We’re officially a nations of dog owners, with the UK’s most popular pet living in around one-in-three households (and rising).
That means that there are around three million pooches living here, with more people choosing to join the army of dog lovers every week.
Of course, if you are looking to welcome a dog into your family, there are 221 different breeds of pedigree dog to choose from, alongside numerous crossbreeds, so there’s plenty of thinking to do before you select your family’s latest addition.
There’s even academic guidance to seek out, with Psychologist Stanley Coren’s book ‘The Intelligence of Dogs’ ranking breeds by instincts, obedience, and the ability to adapt.
Choosing the right breed is absolutely essential – for example opting for a small dog if you don’t have much room at home, or a hypoallergenic dog if you suffer from allergies.
Another thing to take into account is that certain breeds are significantly more difficult to train than others – from walking to heel to toilet training.
It should be noted that every dog is an individual so there is no guarantee that any particular animal will have the traits common to its breed.
Having said that, if you pick one of these 13 breeds there’s less chance you’ll be spending hours in expensive obedience classes.
1. Border Collie
There's a reason that Border Collies are a favourite for the tricky business of herding sheep - they are incredibly intelligent (in fact research suggests they are the most clever of all the dog breeds) and learn amazingly fast. Once they've been taught something they just fon't forget. | Canva/Getty Images
2. Australian Cattle Dog
A more unusual breed in the UK, the Australian Cattle Dog is a tireless worker – which it needs to be while droving cattle over long distances in Australia. It's a dog that seems to have trainability in its very DNA. | Canva/Getty Images
3. Papillon
If you are looking for a smaller breed of dog that is easy to train, then the Papillon could be for you - they have quick minds and actively enjoy learning new things. An eagerness to please their owners means that they love being told how good they are. | Canva/Getty Images
4. Vizsla
Vizslas have the perfect mix of intelligence and loyalty that means they actively enjoy being trained. Classic velcro dogs, they'll never want to leave your side - meaning recall shouldn't be an issue. | Canva/Getty Images