What do you consider to be the most "difficult" breed? Controversial

Often it's not the breed or the owner that is difficult, just simply a mis-match of the two. On saying that, owners are capable of learning too so a bit of training and the 'difficult' breed often becomes the easiest for them

I don't think any breed is "difficult" as such. I think individual personalities and requirements of owner and dog can make a certain dog difficult for a certain person. Personally I would find a dog who couldn't do much exercise and needed/wanted little mental stimulation very, very difficult to live with, to me there seems little point having a dog like that. For others that's their ideal dog and they'd find it difficult to live with a dog who needed an hour or more exercise every day plus mental stimulation.

As for Boxers, the ones I know are extremely bright and, with the right motivation, very enthusiastic about learning new things. That's why they're on my wish list

Interesting replies. Agree that a mis-match between owner traits and breed traits can spell disaster as most people aren't willing to learn to change to be more suited to the breed they've chosen for themselves!

this is what i think about "difficult dogs" always love a good challenge

Hmmn, let's just say the three in my house are difficult... one is Dog aggressive and stranger aggressive, sheds, needs hand stripping at least 2x per year, though he does not need bathed or even brushed in between stripping. One was Food aggressive and a severe resource guarder, who refuses to stop crapping in my house, he's also a Dachshund and has to be lifted off furniture and down stairs, and is deaf. The third never stops moving unless she's asleep on my lap, she's deaf, has major vision problems, has sleep apnea (snores like a trucker), has OCD licking (me!), is allergic to metal, and cant go for walks due to her missing 1/2 a foot, so she has to have swim therapy in my bathtub, as well as being a Dachshund, so she cant jump off anything or go down stairs (but try telling her she cant fly!!!)

Yet all three of my dogs are the best dogs I could have They learn tricks fast, they are sweet and cuddly and would do anything for me... so I put up with their quirks and "problems"

For me, a difficult dog would be an easy dog... I'd be bored

its the airdale for me and the wolf cross also.stong minded dogs who were very hard to work with.they force you to think outside the box!!!wolf cross,that a whole new situation.while they were being groomed, i was up the other end,!!

Whilst I wouldn't describe them as difficult, I would say Rotties are not for a first time owner. They do require a certain type of owner to get the best out of them and experience is key. Being a very confident, intelligent and naturally dominant, they would walk over some owners to become pack leader and this is when problems can arise.

That said, if you are that person who can train/exercise and socialize them to the degree they need, they are without doubt a fabulous breed to own and love.

I couldn't own a dog with huge grooming needs...Tummel gets combed once or twice a week(when shedding) and thats it!!!

I also couldn't cope with a high energy dog(huskies, springers, border collies etc) and i just don't have the time or energy to be out waking for hours then doing training, playing, activites etc with it, they're just too demanding for me.

High maintenance breeds in general are too much for me

Have to agree with SB on this, "Dim" is a word I have heard a few trainers mutter on trying to work with Boxers,

I think its more the trainers failure to be able to work with such an intelligent breed to be honest.

I have never me ta dim one yet, to clever for their own good yes, and the ability to make any trainer/owner (who is not tuned into them ) look a bit silly.

I know of a trainer who if you took your Boxer pup to her class, she will tell you , to not bother as she is wasting her time even trying......... says more about her than t does the dogs to be honest.

I don`t think any breed is difficult if you know what you are dealing with, personally there are breeds I would not own, due to my own failings....I would never have a dog like a Mal /Husky, due to me not being able to give it what it needs, nor would I own a dog with a high guarding instinct, I don`t feel I am the right owner for such a breed.

I don`t think its the breed that is difficult , but the owner who owns it.,

agree with this.. ive never met a dim boxer, ive met goofy comical ones, but never dim.. not a word i would use

and most definitely agree with your last line.

It sounds like boxers are "pigs fly" dogs (book by Jane Killion); rather than being more difficult to train, they just need a different approach to training that makes better use of their natural problem solving abilities and independent thinking.

That's certainly what I've found with whippets! They are extremely low maintenance dogs in the house but training can be a challenge unless you look at it from a different angle.

Boxers are a very intelligent breed, , they are like sponges, they soak up everything you teach them, BUT they are also a breed that bores easily, you have to always be one step ahead of them,other wise they will lose interest in what you are doing and go star gazing, if you don`t keep them engaged they will soon find something more interesting to focus on, and I think this is the mistake people make , in believing them to lack intelligence,, and untrainable. the times I have heard this is to many to count.

If anyone ever looks through the Boxer quarterly and sees some of the jobs the Boxer is capable of, and you suggested to any of their owners, the breed is "dim" they would laugh at the suggestion.

I think sadly one of the reasons so many end up in rescue is because their owners see it that way , and don`t have the ability to tune into the breed.


Sorry DayCare4Paws, you hit a raw note there, its one of the things that get my blood up when someone suggests my breed is dim;-)

The one thing you have to do with a Boxer (specially a young one) is to keep it short, they bore easily, they get distracted , their exuberance can boil over, BUT you have their willingness to aid you, they love to please, (in small doses) keep it short, interesting, and no repartitions, they learn quickly and are good at anticipating your next move.

Yes they can be challenging, some more so than others, but their brain is ready and willing to work to what ever you ask of them.

You are in for a shock when you get a Spinone then.

They are very high energy. One of the Spins I know is now a senior (over 7) and is still nuts. They also shed prolifically and slobber.

Never found whippets to be in any way a challange in over 20 years of owning them . But then again my first dog was an afghan

Easy! Greyhounds!

However they do make excellent trainsrs

Mine have trained me to bring their treats to them, to take them on the walks they want to go on on that particular day, which food they particularly like and even what tv programmes they want to watch.

Seriously I agree some DOGS are harder to train than others but its not totally down to the breed.

(although I still think sighthounds are a bit funny in the head;-) )

You've made me laugh out loud again! Transporting me back 30 yrs or more to when I was told by a dog trainer that the most useful training tool was 'a rolled up newspaper' and that, when I couldn't get my dog to do what I wanted it to do - use it to SMACK MYSELF HARD OVER THE HEAD WITH lol!

As for 'gobby' pets - the worst noisiest pet I ever owned was a cat and we called her GOBBY! (Short for Gobbolino the Witches' Cat from the book!)

When asked by my eldest son if I was INSANE getting a minpin when I live in an apartment block, I replied that he was mistaking me for someone who gives a *! But seriously, that it would not be a problem because she would soon appreciate that I did NOT appreciate non stop barking!

I didn't acknowledge them as a challenge...until I took them to training classes amongst other breeds!

I guess it's more that they require different understanding than other breeds when training for obedience. That's the challenge. They are actually super smart and keen to learn, just in a different way to collies etc

Same as with the easiest breed - it totally depends on your situation and personality.
I would find a high energy and high prey drive dog (I say that as the owner of a dog who 'should' have a high prey drive, thankfully his is medium) difficult. Also if they shed a lot or drooled a lot, that would be a problem. If the dog needed entertaining or training all the time to keep them happy, that would be hard. It would be fun for a short while, but wouldn't fit in with my daily life. I chose a dog that did.

Boxers are too blummin' clever for their own good....they like to play the fool and make everyone think they are dim though!

My two often act like they have the attention span of teaspoons, however Max has taught himself to open the fridge, freezer, microwave and oven...and Murphy knows exactly what is kept in every cupboard in the kitchen, and can hear the toaster pop up from the very end of our field!

They didn't do well at the training class we went to, I think due to the repetitive nature of the training and the 'waiting' around we had to do for our turn. JB is right - Boxers do have a short attention span, and it's a killer! If you ask them to do the same thing more than 3 or 4 times (and they've already done it once) you'll not get much response (and they look dim....) however if you keep stuff changing and new and up-tempo, you get a much better response....