Choosing the right breed for you and your family is one of the most important parts of welcoming a dog to your home. The wrong dog with the wrong owner is a disaster waiting to happen, usually ending up with the dog in the shelter and the owner heartbroken that everything went so wrong. If you’ve never had a dog before or are just looking for a more low-maintenance, easy-going breed, check out this list below!
#1 – Golden Retriever
The Golden Retriever is one of the most popular dog breeds around the world. It’s outstanding temperament puts it at the top of the list for both experienced and novice dog owners. They are intelligent, easy to train and very social dogs that are great with family and strangers of all ages.
#2 – Labrador Retriever
The Labrador Retriever is another breed that tops the charts in popularity. They are fun-loving, energetic and affectionate dogs that make excellent companions for both individuals and families with children.
#3 – Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is the smallest of the spaniels and was bred primarily as a lapdog and companion. They are sweet, docile and relaxed dogs that require very little exercise and just enjoy spending time with their families.
#4 – Bichon Frise
The Bichon Frise is a small, gentle, fun-loving breed that does well just about anywhere so long as it’s with its family. They are playful dogs that enjoy both daily walks and couch relaxation time.
#5 – Standard Poodle
The Standard Poodle is a very intelligent dog that’s easy to train, very social and makes a wonderful family companion. Although they’re known for being fancy show dogs, you can keep your Poodle’s coat in whatever shape you want and they are relatively easy to maintain.
#6 – Havanese
The Havanese is a popular companion dog that generally wants to stay by its owner’s side all day. They are great lapdogs and are very easy to train, making them suitable for novice owners looking for an easy-going companion.
#7 – Shih Tzu
The Shih Tzu is a small dog that makes an ideal companion for both the novice and experienced owner. They are very affectionate and outgoing dogs that enjoy spending time with their families no matter where they go.
#8 – Pug
Pugs are adorable little dogs that find their way into the hearts of both novice and experienced owners. They are relatively lazy but enjoy being by their owners no matter where they go. They are deeply affectionate and known for their goofy personalities, making them one of the more popular breeds.
#9 – Greyhound
For the novice owner looking for a large breed that requires little exercise, the Greyhound is an excellent choice. This breed is known for hunting, racing and lure coursing and still excels at these activities today. However, once inside, they simply prefer to sleep on the couch.
#10 – Papillon
The Papillon is named for its butterfly-shaped ears and is a hardy breed despite its small size. They are active dogs that do well in a variety of dog sports such as obedience and agility and are a great choice for someone looking to have a small, active companion.
#11 – Maltese
The Maltese is a very gentle, sweet-tempered toy breed. Having beed originally bred to be companion dogs, they are loyal lapdogs and do well with novice owners.
#12 – Shetland Sheepdog
The Shetland Sheepdog is a small, active breed that does well in various dog sports like agility, herding and obedience. They are gentle dogs that are well-suited for both apartment and rural life and do well with novice owners.
#13 – Samoyed
The Samoyed is a beautiful sledding and herding dog from Russia that is deeply loyal to its family. It has a gentle soul and makes a wonderful family companion. Although the breed is quite an escape artist, they can be easily trained and kept by novice owners.
#14 – Boston Terrier
The Boston Terrier is an active, happy-go-lucky breed that is known for its goofy personality and gentle temperament. They make wonderful companions for the novice owner and will likely turn some of your non-dog owning friends into dog lovers too!
#15 – Pomeranian
The Pomeranian is a small, long-coated toy breed originally bred mostly as a companion dog from larger working dogs. They are very social, lively dogs that do well with novice owners, but should be supervised around other dogs as they can be somewhat aggressive.
Toledo, United States.
