The Worst Dog Breeds for New Owners? Our Readers Weigh In
Published on March 04, 2016
Let us start off by saying that we don’t believe there are any "bad" dog breeds. However, not every pooch is the right fit for every owner, and it’s possible that a first-time dog owner may find certain breeds more of a challenge than others.
Back in 2013, we asked 218 veterinary professionals (including veterinarians, veterinary technicians and office managers) to give us their takes on the top 15 dog breeds they’d recommend first-time dog owners avoid, and our readers had plenty to say about those picks.
So we decided to survey 668 Vetstreet readers and have them share their opinions on which breeds they thought might be a poor fit for inexperienced owners, based on factors like energy level, trainability, friendliness and more. In the slideshow below, we’ve listed the results and compared them to what the veterinary professionals said.
The dog breeds that made the list cover a wide range of sizes and personality types. Some tend to be incredibly high energy and often require massive amounts of exercise, while others typically need significant socialization and a confident owner in their earliest stages, and still others present specific grooming challenges. Many of these breeds exhibit impressive IQs and equally impactful athletic abilities, which makes them great choices for certain jobs and environments and a challenging fit for others.
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