Breed and Training.

From what I understand, it's easier to train a smart dog than a ... not so smart dog []

Well, it does depend a lot on how the dog was raised as a puppy and the breed. Dogs from puppy mills tend to be harder to train because they became accustom to going potty in their crates, where not given the proper socialization skills and more than likely poorly bred. The ease to train can also be passed on through the gene pool. Standard poodles are at the top of the list followed by border collies as being the smartest dogs and I would agree that these breeds are easier to train than other breeds. On the bottom of the list are smaller lap dogs like the chi who are normally difficult to house train. Now that doesn't mean there are some smart chis out there, I've even seen a chi in agility. As far as mix breeds, it may go the same way just depends on where they come from, how they were raised and also mixed or not the owners experance will also determine how easy it it to train a dog.

My dog who is a border collie mix is extremely smart and learns fast but does not do so well with other dogs that she does not know. It's been very difficult to train her to become calm when she's around other dogs but when it comes to obedience she's great. Also a BC is very high energy clever dog so training one means keeping up with the dog and some people may not find that very fun and find it frustrating trying to train a dog that is almost smarter then them. For me it's one challenge after anouther with my dog because although she's very smart she can get board very easy and become destructive so it's a constant challenge to train her to do new things to keep her mind going.

It also depends on your expectation- you're going to have a hell of a time training an average PBGV for competition obedience, for example, simply because that wonderful hound nose is goign to make all the exciting smells in the ring (Bait! And other dogs! and GIRL DOGS! and people! And birds/squirrels/rabbits if you are outdoors) MUCH more interesting than you giving a single command and no/low reinforcement. It's not to say you can't do it- but it will be much more of a challange. So if you're looking for a breed for any type of competitive training SPECIFICALLY for competition, it wouldn't hurt to think about what breeds typically do well in that venue- and if yours is not a typical breed, pick a breeder who competes in that same venue with her dogs, or a rescue that has been fostered and had a lot of temperament testing and isn't typical of the breed personality and drive-wise.

As far as trainability in a general sense? Most dogs are as trainable as you want them to be, when you put the time and practice in.

The most trainable dogs usually come from the herding and working groups - not necessarily because they are smarter, though some are, but because they have been bred for years to work closely with humans.  Hounds, for example, are bred to be a lot more independent and hunt on their own, so, while they are smart (don't ever let anyone tell you a hound is dumb), they tend to make decisions based on their needs, not yours. []

The book "Paws to Consider" by Brian Kilcommons gives the lowdown on the various breeds.  Worth the read.

Apreciate your answers.
Do you think is posible to train (house train) older dogs?

I think it's easier to housetrain older dogs! Puppies have a biological inability to hold it for more than a couple hours, which definately can put a kink in housetraining because you have to be around to let them out the instant they feel the need because they can't really control it. Older dogs are physically able to hold it, so you just need to make it crystal clear when and how they should do so. I had to train an adult (2 years old when we adopted him) last year and he got about 85% there really really fast, and then that last 15% took a bit more time, but he's totally trained now.

I agree with you, houndlove. I think its easier to housetrain an adult dog then a young puppy.

they tend to make decisions based on their needs, not yours.

That's why N.I.L.I.F method works so well for any dog.  They learn to work with you to get their needs met.  []

It is MUCH easier to housetrain an older dog than a puppy. I've done it with a hundred or more rescues, ranging from outside back yard dogs, to kennel dogs, to puppy mill dogs. The exception is when the dog has been used to eliminating in the house for a long time (ie, lap dogs that have been allowed to mess in the house). Even these are not impossible to re-train. Cleanliness is a very strong instinct in dogs.

"Smart" dogs are both easy and hard to train. Easy because they pick up the basics really fast, and are responsive to the hints that humans give as to what they want.

They are hard to train because working breeds are often dogs that don't generalize easily. This is hard for a new owner, or the owner of a growing puppy - it may seem like the dog is willfully disobedient when they don't realize they are asking for a previously trained behavior in a new way. Working trainers use this ability to distinguish very, very subtle differences in commands to train many behaviors, but it can be frustrating to the casual trainer in the home who just wants "come" to mean "come" every time.

It is true that training other breeds is all about finding what motivates them, because it usually isn't going to be the joy of working for you! [] But I really don't think there's a dog out there that literally can't be trained in the basics of manners in a controlled, safe environment.

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ORIGINAL: GoogyDog

Apreciate your answers.
Do you think is posible to train (house train) older dogs?

Absolutely.  It's never too late to train any dog.

A "desire to work with you" is much more important than intelligence in getting an easy-to-train dog. 

You think is useful to train your dog with a professional trainer? Is this affecting the relation between you and your dog?

A "desire to work with you" is much more important than intelligence in getting an easy-to-train dog.

 
Very true.  Having a biddable dog makes the training go so much easier and faster.  
Sometimes the most intelligent invent things themselves to learn. 
There is a saying in the Sheltie world.  Better train your sheltie otherwise they will train you.