It’s no wonder why people seek canine companionship. Dogs have withstood the test of time and being friends of man throughout history. From the Sistine Chapel to rock and roll records, dogs have stood faithfully beside their masters. Here are 40 breeds of the most loyal dogs. Let’s start the list to see yourself.
40. Chihuahuas
Life Expectancy:12-20 years These bouncy pups may be bitty, but they have big personalities. The world’s smallest dog breed gets its name from the city in Mexico where they originated. Chihuahuas are possessive and protective, and commonly suffer from separation anxiety when left alone for extended periods of time.
39. Dachshunds
12-16 Years. Originating from German, the name translates to “badger dog.” Known today as “wiener dogs,” these hounds started as hunters but eventually became popular companions because of their dedicated and affectionate mannerism toward their masters. They are jokingly said to be half a dog tall and two dogs long.
38. Pomeranians
12-16 Years. “Poms” are fluffy sweethearts that love to be the center of attention. The famous Italian painter, Michelangelo, enjoy the companionship of a Pomeranian. Thanks to their energy, loyalty and adorableness, they’re very popular lapdogs still today. But beware the excessive shedding and clinginess of these high maintenance pooches.
37. Kuvaszes
10-12 Years. Weighting in at 110 pounds for males, its no wonder why these independent, brilliant dogs once stood post as royal guards. The Kuvasz has a tendency to be clownish and silly, however they are incredibly intelligent and protective. They can be aggressive toward strangers but will stand by their masters.
36. Toy Poodle
10-18 Years. Although characteristically they’re associated with France, poodles only actually gained popularity among the French in the fifteenth century. These dogs are sharp and alert; they’re eager to please their people and therefore bond tightly with them. Poodles are friendly, fun and faithful friends for the people they bond with.
35. Giant Schnauzer
12-15 Years. The largest of all three schnauzers, the giants are powerful, intelligent and devoted. Females grow to weight in to 75 pounds, where males grow to over a hundred. Despite their large stature, these pooches have a shy and skittish temperament. They may not be exceptionally brave, but they’re sill very loyal.
34. Miniature Pinschers
15 Years. Because “min pins” seem to be unaware that they’re small, they’ve become known as the “king of toy breeds.” They’re often mistaken to be a much smaller version of the Doberman Pinscher, but the are not. That, however, doesn’t dampen their proud, clever and loyal nature in the least.
33. West Highland White Terrier
12-16 Years. “Westies” are playful, hardy and energetic. They are wonderful family pets for those with young children. Although they have an independent personality, they are very close to their people. They’re loyal and loving lapdogs. Grooming is a meticulous task, though due to their thick and shaggy white coats.
32. Yorkshire Terriers
13-16 Years. The loyalty of the bold and possessive “yorkies” was adamantly proven by “Smokey” during WW2. After being rescued from a ditch by William Wynn, this brave pup parachuted from airplanes and joined his comrades in over 100 missions. “Smokey” was a brave soldier and showed the breed’s faithfulness.
31. Whippets
12-16 Years. These dogs are thin and agile. They’re almost too, having descended from the famous race hounds, Grey Hounds, Whippets have the ability to reach running top speeds in excess of thirty-five miles per hour. The “poor man’s racehorse” has a quiet and gentle but also still protective nature.
30. Shetland Sheepdogs
12-13 Years. “Shelties” are an awarded breed for world-class obedience. They’re exceptionally well-behaved dogs, reserving their loyalty for their masters. They’re playful, bright and alert. Their long, beautiful and soft coats add too their cuddly, affectionate nature. Shelties are relatively small dogs as well, usually only weighing about thirty pounds.
29. Shikokus
10-12 Years. These Japanese mountain dogs are similar in both appearance and temperament to their wolf relatives. Regardless of their energetic affinity to nature, these cautious and agile pups make exceptional guard and watch dogs. Plus, they have fluffy coats with curled tails, making some of the most adorable guards ever.
28. Brittany Spaniels
12-15 Years. Some dogs are loyal to a fault. Brittany Spaniels fall into this category. They often suffer from separation anxiety because they tend to attached to their masters. They are, however, highly intelligent, making them easy to train. Furthermore, they’re quick, attentive and adapt to different surroundings with ease.
27. Akitas
10-15 Years. One Akita earned this breed’s temperament national recognition in Japan. Every morning, Hachiko accompanied his master to the train for work and then returned each evening to walk home together. One day the man died at work, but Hachiko waited for the rest of his life at the station.
26. Shar Peis
9-11 Years. Characterized by their wrinkled skin, these rare breed of dogs originates in China over two thousand years ago, during the Han dynasty. These dogs are friendly and fun-loving. However, they’re not shy about having reservations, and they’re only truly affectionate and fully devoted to their immediate family or household.
25. Border Collies
15-17 Years. It can take as few as three repetitions for these obedient, faithful dogs to learn a command. They are among the most easily trained and the most loyal. Border Collies are brilliant and alert. They only reach about two feet tall but have an intense, potentially intimidating stare.
24. Beagles
12-15 Years. Beagles are considered pop icons for the celebrity companionship and memorable characters they’ve embodied. Barry manilow featured his pup bagel on three of his album covers. Charles Schulz immortalized the breed with his famous character Snoopy. Beagles are still popular companions thanks to their even temper and unfaltering devotion.
23. Newfoundland Dogs
8-10 Years. “Newfies” are large breed, water loving dogs with thick coats and webbed feet. Males can grow upwards of 150 pounds and females, slightly smaller, get up to about 120. These gentle Giants train well and are sweet and calm by nature. However, they tend to be quite defensive and protective.
22. Boston Terriers
13-15 Years. Aptly named the “American gentleman,” the small, short-haired sweethearts we’re the first breed to be developed in the United States. Helen Keller is probably the first famous master of a Boston named “Sir Thomas.” These highly energized, highly intelligent dogs are also quite stubborn. But they’re loyalty far surpasses that.
21. French Bulldogs
10-14 Year uses. “Frenchies” a playful, bright and patient cuddle-buddy companions. They are very devoted to their people and suffer from separation anxiety when left alone for too long. “Frenchies” are available in roughly 16 varieties of fur colors including several rare colors such as blue, merle, isabella, lilac, chocolate and cream.
20. Welsh Corgis
12-15 Years.
There are two variations of Welsh Corgi breeding. The first and most popular, are Pembroke Corgis which have been popular among royalty for many decades. The other is a Cardigan Corgi which is slightly larger and has a full tail, rather than a stumpy tail like the smaller Pembroke.
19. Cocker Spaniels
12-15 Years. Originating in the 14th century from Spain, these silky haired dogs we’re first classified as either land or water spaniels. The faithful and easy going breed is still divided into either show dogs or working dogs. Both are capable in their classes and are popular among families with younger children.
18. Irish Wolfhounds
6-10 Years. Classified as the world’s tallest dog breed, these loyal and gentle giants are both powerful and patient. The minimum size for this breed is nearly three feet tall and roughly 180 pounds. Historically, they also served their masters fighting beside them in war and working beside them in fields.
17. Basset Hounds
10-12 Years. Being second best only to the Bloodhound, these short legged, floppy eared dogs have incredible scent tracking abilities. Although they may be lazy dogs, they’re also low maintenance. Bassets also are attributed to having steadfast loyalty to their families. The name Basset is from the French term, “rather low.”
16. Australian Shepards
13-15 Years. “Aussies” are beautiful, clever and protective dogs. They can be taught nearly any command with relative ease. Their high energy level requires plenty of daily exercise. They also are quite demanding for the attention of their families, to whom they from an unconditional and infallible bond of loving loyalty.
15. Rough Collies
14-16 Years. Made famous by “Lassie”from the black and white TV series, Collies are friendly, strong, smart, protective and very loyal. Their gentle manner makes them wonderful pets for families with young children or other pets, even cats. That long, beautiful coat is high maintenance and gets matted without regular grooming.
14. Great Pyrenees
10-12 Years. Despite the size of these 120 pound dogs, they tend to be gentle and patient, especially with children and smaller animals. They are also confident and fearless, however and tend to be somewhat stubborn and strong-willed. All that attributes to an excellent breed of family focused guard dog.
13. Great Danes
8-10 Years. The “Apollo of dogs” is both an elegant and powerful breed of extra large proportion. They’re beyond devoted to their masters but tend to reserve their affection for one or two people. They can weigh up to 200 pounds or more therefore making a consistent exercise routine most essential.
12. Pugs
12-15 Years. Being sociable and charming dogs doesn’t discount the level of loyalty for these little guys. Pugs have been faithful friends for centuries, dating back to the Ming dynasty of sixteenth century China. Their name is a derivative of the term for “shadow” because Pugs follow their masters so closely.
11. Saint Bernards
8-10 Years. Lively, friendly and heart-warming are all characteristics of St. Bernards. They are also curious and love to explore. Originally of Swedish and Italian descent, they’re more formerly known as Alpine Mastiffs. These extra large dogs can grow to be over 250 pounds of pure love and irrefutable loyalty.
10. Doberman Pinschers
10-13 Years. Developed in 19th Century Germany, these highly alert dogs were bred to be world-class guards against the beginning. They’re fearless but still exceptionally intelligent dogs with plenty of energy and determined loyalty. They have no qualms about being aggressive when they feel they need to protect thier families.
9. English Bulldogs
8-10 Years. True to the name, they were originally bred to fight bulls, which was banned in 1835. These dogs are pretty lazy and laid back but are devoted protectors of their masters. English “Bullies” are definitely not great swimmers, but can run as fast as even 15 miles per hour.
8. Labrador Retrievers
10-12 Years. Labs are famous for their adventurous and athletic character. The only thing they love more than a swim is their families. They’re the most popular breed in America because of their strong loyalty and bond to the entire family. These gentle, devoted dogs make excellent pets for young children.
7. Golden Retrievers
10-12 Years. From Scottish origin around 1868, “Goldie’s” are among the most reliable rescue dogs due to their trustworthy and dependable manner. They have animated expressions, and they’re ranked as the fourth most intelligent dogs in the world. They form tight and unbreakable loyalty bonds with family members in puppyhood.
6. Weimaraners
11-14 Years. Since the 1800s these dogs were bred for loyalty as sportsmen’s companions. They’re goofy and clownish pups but are also steady and powerful guardians. They have a highly alert and brilliant intelligence level. Likewise, they’re quite fast and agile, too, especially when considering they can weigh up to 90 pounds.
5. American Staffordshire Terrier
12-16 Years. Often, “AmStaffs” are mistakingly categorized together with their close cousins, the American Pit Bull Terriers. Both are Pit Bull breed, however, AmStaffs are considerably more docile than their relatives. Their tenacious devotion to their families may manifest as aggression toward strangers if protecting the family becomes threatened or challenged.
4. Rottweilers
8-10 Years. Regardless of their confident fearlessness, the attributes that make “Rotts” such fantastic protectors are their powerful devotion and alert obedience. These dogs are eager to please their masters and have a dependable, steady character. Despite their reputation, most Rottweilers are only aggressive if they are protecting their beloved families.
3. English Mastiffs
6-12 Years. Reaching up to 230 pounds and two and a half feet tall, English Mastiffs are the largest breed of dog by mass. They’re certainly a strong and dignified breed. However, it’s their powerfully loyal and protective bonds to their masters’ household that makes these dogs to be giant guardians.
2. German Shepherd Dogs
9-13 Years. Abbreviated as GSD, and alternatively known as Alsatian Wof Dogs, they are ranked as the third most intelligent breed, worldwide. “Shepards” are curious and courageous, alert and watchful, obedient and loyal dogs. They are exceptionally reserved, and take time to befriend. However, once friended, they’re loyal til their death.
1. Boxers
10-12 Years. In order for commanding officers in the first world war to utilize dogs as soldiers, they needed to be reliable, powerful and above all, loyal. Therefore, Boxers were often selected to serve as guard dogs, patrol dogs and war dogs. They were even trained to report information to officers!
