The 15 dogs that are the hardest to train

Bulldogs are patient and easygoing with family, but they've never scored well on obedience — Coren's 1994 survey clocked them at 80 to 100-plus repetitions to learn a new command, obeying on the first try just 25% of the time or worse, and current vet- and trainer-sourced roundups still group them with Huskies and Shar-Peis among 2025's hardest to train.

They're not so much distractible as unmotivated: a Bulldog that doesn't see the point of an exercise will simply lie down until you give up.

Bred to chase badgers into underground dens without a handler nearby, Dachshunds are independent problem-solvers rather than instruction-followers — Coren measured them at 25 to 40 repetitions with a 50%-plus first-try obedience rate, and Hepper's 2025 vet-reviewed guide still ranks them the 13th-hardest breed to train.

They're also unusually sensitive to a harsh tone, so raising your voice tends to backfire, and they'll drop a known command entirely if a more interesting smell shows up.

Shiba Inus are a relatively new addition to lists like this one. The American Kennel Club didn't recognize the breed until 1992, and it wasn't among the 110 breeds Stanley Coren ranked in The Intelligence of Dogs in 1994. Now, Hepper's vet-reviewed guide ranks Shibas as the eighth-hardest breed to train.

They're famously clean and quick to housebreak. Off-leash is another story. They tend to bolt after anything that catches their interest and generally ignore recall commands. Hepper's guide puts that down to the breed's independent streak (Shibas aren't especially motivated to please their owners), not to a lack of training.

Huskies were bred to run in a straight line for miles with little input from a musher. Coren put them in his middle tier, around 25 to 40 repetitions for them to learn a new command and achieve a 50%+ obedience rate. Trainers say that score undersells how tough they can be in practice.

Bradley Phifer, who heads the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, calls Huskies "notoriously independent and willful." That streak, he said in a 2025 Reader's Digest piece, makes them "resistant to training methods that other breeds may respond well to." They're smart and have a strong sense of self, too. According to Phifer, that can make them picky about people and quick to take offense.

Beagles are popular and friendly, but they're led by their noses to a degree that overrides most commands — Coren clocked them at 80 to 100-plus repetitions with just a 25% or worse first-try obedience rate, and Hepper's 2025 guide still ranks them the 6th-hardest breed to train.

Once a Beagle catches a scent trail, it will often ignore its owner entirely until the trail runs out, though celebrity trainer Chrissy Joy told Reader's Digest that their strong food drive means high-value treats can help with training.

Bred to trail scent for hours without redirection, Basset Hounds are similarly nose-driven — Coren gave them the same rock-bottom obedience score as the Beagle (80 to 100-plus repetitions, 25% or worse), and Hepper's 2025 guide ranks them 11th-hardest overall.

Their low motivation to please, combined with a stubborn streak, means food-based reward training tends to work far better than repetition alone, and even then, a strong enough scent will win out.

Shar-Peis are intelligent and protective, but naturally suspicious of anyone outside their household, including a trainer they haven't bonded with — Coren scored them at 25 to 40 repetitions with 50%-plus obedience, though Hepper's 2025 guide now ranks them the 7th-hardest breed to train.

Vets describe them as having a "dominant streak" that makes them think they know better than the person giving the command, which is why early, extensive socialization matters more than repetition.

Malamutes were bred to move as a coordinated sled team over long distances, which rewards initiative over obedience — Coren measured them at 25 to 40 repetitions with 50%-plus obedience, and Hepper's 2025 guide now ranks them 10th-hardest to train.

Trainer Traci Madson told Reader's Digest that Malamutes "aren't very motivated by food, toys or pleasing their owners," and that their high prey drive means they need a real outlet — sledding, skijoring, a flirt pole — or the digging and roaming only get worse.

Bred for centuries as companions to Chinese royalty, Pekingese are affectionate with their own people but famously indifferent to commands from anyone else — Coren put them at 80 to 100-plus repetitions with 25%-or-worse obedience, and Hepper's 2025 guide ranks them the 3rd-hardest breed to train today.

Their small size means many owners skip formal training altogether, which research suggests compounds the problem rather than solving it.

Like the Basset Hound, Bloodhounds are built to follow scent to the exclusion of nearly everything else, including a handler's voice — Coren scored them at 80 to 100-plus repetitions with 25%-or-worse obedience, and Hepper's 2025 guide ranks them 12th-hardest overall.

Training consultant Bradley Phifer told Reader's Digest that Bloodhounds' "instincts and self-reliance" — the same traits that make them law enforcement's go-to breed for tracking — are "stubborn and easily sidetracked, making standard training techniques less effective."

Akitas are fiercely loyal to their family but naturally wary of strangers and resistant to being told what to do by anyone they haven't decided to respect — Coren's data put them at 25 to 40 repetitions with 50%-plus obedience, and Hepper's 2025 guide now ranks them the 9th-hardest breed to train.

Their size and independence are why the AKC and most trainers recommend them only for experienced owners with a firm, consistent hand.

Borzois, also known as Russian wolfhounds, were bred to chase and take down game with essentially no human direction. Coren scored them at 80 to 100-plus repetitions with 25% or worse obedience, and Hepper's 2025 guide ranks them the 2nd-hardest breed to train, just behind the Afghan Hound.

They're calm indoors and usually well-mannered. Outside is a whole different story. Like all sighthounds, a Borzoi will forget its training the moment it spots a fast-moving animal. Hepper's guide adds that they can be stubborn and will resist commands even when they understand them.

Chow Chows bond tightly with one household and treat everyone else, trainers included, with polite disinterest — Coren gave them an 80-to-100-plus-repetition, 25%-or-worse obedience score, and Hepper's 2025 guide still ranks them the 4th-hardest breed to train.

Vets note they need consistent socialization from puppyhood, or their natural aloofness can tip into avoidance or aggression, and even loyal owners can struggle to get a Chow to do something it's decided against.

The "barkless dog" is also one of the most independent, described by current researchers as cat-like in temperament — Coren scored it at 80 to 100-plus repetitions with 25%-or-worse obedience, and Hepper's 2025 guide ranks it the 5th-hardest breed to train today.

Celebrity trainer Chrissy Joy told Reader's Digest that a Basenji's "independent and selective personality" is a challenge "especially in distracting environments, when their prey drive may overrule any treat or toy you possess."

This list rarely changes at the top: the Afghan Hound scored the lowest obedience rating in Coren's 1994 survey (80 to 100-plus repetitions, 25% or worse) and still ranks #1 on Hepper's 2025 vet-reviewed guide, three decades later.

It's devoted to one person and largely unbothered by everyone else, and as a sighthound built to hunt by sight, a well-known command can vanish the moment something worth chasing crosses its path.