Dog breed trait rankings

Download all 201 breeds' scores (CSV)

A high score is not always the one you want. Ten for energy means a dog that needs a lot of exercise, and ten for barking means a vocal one. Each trait says which way it runs. Grooming and shedding are shown the way the breed profiles show them — as Easy Grooming and Low Shedding, so ten means least work. Ties are common on a ten-point scale: tied breeds share a rank (shown as =3) and are listed alphabetically.

Affection Level

High scores seek closeness and physical affection with their family.

Highest

Rank	Breed	Score
1	Cavalier King Charles Spaniel	10/10
=2	Bernese Mountain Dog	9/10
=2	Bichon Frise	9/10
=2	Biewer Terrier	9/10
=2	Boston Terrier	9/10
=2	Boxer	9/10
=2	Boykin Spaniel	9/10
=2	Brussels Griffon	9/10
=2	Chinese Crested	9/10
=2	Cocker Spaniel	9/10

27 more breeds also score 9/10.

Lowest

Rank	Breed	Score
=1	Afghan Hound	5/10
=1	Basenji	5/10
=1	Chow Chow	5/10
=4	Anatolian Shepherd Dog	6/10
=4	Azawakh	6/10
=4	Belgian Malinois	6/10
=4	Borzoi	6/10
=4	Canaan Dog	6/10
=4	Chinese Shar-Pei	6/10
=4	English Foxhound	6/10

10 more breeds also score 6/10.

Child Friendly

High scores are typically patient and comfortable with children.

Highest

Rank	Breed	Score
=1	Bernese Mountain Dog	9/10
=1	Cavalier King Charles Spaniel	9/10
=1	Golden Retriever	9/10
=1	Labrador Retriever	9/10
=1	Newfoundland	9/10
=1	Saint Bernard	9/10
=7	Beagle	8/10
=7	Bichon Frise	8/10
=7	Boston Terrier	8/10
=7	Boxer	8/10

23 more breeds also score 8/10.

Lowest

Rank	Breed	Score
1	Chow Chow	4/10
=2	Affenpinscher	5/10
=2	Afghan Hound	5/10
=2	Anatolian Shepherd Dog	5/10
=2	Azawakh	5/10
=2	Basenji	5/10
=2	Belgian Malinois	5/10
=2	Canaan Dog	5/10
=2	Chihuahua	5/10
=2	Chinese Shar-Pei	5/10

8 more breeds also score 5/10.

Pet Friendly

High scores typically live easily alongside other dogs and pets.

Highest

Rank	Breed	Score
=1	Cavalier King Charles Spaniel	8/10
=1	Golden Retriever	8/10
=1	Labrador Retriever	8/10
=4	Barbet	7/10
=4	Basset Hound	7/10
=4	Beagle	7/10
=4	Bearded Collie	7/10
=4	Bernese Mountain Dog	7/10
=4	Bichon Frise	7/10
=4	Biewer Terrier	7/10

31 more breeds also score 7/10.

Lowest

Rank	Breed	Score
1	Akita	3/10
=2	Afghan Hound	4/10
=2	Alaskan Malamute	4/10
=2	American Staffordshire Terrier	4/10
=2	Anatolian Shepherd Dog	4/10
=2	Azawakh	4/10
=2	Basenji	4/10
=2	Chinese Shar-Pei	4/10
=2	Chow Chow	4/10
=2	Dogo Argentino	4/10

7 more breeds also score 4/10.

Stranger Friendly

High scores are open with people they do not know; low scores are reserved.

Highest

Rank	Breed	Score
1	Cavalier King Charles Spaniel	9/10
=2	Bichon Frise	8/10
=2	Boston Terrier	8/10
=2	Flat-Coated Retriever	8/10
=2	Golden Retriever	8/10
=2	Irish Setter	8/10
=2	Labrador Retriever	8/10
=2	Pug	8/10
=2	Samoyed	8/10
=10	American English Coonhound	7/10

31 more breeds also score 7/10.

Lowest

Rank	Breed	Score
1	Akita	2/10
=2	Afghan Hound	3/10
=2	Anatolian Shepherd Dog	3/10
=2	Azawakh	3/10
=2	Basenji	3/10
=2	Belgian Malinois	3/10
=2	Bergamasco Sheepdog	3/10
=2	Black Russian Terrier	3/10
=2	Boerboel	3/10
=2	Bullmastiff	3/10

14 more breeds also score 3/10.

Trainability

High scores learn readily and respond well to training.

Highest

Rank	Breed	Score
=1	Belgian Malinois	10/10
=1	Border Collie	10/10
=1	German Shepherd Dog	10/10
=1	Poodle	10/10
=5	Australian Shepherd	9/10
=5	Belgian Sheepdog	9/10
=5	Belgian Tervuren	9/10
=5	Collie	9/10
=5	Doberman Pinscher	9/10
=5	Golden Retriever	9/10

4 more breeds also score 9/10.

Lowest

Rank	Breed	Score
=1	Afghan Hound	3/10
=1	Basenji	3/10
=3	Affenpinscher	4/10
=3	Anatolian Shepherd Dog	4/10
=3	Basset Hound	4/10
=3	Bloodhound	4/10
=3	Borzoi	4/10
=3	Bulldog	4/10
=3	Chinese Shar-Pei	4/10
=3	Chow Chow	4/10

9 more breeds also score 4/10.

Energy Level

High scores need a lot of daily exercise; low scores are content with little.

Highest

Rank	Breed	Score
=1	American English Coonhound	9/10
=1	Australian Cattle Dog	9/10
=1	Australian Shepherd	9/10
=1	Belgian Malinois	9/10
=1	Belgian Sheepdog	9/10
=1	Belgian Tervuren	9/10
=1	Border Collie	9/10
=1	Brittany Spaniel	9/10
=1	Dalmatian	9/10
=1	English Foxhound	9/10

19 more breeds also score 9/10.

Lowest

Rank	Breed	Score
1	Bulldog	2/10
=2	Basset Hound	3/10
=2	English Toy Spaniel	3/10
=2	French Bulldog	3/10
=2	Pekingese	3/10
=6	Bullmastiff	4/10
=6	Chow Chow	4/10
=6	Dogue de Bordeaux	4/10
=6	Japanese Chin	4/10
=6	Mastiff	4/10

3 more breeds also score 4/10.

Easy Grooming

High scores need little coat care; low scores need regular brushing, trimming or professional grooming.

Highest

Rank	Breed	Score
=1	American Staffordshire Terrier	9/10
=1	Azawakh	9/10
=1	Basenji	9/10
=1	Greyhound	9/10
=1	Italian Greyhound	9/10
=1	Miniature Pinscher	9/10
=1	Sloughi	9/10
=1	Treeing Walker Coonhound	9/10
=1	Whippet	9/10
=10	American English Coonhound	8/10

51 more breeds also score 8/10.

Lowest

Rank	Breed	Score
=1	Afghan Hound	2/10
=1	Old English Sheepdog	2/10
=1	Poodle	2/10
=1	Puli	2/10
=1	Shih Tzu	2/10
=6	Barbet	3/10
=6	Bichon Frise	3/10
=6	Black Russian Terrier	3/10
=6	Bouvier des Flandres	3/10
=6	Briard	3/10

13 more breeds also score 3/10.

Low Shedding

High scores shed little hair; low scores shed a lot. (Low shedding is not the same as hypoallergenic.)

Highest

Rank	Breed	Score
=1	American Hairless Terrier	10/10
=1	Xoloitzcuintli	10/10
=3	Bergamasco Sheepdog	9/10
=3	Bichon Frise	9/10
=3	Chinese Crested	9/10
=3	Coton de Tulear	9/10
=3	Havanese	9/10
=3	Kerry Blue Terrier	9/10
=3	Komondor	9/10
=3	Lagotto Romagnolo	9/10

3 more breeds also score 9/10.

Lowest

Rank	Breed	Score
=1	Alaskan Malamute	2/10
=1	German Shepherd Dog	2/10
=1	Leonberger	2/10
=1	Samoyed	2/10
=5	Bernese Mountain Dog	3/10
=5	Collie	3/10
=5	Finnish Lapphund	3/10
=5	Golden Retriever	3/10
=5	Great Pyrenees	3/10
=5	Keeshond	3/10

4 more breeds also score 3/10.

Barking Level

High scores are vocal. Higher means more barking.

Highest

Rank	Breed	Score
=1	Bluetick Coonhound	9/10
=1	Finnish Spitz	9/10
=3	American English Coonhound	8/10
=3	Beagle	8/10
=3	Chihuahua	8/10
=3	Jack Russell Terrier	8/10
=3	Norwegian Elkhound	8/10
=3	Pomeranian	8/10
=3	Schipperke	8/10
=3	Shetland Sheepdog	8/10

2 more breeds also score 8/10.

Lowest

Rank	Breed	Score
=1	Basenji	2/10
=1	Greyhound	2/10
=1	Sloughi	2/10
=1	Whippet	2/10
=5	Afghan Hound	3/10
=5	Akita	3/10
=5	Azawakh	3/10
=5	Borzoi	3/10
=5	Bulldog	3/10
=5	Bullmastiff	3/10

16 more breeds also score 3/10.

Intelligence

High scores pick up new tasks and problems quickly.

Highest

Rank	Breed	Score
=1	Belgian Malinois	10/10
=1	Border Collie	10/10
=1	German Shepherd Dog	10/10
=1	Poodle	10/10
=5	Australian Cattle Dog	9/10
=5	Australian Shepherd	9/10
=5	Bearded Collie	9/10
=5	Beauceron	9/10
=5	Belgian Laekenois	9/10
=5	Belgian Sheepdog	9/10

18 more breeds also score 9/10.

Lowest

Rank	Breed	Score
1	Bulldog	5/10
=2	Affenpinscher	6/10
=2	Afghan Hound	6/10
=2	American English Coonhound	6/10
=2	American Foxhound	6/10
=2	Basset Hound	6/10
=2	Beagle	6/10
=2	Black and Tan Coonhound	6/10
=2	Bullmastiff	6/10
=2	Chinese Shar-Pei	6/10

21 more breeds also score 6/10.

Playfulness

High scores stay keen on play, often well into adulthood.

Highest

Rank	Breed	Score
=1	Boxer	9/10
=1	Bull Terrier	9/10
=1	Flat-Coated Retriever	9/10
=1	Irish Setter	9/10
=1	Jack Russell Terrier	9/10
=1	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever	9/10
=1	Wire Fox Terrier	9/10
=8	Airedale Terrier	8/10
=8	American Eskimo Dog	8/10
=8	American Hairless Terrier	8/10

45 more breeds also score 8/10.

Lowest

Rank	Breed	Score
=1	Anatolian Shepherd Dog	4/10
=1	Basset Hound	4/10
=1	Bulldog	4/10
=1	Bullmastiff	4/10
=1	Chinese Shar-Pei	4/10
=1	Chow Chow	4/10
=1	Dogue de Bordeaux	4/10
=1	Komondor	4/10
=1	Mastiff	4/10
=1	Neapolitan Mastiff	4/10

2 more breeds also score 4/10.

Watchdog Ability

High scores are alert to the unusual and quick to raise the alarm.

Highest

Rank	Breed	Score
=1	Anatolian Shepherd Dog	10/10
=1	Boerboel	10/10
=1	Doberman Pinscher	10/10
=1	Tibetan Mastiff	10/10
=5	Akita	9/10
=5	Beauceron	9/10
=5	Belgian Laekenois	9/10
=5	Belgian Malinois	9/10
=5	Belgian Sheepdog	9/10
=5	Black Russian Terrier	9/10

17 more breeds also score 9/10.

Lowest

Rank	Breed	Score
1	Cavalier King Charles Spaniel	2/10
=2	Basset Hound	3/10
=2	Bloodhound	3/10
=2	Borzoi	3/10
=2	English Setter	3/10
=2	English Toy Spaniel	3/10
=2	Greyhound	3/10
=2	Irish Red and White Setter	3/10
=2	Irish Setter	3/10
=2	Japanese Chin	3/10

2 more breeds also score 3/10.

Adaptability

High scores cope well with change in home, routine and climate.

Highest

Rank	Breed	Score
=1	Cavalier King Charles Spaniel	9/10
=1	Havanese	9/10
=3	Australian Terrier	8/10
=3	Bichon Frise	8/10
=3	Biewer Terrier	8/10
=3	Border Terrier	8/10
=3	Boston Terrier	8/10
=3	Canaan Dog	8/10
=3	Cesky Terrier	8/10
=3	Chihuahua	8/10

18 more breeds also score 8/10.

Lowest

Rank	Breed	Score
1	Sloughi	4/10
=2	Afghan Hound	5/10
=2	Akita	5/10
=2	Alaskan Malamute	5/10
=2	Anatolian Shepherd Dog	5/10
=2	Azawakh	5/10
=2	Basenji	5/10
=2	Black Russian Terrier	5/10
=2	Bloodhound	5/10
=2	Boerboel	5/10

18 more breeds also score 5/10.

Health Robustness

High scores have fewer serious inherited health problems.

Highest

Rank	Breed	Score
=1	Cirneco dell’Etna	8/10
=1	Portuguese Podengo Pequeno	8/10
=3	American English Coonhound	7/10
=3	American Foxhound	7/10
=3	Australian Cattle Dog	7/10
=3	Australian Terrier	7/10
=3	Azawakh	7/10
=3	Beauceron	7/10
=3	Belgian Laekenois	7/10
=3	Belgian Malinois	7/10

48 more breeds also score 7/10.

Lowest

Rank	Breed	Score
=1	Bernese Mountain Dog	3/10
=1	Bulldog	3/10
=1	Bullmastiff	3/10
=1	Chinese Shar-Pei	3/10
=1	Dogue de Bordeaux	3/10
=1	French Bulldog	3/10
=1	Great Dane	3/10
=1	Irish Wolfhound	3/10
=1	Leonberger	3/10
=1	Mastiff	3/10

2 more breeds also score 3/10.

How the scores are made

Each breed is scored from 1 to 10 on the 14 traits above. The scores are assigned against the same sources as the breed profiles:

• Kennel club breed standards — what a breed is meant to be: size, coat, original working purpose and described temperament.
• Veterinary and breed-health references — for health robustness, the conditions a breed is known to be predisposed to.
• The breed's working history — what it was bred to do, which explains most of its energy, independence and drive.

The scores were drafted with AI assistance — a large language model working from that material — and reviewed by a person before the profile was published. They are deliberately spread across the range: if every breed scored 8, the scores would tell you nothing.

What the scores are not: a measurement of any individual dog, or veterinary advice. They describe breed tendencies, and dogs vary within a breed. Many are judgement calls on a coarse scale, which is why the ties are shown rather than hidden. If you think a score is wrong, tell us; corrections change the profile, these rankings and the download together.

Download the data

pawlabs-breed-trait-scores.csv has one row per breed: name, profile URL, breed group, size and all 14 scores. It is generated from the same records as the breed profiles each time the site is built, so it always matches them.

The data is free to use, including commercially, under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The one condition is credit: name PawLabs and link to this page.