You probably are already familiar with several breeds of dog with the reputation for being potentially aggressive. These include the Pit Bull Terrier, the German Shepherd, and Rottweiler among others. Although there are many exceptions to the rule, these dogs have earned a certain reputation for less than perfect behavior whether it’s merited or not.
Of course, whether or not a dog manifests aggression has quite a bit to do with how they are trained by their owner. Any dog has the capability of being aggressive if placed in the wrong environment or in the hands of a cruel or incompetent trainer or owner. On the other hand, there are some dog breeds that have the capability of being aggressive that you may not be so readily aware of. Here are five lesser known potential aggressive dog breeds:
The Chihuahua
They’re the tiniest of dog breeds and they look cute and lovable, but these tiny dogs have the capability of being aggressive towards children who they’re not particularly fond of to begin with. They tend to bond strongly with one person, usually an adult, and perceive everyone else as threats to that bond. There are numerous reports of Chihuahuas nipping and biting at both adults and small children.
The Chow Chow
This dog, originally bred in China, is known to be one of the most ancient breeds in existence. They tend to bond with one person early on and do their best to guard that person against any perceivable threat. For this reason, they can be untrustworthy around strangers with the potential for exhibiting quite intimidating and aggressive behavior. No wonder they earned the nickname “the lion dog”.
The Jack Russell Terrier
This lively and energetic dog tends to be feisty and aggressive towards other dogs as well as small animals such as cats, hamsters, and ferrets that live in close quarters with them. On the plus side, they tend to be quite amicable towards human members of their pack and are usually gentle with children. It’s probably not the ideal breed to bring into your home if you have other small animals as pets.
The Llasa Apso
This is another small dog that looks harmless enough. Originating from the country of Tibet, this dog was bred to be a guard dog which may explain the tendency for this breed to exhibit occasional aggressive behavior. The Llasa Apso can be particularly feisty and unpredictable around children. Though these dogs appear to be cuddly lap dogs, they tend to be independent and strong willed which can be problems if they’re overindulged by their owner.
The Old English Sheepdog
This is another dog that tends to be strong willed and independent with a tendency to nip at other animals as well as children. This is aggravated by the fact that they’re strongly protective of their owners and will become aggressive if they perceive their master is threatened. Generally, this is not a good first dog since an Old English Sheepdog will probably require a good obedience course and firm, effective owner to be socialized properly.
If you plan on adopting any of these potentially aggressive breeds of dog, you may want to consider attending a dog obedience course lead by a competent instructor. Not only can this reduce the potential for aggressive behavior but it can also help to strengthen and solidify the bond between you and your dog.
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User Comments
Lee
On October 14, 2007 at 6:24 pm
Any dog can be aggressive. Maybe we should be more worried about how aggressive people can be.
Anna
On October 19, 2007 at 5:16 pm
I agree with Lee. Any and every dog can be aggressive if not treated properly.
mo
On October 24, 2007 at 5:33 pm
I think “factoids” like these can do a disservice to the public and the dogs. All breeds of dogs have their aggressive representatives and too many naive people read things like this and think that any breed NOT mentioned is exempt from being aggressive. I have seen everything from vicious Goldens to biting Beagles…no breed is exempt and lists like this tend to lull the new or uninformed dog owner into a false sense of security.
OTO, thank you for pointing out that breeds like Rottweilers and pit bulls are not necessarily inherently aggressive.
Brad
On February 18, 2008 at 10:07 pm
#1 by Lee , Oct 14, 2007
Any dog can be aggressive. Maybe we should be more worried about how aggressive people can be.
Give me a break with this “humans are bad, animals are good b.s.” Some types of dogs are inherently more prone to violence than others. People need to be aware of this as they consider what type of dog they would like for their family.
Deedee
On April 24, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Dogs are not mean because it people fault for not treating their dogs right and proper training and not bonding with your dog like playing with it and others things you can do with your dog!
Annetta
On August 29, 2008 at 8:30 pm
It’s very true that some dogs are more prone to be aggressive than others. I took on a Chihuahua/Dachshund mix puppy at one point in my life. I had him trained, properly socialized with children, adults, other dogs, cats, buses, cars, boarding facilities, the works, and he still turned out to be the worst most aggressive little monster I have ever owned.
Can you really say it’s the owner? My other dog, a spitz mix, who was not socialized in any way, became one of the most amazing dogs on the planet. She was/is very intuitive and easily trainable despite being brought up in a less than ideal situation. The first year and a half of her life was spent going from home to home, backyard to backyard, and nonetheless, genetics won out over the situation.
Upon working with numerous dogs at a boarding facility, I can tell you that Chihuahuas, Dachshunds, Labs, Germans, Goldens, and Pits, Cocker Spaniels, and Jack Russels tend to be up there on the aggression scale.
And yet Soft Coated Wheaton Terriers, Samoyeds, Pugs, and the good old general mutt tend to play better in the personality department. The big issue here is not whether owners are doing a good job of RAISING dogs, it’s whether or not we’re, by over and inbreeding, damaging their genetics to an irreparable degree.
So before you start thinking that there’s something the matter with how a person raises their dog, take this into consideration, “What are the true ramifications of destroying every iota of hybrid-vigour in my dog’s genetic makeup?”
karen
On January 19, 2009 at 5:45 pm
Seriously??
People..i rescued a mixed breed dog 5 years ago…unsure of his mix, but he had been abused.
We had a bond like no other, i NEVER abused him, he was very obedient, never bit strangers, a little dog aggressive (but he was an only dog), gave him tons of attention, played with him, doted on him…we determined he was a chow x.
Around 2 years of age he started getting growly if he didnt wanna do something, this progressed to showing teeth if i scolded him (verbally), this progressed to nips, which turned into minor bites…
but still when he was lovey and good he was awesome, these other incidents were seldom like he snapped and then he was normal again…
This being said recently i had to euthanize my baby b/c he attacked (i mean drug me and shook me) myself and my boyfriend for NO reason, i simply told him to go to bed and he ignored me so i nudged him with my foot…THATS all it took, the rest was a blood bath, even after it was over and i was laying there screaming he came to me b/c he was concerned and he didnt know what happened..he was well cared for w/ nothing lacking for his needs…i was the one who took him in and he bonded very close to me, he gradually became the “pack leader” and lost respect for me.
Long story short, certain breeds are predisposed for a certain temperament..chows for example dont like confrontation and are very stubborn..and i do agree that there are so many people out there that think they are “breeders” and really dont know what they are doing, they think its just about mating dogs and making money. Chows will fight if they feel threatened and dont do well with someone trying to one up them.
I would have done ANYTHING to not have to euthanize him, Im such a wreck over it..but after that he would have done it again, most likely worse next time…
BTW…i was a vet tech for many years and i will say that the the most common dog bite for no reason comes from cocker spaniels..
michelle
On January 22, 2009 at 11:16 pm
Aggression is acceptable to a certain extent during exercise or play time for example, and is a positive thing as long as the level of aggression is controlled.
http://www.dogobedienceadvice.com/dog-aggression.php
Nanci
On April 3, 2009 at 7:21 pm
I am by no means a dog expert. I speak only from personal experience. I grew up with an imported German Sheperd, an amazing dog. She was well trained, extremely obedient and protective if the situation warranted. The only perosn she ever bit was the mailman and he use to tease her on a daily basis. Had a white german sheperd as an adult raised him with my son. Kasper became essentially the neighborhood dog. He loved to go and play soccer and football with the boys. Never bit anyone, but he did not like UPS for some reason. I recently adopted a 2 year old, formerly abused, female rottweiler. What a love. We have bonded like no other dog I have owned. She is small only 69 pounds. All she needed was to feel secure, we go to the dog park, dog beach and walks on her lead in the neighborhood. My sister has 155 lb rotti his name is Zeus. She has had him since he was 4 days old. Zeusy, as we have grown to call him is a baby at worst. He was nursed by a pug and we think he may have an image issue. We think he does not realize how large he is. He is an absolute lap dog and gets frightened and cowers when big dogs come by. Too bad that so many dogs get a bad reputation, I think any dog has the ability to bite. That does not make the whole breed bad,
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