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The 10 Hardest Dogs To Train, According To Experts

MirasWonderland/Getty Images Training challenges

The second you bring a cute puppy home, you're in for a world of happy licking, enthusiastic tail wagging and a deep bond that only grows with time. Along with offering love and affection (and tasty dog food), dog training is incredibly important. In some cases, especially with the hardest dogs to train, the training process requires a bit more patience and steadfast consistency.

"Some dogs do take longer to train," says Traci Madson, a certified dog expert and trainer with Pupford. "Some are just more motivated to please and learn new behaviors or dog tricks that result in rewards, while others can be more apathetic."

She says that genetics and learning history really come into play here. For example, if your dog has a history of poor reinforcement, then it can become difficult to teach them new dog commands or change their behaviors. And dogs with low food motivation may be trickier to train compared with those very motivated by yummy dog treats. Other issues, like separation anxiety, unique personalities and even age can impact training ease.

We've highlighted some of the hardest dogs to train, according to dog behavior experts. It's not that these pups aren't trainable, but rather that they might require some extra attention or training tricks compared with the easiest dogs to train. For more insights on this topic, learn how to train a puppy and how to train a dog.

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Diane Keough/Getty Images 1. Beagle

Beagles are excellent family dogs and even considered one of the best dogs for kids. However, these hunting dogs have a very strong focus on the smells around them and a strong genetic inclination to follow scent trails. With that said, they're considered one of the hardest dogs to train. "They can be a challenge training in distracting outdoor environments and off leash recalls," says celebrity dog trainer Chrissy Joy.

Pro training tip: The good news about beagles is that most of the time, they are very food driven! Joy says that this helps in the training process, as you can use high-value dog treats to engage and train them with endless skills and good manners.

Long Living Dogs 2023: The 10 Breeds That Have The Longest Average Lifespan – Including The Yappy But Lovable Chihuahua

MILLIONS of Brits have welcomed puppies and pooches into their homes over the last three years.

With working from home becoming commonplace and people moving out of the city to live closer to nature, it's no wonder the Kennel Club saw dog ownership rise by nearly 8% during the coronavirus pandemic.

Smaller dogs tend to live longer than larger onesCredit: Getty

And while we often think about lifestyle, appearance, allergies and more when selecting what breed to bring into our family, it's less common to consider lifespan.

Smaller breeds tend to live longer than larger ones and have scooped numerous Guinness World Records over the decades.

Here, Fabulous takes a look at the ten longest living breeds.

Chihuahua - 20 Years

Chihuahuas are the longest living dog breedCredit: Getty

They have a bad wrap as yappy, but Chihuahuas are actually lovable little pooches with very low exercise needs.

The tiny dogs - famed in the noughties for being carried around in A-lister handbags - have a lifespan of 14 to 20 years.

They can grow as tall as eight inches and weigh around six pounds when healthy.

Dachshund (Sausage Dog) - 20 Years

Dachshunds get their sausage nickname from their long bodiesCredit: Getty

Like Chihuahuas, these sassy little dogs have a lifespan between 14 to 20 years, according to Pure Pet Food.

They get their sausage nickname from their round and long build. But their body shape means you shouldn't let them jump off sofas or beds if you want them to live a long life.

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Dachshunds can weigh over two stone depending on their length and height.

Toy Poodle - 18 Years

Toy Poodles tend to live until the age of 18 thanks to their high activity levelsCredit: Getty

It's not uncommon for Toy Poodles to reach the ripe old age of 18, but some have been known to live as old as 20.

Coming in bigger than Chihuahuas and Dachshunds, they require a lot more exercise and are very energetic pooches.

They tend to weigh around a stone in weight as luckily, their curly (but non shedding) fur doesn't weigh them down.

Pomeranian - 16 Years

Pomeranians are highly intelligent little dogsCredit: Getty

Pomerianians were bred down in size by Queen Victoria, but they managed to keep longevity in their DNA.

While the average lifespan of a "pommy" is 16 years, they have been known to live as long as 20.

They are known for their playful but intelligent temperament… and their adorable resemblance to cuddly toys.

Shih Tzu - 18 Years

Shih Tzus are one of the oldest dog breeds in the worldCredit: Getty

They're one of the oldest breeds in the world and like to put a stamp on that heritage by living as old as 18 years.

They are characterised by their long fur which needs regular grooming and flopping ears.

The average Shih Tzu will measure below 30 centimetres and weigh around a stone.

Yorkshire Terrier - 16 Years

Yorkshire Terriers have earnt themselves a reputation as lap dogsCredit: Getty

Yorkshire Terriers, also known as Yorkies, have a reputation for being lap dogs.

But these pooches are actually pretty active and love running around - something that helps them live as long as 16 years.

They grow to a maximum height of 23 centimetres normally but find it very easy to become obese, so it's best to keep their weight below seven pounds.

Jack Russell - 16 Years

Jack Russells are highly intelligent little dogs that love digging and huntingCredit: Getty

These little pooches love to dig, hunt and explore - and it keeps them young at heart.

Jack Russells live between 13 to 16 years when properly stimulated throughout their lives and looked after well .

They have a muscular and well-proportioned body that measures typically around 25 centimetres tall and weighs just over a stone.

Cockapoo - 15 Years

Cockapoos are a cross between a cocker spaniel and poodleCredit: Getty

A cross between a cocker spaniel and a poodle, these teddy bear-like dogs can live as long as 15 years.

However, they must get their lifespan from their poodle DNA as cocker spaniels tend to have shorter lives.

A standard size cockapoo measures up around 38 centimetres tall and over 25 pounds.

Maltese - 15 Years

Maltese dogs are famed for their fluffy white furCredit: Getty

These white and curly pooches get their name from their heritage in Malta.

And while they generally live for around 15 years, research by Paw Leaks found that the oldest Maltese dog to have ever lived was 20-years-old.

Like Yorkshire Terriers, they tend to grow between 20 and 20 centimetres and weigh less than seven pounds.

Shiba Inu - 15 Years

Shiba Inus originated in Japan and are considered the country's smallest breedCredit: Getty

The average life expectancy of a Shiba Inu is around 12 to 15 years - but this is on the condition that they are well looked after, walked and fed.

Pet Dogs Shed Light On Human Health, Researchers Say

1 of 3Daniel Promislow, shown with his late dog, Frisbee, is a professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine &amp Pathology and the Department of Biology at the University of Washington in Seattle and principal investigator of the Dog Aging Project. Photo by Tammi Kaeberlein

NEW YORK, Oct. 11 (UPI) -- A large study aims to follow pet dogs for 10 years or longer to track how genes, diet, exercise and the environment affect aging -- and the findings may shed light on human health.

The Dog Aging Project seeks to recruit mixed breed and purebred pets of every age.

"Dogs age very much like people do," Daniel Promislow principal investigator of the project, told UPI in a telephone interview.

Promislow is a professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology and the Department of Biology at the University of Washington in Seattle. His research focuses on the genetic variation of aging patterns in fruit flies, dogs and humans.

The Dog Aging Project, funded by the National Institutes of Health, is a partnership between the University of Washington, Texas A&M University School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences in College Station and more than two dozen other institutions.

"As people age, the risk of most diseases increases quite dramatically," Promislow said. "Dogs get many of the same diseases as we do. They share our environment and they have a sophisticated health care system like we do."

But dogs age much faster than humans. So, what researchers learn about how their biology and environment influence aging is likely to help them understand the role those factors play in human aging.

So far, the study has collected survey data from about 46,000 dog owners and blood, hair and other samples from about 7,500 dogs.

The findings, such as the contribution of exercise to healthy cognitive ability, have been illuminating, Promislow said.

As dogs age, they can suffer from canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome, which is similar to dementia in the elderly. Dogs with this condition "become lost in familiar spaces, seem to fail to recognize familiar people and lose their normal sleep-wake cycle," Dr. Kate Creevy told UPI via email.

Creevy is the chief veterinary officer of the Dog Aging Project and a professor of small animal internal medicine at Texas A&M University School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.

The researchers hope to better understand biological or environmental factors that may slow or prevent cognitive decline. They also may find similarities between dogs and humans that affect arthritis and heart function.

"Dogs can teach us a lot not only about dogs, but also about ourselves," Promislow said. "We're really just at the beginning of this study, and we continue to welcome dogs of all ages to enroll in our study."

Dogs develop the same cancers as humans, so it's important to identify genes that increase susceptibility, Elaine Ostrander, of the National Human Genome Research Institute in Bethesda, Md., told UPI via email.

Ostrander, who is not involved in the Dog Aging Project, is the distinguished senior investigator and chief of the institute's Cancer Genetics and Comparative Genomics Branch.

"We find that genes which are relevant for canine cancer are inevitably important for human cancers as well," she said. "The advantage of studying cancer in dogs, however, is that some breeds have a huge excess of particular types of cancer, while in other breeds, it might be absent.

"For example, one in four Bernese mountain dogs will get histiocytic sarcoma, a typically lethal cancer. But it is unheard of the toy breeds. This makes the genetics much easier than when studying humans.

Cancer also is a disease of aging in dogs and humans, and by studying cancer, we continue to contribute to the body of knowledge regarding aging."

Participants in the Dog Aging Project complete an online survey and share stories about their dogs' lifestyle and health. Some owners receive a kit for their veterinarian to collect blood and hair samples and a cheek swab, Promislow said.

Researchers use the samples to sequence the dogs' genome. Some genes are associated with variation in dogs' size and shape, while others determine whether their hair is curly or straight, long or short.

But the researchers' focus is on finding genes that influence changes that occur with aging, such as the increasing risk of certain diseases, or changes in behaviors.

"The owners become participants in science," Promislow said. "We find that people really enjoy that. As we collect more health-related data in the coming years, we will be able to identify genes that are risk factors for health problems and that information could eventually help us with treatment and prevention of disease."

By studying the genetic and environmental factors in all dogs whose owners choose to volunteer, researchers can ensure that what they find is applicable to all canines. In the past, most veterinary studies -- and human ones-- only included participants who frequented particular research hospitals or had specific conditions, Creevy said.

They hope to identify lifestyle factors -- such as components of dogs' diets, physical activity or social interactions -- that promote healthier aging for longer periods of time.

"Such findings would enable us to keep dogs healthier into their senior years, and delay or reduce the need for treatment of disease and disability," Creevy said.

So far, the team has begun to describe the rates of disease occurrence in aging dogs and the most common causes of death reported by their owners.

Researchers also have evaluated factors that affect owners' end-of-life decisions for their pets, as well as identified some of the most frequent signs of old age that they recognize in their dogs.

The information obtained through this research has the potential to benefit humans, too.

"Because dogs are social animals who share human homes, food, water and habits, many things we learn about aging in dogs translate directly to people," Creevy said. "Dogs are exposed to the same pathogens, air pollutants and water quality as their owners.

"Dogs often exercise with their owners -- and don't exercise if their owners don't. The ability to study a dog's entire life over a period of 10 to 15 years means that discoveries about healthy aging in dogs could be rapidly investigated in humans."

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