Hardest And Easiest Dog Breeds To Potty Train (50+ Breeds Listed)

It typically takes 5-6 months for a puppy to be fully potty trained, but some puppies may take up to a year. It takes patience, time, and commitment to train your dog to go potty, no matter what breed of dog you have on your hands. But some dogs are harder to potty train while some dogs are easier to potty train depending upon many factors.

Some dogs get it easily,” while others take some time. Multiple elements come into play with different dog breeds that affect the outcome. These elements include training techniques, temperament, and personality type. 

The first few months of owning a lovely puppy are not only for playing and cuddling; sensible parents will utilize this time to patiently train their puppies, which will entail housebreaking them as soon as possible.

Continue reading to learn more about some canines who do not understand how to get potty trained.

Hardest Dogs To Potty Train:

There are many most challenging dog breeds to potty train. As a general rule of thumb, every toy breed and many other stubborn species are tough to potty train.

Check out our ultimate list of hardest dogs to potty train.

hardest dogs to potty train

What Makes a dog Hard To Potty Train?

First of all, the main thing that makes any puppy hard to potty train is the breed. As mentioned above, toy breeds are challenging to train due to their agility and stubbornness. Other characteristics such as intelligence level, training ability, personality style, fiercely independent temperament, bond with owners, etc. also matter.

However, if the dog is from a puppy mill, or if he is a stray dog, it will be difficult to potty train him, no matter what the breed is.

Read more: How to potty train a puppy mill dog/puppy?

Dog breeds that are hard to potty train

Here’s the list of some common dog breeds that are comparatively hard to potty train.

  1. Dachshund
Dachshund

Are Dachshunds hard to potty train? Dachshunds can be a tough breed, and even though they are intelligent, they can get defensive when forced to perform something they do not want to do. Furthermore, whether it is raining or chilly outside, these dogs require effective persuasion to go out.

Read more: Why Are Dachshunds Hard To Potty Train? – (How To Make It Easier?)

  1. Italian Greyhound
Italian Greyhound

Italian Greyhounds “do not behave well” when it comes to potty training. Like many small breeds, the IG can be difficult to potty train, and some dogs never seem to be trustworthy in the house once they are there.

In contrast, living with an IG is both restful and exciting, except for the occasional cleanup.

  1. Lhasa Apso
Lhasa Apso

When training Lhasa puppies, new dog parents must keep this in mind, or else they may become annoyed with the Lhasa’s refusal to take lessons too seriously, which can lead to frustration. Housetraining can be challenging, and crate training is highly suggested for the first several weeks.

In addition, the Lhasa apso matures slowly and retains his puppyish characteristics until he is three years old.

Hardest dogs to potty train

Following are the dog breeds that are harder to potty train

  1. Pug
  2. Afghan hound
  3. Shih Tzu
  4. Norwich Terrier
  5. Yorkshire Terrier
  6. Dalmatian
  7. Dachshund
  8. West Highland Terrier
  9. Sealyham Terrier
  10. Pomeranian
  11. Pekingese
  12. Norfolk Terrier
  13. Lowchen
  14. Lakeland Terrier
  15. Jack Russell Terrier
  16. Coton du Tulear
  17. Biewer Terrier
  18. Cocker Spaniel
  19. Brussels Griffon
  20. English Bulldog
  21. Chinese Crested
  22. Beagle
  23. Chihuahua

Easiest Dogs To Potty Train:

Training naughty puppies to go to the bathroom will never be an easy task, as any dog parent will attest. However, some dog breeds are more obedient and more straightforward to train than others, which means that new and inexperienced dog owners will have a more accessible time house training their dogs.

Read more: The ultimate list of easiest dogs to potty train!

What Makes a dog Easy To Potty Train?

The same characters make the other breeds the hardest to potty train, i.e., intelligence level, training ability, personality style, fiercely independent temperament, bond with owners, etc. The plus point is that these breeds that are easier to potty train have the advantage that they are not stubborn and respond positively to training commands. Also, they create a strong bond with their owner and never play an Alpha role, due to which they are easier to train.

Dog breeds that are easier to potty train

  1. Papillon
Papillon

Papillons are known to be easier to potty train than other tiny breeds, and they are anxious to please the humans with whom they have formed a strong attachment.

This breed is so smart and they enjoy learning new things, that’s why they ditch the myth that small dogs are really hard to potty train.

  1. Miniature Schnauzer
Miniature Schnauzer

As a result of their great intelligence and desire to please, miniature Schnauzers are very easy to teach and highly obedient.

  1. Maltese
Maltese

Maltese dogs are bright and, even though they can be difficult, they respond well to positive training techniques.

According to PetHelpful, “Some small dogs can’t hold their bladder for longer, probably just because they do not have much room down there. This small dog (usually only 2–4 kilos, or about 4–10 pounds) is expected to fit in that category, but he doesn’t.”

Read more: Are maltese easy to potty train? (Everything you need to know)

Easiest Dogs to potty train

These are the dog breeds that are easier to potty train.

  1. Porcelaine
  2. German shepherd
  3. Kai Ken
  4. Labrador retriever
  5. Golden Retriever
  6. Australian shepherd
  7. Miniature schnauzer
  8. Bichon Frise
  9. Brittany
  10. Doberman pinscher
  11. Toy Fox Terriers
  12. Portuguese Water Dogs
  13. Newfoundland
  14. Irish Water Spaniel
  15. Irish Red and White Setter
  16. Collies
  17. Norwegian Elkhound
  18. Jindo
  19. Bernese Mountain Dog
  20. Icelandic Sheepdog
  21. Welsh Springer Spaniel
  22. Vizsla

Conclusion: Hardest Dogs to Potty train and easiest dogs to potty train

As a matter of fact, it is believed that small dog breeds are harder to potty train. Maybe because they can easily escape from the training or maybe they are too cute and dog owners can’t be too strict with their training.

It is also said that male dogs are harder to train, because of their stubborn nature. Females are always a winning thing when it comes to learning, cooperating, and following instructions. 

However, there is no rule of thumb. Just like every human has a unique personality, every dog is also unique. There are so many factors other than breed, that make a dog harder or easier to potty train.

It is critical to becoming more familiar with why some of these dogs are believed to be more challenging to potty train, to be better prepared to assist them in achieving success. Labeling some dog breeds as stubborn, or even worse, stupid is not only unfair, but it will also cause a snag in the potty training process, forcing dog owners to seek out ineffective training methods that may cause more harm than good. 

So, give some time to your puppy to understand how to relieve himself. And with patience and effort, you can achieve great success.

Read More:

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