10 of the Easiest Dog Breeds to Train

Whether you already have a pup, or considering getting your hands on one, some of us want to train our dogs to learn awesome tricks and skills. From balancing a biscuit on their nose to hopping on one leg, and learning how to sit on command, we find training can make our dogs be more mature, listen better, and can pull off cool stunts. And if our dog can master literally every trick in the book, it's only natural to place them in competitions, right? Unless you're not the type to.

Anyways, if you thought that all dog breeds can be trained equally and easily... that's not true. All dogs are different from one another with diverse attitudes, personalities, and sizes. Certain breeds can understand training skills better than others as well as actually having the ability to do them. So, if you want a specific type of dog breed to train with ease, these are the best and easiest dog breeds to train. With any of these dogs, you'll be sure to win gold medals back to back!

Golden Retriever

Golden Retrievers are definitely among the most loved dogs ever. They're loving, cuddly, and devote their entire life to their owner. Even though they aren't the smartest dogs, there's plenty of more aspects to love about them, since they're the most popular dog breeds for families.

However, they are definitely among the easiest dog breeds to train. Since they’re so dedicated to their owners, they’re willing to please them. While they’re easily forgiving of their owner’s mistakes, they still want to satisfy their owners. Plus, Golden Retrievers are always open to learning new skills and behaviors!

German Shepherd

Why are German Shepherds the most common dog breed in the K-9 Unit? Not only are they a very intelligent dog breed, but they need a job to be happy, believe it or not. As this breed responds well to all types of training, they truly enjoy learning new tricks and skills.

As for one of the easiest dog breeds to train, German Shepherds are best trained from the beginning. So, when it’s her first day, it's best if you start the training then. This way, they’ll grow up to be much more mature than other dogs and won’t have any bad habits like stealing food or constantly barking loudly. German Shepherds are also among the best dogs for first time owners.

Miniature Schnauzer

The Miniature Schnauzer is a small dog breed among the Schnauzer family. As high maintenance as it looks, it can definitely pick up quite a few skills. In fact, these are the type of dog breeds that join obedience competitions.

From its high energy level and ability to learn on the spot, the Miniature Schnauzers are ideal candidates for most competitions. As a note, these dogs enjoy barking, so try to cut out that habit by training them from an early age. However, it’s something they’ll never stop doing, but do less of.

Labrador Retriever

Ah, yes, America’s favorite dog, the Labrador Retriever. From the easiest dog breeds to train ever, these dogs are truly loving, sweet, and fun to play with. Similar to the Golden Retrievers, these dogs want nothing more than to please their owners, which makes training them a breeze.

These Labs are known to be show dogs, hunting dogs, guide dogs, service dogs, therapy dogs, rescue dogs, and much more. Just like most dogs, it’s best if you start training them from a really young age. When training young, they’ll grow up to be mature and pros at their skills.

Australian Shepherd

These guys are definitely fur balls of energy. Adorable and fun to play around with, the Australian Shepherd is still among the easiest dog breeds to train, no matter how much energy they possess. In fact, with the amount of energy they have, they can conquer awesome tricks like catching flying discs, herding trails, and much more to burn off a bit of his never-ending energy.

This dog breed is pretty intelligent, too, that’s why they can easily pick up skills and tricks to perform. And if you happen to train yours with all the fun tricks in the book, you’ll have even more fun playing with him.

Poodle

Who would’ve known that Poodles are one of the easiest dog breeds to train? Don’t be fooled by their curly fur, these dog breeds are intelligent among the rest. They can easily pick up tricks, commands, and skills, thanks to their heritage as a circus dog.

However, Poodles are also quite stubborn, so they have ways to outwit you. But this doesn’t prevent them from being trained. It just shows their intelligence and they’re fairly easy to maintain.

Pembroke Welsh Corgi

The Pembroke Welsh Corgi is known to be a herding dog breed that originated in Pembrokeshire, Wales. These dogs are also one of the more popular Corgis in the breed. They’re very active, loving, and even have a stubborn side to them.

While they’re seen as headstrong, these short-legged pups are among the easiest dog breeds to train. Since they need an owner who will consistently need to be taught manners around the house, this draws them to be trained effortlessly. In the end, they’re still sensitive to their owners and without a doubt enjoy learning new commands and tricks.

Pumi

Probably one of the cutest dogs on this list, the Pumi is a medium to small-sized sheepdog breed from Hungary. Intelligent and active, these dogs also need a job to stay happy. That’s why the majority of them are herding dogs, because they’re fit to gather and keep sheep under control.

While the Pumi are searching for a job to fulfill, this makes it so much more easier to train them. All they want to do is show their owners that they can get the job done, and this includes trying to master skills while training. Aside from that, these dogs are very affectionate and perform wonderfully in dog sports.

Doberman Pinscher

Now these dogs… are big dogs. The Doberman Pinscher dogs are usually seen as dangerous dogs that do nothing but attack anyone who stands in his way because of their destructive reputation. But in fact, this breed is also among the easiest dog breeds to train.

The Doberman Pinscher can properly be trained in skills, commands, and tricks and make them much more in control of their actions. These dogs can be friendly and stable, they just need an owner to show them the ropes. Plus, they also need interesting tasks to do or else, out of boredom, the Doberman Pinscher will become aggressive towards others.

Shetland Sheepdog

Finally among the easiest dog breeds to train is the Shetland Sheepdog. You can usually find these dogs in competitions, dog spots, etc. because of how active and intelligent they are. While they’re the smaller version of the Rough Collie, they’re a bit more energetic.

Eager to please and possessing high intelligence, the Shetland Sheepdogs are easy to train in anything from moves to commands and skills. They can basically pick up any trick you’re willing to teach. Because of this aspect, they also really enjoy pleasing their owners and showing that they can fulfill certain tasks you tell them.