15 lazy-dog breeds that are expert nappers

This giant dog breed was bred for herding work, but don’t be fooled: the Bullmastiff’s specific job was not walking around ‘herding’ its flock, but rather, standing around watching for wolves and other predators, explains Dr Perez-Camargo. As a result, wandering around and exploring is simply not in this dog breed’s DNA. With its size and propensity for lazing the day away adjacent to its people, the Bullmastiff is not merely a couch potato, according to Dr Scott, but a full-on couch hog. So, if you don’t mind drooling, which the Bullmastiff is also well-known for, this could be the lazy dog you’ve been looking for.

Despite its tiny frame, the Japanese Chin regards both long walks and brisk walks with equal disdain, says Dr Scott. If you’re wondering how you can tell, just go ahead and try. What you’ll find is a dog who would rather lie down and be dragged down the footpath than exercise. Chins are so lazy, Dr Scott adds, that the only exercise they really need on a daily basis is walking around the house or the backyard and maybe performing a few ‘cat-like’ moves. “The rest of the time is for napping,” he says.

When you picture a Saint Bernard, do you picture a large, burly dog standing in the snow with a small keg around its neck? It’s not that Saint Bernards weren’t bred to be Swiss mountain rescue dogs, points out Dr Brooks, it’s that there’s not much else they feel motivated to do. In fact, you could employ your Saint Bernard as a guard dog, but you should assume that if an intruder broke into your home, your dog would let you know with a bark and then go back to sleep.

Another livestock guardian, the Great Pyrenees (also known as Great Pyrenees Mountain Dog) was bred to guard, but not so much to take action, after sounding the alert. “The Great Pyrenees is not an active breed. They’re content lying around and observing,” says Dr Brooks. While it would be nice to have a Great Pyrenees in a rural setting such as a farm, they also do perfectly well in an apartment because as adults, they hardly move about at all.

The Newfoundland is another giant dog that “isn’t super active”. As Hembree notes, “they’re these slobbering goofballs who could swim all day but are just as happy to spend the day snuggling on the couch.” But it’s not that Newfoundlands are necessarily lazy per se, points out Dr Wooten, “it’s that they’re giant and hairy, which makes it difficult for them to regulate their body temperature. So they manage accordingly.”

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Source: RD.com