Calm dog breeds
Calm doesn't mean switched off: it means it doesn't need a daily marathon or to announce every leaf that falls. These 10 breeds combine low-to-medium energy with little barking.
How this list was built
The rule, out in the open
- Energy ≤ 3/5
- Barking ≤ 3/5
10 of 30 directory breeds qualify · 20 don't · 0 have no data for a field in the rule (left out, named below)
The numbers come from the Lord Chucho deck: the scale published by the AKC and the books in our library, with a citation on every bar. Where there's no data, there's no breed: we'd rather leave the gap than make it up.
No breed on the deck scores 1 or 2 in energy (the 30 most common breeds in Mexico all like to move); calm here is energy ≤ 3 and barking ≤ 3.
With their bars and their citations
The 10 breeds that qualify
Golden Retriever
- Energy3/5couch potatomarathonerSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Playfulness4/5seriousplayful for lifeSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Barking1/5nearly silentreports everythingSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Mental stimulation it needs4/5content without a jobneeds a jobSource: Dogs Unleashed (Tamsin Pickeral) · confidence high
French Bulldog Bulldog Francés
- Energy3/5couch potatomarathonerSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Playfulness5/5seriousplayful for lifeSource: The New Complete Dog Book, 23rd edition (American Kennel Club) · confidence high
- Barking1/5nearly silentreports everythingSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Mental stimulation it needs3/5content without a jobneeds a jobSource: The Dog Encyclopedia (DK Publishing) · confidence high
Pug
- Energy3/5couch potatomarathonerSource: The New Complete Dog Book, 23rd edition (American Kennel Club) · confidence high
- Playfulness5/5seriousplayful for lifeSource: The New Complete Dog Book, 23rd edition (American Kennel Club) · confidence high
- Barking1/5nearly silentreports everythingSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Mental stimulation it needs3/5content without a jobneeds a jobSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
Rottweiler
- Energy3/5couch potatomarathonerSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Playfulness4/5seriousplayful for lifeSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Barking1/5nearly silentreports everythingSource: Wikipedia (2006 compilation, secondary source) · confidence medium
- Mental stimulation it needs5/5content without a jobneeds a jobSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
Chow Chow
- Energy3/5couch potatomarathonerSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Playfulness3/5seriousplayful for lifeSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Barking1/5nearly silentreports everythingSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Mental stimulation it needs3/5content without a jobneeds a jobSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
Saint Bernard San Bernardo
- Energy3/5couch potatomarathonerSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Playfulness3/5seriousplayful for lifeSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Barking1/5nearly silentreports everythingSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Mental stimulation it needs3/5content without a jobneeds a jobSource: Dogs Unleashed (Tamsin Pickeral) · confidence high
Bulldog Bulldog Inglés
- Energy3/5couch potatomarathonerSource: The New Complete Dog Book, 23rd edition (American Kennel Club) · confidence high
- Playfulness4/5seriousplayful for lifeSource: Dogs Unleashed (Tamsin Pickeral) · confidence high
- Barking2/5nearly silentreports everythingSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Mental stimulation it needs3/5content without a jobneeds a jobSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
Shih Tzu
- Energy3/5couch potatomarathonerSource: The New Complete Dog Book, 23rd edition (American Kennel Club) · confidence high
- Playfulness3/5seriousplayful for lifeSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Barking3/5nearly silentreports everythingSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Mental stimulation it needs3/5content without a jobneeds a jobSource: The New Complete Dog Book, 23rd edition (American Kennel Club) · confidence high
American Staffordshire Terrier
- Energy3/5couch potatomarathonerSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Playfulness3/5seriousplayful for lifeSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Barking3/5nearly silentreports everythingSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Mental stimulation it needs3/5content without a jobneeds a jobSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
Maltese Maltés
- Energy3/5couch potatomarathonerSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Playfulness3/5seriousplayful for lifeSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Barking3/5nearly silentreports everythingSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
- Mental stimulation it needs3/5content without a jobneeds a jobSource: akc.org, official breed trait scores · confidence high
And for your life, which one?
A list narrows things down; the recommender crosses your home, your energy, your kids and your neighbors with these same data, in seven questions.
Other collections
More breeds for…
- Small 13
- Medium 8
- Large 12
- for kids 16
- Smart 10
- Affectionate 22
- for apartments 7
- that (almost) don't shed 10
- Guard 11
- Large calm 3
- The most common in Mexico 11
- that bark little 8
- Small calm 4
- Easy-to-train 20
- for first-time owners 12
- for older people 5
- for running 6
- that get along with cats 11
- for a house with a yard 13
- for hot climates 9
- All collections →