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3 breeds a professional dog trainer warns first-time owners should avoid
When it comes to puppy parenthood, make sure you don’t bite off more than you can chew the first time around.
Adopting your first dog could well be the difference between living in a house and living in a home. Whether you’re taking a big step towards family life with your partner, or you just wish for some company while you’re working remotely, becoming a dog owner is a surefire way to change your life overnight and grant you a whole new wave of responsibility. But be warned – dogs are not always as easy to take care of as some other popular household pets.
3 breeds not suitable for first-time dog owners
If you haven’t done sufficient research or if your home is lacking in space, a dog can quite easily be a far bigger undertaking than you may have expected. Thanks to the help of an experienced dog walker and psychologist, we’ve put together a list of K9s that first-time owners should avoid, as well as some tips on breeds that you should welcome with open arms.
Coming in first on our list of dogs inexperienced handlers should give a wide birth to is the Jack Russell. According to Cherry Hoggs, a dog-behavior account with more than 130,000 followers on TikTok, Jack Russells are “extremely feral” and are not fully domesticated.
As such, Jack Russells are suited to being farm animals with plenty of space to roam freely and exercise – so be mindful of this if you don’t live in such an environment.
The second tip offered by the dog expert was to avoid Huskies. Though clearly a gorgeous animal, as the TikToker points out – Huskies are designed for intense physical exercise in adverse conditions and are unlikely to receive the three to four hours of physical exercise they require daily if cramped up in an apartment or a small house.
Concluding the list of dogs not suitable for first-time owners is the Basset Hound. As explained in the clips, Bassett Hounds are “extremely stubborn” and often aggressive. Like the aforementioned pair, the hounds are best suited to farm life and could be quite the handful if you have limited dog training experience.
You can watch the full clip here, though be wary of the explicit language that is used throughout.
If you’re about to get a new pup for the first time, then our puppy checklist should get you started!
5 dogs that are perfect for new owners
Thankfully, it’s not all doom and gloom.
The helpful people at Cherry Hoggs also put together a list of dogs you should consider if you are new to ownership. According to them, the five perfect dogs for new owners are:
- Pugs
- Golden Retrievers
- Cocker Spaniels
- Bernese Mountain Dogs
- Labradors
Being small dogs that only require 1-2 walks a day and won’t take up too much room in an apartment – pugs shouldn’t put any new owners too far out of their comfort zones.
Cocker Spaniels definitely have more energy than Pugs, but as long as you have time to give them a couple of good walks a day, you will be rewarded with a particularly loyal and cuddly pet.
Golden Retrievers, Bernese Mountain Dogs and Labradors are all larger than most and definitely will require a good degree of training – though they are all extremely friendly and loyal and, provided you have the space for them, should settle in and become the newest member of your family very quickly.
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