Best Dogs for First-Time Owners
Forgiving, trainable breeds that won't punish your learning curve.
Your first dog teaches you how to be a dog owner. Pick the wrong breed and you'll spend a year questioning whether you're cut out for this. Pick the right one and you'll wonder what took you so long. These breeds are forgiving of mistakes, eager to please, and predictable enough that you can actually learn from the experience.
Lab
The Labrador Retriever has been America's most popular dog for decades, and it's not marketing — it's merit. Labs are the golden mean of dogs: smart e...
Golden
The Golden Retriever is the dog that non-dog people picture when they think 'dog.' Sunny disposition, gorgeous coat, endlessly patient with kids pulli...
Beagle
The Beagle is a nose on four legs. Bred to hunt rabbits in packs, they're still used by USDA 'Beagle Brigade' to sniff out contraband food at airports...
American Cocker Spaniel
The American Cocker Spaniel split from the English Cocker in the early 1900s and became the most popular dog in America for decades. They're sporting ...
Corgi
The Pembroke Welsh Corgi is an actual herding dog. Those short legs aren't for looks — they're for ducking under cattle kicks while moving livestock. ...
Poodle
Forget the frou-frou show clips — the Standard Poodle is an athlete and one of the smartest breeds that exists. These dogs were bred to retrieve water...
Mini Poodle
Same brain as the Standard, smaller package. The Mini Poodle is arguably the most versatile small dog — smart enough for competition obedience, athlet...
Boxer
The Boxer is pure energy wrapped in muscle. These dogs are clowns at heart — goofy, playful, and eternally puppyish even into old age. They were bred ...
Sheltie
The Sheltie is not a mini Collie — they're a distinct breed developed in the harsh Shetland Islands to herd sheep in a place where everything is small...