Least friendly dog breeds revealed – and which ones are actually man's best pals

We all know that dogs are supposed to be a 'man's best friend' – but is that true of all breeds?

We'd all like to think to think that our furry friend is the best in the world – but truth be told there are some dogs that are less friendly than others. Some experts believe it has a lot to do with which breed they are.

A study has gone out to set the record straight, to find out which are the friendliest dog breeds, and those that are the least. So it turns out that when it comes to being sociable with humans, not every dog is equal.

The Bull Terrier breeds are are known for being loyal pets (stock image) (Getty Images/EyeEm)

Researchers at the University of Helsinki in Finland have revealed a list of the dog breeds with the highest and lowest levels of human sociability, and some may surprise you.

Their research shows that bull type terriers, such as the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, is officially man's best friend, closely followed by teacup dogs and golden retrievers.

On the flip side, the least friendly dog types are livestock guardian dogs, Asian primitive breeds, and primitive sighthounds. The full list can be seen below.

Most friendly dog breeds:

1. Bull type terriers
2. Teacup dogs
3. Golden Retriever
4. Dachshunds
   
5. Brachycephalic dogs
6. Whippet
7. Chinese Crested Dog
8. Northern companion spitzes
9. Retrievers/Flushing dogs
10. Parson type terriers
11. Schapendoes
12. Australian Shepherd
13. Pointers
14. Poodles
15. Bichon type dogs
16. Mastiff type dogs
17. English herders
18. Welsh Corgis
19. Fighting Dogs
20. Labrador Retriever
21. Other breed
22. Hunting terriers
23. Other companion dogs
24. Miniatur Pinscher
25. Border Collie

Least friendly dog breeds:

1. Livestock guardian dogs
2. Asian primitive breeds
3. Primitive sighthounds
4. Northern hunting spitzes
5. Sled dogs
6. Pinscher/Schnauzers
7. German Shepherd Dog
8. Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
9. Middle European utility dogs
10. Smooth Collie
11. Lapponian Herder
12. Finnish Lapponian Dog
13. Miniature Schnauzer
14. European sighthounds
15. White Swiss Shepherd Dog
16. Spanish Water Dog
17. German spitz related breeds
18. Mixed breed
19. Yard terriers
20. Belgian shepherd dogs
21. Scenthounds
22. Shetland Sheepdog
23. Rough Collie
24. Bermese Mountain Dogs
25. Lagotto Romagnolo

Dachshunds come fifth on the list of most friendly dog breeds (stock image) (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The researchers set out to investigate the personality differences between the dogs by analysing 11,000 pooches across 300 breeds, which were then categorised into 52 groups.

Their data showed that there's a strong link between dog breeds and personality traits such as insecurity, training focus, aggressiveness/dominance, energy, dog sociability, human sociability, and perseverance.

Dr Milla Salonen, the lead author of the study, said: "The breed of the dog is the most important determinant underlying personality differences.

"All dogs are individuals, and all breeds have different traits, but the breeds differ in what kind of personality most dogs within each breed have."

Jack Russell Terriers are affectionate dogs (stock image) (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

In addition to breed, they also found that female dogs scored higher than males. Human sociability also decreased with age.

Dr Salonen said.: "Our findings indicate that new owners should familiarise their puppies as much as possible with unfamiliar people, places, and animals.

"Of course, socialisation must always be done on the puppy's terms, which means that the puppy must not be forced into frightening situations."

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