Ranking Dog Breeds from the Most Clingy to the Least Clingy

Last Updated: Nov 22, 2022

Quick Links: Table of Contents

Dog Breeds that are very Clingy
Dog Breeds that are not Clingy

Introduction

It used to be very difficult to reliably measure the temperament of dogs.

However, in 2015, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania developed the Canine Behavioral Assessment & Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ) tool.

Many research studies have shown that the C-BARQ tool can reliably measure the behavior of dogs.

With data from the C-BARQ tool, you can calculate how bad or good the temperament of a dog breed is.

We analyzed data from the C-BARQ database to obtain the temperament score of dog breeds for Attachment Attention Seeking. This allowed us to rank dogs based on Attachment Attention Seeking.

Note that the fact that a dog breed ranks high for bad behavior does not mean all hope is lost for the dog breed. With proper early training, you can always mold a dog`s temperament into what you want.

Also, smaller dog breeds tend to have high aggression scores. However, aggression in small dog breeds is usually born out of insecurities or fear, and less from the meanness of their hearts.

Note that Attachment Attention Seeking is one of the 14 temperament components that the C-BARQ test measures.

The complete 14 temperament components are:

Below is our ranking of dog breeds based on Attachment Attention Seeking.

Click on the link for each breed to learn more about the complete temperament of the breed.

Click here to see our ranking of dog breeds from the ones with the overall `best` temperament to the ones with the `worst` temperament.

Dog Breeds that are very Clingy

1. Poodle (Toy)

Weight of the Toy Poodle : 6 to 10 pounds

Height of the Toy Poodle : From 6 to over 10 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Toy Poodle : 12 to 15 years

Toy Poodle Puppy Price : $1900 to $3500

See list of Reputable Toy Poodle Puppy Breeders here

2. 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

3. 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

4. Australian Cattle Dog

Weight of the Australian Cattle Dog : 30 to 50 pounds

Height of the Australian Cattle Dog : 17 to 20 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Australian Cattle Dog : 12 to 15 years

Australian Cattle Dog Puppy Price : $500 to $996

See list of Reputable Australian Cattle Dog Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Australian Cattle Dog

5. 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

6. Old English Sheepdog

Weight of the Old English Sheepdog : 60 pounds to 100 Pounds

Height of the Old English Sheepdog : 20 inches to 24 Inches

Lifespan of the Old English Sheepdog : 10 to 12 years

Old English Sheepdog Puppy Price : $1600 to $2500

See list of Reputable Old English Sheepdog Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Old English Sheepdog

7. Cocker Spaniel (English)

Weight of the English Cocker Spaniel : 26 to 34 pounds

Height of the English Cocker Spaniel : 1 foot, 3 inches to 1 foot, 5 inches tall at the s

Lifespan of the English Cocker Spaniel : 12 to 14 years

English Cocker Spaniel Puppy Price : $1200 to $1800

See list of Reputable English Cocker Spaniel Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the English Cocker Spaniel

8. German Wirehaired Pointer

Weight of the German Wirehaired Pointer : 60 to 70 pounds

Height of the German Wirehaired Pointer : 1 foot, 10 inches to 2 feet, 2 inches tall at the

Lifespan of the German Wirehaired Pointer : 12 to 14 years

German Wirehaired Pointer Puppy Price : $875 to $1200

See list of Reputable German Wirehaired Pointer Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the German Wirehaired Pointer

9. Miniature Schnauzer

Weight of the Miniature Schnauzer : 11 to 20 pounds

Height of the Miniature Schnauzer : 13 to 14 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Miniature Schnauzer : 12 to 14 years

Miniature Schnauzer Puppy Price : $1400 to $2500

See list of Reputable Miniature Schnauzer Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Miniature Schnauzer

10. Dachshund (Miniature)

Miniature Dachshund Puppy Price : $1300 to $2500

Dog Breeds that are not Clingy

1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. English Setter

Weight of the English Setter : 45 to 80 pounds

Height of the English Setter : 1 foot, 11 inches to 2 feet, 3 inches tall at the

Lifespan of the English Setter : 11 to 15 years

English Setter Puppy Price : $850 to $1200

See list of Reputable English Setter Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the English Setter

5. Chow Chow

Weight of the Chow Chow : 40 to 70 pounds

Height of the Chow Chow : 17 to 20 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Chow Chow : 12 to 15 years

Chow Chow Puppy Price : $1000 to $2500

See list of Reputable Chow Chow Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Chow Chow

6. 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

7. Shiba Inu

Weight of the Shiba Inu : 17 to 23 pounds

Height of the Shiba Inu : 13 to 17 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Shiba Inu : 12 to 16 years

Shiba Inu Puppy Price : $1600 to $2500

See list of Reputable Shiba Inu Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Shiba Inu

8. Siberian Husky

Weight of the Siberian Husky : 35 to 60 pounds

Height of the Siberian Husky : 20 to 23 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Siberian Husky : 12 to 15 years

Siberian Husky Puppy Price : $700 to $1250

See list of Reputable Siberian Husky Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Siberian Husky

9. Afghan Hound

Weight of the Afghan Hound : 50 to 60 pounds

Height of the Afghan Hound : 24 to 26 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Afghan Hound : 10 to 12 years

Afghan Hound Puppy Price : $1912 to $2500

See list of Reputable Afghan Hound Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Afghan Hound

10. Greyhound

Weight of the Greyhound : 50 to 85 pounds

Height of the Greyhound : 2 feet, 1 inch to 2 feet, 6 inches tall at the sho

Lifespan of the Greyhound : 12 to 15 years

Greyhound Puppy Price : $500 to $800

See list of Reputable Greyhound Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Greyhound

See below the full ranking of dog breeds based on Attachment Attention Seeking.

Attachment-Attention-Seeking Rank	Breed	Attachment-Attention-Seeking Score
1	Poodle (Toy)	100.0 %
2	Fox Terrier (Toy)	91.6 %
3	Australian Silky Terrier	89.7 %
4	Australian Cattle Dog	85.9 %
5	American Eskimo Dog	85.0 %
6	Old English Sheepdog	84.5 %
7	Cocker Spaniel (English)	82.2 %
8	German Wirehaired Pointer	81.7 %
9	Miniature Schnauzer	79.7 %
10	Dachshund (Miniature)	78.6 %
11	Miniature Pinscher	78.6 %
12	Poodle (Miniature)	77.9 %
13	Parson Russell Terrier	75.8 %
14	Vizsla	75.8 %
15	Yorkshire Terrier	75.1 %
16	Gordon Setter	74.7 %
17	Belgian Malinois	74.4 %
18	Chihuahua	74.3 %
19	English Bulldog	73.9 %
20	Maltese	72.5 %
21	Doberman Pinscher	72.3 %
22	Australian Shepherd	72.2 %
23	Chesapeake Bay Retriever	71.8 %
24	Pug	70.5 %
25	Giant Schnauzer	69.6 %
26	Staffordshire Bull Terrier	69.2 %
27	Dachshund	68.7 %
28	Belgian Tervuren	68.2 %
29	Bichon Frise	67.9 %
30	Rat Terrier	67.6 %
31	Dalmatian	67.6 %
32	Pit Bull mix	67.5 %
33	English Springer Spaniel	67.1 %
34	Cavalier King Charles Spaniel	66.5 %
35	Belgian Sheepdog	65.5 %
36	Portuguese Water Dog	65.1 %
37	Chinese Crested	64.7 %
38	Pomeranian	64.4 %
39	Jack Russell Terrier	64.4 %
40	Flat-Coated Retriever	63.2 %
41	Schipperke	62.4 %
42	Rottweiler	61.8 %
43	Cocker Spaniel (American)	61.6 %
44	Havanese	61.6 %
45	Chinese Shar-Pei	61.5 %
46	Mastiff (English)	60.9 %
47	West Highland White Terrier	60.6 %
48	Weimaraner	60.1 %
49	Pit Bull	57.0 %
50	Boston Terrier	56.3 %
51	Australian Kelpie	55.9 %
52	Pembroke Welsh Corgi	55.5 %
53	Boxer	55.2 %
54	Border Collie	55.0 %
55	German Shepherd	54.9 %
56	Basenji	54.7 %
57	Shih Tzu	54.5 %
58	Lhasa Apso	54.4 %
59	Irish Setter	53.0 %
60	American Staffordshire Terrier	52.7 %
61	Great Dane	52.6 %
62	Bullmastiff	52.2 %
63	Poodle (Standard)	52.2 %
64	Golden Retriever	51.7 %
65	American Pit Bull Terrier	51.6 %
66	Bearded Collie	51.5 %
67	Border Terrier	50.7 %
68	American Bulldog	50.4 %
69	Saint Bernard	49.6 %
70	Brittany	49.1 %
71	Bernese Mountain Dog	48.8 %
72	French Bulldog	48.7 %
73	Whippet	48.6 %
74	Pointer	48.1 %
75	Fox Terrier (Smooth)	47.9 %
76	Redbone Coonhound	47.8 %
77	Labrador Retriever	47.2 %
78	Shetland Sheepdog	46.9 %
79	Bulldog	45.5 %
80	Fox Terrier (Wire/Wire-haired)	45.4 %
81	Beagle	44.9 %
82	Papillon	44.2 %
83	Cardigan Welsh Corgi	43.7 %
84	Pekingese	43.4 %
85	Lagotto Romagnolo	42.2 %
86	Bouvier des Flandres	41.8 %
87	Anatolian Shepherd	41.2 %
88	Collie	41.1 %
89	Italian Greyhound	40.0 %
90	Keeshond	39.7 %
91	German Shorthaired Pointer	38.6 %
92	Alaskan Husky	37.8 %
93	Newfoundland	37.6 %
94	Standard Schnauzer	37.0 %
95	Treeing Walker Coonhound	36.0 %
96	Dingo	35.6 %
97	Basset Hound	34.7 %
98	Irish Water Spaniel	33.7 %
99	Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier	33.2 %
100	Eurasier	32.0 %
101	Alaskan Malamute	31.9 %
102	Rhodesian Ridgeback	31.7 %
103	Ibizan Hound	29.4 %
104	Chinook	29.4 %
105	Airedale Terrier	28.8 %
106	Tibetan Terrier	28.3 %
107	Black and Tan Coonhound	27.9 %
108	Akita	27.8 %
109	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever	26.2 %
110	Samoyed	24.7 %
111	Bull Terrier	23.3 %
112	Great Pyrenees	21.6 %
113	Irish Wolfhound	21.1 %
114	Cairn Terrier	21.0 %
115	Greyhound	19.8 %
116	Afghan Hound	18.4 %
117	Siberian Husky	17.9 %
118	Shiba Inu	16.6 %
119	Scottish Terrier	15.5 %
120	Chow Chow	12.0 %
121	English Setter	11.1 %
122	Kuvasz	10.8 %
123	Borzoi	1.1 %
124	Norwegian Elkhound	0.0 %