PlainPetCare rankings
Most Grooming-Intensive Dog Breeds
All breeds ranked by coat complexity and grooming needs, which dogs require the most maintenance.
- 1.40x
- #1 · Barbet
- 140
- breeds ranked
- 0.80x
- #140 · Xoloitzcuintli
The verdict
According to PlainPetCare coat-complexity model, derived from AKC breed standards (coat type, length, and shedding profile), Barbet tops the list at 1.40x; the full ranking spans 140 breeds down to Xoloitzcuintli at 0.80x.
- 1.40x
- #1 · Barbet
- 0.80x
- #140 · Xoloitzcuintli
- 140
- entries ranked
Top 12 by complexity
The full ranking
| # | Name | Complexity |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barbet medium | 1.40x |
| 2 | Bedlington Terrier medium | 1.40x |
| 3 | Bichon Frise small | 1.40x |
| 4 | Cockapoo small | 1.40x |
| 5 | Goldendoodle medium | 1.40x |
| 6 | Irish Water Spaniel large | 1.40x |
| 7 | Kerry Blue Terrier medium | 1.40x |
| 8 | Labradoodle medium | 1.40x |
| 9 | Lagotto Romagnolo medium | 1.40x |
| 10 | Miniature Poodle small | 1.40x |
| 11 | Mudi medium | 1.40x |
| 12 | Poodle medium | 1.40x |
| 13 | Portuguese Water Dog medium | 1.40x |
| 14 | Puli medium | 1.40x |
| 15 | Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier medium | 1.40x |
| 16 | Toy Poodle small | 1.40x |
| 17 | Afghan Hound large | 1.30x |
| 18 | Australian Shepherd medium | 1.30x |
| 19 | Bearded Collie medium | 1.30x |
| 20 | Belgian Sheepdog large | 1.30x |
| 21 | Belgian Tervuren large | 1.30x |
| 22 | Bergamasco Sheepdog large | 1.30x |
| 23 | Bernese Mountain Dog giant | 1.30x |
| 24 | Biewer Terrier small | 1.30x |
| 25 | Bolognese small | 1.30x |
| 26 | Borzoi large | 1.30x |
| 27 | Briard large | 1.30x |
| 28 | Cavalier King Charles Spaniel small | 1.30x |
| 29 | Cocker Spaniel medium | 1.30x |
| 30 | Collie large | 1.30x |
| 31 | Coton de Tulear small | 1.30x |
| 32 | English Setter large | 1.30x |
| 33 | Golden Retriever large | 1.30x |
| 34 | Gordon Setter large | 1.30x |
| 35 | Great Pyrenees giant | 1.30x |
| 36 | Havanese small | 1.30x |
| 37 | Hovawart large | 1.30x |
| 38 | Irish Setter large | 1.30x |
| 39 | Japanese Chin small | 1.30x |
| 40 | Leonberger giant | 1.30x |
| 41 | Lhasa Apso small | 1.30x |
| 42 | Maltese small | 1.30x |
| 43 | Newfoundland giant | 1.30x |
| 44 | Old English Sheepdog large | 1.30x |
| 45 | Papillon small | 1.30x |
| 46 | Saluki large | 1.30x |
| 47 | Shih Tzu small | 1.30x |
| 48 | Silky Terrier small | 1.30x |
| 49 | St. Bernard giant | 1.30x |
| 50 | Yorkshire Terrier small | 1.30x |
| 51 | Akita giant | 1.25x |
| 52 | Alaskan Malamute large | 1.25x |
| 53 | American Eskimo Dog small | 1.25x |
| 54 | Anatolian Shepherd giant | 1.25x |
| 55 | Australian Cattle Dog medium | 1.25x |
| 56 | Belgian Malinois large | 1.25x |
| 57 | Border Collie medium | 1.25x |
| 58 | Cardigan Welsh Corgi medium | 1.25x |
| 59 | Chesapeake Bay Retriever large | 1.25x |
| 60 | Chow Chow medium | 1.25x |
| 61 | Finnish Spitz medium | 1.25x |
| 62 | German Shepherd large | 1.25x |
| 63 | Keeshond medium | 1.25x |
| 64 | Kuvasz giant | 1.25x |
| 65 | Labrador Retriever large | 1.25x |
| 66 | Miniature American Shepherd medium | 1.25x |
| 67 | Norwegian Elkhound medium | 1.25x |
| 68 | Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever medium | 1.25x |
| 69 | Pembroke Welsh Corgi medium | 1.25x |
| 70 | Pomeranian small | 1.25x |
| 71 | Samoyed medium | 1.25x |
| 72 | Schipperke small | 1.25x |
| 73 | Shetland Sheepdog small | 1.25x |
| 74 | Shiba Inu small | 1.25x |
| 75 | Siberian Husky medium | 1.25x |
| 76 | Swedish Vallhund small | 1.25x |
| 77 | Tibetan Mastiff giant | 1.25x |
| 78 | West Highland White Terrier small | 1.25x |
| 79 | Affenpinscher small | 1.20x |
| 80 | Airedale Terrier medium | 1.20x |
| 81 | Berger Picard medium | 1.20x |
| 82 | Bouvier des Flandres large | 1.20x |
| 83 | Brussels Griffon small | 1.20x |
| 84 | Cairn Terrier small | 1.20x |
| 85 | Giant Schnauzer giant | 1.20x |
| 86 | Irish Wolfhound giant | 1.20x |
| 87 | Miniature Schnauzer small | 1.20x |
| 88 | Pudelpointer large | 1.20x |
| 89 | Scottish Terrier small | 1.20x |
| 90 | Standard Schnauzer medium | 1.20x |
| 91 | Welsh Terrier small | 1.20x |
| 92 | Wire Fox Terrier small | 1.20x |
| 93 | Wirehaired Pointing Griffon medium | 1.20x |
| 94 | Brittany medium | 1.10x |
| 95 | Clumber Spaniel large | 1.10x |
| 96 | English Springer Spaniel medium | 1.10x |
| 97 | American Staffordshire Terrier medium | 1.00x |
| 98 | Basenji small | 1.00x |
| 99 | Basset Hound medium | 1.00x |
| 100 | Beagle medium | 1.00x |
| 101 | Black and Tan Coonhound large | 1.00x |
| 102 | Bloodhound giant | 1.00x |
| 103 | Boerboel giant | 1.00x |
| 104 | Boston Terrier small | 1.00x |
| 105 | Boxer large | 1.00x |
| 106 | Bracco Italiano large | 1.00x |
| 107 | Bulldog medium | 1.00x |
| 108 | Bullmastiff giant | 1.00x |
| 109 | Cane Corso giant | 1.00x |
| 110 | Catahoula Leopard Dog large | 1.00x |
| 111 | Chihuahua small | 1.00x |
| 112 | Chinese Shar-Pei medium | 1.00x |
| 113 | Dachshund small | 1.00x |
| 114 | Dalmatian large | 1.00x |
| 115 | Doberman Pinscher large | 1.00x |
| 116 | Dogo Argentino giant | 1.00x |
| 117 | Dogue de Bordeaux giant | 1.00x |
| 118 | French Bulldog small | 1.00x |
| 119 | German Shorthaired Pointer large | 1.00x |
| 120 | Great Dane giant | 1.00x |
| 121 | Greyhound large | 1.00x |
| 122 | Italian Greyhound small | 1.00x |
| 123 | Jack Russell Terrier small | 1.00x |
| 124 | Lancashire Heeler small | 1.00x |
| 125 | Manchester Terrier small | 1.00x |
| 126 | Mastiff giant | 1.00x |
| 127 | Neapolitan Mastiff giant | 1.00x |
| 128 | Pharaoh Hound medium | 1.00x |
| 129 | Pug small | 1.00x |
| 130 | Rat Terrier small | 1.00x |
| 131 | Rhodesian Ridgeback large | 1.00x |
| 132 | Rottweiler large | 1.00x |
| 133 | Russian Toy small | 1.00x |
| 134 | Smooth Fox Terrier small | 1.00x |
| 135 | Staffordshire Bull Terrier medium | 1.00x |
| 136 | Treeing Walker Coonhound large | 1.00x |
| 137 | Vizsla medium | 1.00x |
| 138 | Whippet medium | 1.00x |
| 139 | Chinese Crested small | 0.80x |
| 140 | Xoloitzcuintli medium | 0.80x |
Source: PlainPetCare coat-complexity model, derived from AKC breed standards (coat type, length, and shedding profile).
How to read this ranking
This table ranks 140 entries in the PlainPetCare dataset by complexity. The top entry, Barbet, posts a complexity of 1.40x, while the bottom entry in this list, Xoloitzcuintli, sits at 0.80x. Rankings like this are most useful read alongside the underlying price ranges on each breed or metro page, the aggregate score hides detail that matters for individual budgeting.
To get the most out of this ranking, click through to any row for the full service-by-service breakdown. Each breed page shows a complete pricing table by size and service type, where real budgeting decisions actually get made. Aggregated ranks are useful for scanning the market; itemised tables are where you plan spend.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a coat "high complexity"?
High-complexity coats have one or more demanding features: long length requiring regular trimming, dense undercoats prone to matting, curly or wire textures that tangle easily, or continuous growth (like Poodle coats) that never stops. Breeds with multiple factors score highest. Double-coated breeds also have seasonal "blowing" periods where shedding intensifies dramatically.
What happens if I skip grooming for a high-maintenance breed?
Skipping grooming for high-maintenance breeds quickly leads to matting, which pulls painfully on the skin, traps moisture and bacteria, can cause skin infections, and hides parasites. Severely matted dogs often require full shave-downs, which can be traumatic and expensive ($150-300+). Regular maintenance is far cheaper and healthier than emergency de-matting.
Explore more rankings
- Compare against the opposite end of the market. See the other side
- Drill into a single entry for the full service-by-service price table. All breeds
- Estimate a full annual pet-care budget for your situation. Annual cost estimator
Related guides
Every figure on PlainPetCare is rendered directly from AKC breed data and industry pet-service pricing surveys, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on AKC breed data and industry pet-service pricing surveys, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
Sources: PlainPetCare coat-complexity model, derived from AKC breed standards (coat type, length, and shedding profile); the regional index is calibrated to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics regional cost-of-living data (verify with BLS →). Read our methodology.
Disclaimer: Prices are modelled estimates for informational budgeting only and do not constitute professional advice. Confirm with a local provider before making decisions.