I'd say CKC - biddable, lazy or as active as you want - Sweep in his younger days used to do hoursss of lakeland walks and happily go back to 30mins-1hr a day when we got home! don't eat much, love people, fine with other dogs, easy to train, quiet. Sweep has been very healthy, so I guess we got very lucky there, the only downside i find is that they moult all year round, you can sit down with every grooming product ever for an age, and 10 mins later he'll walk past something and it will have gone hairy.

Greyhounds - don't need a lot of mental stimulation, lazy, generally quiet.

I've given myself a very easy life with dogs!!

I would say a greyhound or whippet would be extremely easy for a first time dog

I always think Tummels been really easy....but if a break it down he's actually been quite difficult, he's taken almost 2 years to break his SA and even then thats if we leave the tv on!!! He's noisy, determined(aka stubborn) very intelligent and very large(and fast). It's not a mix i'd ever recommend to someone who didn't have experience(hypocrite that i am lol) with lots of dogs.

My next dog is an italian spinone...everything i've read about them is perfect in my household but again probably wouldn't recomment them for a first dog, yes they're friendly, willing and very cute but they are HPRs(said to be the smartest HPR as well) and that means they have strong instincts, recall is majorly important and must be established quickly and they are dustbins on legs...my breeder found one of her bitches on her kitchen table eating a pineapple...she'd gone to the car to get something and in less than 5 minutes the spinone had climbed the counter, taken the pineapple, got onto the kitchen table and eaten half of it before she got caught!!!

I must be mad as the breed i love the most is rhodesian ridgebacks, large, strong, stubborn, noisy, shed badly and love food....but they're so beautiful and loving as well

My Sister's Bichon is a very easy dog but she is so low energy I would be bored!! She just likes to snuggle on your lap and have a fuss and doesn't like going out for walks with my Sister-she hides when my Sister gets her lead out

When my Mum had her I took her for a walk with Parker and she really enjoyed it though. I would not find her easy though as the colour and being so near to the ground would be hard work for where we live (near a large heath).

She also has high grooming needs as goes to be trimmed every 6 weeks but then on the plus side she doesn't moult.

I totally agree with those who have noted that their rep as being 'easy' has not done Labs any favours. Look on 'preloved' or any such site and you will see SO many Labs being advertised for rehoming. And the Lab-specific rescues have hundreds of dogs that need new homes too.

I think that young Labs especially are often not 'easy' dogs. They are extremely strong, sometimes exuberant to the point of being slightly nuts, determined and desperate to greet every single person/dog/child in sight...

And boy do Labs tend to pull on the lead......!

Of course, the flip side is that the typical Lab's love of everyone and every dog makes them 'easy' in that if well socialised, you have a very friendly, sociable dog.


My first dog was a Rough Collie - I'd say this is a pretty 'easy' breed in the sense that they are often very biddable dogs. However, they need a lot of exercise, like Labs. And the grooming can be time consuming too.

Uncle's probable whippet was a really easy dog. She was a motorway dog. Someone dumped her out of a car when she was not much more than a pup. No idea why, she was a lovely dog not a bad bone in her. Never bothered the vet either.

As Labradors are the most numerous breed in the country by far, simple logic suggests that they and their crosses will be one of the most numerous in rescue. Their prevalence in rescue has nothing to do with their 'ease' or lack of it, it is just sheer numbers.

I think you will find a different answe with every member on this subject.

For me I would consider the follow -

One to suit my life style/fitness/work pattern and personality.

It's down to the individual personality of the owner and whether or not the dog matches that personality that makes a dog easy or hard to own.

As most will probably know, I have a Border Terrier now and I'm finding her to be the easiest dog in the World, but for a lot, she wouldn't be easy at all.

While Cavs are usually classed as easy dogs, for some they may be 'too' easy so not really easy at all if the personalities clash (if that makes sense).

When personalities match, any breed of dog can be easy, when they clash - OUCH!

well i have loads of differant breeds and my best breed of dog was megan my feild spaniel so easy to train but then even my springers and all my other dogs was easy too as i am good at training dogs and they seam to listen to me