The best and worst behaved dog breeds ranked including Labrador retriever and French Bulldog

While we may think all of our dogs are good dogs - a new survey reveals which are actually well, or badly, behaved. Forbes Advisor asked 5,000 dog owners - made up of 200 owners for each of the 25 most popular dog breeds - to find out which were the easiest to look after as well as which were not the best behaved.

The survey ranked dog behaviour in two categories: following commands and temperament. Under the “following commands” category, they asked dog owners if and how often their dog barks at others, jumps up on people, begs for food, and how well they follow commands when off the lead in public.

Under the “temperament” category, they asked dog owners to rate their dog’s overall behaviour, if/how often their dog tries to escape, if their dog’s health has ever been threatened due to its own behaviour, and if they whine, destroy things or ingest foreign objects

The most well-behaved dog breed was found to be the Labrador retriever, with the worst-behaved being the Siberian husky. When it comes to following commands, the cane corso ranked as the most well-behaved breed, while the dachshund ranked the worst. The shih tzu ranked as the best-behaved breed in terms of temperament, with the beagle ranked the worst.

Of those dog owners who said their dog exhibits “not good” or “terrible” behaviour, a quarter (25%) said it’s because they never attempted to train their dogs. Meanwhile, of those dog owners who said their dog behaviour as “okay”, “not good” or “terrible”, 19% said they’ve tried professional training to try and improve the behaviour.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, six of the 10 breeds that most commonly bark at others fall under the small breed category (with a maximum weight of no more than 32 pounds). They were: Havanese, miniature schnauzers, dachshunds, Pembroke Welsh corgis, Pomeranians and Yorkshire terriers.

The results found that roughly a third (31%) of the dog owners surveyed said their dogs “often” follow commands when off-leash in public, while 19% said “sometimes.” Most dog owners ranked their dog's behaviour as “pretty good” (44%), while only a quarter ranked it as “excellent” (27%).

When asked about the type of negative behaviours their dogs exhibit most frequently, dog owners reported “barking at others” (44%) was the most common, followed by “jumping up on others” (39%). And while 38% said their dog has never attempted a daring escape, 16% reported their dog has tried to escape “often” and “always”.

Among dog owners who reported their dog’s behaviour is less than ideal, the most common training methods they have tried are trying to train their dog at home (74%), crate training (33%) and socialisation training (30%). About a fifth (19%) of all dog owners report trying professional training to improve their dog's behaviour, but 15% of dog owners who have tried professional training said their dog wasn’t receptive to it.

The majority of dog owners who report their dog’s behaviour as “not good” or “terrible” said they believe their dog’s poor behaviour is due to their dog not being receptive to training at home (31%), their dog being currently in training (27%) and never attempting to train their dog (25%).

Best-Behaved Dog Breeds

1. Labrador Retriever: Score 100 out of 100 - Easy to train and eager to please, Labrador retrievers have a great temperament and can be an easy addition to a variety of households.
2. Rottweiler: Score 92.49 out of 100 - With a low propensity to destroy things or ingest foreign objects, the Rottweiler ranked as the second best behaved dog breed.
3. Shih Tzu: Score 91.08 out of 100 - The shih tzu is one of only three small breed dogs included in the top most behaved dog breeds in the analysis.
4. Cane Corso: Score 89.07 out of 100 - The cane corso is a notably well-behaved dog that follows commands while off-leash.
5. Golden Retriever: Score 88.77 out of 100 - The analysis finds that the reputation of Golden retrievers as happy-go-lucky companions rings true; they ranked highly for having good behavior and not being disruptive with barking or whining.
6. German Shepherd: Score 74.65 out of 100 - German shepherds are known for being eager to please their owners, whether it’s through general good behavior or following commands.
7. Boston Terrier: Score 62.90 out of 100 - The Boston terrier is the second of three small breed dogs to land in the top 10 of well behaved dog breeds.
8. Poodle: Score 60.97 out of 100 - The poodle is the dog breed least likely to destroy things, which can mean fewer headaches for owners than other dogs on the list.
9. Yorkshire Terrier: Score 56.58 out of 100 - Despite being small and considered “lap dogs,” Yorkshire terriers aren’t likely to jump on others or whine.
10. American Bulldogs: Score 55.32 out of 100 - Rounding out the top 10 list of best behaved dog breeds, the American Bulldog was unlikely to beg for food or try to escape.

Least-Behaved Dog Breeds

1. Siberian Husky: Score: 0 out of 100 - The worst behaved dog on the list is the Siberian husky due to its inability to follow an owner’s commands.
2. Beagle: Score 1.34 out of 100 - Watch your food around the beagle, which owners report as a breed that often begs for food and doesn’t listen to commands.
3. Havanese: Score 12.04 out of 100 - If you’re sensitive to noise, the Havanese may not be the breed for you—dog owners report them frequently barking and whining.
4. French Bulldog: Score 17.32 out of 100 - The French bulldog is one of four small breed dogs to land in the top five worst behaved dog breeds, according to the survey.
5. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: Score 20.89 out of 100 - The fourth and final small breed to make it among the five worst behaved dog breeds is the Cavalier King Charles spaniel.