Training your young pup takes patience and hard work. Quite often, it isn’t all that bad, especially if your dog is a breed that’s more naturally eager to please.
But there are some dog breeds that might just test the limits of your patience while you’re trying to train them. And it’s not because these specific dog breeds are slow or obtuse. Nope. In fact, quite the contrary — these breeds are highly intelligent.
These dogs are also very independent, and some have short attention spans. But with the right stimulation and some help from professional trainers, even these stubborn dog breeds can learn new tricks and behaviors. Below are seven of the most stubborn dog breeds to train.
Why do you think certain breeds can be a bit more stubborn? Do you have a stubborn pup at home? Let us know in the comments below!
Stubborn, Challenging-To-Train Dog Breeds
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Siberian Husky
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The Siberian Husky is one of the most beautiful dog breeds in existence. Between their piercing eyes and wolf-like coats, they're almost exotic-looking animals.
They're also one of the most intelligent dog breeds out there. But they can have very strong wills and are notorious for throwing epic temper tantrums.
I'm sure you've seen one or two videos online of what Huskies do when they don't get their way. They whine, howl, and moan until they get what they want.
Make sure you have a strong-willed personality of your own before adopting a Husky, or else they'll definitely run all over you.
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Beagle
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Throughout history, we've come to know Beagles as great hunting companions. They're known for their powerful sense of smell, which helps their human counterparts search for game.
But be warned, they're also one of the most stubborn dog breeds because of their hunting background. They tend to look for a reward after every command or when pleasing their humans. They also need plenty of exercise, otherwise they get very bored and start gnawing things in your home to pass the time.
Make sure you're on the active side and have plenty of patience if you want to bring a Beagle home.
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Shar Pei
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You can easily recognize dogs of this legendary breed by their wrinkly foreheads and blue tongues. In fact, they're so cute that you just might have the urge to hug and squeeze. But be warned -- that's not exactly something you should do, especially if the pooch doesn't know you.
Shar Peis are known for their loyalty and independence, which is why they make great guard dogs. But because of their independence, they are also quite hard to train.
Training them while they're very young and doing so with compassion and patience will help in their development, as they're also emotionally intelligent dogs.
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Dalmatian
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These dogs are easily the most recognizable of the bunch, as they've got very distinct spots, and they're commonly associated with firefighters on fire trucks. And of course, they even have their own movie -- 101 Dalmatians.
But what the movie and happy images of firehouse dogs don't tell you is that they are one of the harder breeds to train.
Dalmatians are very intelligent pooches and very stubborn. This means that pet parents needs to make sure they stay consistent with their training and support, as these dogs can easily grow bored and develop unwanted bad habits of their own.
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Akita
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The Akita is another beautiful breed in the dog world. These dogs are known to be guardians and protectors of their humans and families. But just like all the other dog breeds mentioned here, they're quite stubborn pups.
In fact, they're notorious for just walking away during training sessions. When they're not socialized, they're also known to act out towards other dogs and be indifferent with human strangers.
The best approach for training these pups is to get help from a very young age by trained professionals who know how to deal with an Akita's complex attitude.
Once you have them obedient to your command, they're very relaxed and well-rounded.
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Dachshund
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These small, sausage-like pups are more than meets the eye.
As "big things in small packages," they're not afraid to stand their ground, even against dogs more than twice their size. But as protective and loyal as they are, they can be very stubborn, as well.
Also known for being a hunter, the Dachshund loves to give chase whenever they see something moving in their yard. They're probably going to be more interested in that than whatever training you have in store for them.
Make sure you practice patience when training these pups, and also make sure you take them out for exercise more than once each day, as they are quite active pooches.
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Shiba Inu
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The Shiba Inu is a dog breed famously known for being very loyal to their humans. They're also highly independent, which makes them one of the more stubborn dog breeds.
These dogs are also notorious for not being easy to train, and they can act out towards others if not trained properly or early. They typically like to do what they want and have their own way.
The Shiba Inu is a very beautiful dog breed that commands respect. They must be trained at a very early age with patience and love in order to be the best dogs they can be.
