There is something special about coming home after a long day of work and being greeted with kisses and affection – from your dog that is. It comes as no surprise that dogs are man’s best friend. Quite often the relationship you have with your dog can trump or rival those with close friends and family. This isn’t too shocking since dogs are one of the least judgmental and most cheerful creatures to walk this earth. They share some of your darkest secrets and most memorable laughs.
Even though humans have these strong feelings of love and gratitude for their furry companions, not all breeds share the same loyalty and commitment towards their owners. While some dogs can fall in love with strangers that pet them on the street, other breeds take time to have their hearts won over.
So, what are the most loyal dog breeds? These breeds seek a strong sense of companionship and security from their owners, which makes them much more loyal to whoever provides these qualities.
Dogs have been seeking this sort of bonding since early history given their tendency to be pack dogs. They depend on one another, and in this case they depend on you. In exchange they will protect you to great lengths. Check out the list below to see if your best friend is one of the most loyal dog breeds in the world.
Great Pyrenees
Much like the Gentle Giant, Great Pyrenees dogs are heaping masses of love and affection. The breed is actually known for its ability to guard flock because of its calm and protective temperament. These dogs can be territorial of their flock or family, but this stems from a point of fearless loyalty. Great Pyrenees dogs place their family above all else and express this through their guardianship and unending affection.
Because this breed is incredibly attentive, they recognize and remember the people that spend the most time with them. This makes them most loyal to their devoted owners and more reserved towards strangers. They have a calm and cool composure, standing close to their owners in public spaces with little distractions affecting their demeanor. They share most affection with those in their inner circle, appearing more reserved and uninterested when out in public.
Golden Retrievers
There’s a reason why Golden Retrievers are so often portrayed as leads in movies such as Homeward Bound and Air Bud. This breed has an instinctive ability to win over the hearts of many through their love and devotion towards people. Golden Retrievers are eager to please and fun-loving creatures with almost human-like personalities. They have the ability to transform your mood within seconds through kisses, cuddles, and companionship.
Golden Retrievers are one of the most popular dog breeds to own because of their gentle affection, patience, and loyalty. Because of this, they are often service and therapy dogs. Their loving personality and respect toward their owners and family makes them one of the most loyal dog breeds. Be prepared for a lot of love and good memories with a Golden Retriever roaming around your home.
German Shepherds
Not only do German Shepherds put an immense amount of trust in their owners, humans actually rely heavily on this breed because of their intelligence and loyalty. German Shepherds are trusted and used by the police, military, and the blind as seeing-eye dogs. They have a calm disposition and are incredibly obedient when given commands.
The breed’s loyalty likely stems from their stable temperament. German Shepherds are natural learners and products of their environment. They require mutual respect, admiration, and love, much like a human-to-human relationship would require. So, if you train the breed to strongly obey you and reward them with praise they will grow to be your most loyal companion. German Shepherds have a natural instinct to please those that show them the most love and affection.
Saint Bernards
Saint Bernards are also known to be astonishingly loyal dogs. Not only do they share this loyalty with their owners, they are affectionate and welcoming to strangers. This makes them perfect for family homes and those that frequently have visitors. They treat each person in the family like a member of their “pack” and protect more than just their predominant owner or master.
Saint Bernards love to be a part of the action and will quite frequently follow their owners around the house. The breed doesn’t like to be left alone and can become destructive when they feel neglected. They take their loyalty seriously and once they develop these strong bonds with their family, they do not like to spend much time apart.
Beagles
Beagles are full of love and loyalty. They do exceptionally well with children of all ages because of their heaping amount of energy and cheerful personalities. The breed can spend hours playing fetch or rolling around with their owners. Beagles form particularly special bonds with children and grow to protect and cherish them like a sibling.
Beagles do have a tendency to hunt and chase, which makes it hard to own other pets besides dogs. The breed has a natural instinct to chase rabbits, hamsters, or any other smaller animal or rodent. Due to their incredible sense of smell, once they catch the scent of any of these animals they will not give up in an attempt to catch them.
While they are great with other dogs and most cats, Beagles can become infatuated with these smaller animals and be persistent in wanting to play with them due to their history of being pack dogs. If you do own any of these animals, we recommend keeping them out of sight and in separated from your Beagle.
Akitas
The Akita is a Japanese breed that is considered the National Treasure of the country. Historically, the breed dates back to the Japanese Shogun where the aristocracy and wealthy owned them. Due to Akita’s loyalty and calm demeanor, they are protective of their owners and have been used as village guard dogs, hunters, and herders. Their obedience is uncanny to other breeds, as they have been trained for centuries to be loyal to their owners.
This high degree of loyalty results in Akitas being very protective of their master and family members. If they are not properly socialized with other dogs, animals, and humans, the breed becomes defensive. However, an Akitas temperament makes them fast learners and can be trained fairly easily, which makes them more calm and secure in new environments. They have loving hearts and are very trusting and gentle towards the people that care for them.
Labrador Retrievers
Labrador Retrievers are definitely a household favorite breed. They are outstandingly loyal and loving with an infinite amount of energy to match. Labrador Retrievers were bred to be water dogs and have a water-resistant double coat to provide insulation and short fur to not drag them down in the water.
Their webbed toes allow them to be great swimmers, which makes them an excellent counterpart to fisherman. Labs are commonly used to bring in nets, pull ropes between boats and recover escaped fish.
Aside from being a great addition to the fisherman lifestyle, Labs are exceptional companions in any setting. They have a strong desire to please their owner and family, which makes them loyal and easily trainable dogs. They make great guide and therapy dogs because of their patience and loving hearts.
Dachshunds
Despite their tiny size, Dachshunds have huge hearts. They can become incredibly protective of their family or to one specific person. It is important to socialize this breed because they can become protective enough to a point of aggression, but this is out of extreme loyalty to their master.
They are a very social breed and require a decent amount of attention and playtime. Dachshunds get along extremely well with other dogs, so if you can manage having a few furry friends around the house, this will keep your pup thoroughly entertained. The breed has an astonishing lifespan with an average age of 14-16 years old. Be prepared to have these lovely companions in your life for quite some time.
Bulldogs
You can give a Bulldog all the toys in the world and acres to freely roam, but they won’t be genuinely happy without the love and affection from their family. Bulldogs are great companions to have and will stick by your side no matter what you are doing. They don’t require an extreme amount of physical exercise, so even just sitting on the couch with you will be enough to win over their hearts.
While their boxy composition can make them look tough, Bulldogs are actually very gentle and loving. Their chocolate eyes and signature “puppy face” make them hard to ignore and easy to love.
Not only do they share this love for their owners, they also can develop strong bonds with other animals such as guinea pigs, rabbits, sheep and other farm animals. Bulldogs are exceptionally loving and caring towards young children and the elderly, which makes them great family dogs.
Border Collies
Border Collies embody bravery, loyalty, and beauty. Originally, Border Collies were bred to herd sheep and work on the farm, but their loyalty goes far beyond these roles. Border Collies make great household pets and develop strong bonds with their families. Oftentimes they develop one particular bond that becomes the strongest and feel most protective and attached to this person.
Border Collies are very even-tempered dogs and thrive on human connection and companionship. They are typically very intelligent and are eager to please their owner, which is shown through their exceptional obedience. The breed is very adaptive to a multitude of environments and learns tricks and manners quickly. They love to spend time outdoors and have a large amount of energy so be prepared to dedicate a decent amount of time to exercising them.
Rottweilers
This may come as a surprise to some due to Rottweilers’ aggressive reputations in movies, TV shows and their police work, but they are actually one of the sweetest and loyal family dog breeds. Rottweilers are typically not temperamental or vicious, but they get this stereotype from their everlasting loyalty.
Although, if you properly train your Rottweiler they will grow to understand the difference between protection and aggression towards strangers and those not in their close circle. The training process can be exhausting, but it is definitely worth enduring.
It comes as little surprise that dogs are one of the most caring and affectionate creatures in the world. The attention and love you give to them goes a long way, which is repaid in unfaltering loyalty. It’s important to recognize that the commitment that you put towards your relationship with your dog is mutual. Just like human relationships, your dog needs the same amount of affection and consideration.
The relationship you have with your dog is truly like no other and it is completely worth the time that you put towards it. It is no doubt that your dog will repay you for this loving commitment, likely with kisses and cuddles.
While some dog breeds are more loyal than others, your relationship with your dog will always be one of your most cherished and special friendships. If you’re looking to adopt a new fury friend, there really isn’t a wrong choice, but bringing home a particularly loyal dog will never be a negative thing.
