My dog

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Best breeds for

Best dog breeds for first time owners

Breeds that ask the least of a new owner on paper: easy with people and dogs, moderate energy, manageable grooming, and not giant.

25 breeds. The rule: Good with children and good with other dogs both 4 or 5, energy low or moderate, grooming low or moderate, and not a giant breed.

Toy (3)

Bolognese Low energy · Moderate grooming English Toy Spaniel Moderate energy · Moderate grooming Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka Moderate energy · Moderate grooming

Small (5)

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Moderate energy · Moderate grooming FrenchtonCross Moderate energy · Low grooming Japanese Spitz Moderate energy · Moderate grooming Pug Moderate energy · Moderate grooming Teddy Roosevelt Terrier Moderate energy · Low grooming

Medium (8)

Basset Hound Low energy · Moderate grooming Blue Picardy Spaniel Moderate energy · Low grooming Braque Saint-Germain Moderate energy · Moderate grooming Cirneco dell’Etna Moderate energy · Low grooming Field Spaniel Moderate energy · Moderate grooming French Bulldog Moderate energy · Low grooming Pont-Audemer Spaniel Moderate energy · Moderate grooming Segugio Italiano Moderate energy · Low grooming

Large (9)

Black and Tan Coonhound Moderate energy · Moderate grooming Calupoh Moderate energy · Low grooming Chinook Moderate energy · Moderate grooming Drentsche Patrijshond Moderate energy · Moderate grooming English Setter Moderate energy · Moderate grooming Hovawart Moderate energy · Moderate grooming Polish Tatra Sheepdog Moderate energy · Moderate grooming Redbone Coonhound Moderate energy · Moderate grooming Smooth Collie Moderate energy · Moderate grooming

Other lists

Families with childrenApartmentsPeople with allergiesLow maintenanceRunners and active ownersCalm and low energyHomes with other dogsSmall dogs for familiesBig dogs for familiesLongest lived

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How we worked this out

This list is worked out from the breed data, not picked by hand: Good with children and good with other dogs both 4 or 5, energy low or moderate, grooming low or moderate, and not a giant breed. Energy, grooming and the good with children and good with other dogs scores are the kennel club's own published ratings for the breed (for most breeds the American Kennel Club's one to five scores), and each breed's guide links to where its figures came from. A breed with no published score for a rule is left out rather than guessed.

A rating describes a tendency across a breed, not a promise about one puppy. Every dog needs socialisation and training, and every dog needs supervising around young children. Meet the parents, ask the breeder about temperament and health tests, and consider an adult dog from a rescue whose temperament is already known.