Dogs are commonly known as ‘man’s best friend,’ and their obedience plays an important role in this. However, not all dogs are obedient, with some breeds struggling with a simple command such as “sit.” Other breeds have a talent for obedience, however, and we’re taking a look at 18 examples today.
Border Collies
The border collie is one of the smartest dog breeds in the world, if not the smartest. They are perfect companions who are eager to please, easy to train, and gifted at responding to commands perfectly. However, they also get bored easily, meaning you need to keep them engaged to avoid destructive behavior.
Labrador Retrievers
With an innate disposition to be obedient, labrador retrievers are also some of the smartest and most resourceful dogs you’ll come across. Their awesome trainability makes them the number one choice as service dogs for search and rescue operations, helping the visually impaired and the police.
Vizslas
Vizslas are highly disciplined dogs that are known for their natural obedience. They’re intelligent and extremely loyal, but they need regular mental and physical exercises to calm their temperament. According to AKC, they also excel brilliantly at applying their obedience to dog sports, hunting, and emergency services.
German Shepherd
German shepherds are energetic and intelligent dogs, originally bred to herd sheep. Today, farmers still use them for sheep herding, but they are more commonly found in law enforcement, the military, and as pets. Like many breeds on this list, German Shepherds get bored easily and can be a handful when not occupied.
Golden Retrievers
The golden retriever is another highly intelligent, high-energy breed eager to please and learn new commands and tricks. Like labradors, golden retrievers make fantastic service dogs for the visually impaired and ideal companions for first-time dog owners.
English Springer Spaniels
Particularly excellent within family settings, the English springer spaniel is an intelligent, playful breed with resounding obedience. They’re relatively better-behaved than other intelligent breeds on our list, but this still won’t stop them from causing mischief if they don’t have something to keep them occupied.
Havanese
Havanese are highly intelligent, playful, and easily trainable breeds that hold special status as Cuba’s national dogs. They do great with simple commands taught through positive reinforcement techniques and enjoy getting active through tricks and games. However, they will need training from an early age to curb their overriding stubbornness.
Poodles
Poodles love to learn and are always eager to please their handlers. In fact, they love people so much that they often learn complex tricks and commands just to make you happy. They’re also energetic and loyal, and they bond easily with children and other pets. What more could you ask for?
Doberman Pinschers
An amazingly loyal breed with protective qualities commonly used in law enforcement, the Doberman Pinscher stays disciplined in training and execution. It’s an intelligent and energetic breed that handles complex tasks excellently, but like many others, it needs a lot of mental and physical stimulation to maintain focus.
Keeshonds
Keeshonds are famous for their stubbornness and independence, especially when they are not properly socialized from an early age. However, when socialized properly, they’re one of the most gentle, intelligent, and easily trainable breeds around, especially when it comes to using their energy for sports.
Manchester Terriers
With the Manchester terrier, you have a canine companion who will always be patient and consistent during your training sessions. As Spruce Pets explains, “They are people-pleasers, love a challenge, and can be easily trained with the help of positive reinforcement and reward-based techniques.”
Australian Cattle Dogs
Australian Cattle Dogs are as energetic as they are smart, so they’ll carry out whatever task you’ve trained them for, especially if it’s outside in the fields. However, you’ll need to ensure they get plenty of walks and mental stimulation to curb their destructive tendencies when bored.
Rottweilers
Some dogs can actually be too obedient, such as the Rottweiler. Rottweilers are loyal companions who are so eager to perform that they require training to curb excessively dominant behaviors. They’re still an intelligent breed with easy trainability, but their innate over-enthusiasm makes them only appropriate for trained dog handlers.
Shetland Sheepdog
Fondly known as Shelties, Shetland Sheepdogs are attentive and brave breeds that are always sharp when executing tricks and commands. They’re a multi-talented breed when trained gently and consistently, with the AKC describing them as “world-class competitors in obedience, agility, and herding trials.”
Miniature Schnauzers
Highly intelligent and demanding of attention, miniature schnauzers are inquisitive breeds that always want to learn something new. However, they’re also energetic dogs that love to play, so whilst they are loyal and will always be by your side, they’re more suited as companions over service dogs.
Papillon
Papillons are adorable dogs that learn and execute tasks quickly, particularly when trained through positive reinforcement techniques. They tend to perform particularly well in obedience and agility competitions, but they’ll need to be sufficiently trained from an early age. Otherwise, you’ll never be able to catch them!
Pembroke Welsh Corgis
The Pembroke Welsh corgi have an innate ability to learn easily, yet they are often overlooked due to their small size. This athletic, agile, and dependable breed is known to be submissive to its human handlers, an essential trait for finding an obedient canine companion.
Australian Shepherds
Finally, the AKC praises Australian Shepherds for excelling particularly well in agility, obedience, and herding. They learn commands incredibly quickly and have a stunning ability to think and solve problems by themselves. They’re energetic yet easy-going with children and other animals, so they make the perfect family pet.
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