Ranking Dog Breeds from Most Touch-Sensitive (The Breed that Hates Grooming) to the Least Touch-Sensitive

Last Updated: Nov 22, 2022

Quick Links: Table of Contents

Dog Breeds that do not like to be Groomed
Dog Breeds that do not Mind Grooming

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 Touch Sensitivity. This allowed us to rank dogs based on Touch Sensitivity.

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 Touch Sensitivity 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 Touch Sensitivity.

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 do not like to be Groomed

1. 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

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. Pekingese

Weight of the Pekingese : 7 to 14 pounds

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

Lifespan of the Pekingese : 12 to 15 years

Pekingese Puppy Price : $1288 to $2500

See list of Reputable Pekingese Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Pekingese

4. 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

5. Chihuahua

Weight of the Chihuahua : 3 to 6 pounds

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

6. Fox Terrier (Smooth)

Smooth Fox Terrier Puppy Price : $1900 to $2000

See list of Reputable Smooth Fox Terrier Puppy Breeders here

7. Chinese Shar-Pei

Weight of the Chinese Shar-Pei : 40 to 55 pounds

Height of the Chinese Shar-Pei : 18 to 20 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Chinese Shar-Pei : 8 to 12 years

Chinese Shar-Pei Puppy Price : $1100 to $2000

See list of Reputable Chinese Shar-Pei Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Chinese Shar-Pei

8. 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

9. Pit Bull mix

10. Maltese

Weight of the Maltese : 6 to 9 pounds

Height of the Maltese : 8 to 10 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Maltese : 12 to 15 years

Maltese Puppy Price : $1800 to $3000

See list of Reputable Maltese Puppy Breeders here

Dog Breeds that do not Mind Grooming

1. 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

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. Pointer

Weight of the Pointer : 45 to 75 pounds

Height of the Pointer : 1 foot, 11 inches to 2 feet, 4 inches tall at the

Lifespan of the Pointer : 12 to 15 years

Pointer Puppy Price : $800 to $800

See list of Reputable Pointer Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Pointer

4. Gordon Setter

Weight of the Gordon Setter : 45 to 80 pounds

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

Lifespan of the Gordon Setter : 10 to 12 years

Gordon Setter Puppy Price : $950 to $1500

See list of Reputable Gordon Setter Puppy Breeders here

5. Portuguese Water Dog

Weight of the Portuguese Water Dog : 35 to 60 pounds

Height of the Portuguese Water Dog : 1 foot, 5 inches to 1 foot, 11 inches tall at the

Lifespan of the Portuguese Water Dog : 10 to 14 years

Portuguese Water Dog Puppy Price : $2500 to $3300

See list of Reputable Portuguese Water Dog Puppy Breeders here

6. Irish Water Spaniel

Weight of the Irish Water Spaniel : 45 to 65 pounds

Height of the Irish Water Spaniel : 1 foot, 9 inches to 2 feet tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Irish Water Spaniel : 10 to 12 years

See list of Reputable Irish Water Spaniel Puppy Breeders here

7. 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

8. Saint Bernard

Weight of the Saint Bernard : 120 to 180 pounds

Height of the Saint Bernard : 2 feet, 2 inches to 2 feet, 6 inches tall at the s

Lifespan of the Saint Bernard : 8 to 10 years

Saint Bernard Puppy Price : $875 to $1525

See list of Reputable Saint Bernard Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Saint Bernard

9. 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

10. Golden Retriever

Weight of the Golden Retriever : 55 to 75 pounds

Height of the Golden Retriever : 21 to 24 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Golden Retriever : 10 to 12 years

Golden Retriever Puppy Price : $1500 to $2200

See list of Reputable Golden Retriever Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Golden Retriever

See below the full ranking of dog breeds based on Touch Sensitivity.

Touch-Sensitivity Rank	Breed	Touch-Sensitivity Score
1	Fox Terrier (Toy)	100.0 %
2	Miniature Pinscher	82.6 %
3	Pekingese	79.9 %
4	Australian Silky Terrier	75.6 %
5	Chihuahua	67.5 %
6	Fox Terrier (Smooth)	64.8 %
7	Chinese Shar-Pei	61.7 %
8	Shiba Inu	56.1 %
9	Pit Bull mix	53.3 %
10	Maltese	50.2 %
11	Afghan Hound	50.2 %
12	Cairn Terrier	49.3 %
13	Pug	48.7 %
14	Schipperke	48.6 %
15	Rat Terrier	48.2 %
16	Beagle	47.9 %
17	American Eskimo Dog	47.5 %
18	English Bulldog	46.5 %
19	Dachshund (Miniature)	46.4 %
20	Australian Kelpie	46.1 %
21	Poodle (Toy)	45.7 %
22	Yorkshire Terrier	45.7 %
23	Basset Hound	43.9 %
24	Whippet	43.2 %
25	Dachshund	42.9 %
26	Alaskan Malamute	42.2 %
27	Pit Bull	41.1 %
28	Shih Tzu	40.8 %
29	Australian Cattle Dog	40.0 %
30	Chinese Crested	39.7 %
31	Alaskan Husky	39.6 %
32	Lhasa Apso	39.0 %
33	Poodle (Miniature)	38.9 %
34	Chow Chow	38.3 %
35	Parson Russell Terrier	37.9 %
36	Jack Russell Terrier	37.8 %
37	Cocker Spaniel (English)	37.4 %
38	Bichon Frise	37.1 %
39	Staffordshire Bull Terrier	37.0 %
40	Cardigan Welsh Corgi	37.0 %
41	Keeshond	35.6 %
42	Basenji	35.3 %
43	Greyhound	34.8 %
44	Papillon	34.7 %
45	West Highland White Terrier	34.5 %
46	Chesapeake Bay Retriever	34.5 %
47	Border Collie	34.5 %
48	Redbone Coonhound	33.1 %
49	French Bulldog	32.8 %
50	Treeing Walker Coonhound	32.7 %
51	Cocker Spaniel (American)	32.5 %
52	Dalmatian	32.5 %
53	Standard Schnauzer	31.0 %
54	Pomeranian	30.6 %
55	American Bulldog	29.8 %
56	Bull Terrier	29.7 %
57	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever	29.3 %
58	Brittany	28.5 %
59	Miniature Schnauzer	28.5 %
60	Pembroke Welsh Corgi	28.4 %
61	German Shorthaired Pointer	28.2 %
62	Samoyed	27.4 %
63	Fox Terrier (Wire/Wire-haired)	27.3 %
64	Black and Tan Coonhound	27.2 %
65	Bearded Collie	27.0 %
66	American Pit Bull Terrier	26.6 %
67	Great Dane	26.5 %
68	Weimaraner	26.3 %
69	Newfoundland	26.0 %
70	Old English Sheepdog	25.6 %
71	Shetland Sheepdog	25.6 %
72	Belgian Tervuren	25.5 %
73	Norwegian Elkhound	24.9 %
74	Border Terrier	24.7 %
75	English Springer Spaniel	24.7 %
76	German Shepherd	24.4 %
77	Eurasier	24.3 %
78	Tibetan Terrier	24.2 %
79	American Staffordshire Terrier	24.0 %
80	Flat-Coated Retriever	23.8 %
81	Irish Setter	23.8 %
82	Belgian Malinois	23.5 %
83	Ibizan Hound	23.1 %
84	Labrador Retriever	22.9 %
85	Lagotto Romagnolo	22.9 %
86	Scottish Terrier	22.5 %
87	Havanese	22.3 %
88	Australian Shepherd	22.0 %
89	Dingo	21.8 %
90	Rhodesian Ridgeback	21.8 %
91	Bullmastiff	21.6 %
92	Italian Greyhound	21.4 %
93	Bulldog	21.4 %
94	Siberian Husky	21.3 %
95	Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier	20.5 %
96	Great Pyrenees	20.2 %
97	Giant Schnauzer	20.2 %
98	Vizsla	19.9 %
99	Doberman Pinscher	19.4 %
100	Anatolian Shepherd	19.3 %
101	Mastiff (English)	19.1 %
102	Belgian Sheepdog	19.0 %
103	Bouvier des Flandres	18.9 %
104	Boston Terrier	18.5 %
105	Collie	17.4 %
106	Cavalier King Charles Spaniel	17.0 %
107	Rottweiler	16.8 %
108	Irish Wolfhound	16.6 %
109	Akita	16.4 %
110	Airedale Terrier	16.2 %
111	Chinook	15.8 %
112	Boxer	15.4 %
113	Poodle (Standard)	15.4 %
114	English Setter	15.1 %
115	Golden Retriever	14.5 %
116	German Wirehaired Pointer	13.5 %
117	Saint Bernard	12.8 %
118	Bernese Mountain Dog	12.7 %
119	Irish Water Spaniel	12.0 %
120	Portuguese Water Dog	11.8 %
121	Gordon Setter	11.6 %
122	Pointer	9.7 %
123	Borzoi	9.1 %
124	Kuvasz	0.0 %