Whether you adopt from a shelter or buy from a certified breeder, you need to be familiar with the dog breeds you are bringing home. While all dogs are waiting to become loving and adorable companions, your mistakes can make dogs of some breeds unruly.
There are some easy to train dog breeds that are well adjusted for your first pet-parenthood venture. Don’t be fooled though, taking care of any breed requires work.
Right from preventing worms with Dog Interceptor to taking them out for walks, you need to put in that effort to ensure your pet remains healthy and happy.
To help you understand the extent of your commitment, the following are a few common dog breeds that require more attention than others.
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1. Chow Chow
About the Breed: Chow Chows are large fluffy dogs that look like animated plushies. They have a unique blue tongue. From being loyal companions to Chinese royalty to being brave protectors of farm animals, the Chow Chow is a multi-talented dog.
Challenges You May Face: The most significant problem when it comes to dealing with a Chow Chow is the shed factor. As expected, a big fluffy dog needs a lot of grooming. Chow Chows are fiercely independent, and they do not make the best snuggle buddies. Training them can be a task since they tend to be very stubborn. Since they are highly suspicious of strangers, bringing guests home can be a bark-fest.
2. Rottweiler
About the Breed: The fierce-looking breed is actually very gentle if trained well. These stocky dogs have been bred to do some heavy-duty work that included drawing carts. Today the breed still maintains its strength. Not much grooming is needed for this low maintenance dog breed.
Challenges You May Face: This breed needs a lot of space to drain their energy. If you are unable to keep them stimulated, they tend to get destructive. Any kind of negative training can create an impact that powerful dog’s behavior dangerously.
3. Tibetan Mastiff
About the Breed: This rare gigantic dog breed is a ferocious one. They may look big and soft, but they come with a bite that overshadows its bark. Tibetan mastiffs are bred to bear the harsh climates of Tibet. The role of a guard dog is something that the breed is excellent at.
Challenges You May Face: Guarding instincts of the dog can make the powerful animal dangerous. Coming from the cold mountains of Tibet, the breeds needs suitable climatic conditions. Grooming needs to be done frequently to keep your mastiff healthy.
4. German Shepherds
About the Breed: German Shepherds had been selectively bred to become working dogs. While German Shepherds do make loving companions, these dogs need constant stimulation. German shepherds with shorter coats do not need much grooming, while the ones with double coats must be regularly groomed.
Challenges You May Face: German Shepherds tend to become very destructive if they are not sufficiently stimulated. Any negative experience can affect your dog forever. Training and exercise are something that first-time pet parents may not be able to provide sufficiently.
5. Border Collies
About the Breed: These energetic herding dogs have been used to herd cattle. They have stored blasts of energy that they exhibit when outrunning a loose animal. The intelligence of this dog breed is very high.
Challenges You May Face: The high intelligence of the dog makes it a problematic breed. Collies tend to be rebellious and headstrong. You can find them herding other animals or children in the house by nipping at them. If you do not give them an outlet for their bursts of energy, then they can develop destructive tendencies.
6. Siberian Huskies
About the Breed: YouTube is full of huskies howling or saying “I Love You.” Just like the collie, the Husky is a very intelligent breed that can mimic your every move. This breed is good at voicing their opinion by being very vocal. Thanks to their sled-pulling genetics, they need a lot of exercises.
Challenges You May Face: Training a husky is somewhat challenging. You do not have to worry about your husky lashing out aggressively, but you may need to deal with their teen-like temper tantrums. Huskies also have coats that require frequent grooming.
7. Akita Inu
About the Breed: Hachiko might have seemed like the ideal pet to have. But Akita Inus are independent dogs with a lot of character. Bravery is a key characteristic of Akitas, so much so, that this dog breed was used to hunt boars in Japan.
Challenges You May Face: Akitas need experienced trainers to deal with their stubborn nature. Since these dogs are somewhat suspicious of strangers, without sufficient socializing, they can get aggressive.
8. Australian Cattle Dog
About the Breed: Just like the Collie, the Australian cattle dog is a herding dog. When given the proper training there can be no better security system for your property. They are energy filled dogs that love to embark on outdoorsy adventures. Socializing your Aussie can be a very easy task.
Challenges You May Face: Matching the energy level of the Aussie can be tough for first-time pet parents. Training this intelligent and sometimes stubborn dog breed often needs an experienced hand.
9. Cane Corso
About the Breed: The muscular Italian breed is an impressive looking dog. They are far from matching their aggressive look when it comes to their temperament. If trained and socialized well, they make well-adjusted family members. The short coat makes the Cane Corso an easy to maintain dog.
Challenges You May Face: Cane Corsos look like bodybuilders of the canine world and unsurprisingly they have the strength to match their physique. Getting them to follow your commands might prove to be a challenge.
10. Skye Terrier
About the Breed: Small breed dogs make the best dogs for first-time owners. A Skye terrier might be a small dog, but they have been bred to hunt. Long walks and stimulating activities can keep your Skye terrier healthy and happy.
Challenges You May Face: Returning from your long walk can make you very unhappy since the long fur of your dog might track in dirt, twigs, and leaves. A lot of grooming time needs to be dedicated to your Skye Terrier. They like being left alone till they want attention. Their stubborn nature can make them a hard to train the dog as well.
For first-time parents choosing a small breed, short coat dog can be the best option. Leave the hard to train and handle dog breeds to experienced pet-parents. You can always bring home one of these breeds once you have gained more dog handling experience.