Ranking Dog Breeds from the Best to the Worst

Last Updated: Nov 22, 2022

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Dog Breeds with the Best Temperaments
Dog Breeds with the Worst Temperament

Introduction

The dog descended from the wolf. Humans have worked hard over the years to make the dog into a pet that we can keep inside our homes.

However, some dog breeds still have wildness of some sort in them. Nevertheless, dogs have come a long way such that even the wildest of dogs is nowhere as wild as the wolf.

Also, some dog breeds retain their wild side more than some other dog breeds. This difference can be seen if you compare the temperament of breeds to each other.

The dog temperament measurement survey tool called The Canine Behavioral Assessment & Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ) was developed by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania in 2015 for measuring a dog`s temperament.

This tool allows us to assign specific numbers to 14 different personality aspects of the dog breed`s temperament. The 14 different aspects of a dogs temperament that the C-BARQ tool allows us to measure are:

Stranger Directed Aggression

Energy Level

Using the data from the C-BARQ tool, we obtained the `temperament score` of dog breeds, and we ranked these dog breeds based on their temperament from the `best` to the `worst`.

However, note that the fact that a dog rank as the `best` or the `worst` based on data does not mean that dog breed will not be a good pet for you.

The are some things about a dog breed that we cannot assign a number to. For example, we cannot put a number on how cute a dog breed is or how well a breed will match the owner`s lifestyle (e.g. some dogs are hypoallergenic and good for allergy sufferers, some dogs are not good for first-time dog owners, etc).

Our ranking of dog breeds based on temperament should be just one of the many factors that you need to take into account when deciding on which dog breed to get.

See the list below. Click on a breed in the list to see its complete temperament profile.

Dog Breeds with the Best Temperaments

1. Eurasier

Weight of the Eurasier : 40 pounds to 71 pounds

Height of the Eurasier : 19 inches to 24 inches

See list of Reputable Eurasier Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Eurasier

2. Kuvasz

Weight of the Kuvasz : 70 to 115 pounds

Height of the Kuvasz : 26 to 30 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Kuvasz : 10 to 12 years

Kuvasz Puppy Price : $2000 to $2000

See list of Reputable Kuvasz Puppy Breeders here

3. Collie

Weight of the Collie : 50 to 70 pounds

Height of the Collie : 22 to 26 inches all at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Collie : 10 to 14 years

Collie Puppy Price : $1000 to $1800

See list of Reputable Collie Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Collie

4. Irish Wolfhound

Weight of the Irish Wolfhound : 115 to 180 pounds

Height of the Irish Wolfhound : 32 to 35 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Irish Wolfhound : 6 to 8 years

Irish Wolfhound Puppy Price : $1000 to $2100

See list of Reputable Irish Wolfhound Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Irish Wolfhound

5. Norwegian Elkhound

Lifespan of the Norwegian Elkhound : 12 to 15 years

Norwegian Elkhound Puppy Price : $700 to $1000

See list of Reputable Norwegian Elkhound Puppy Breeders here

6. Chinook

Chinook

Weight of the Chinook : 55 to 70 pounds

Height of the Chinook : 21 to 27 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Chinook : 12 to 15 years

See list of Reputable Chinook Puppy Breeders here

7. Black and Tan Coonhound

Weight of the Black and Tan Coonhound : 75 to 100 pounds

Height of the Black and Tan Coonhound : 23 to 27 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Black and Tan Coonhound : 10 to 12 years

Black and Tan Coonhound Puppy Price : $400 to $800

See list of Reputable Black and Tan Coonhound Puppy Breeders here

8. Bernese Mountain Dog

Weight of the Bernese Mountain Dog : 70 to 115 pounds

Height of the Bernese Mountain Dog : 23 to 28 inches

Lifespan of the Bernese Mountain Dog : 6 to 10 years

Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy Price : $1800 to $3438

See list of Reputable Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Bernese Mountain Dog

9. Borzoi

Weight of the Borzoi : 55 to 105 pounds

Height of the Borzoi : 26 to 32 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Borzoi : 10 to 12 years

Borzoi Puppy Price : $1500 to $1500

See list of Reputable Borzoi Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Borzoi

10. Scottish Terrier

Weight of the Scottish Terrier : 18 to 22 pounds

Height of the Scottish Terrier : Up to 10 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Scottish Terrier : 11 to 13 years

Scottish Terrier Puppy Price : $1495 to $2000

See list of Reputable Scottish Terrier Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Scottish Terrier

Dog Breeds with the Worst Temperament

1. Australian Silky Terrier

Weight of the Silky Terrier : 8 to 10 pounds

Height of the Silky Terrier : 9 to 10 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Silky Terrier : 12 to 15 years

Silky Terrier Puppy Price : $1800 to $2738

See list of Reputable Silky Terrier Puppy Breeders here

2. Miniature Pinscher

Weight of the Miniature Pinscher : 8 to 11 pounds

Height of the Miniature Pinscher : 10 to 12 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Miniature Pinscher : 10 to 14 years

Miniature Pinscher Puppy Price : $825 to $1500

See list of Reputable Miniature Pinscher Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Miniature Pinscher

3. American Eskimo Dog

Weight of the American Eskimo Dog : 18 to 35 pounds

Height of the American Eskimo Dog : 15 to 19 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the American Eskimo Dog : 12 to 15 years

American Eskimo Dog Puppy Price : $800 to $1500

See list of Reputable American Eskimo Dog Puppy Breeders here

4. Fox Terrier (Toy)

Weight of the Toy Fox Terrier : 3 to 7 pounds

Height of the Toy Fox Terrier : 8 to 11 inches at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Toy Fox Terrier : 13 to 14 years

Toy Fox Terrier Puppy Price : $1000 to $1595

See list of Reputable Toy Fox Terrier Puppy Breeders here

Height of the Chihuahua : 6 inches to 9 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Chihuahua : 10 to 18 years

Chihuahua Puppy Price : $900 to $2500

See list of Reputable Chihuahua Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Chihuahua

8. Basenji

Weight of the Basenji : 22 to 24 pounds

Height of the Basenji : 16 to 17 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Basenji : 10 to 12 years

Basenji Puppy Price : $1450 to $1450

See list of Reputable Basenji Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Basenji

9. Dachshund

Weight of the Dachshund : 16 to 32 pounds

Height of the Dachshund : 8 inches to 9 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Dachshund : 12 to 15 years

Dachshund Puppy Price : $1000 to $2000

See list of Reputable Dachshund Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Dachshund

10. Chinese Crested

Weight of the Chinese Crested : 5 to 12 pounds

Height of the Chinese Crested : 11 to 13 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Chinese Crested : 10 to 14 years

Chinese Crested Puppy Price : $1000 to $1800

See list of Reputable Chinese Crested Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Chinese Crested

See the table below for our complete ranking of dogs based on their temperament from the best to the worst.

Breed	Temperament Score	Rank
Eurasier	81.9 percent	1
Kuvasz	81.5 percent	2
Collie	80.3 percent	3
Irish Wolfhound	79.0 percent	4
Norwegian Elkhound	78.9 percent	5
Chinook	78.1 percent	6
Black and Tan Coonhound	78.1 percent	7
Bernese Mountain Dog	77.7 percent	8
Borzoi	77.0 percent	9
Scottish Terrier	76.3 percent	10
English Setter	76.2 percent	11
Golden Retriever	75.1 percent	12
Rhodesian Ridgeback	75.0 percent	13
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever	75.0 percent	14
Keeshond	74.0 percent	15
Siberian Husky	73.7 percent	16
Pointer	73.7 percent	17
Great Pyrenees	73.4 percent	18
Anatolian Shepherd	73.1 percent	19
Portuguese Water Dog	73.0 percent	20
Labrador Retriever	72.4 percent	21
Rottweiler	71.7 percent	22
Newfoundland	71.5 percent	23
Irish Setter	71.1 percent	24
Lagotto Romagnolo	70.5 percent	25
Bulldog	70.4 percent	26
Mastiff (English)	70.2 percent	27
Samoyed	70.2 percent	28
Irish Water Spaniel	69.6 percent	29
Great Dane	69.3 percent	30
Poodle (Standard)	69.2 percent	31
German Wirehaired Pointer	68.8 percent	32
Bouvier des Flandres	68.6 percent	33
Greyhound	68.6 percent	34
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel	67.8 percent	35
Airedale Terrier	67.8 percent	36
Giant Schnauzer	67.4 percent	37
Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier	67.3 percent	38
Flat-Coated Retriever	67.3 percent	39
Akita	66.5 percent	40
Chow Chow	66.4 percent	41
Shetland Sheepdog	66.0 percent	42
Havanese	65.8 percent	43
Italian Greyhound	65.5 percent	44
Brittany	65.5 percent	45
Whippet	65.4 percent	46
Pug	65.3 percent	47
Basset Hound	65.2 percent	48
Belgian Sheepdog	65.1 percent	49
Bullmastiff	65.1 percent	50
Papillon	64.3 percent	51
Gordon Setter	63.9 percent	52
Border Terrier	63.4 percent	53
Vizsla	63.2 percent	54
Bearded Collie	63.0 percent	55
American Staffordshire Terrier	62.6 percent	56
Doberman Pinscher	62.4 percent	57
Belgian Tervuren	62.3 percent	58
Tibetan Terrier	62.0 percent	59
German Shepherd	61.9 percent	60
Border Collie	61.7 percent	61
Shih Tzu	61.7 percent	62
Pembroke Welsh Corgi	61.6 percent	63
Australian Shepherd	61.6 percent	64
German Shorthaired Pointer	61.4 percent	65
Boston Terrier	61.3 percent	66
Saint Bernard	60.7 percent	67
Weimaraner	60.7 percent	68
Ibizan Hound	60.2 percent	69
English Springer Spaniel	60.2 percent	70
Boxer	59.7 percent	71
Redbone Coonhound	59.6 percent	72
American Pit Bull Terrier	59.6 percent	73
Bull Terrier	59.5 percent	74
Alaskan Malamute	59.1 percent	75
Schipperke	58.5 percent	76
Staffordshire Bull Terrier	58.2 percent	77
Bichon Frise	57.8 percent	78
West Highland White Terrier	57.7 percent	79
Afghan Hound	57.0 percent	80
Pit Bull	56.9 percent	81
Shiba Inu	56.7 percent	82
French Bulldog	56.6 percent	83
Australian Kelpie	56.6 percent	84
Cocker Spaniel (American)	56.3 percent	85
Standard Schnauzer	55.7 percent	86
American Bulldog	55.5 percent	87
Cocker Spaniel (English)	55.5 percent	88
Cairn Terrier	55.4 percent	89
Dalmatian	54.9 percent	90
Pomeranian	54.8 percent	91
Chesapeake Bay Retriever	54.8 percent	92
Poodle (Miniature)	54.2 percent	93
English Bulldog	54.0 percent	94
Cardigan Welsh Corgi	53.3 percent	95
Dingo	53.2 percent	96
Beagle	52.5 percent	97
Belgian Malinois	52.2 percent	98
Chinese Shar-Pei	52.1 percent	99
Alaskan Husky	52.1 percent	100
Old English Sheepdog	51.6 percent	101
Australian Cattle Dog	51.5 percent	102
Fox Terrier (Wire/Wire-haired)	49.0 percent	103
Poodle (Toy)	48.5 percent	104
Jack Russell Terrier	48.3 percent	105
Rat Terrier	48.3 percent	106
Treeing Walker Coonhound	48.2 percent	107
Miniature Schnauzer	47.9 percent	108
Lhasa Apso	47.2 percent	109
Yorkshire Terrier	47.0 percent	110
Maltese	45.9 percent	111
Pit Bull mix	43.8 percent	112
Pekingese	41.2 percent	113
Fox Terrier (Smooth)	40.9 percent	114
Chinese Crested	40.3 percent	115
Dachshund	39.9 percent	116
Basenji	39.7 percent	117
Chihuahua	39.2 percent	118
Dachshund (Miniature)	37.7 percent	119
Parson Russell Terrier	36.9 percent	120
Fox Terrier (Toy)	36.1 percent	121
American Eskimo Dog	32.2 percent	122
Miniature Pinscher	30.5 percent	123
Australian Silky Terrier	25.0 percent	124