Studies have shown that, while individual dogs vary widely in their behavior, the behavior of dogs of a particular breed are distinct on average. In looking at dogs in New York, Seattle, and elsewhere, we used a study by Turcsán, et al. To quote from the original authors:
“Dogs that scored low regarding the trainability trait are described by their owners as uninventive and not playful, whereas dogs that scored high on this trait are regarded as intelligent and playful. Boldness was related to fearful and aloof behaviour with a low score corresponding to a high degree of fearfulness/aloofness, and vice versa. The calmness trait describes the dogs’ behaviour in stressful/ambiguous situations. A low score on this trait indicated stressed and anxious behaviour in these situations, while a high score referred to calm and emotionally stable dogs, according to the owner. Finally, dog sociability refers to their behaviour toward conspecifics [other dogs], with a low score indicating a high tendency for bullying or fighting and inversely high scores related to a low tendency.”
| Breed | Calm | Trainable | Sociable | Bold |
| Airedale Terrier | High | Medium | High | High |
| Alaskan Malamute | High | Low | Medium | Low |
| American Cocker Spaniel | High | Medium | High | High |
| American Staffordshire Terrier | Low | High | Low | Low |
| Anatolian Shepherd Dog | High | Low | Medium | Low |
| Appenzeller Sennenhund | Low | High | Medium | Low |
| Australian Shepherd | Low | High | Low | Low |
| Bavarian Mountain Hound | Low | High | Low | Low |
| Beagle | High | Medium | High | High |
| Bearded Collie | High | Medium | High | High |
| Beauceron | Low | High | Medium | Low |
| Belgian Malinois | Low | High | Low | Low |
| Bernese Mountain Dog | High | Medium | High | High |
| Border Collie | Low | High | Low | Low |
| Border Terrier | Low | High | Low | Low |
| Boxer | Low | High | Low | Low |
| Briard | Low | High | Medium | Low |
| Brittany | Low | Low | Low | Medium |
| Bull Terrier | Low | Low | Low | Medium |
| Bulldog | High | Medium | High | High |
| Cairn Terrier | Low | High | Low | Low |
| Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | High | Medium | High | High |
| Chihuahua | Low | Low | Low | Medium |
| Collie | Low | High | Medium | Low |
| Coton de Tulear | High | Low | Medium | Low |
| Dachshund | Low | High | Low | Low |
| Dalmatian | Low | High | Low | Low |
| Doberman Pinscher | Low | High | Low | Low |
| Dogue de Bordeaux | High | Low | Medium | Low |
| English Cocker Spaniel | Low | High | Low | Low |
| English Setter | High | Low | Medium | Low |
| Entlebucher Mountain Dog | Low | High | Low | Low |
| Eurasier | High | Low | Medium | Low |
| Flat-Coated Retriever | High | High | High | High |
| French Bulldog | High | Medium | High | High |
| German Hunting Terrier | Low | High | Low | Low |
| German Shepherd | Low | High | Low | Low |
| German Shorthaired Pointer | High | High | High | High |
| German Spitz | Low | Low | Low | Medium |
| German Wirehaired Pointer | Low | High | Low | Low |
| Giant Schnauzer | Low | High | Low | Low |
| Golden Retriever | High | Medium | High | High |
| Gordon Setter | High | Medium | High | High |
| Great Dane | Low | High | Low | Low |
| Greater Swiss Mountain Dog | High | Medium | High | High |
| Havanese | High | Medium | High | High |
| Hovawart | Low | High | Low | Low |
| Ibizan Hound | Low | High | Medium | Low |
| Irish Setter | High | Medium | High | High |
| Irish Terrier | Low | High | Low | Low |
| Irish Wolfhound | High | Low | Medium | Low |
| Jack Russell Terrier | Low | High | Low | Low |
| Kromfohrlander | Low | High | Medium | Low |
| Labrador Retriever | High | Medium | High | High |
| Leonberger | High | Medium | High | High |
| Lhasa Apso | High | Low | Medium | Low |
| Maltese | Low | Low | Low | Medium |
| Miniature Dachshund | Low | High | Medium | Low |
| Miniature Pinscher | Low | High | Low | Low |
| Miniature Poodle | Low | High | Medium | Low |
| Miniature Schnauzer | High | Medium | High | High |
| Old English Sheepdog | High | Medium | High | High |
| Parson Russell Terrier | Low | High | Low | Low |
| Pekingese | High | Medium | High | High |
| Perro de Presa Canario | Low | Low | Low | Medium |
| Pointer | High | Medium | High | High |
| Polish Lowland Sheepdog | Low | High | Medium | Low |
| Poodle | Low | High | Low | Low |
| Pug | High | Medium | High | High |
| Pyrenean Shepherd | Low | High | Medium | Low |
| Rhodesian Ridgeback | Low | High | Medium | Low |
| Rottweiler | Low | High | Low | Low |
| Saint Bernard | High | Medium | High | High |
| Shar Pei | High | Low | Medium | Low |
| Shetland Sheepdog | High | Medium | High | High |
| Shiba Inu | Low | High | Medium | Low |
| Shih Tzu | High | Medium | High | High |
| Siberian Husky | High | Medium | High | High |
| Small Munsterlander | High | Medium | High | High |
| Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier | High | Medium | High | High |
| Staffordshire Bull Terrier | High | Medium | High | High |
| Standard Schnauzer | Low | High | Low | Low |
| Tibetan Terrier | Low | High | Low | Low |
| Vizsla | Low | High | Low | Low |
| Weimaraner | Low | High | Medium | Low |
| Welsh Terrier | Low | High | Low | Low |
| West Highland Wheaten Terrier | Low | High | Low | Low |
| Whippet | High | Medium | High | High |
| White Swiss Shepherd | Low | High | Medium | Low |
| Wirehaired Dachshund | Low | High | Low | Low |
| Wolfspitz | Low | High | Low | Low |
| Yorkshire Terrier | Low | Low | Low | Medium |
Reprinted with permission from Applied Animal Behaviour Science, “Trainability and boldness traits differ between dog breed clusters based on conventional breed categories and genetic relatedness” by Borbála Turcsán, et al.