Are you looking to get a dog but can’t decide on which breed to get? Here are some fun facts about popular dog breeds that might just help you. 

Golden Retrievers

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• They are fun-loving, highly-energetic athletes. They like playing fetch, chasing stuff, swimming, and exploring outdoors. You will need to give them plenty of physical activities to keep them fit and engaged or they could end up chewing everything in the house with all that bottled-up energy.
• They have unlimited reserves of empathy and love which is why they make excellent therapy dogs. They will always welcome hugs and pets, and will constantly follow you around just to be by your side.
• They like to hold stuff in their mouths every time they move around – toys, sticks, or basically anything that can fit in their big mouth.
• They love to eat. Food is a powerful motivation for them, so you can easily use this to train them to do stuff. Learn more training techniques for them here. 
• They are great family dogs because they are not only loyal and sweet, but they also rarely show aggression toward people. Even very young children will be very safe around these dogs.

Beagles

Photo by Dina Nasyrova

• They were initially bred for hunting rabbits and hares. Their amazing sense of smell can detect rabbits up to 500 yards away (on a good day). Even their long ears help funnel the scent toward their nose when they are tracking.
• With their small stature and because their noses and heads are close to the ground when tracking, it’s easy to lose sight of them. To make them visible, their white-tipped tails stand up and act like white flags telling their owners exactly where they are.  
• They can easily get lost because they like to roam around, especially when there are lingering scents of other animals in the area. 
• They don’t like to be left alone, and they can be pretty expressive about this as they howl and resort to destructive chewing.
• Charlie Brown’s dog, Snoopy, is a beagle. He even has an American Kennel Club (AKC) registration certificate to prove this. You can see it here.

German Shepherds

Photo by Adam Kontor

• They have an incredible sense of smell, placing third in the best sniffer breeds, behind the Bloodhound and the Basset hound. 
• They are highly trainable, excelling in many activities, which makes them great at police and military work. 
• They are also highly protective of their owners or families, so be careful with allowing strangers inside the house. To prevent accidental dog attacks, be sure to give your German Shepherds plenty of socialization time and training. 
• They are highly energetic so they need regular physical exercise to keep themselves fit and to drain all that energy. 
• They are also highly intelligent and adept at spatial recognition, thanks to their herding qualities. 

Poodles

Photo by Dominic Dimech

• Like the Retrievers, they were originally bred for hunting and they specialize in bringing back waterfowl, ducks, and other game birds that fall in the water. Their name “pudel” (of German origin) means “to splash in the water”.
• The popular poodle cut was designed to make them move in the water faster – shaving off their fluffy hair reduces drag when they swim, while the remaining tufts provide insulation around the joints and upper torso (from the cold water).
• If you’re considering poodles, you have three sizes to choose from : (1) the Toy Poodle (smallest), (2) the mid-sized Miniature poodle, and (3) the Standard Poodle.
• They don’t shed because they don’t have fur. Instead of fur, they have hair – doesn’t fall out and never stops growing. This is why they are considered one of the most hypoallergenic dog breeds. They just need to be regularly groomed though. 
• They are considered to be one of the most intelligent and trainable dog breeds, second only to Border Collies. 

Siberian Huskies

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• They were developed as working sled dogs by the Chukchi people (from the Siberian peninsula of Northeast Asia) for thousands of years. These dogs allowed them to travel and search for food in the harshest climate conditions. 
• Because of the tough work that they were originally bred to do, these dogs have naturally athletic physiques and high energy. If you’re thinking of getting one, be sure to give your dog plenty of physical exercises daily. 
• They are great long-distance travelers so make sure you keep them on a leash when taking them outside because you’re going to have a huge problem finding them if they escape. 
• They are very vocal. Since huskies are pack animals (sled dogs often come in teams), they communicate regularly, and they do so through a variety of tonal patterns. You can say goodbye to any quiet time once you welcome a husky into the household. Check this doggy conversation out as an example. 
• Their wolf-like appearance attracts many pet owners. However, despite their intimidating looks, they are quite friendly. Some don’t even consider them good guard dogs because they are even friendly with total strangers. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How many breeds of dogs are there?

Excluding all mixed breeds and feral dogs, the American Kennel Club (AKC) currently recognizes 200 registered breeds in all. If you want to see a list of all their registered breeds, you can see it here. 

What is the friendliest dog breed?

Because of their calm temperament and their eagerness to please others, Golden Retrievers are considered by many as the number 1 friendliest dog breed ever. Their playfulness, lack of aggression (even towards other dogs), and their never-ending enthusiasm for contact and interaction make them some of the best candidates for therapy dogs. It’s no wonder these dogs are also the top choice for a family dog. 

Which dog breed is the easiest to train?

Border Collies are considered by many pet owners as the easiest or most trainable dog breed. This is because these dogs are quite intelligent. Their comprehension is noticeably way better than other dogs, and their innate eagerness to please their owners provides extra motivation for them to learn. Their athleticism and coordination also help a lot especially when it comes to performing tricks. This is why you often see them in dog agility, flyball, freestyle, and trick dog competitions.