Some dog breeds are more active than others. This is something to take into account when adopting your new dog.
Before adopting an active dog, it's critical to assess whether you can cater to its needs. Can I meet their exercise requirements? Will I be too active for them? Can I provide them with enough space?
These are just some of the questions you'll want to ask yourself in the lead-up.Active dog breeds: assessing your situation first
The best approach to take when choosing a dog breed is to consider you and your environment as the very first step. Think about your lifestyle, daily routine, and the space in which you live. This will help narrow down your search for the breed that will not only be the best fit you but also for them.
This approach is even more important for owners hoping to do sports or other activities with their new best friend. Some breeds are much more capable of keeping up with an athletic pace than others.
Below we highlight five of the most active dog breeds, who love to burn off energy with their owners. It should be noted that this list is far from exhaustive, and there are many other active breeds to consider, including cross-breeds.
The Australian Shepherd
The Australian Shepherd, often known simply as an "Aussie", is a world-renowned guard dog.
Intelligent and attentive, these dogs are quick learners who, with the right training, will quickly understand the importance of listening to their owners. They’re also very affectionate and love to spend time playing with members of the household, which is great for using up some of that extra energy.
The Aussie is all the more loved for its agility and love of physical exercise. They like canine sports that owners can easily participate in, especially involving balls and sticks. With so much energy, they’ll make a great addition to a sporty family.
The Border Collie
The Border Collie, traditionally a celebrated sheep dog, is loved for its intelligence and playfulness, as much as its ability to learn.
They are particularly energetic and greatly appreciate the opportunity to run around. Border Collies are often very talented when it comes to agility training.
Despite their energy, the Border Collie has a beautifully gentle nature, creating a wonderful balance of personality traits.
The Labrador Retriever
The Labrador Retriever is well known in the dog world for being easy to live with.
They are very gentle with other members of the household, especially children, and love to share special moments playing with their family.
Due to their intelligence and strong sense of smell, these dogs are often employed as police sniffer dogs in bomb and narcotic detection roles. Labradors can also be trained as guide dogs.
Their energy and intelligence allows them to excel in events such as canicross (cross-country running with dogs) where stamina and pacing are required.
The German Shepherd
German Shepherds are loyal companions for sport lovers.
They boast a number of wonderful traits such as intelligence, gentleness, energy, and dependability.
This is another dog breed often used by the police, partly due to their high energy levels that require them to be out and about on a regular basis. German Shepherds can excel at agility and French ring training.
Standing out from the crowd due to their potential for obedience, they need strong training to achieve their full potential.
The Brittany
The Brittany is an especially sporty dog breed. Primarily bred for hunting, they are very lively, alert, speedy, and intelligent.
A more sensitive breed, Brittany's are easy to train and responsive to their owner. In addition to being highly energetic, they have a particularly sweet nature making them an ideal family dog. Especially for an active family.
Which sporty dog breeds are your favourites?