A professional dog trainer has shared his top three favourite breeds, including one he hails as the “king of all dog breeds”.
Will Atherton, who boasts more than 900,000 followers on TikTok, is well-known for his practical dog training tips and guidance on breeds. And in a recent post, Will detailed “three breeds that, as a canine behaviourist, I absolutely love”.
He noted that similar to most professionals in his field, there are certain breeds he enjoys working with and some he does not get on with.
Topping his list was the Labrador Retriever, a breed Will regards as the “king of all dog breeds”. He said: “If I could only have one [breed] for the rest of my life, it would be Labradors.”
In second place was the Cane Corso, another breed he is fond of. Will said: “I love mastiff breeds. They definitely are not suitable for first-time owners or many families, like the Labrador is, but they do provide a really unique bond and relationship, and guarding skills that I love.”
However, Will previously said he will never get another mastiff breed having had several that died young due to health complications. “It’s just too heartbreaking for me and my family to go through that process of losing dogs young, when there are other breeds like Labradors that are just so much more healthy and robust,” he said.
The final breed on his list was the German Shepherd, which Will described as an excellent “all-round” breed. He said they can make for excellent family pets as well as excellent protection dogs.
In the caption of his video, Will added: “You can lump the Golden Retriever in with the Lab.” He said Golden Retrievers, Labradors and German Shepherds are most professional trainers’ favourite breeds to work with, while the Cane Corso is a “purely personal preference for me specifically”.