'I'm a dog trainer – I hate working with yappy breed that is booming in popularity'
An expert dog trainer has revealed the three breeds he "hates" working with, including one that he says is "booming in popularity".
Canine behaviourist Will Atherton has more than 900,000 subscribers on YouTube. His videos help people choose the right dog breed for them, depending on the breed's temperament and the owner's lifestyle.
In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Will explained: "The reality is, when you have worked with as many dogs as I have, even though we love dogs as canine professionals [...] we all have our favourite breeds to work with, and our breeds that we really don't like working with." He then went into detail about the three breeds that top his list.
READ MORE: 'I'm a dog trainer – I see three popular breeds go badly wrong with children'
Siberian Husky
Will explained he used to own a Siberian Husky - it was the first dog he ever rescued and rehabilitated. But despite this, he hates working with them.
Will said: "I'll be completely honest, one of the reasons I wanted to rescue and rehabilitate that Husky in the first place - and I think if other Husky owners are being completely honest themselves - is that the driving force behind getting that breed is how they look. Because they do look absolutely beautiful."
But he wants people to avoid making the mistake he did, explaining how Huskies have an "incredibly high energy output" that means they "rarely have the physically rewarding lifestyle they require" in regular homes. Will also described them as "aloof", "drama queens" that are difficult to train, and "more like cats than dogs".
Dachshund
Will said the Dachshund has "boomed in popularity recently", and he believes this is also because of how they look. He explained they were bred to be "incredibly tenacious hunters", and added: "If people get them for the lifestyle of chilling on the sofa, maybe as an Instagram accessory, you are setting you and them up for failure."
He went on: "They tend to suffer with reactivity in extreme measures, they are very yappy little dogs, and because of their boom in popularity, it means that a lot of people are getting them with no real commitment to doing much with them, and it leads them down a path to become very obnoxious, frustrating little dogs."
However, Will did say that if you commit to the level of training required, Dachshunds can be "cool, fun little dogs".
Shar Pei
Regarding the Shar Pei, Will explained: "They seem to be a breed that develops behaviour problems very, very easily, and when they do develop them they tend to be incredibly significant problems that are also incredibly difficult to fix. Pair that with their natural tendencies, characteristics and general demeanour, it makes them a dog that is very rarely a loveable, happy-go-lucky, well-behaved, well-trained, well-socialised canine companion."
Again, Will noted that he has seen "great examples" of the breed. But the Shar Pei remains one of the breeds he has seen "go seriously wrong" the most.
