Science The most aggressive dog breeds named in new study

The most aggressive dog breeds named in new study

Anyone who has had a small dog snapping at their feet will declare that the most dinky of pooches often are the most inclined to start a fight. Now, a new study has found that smaller dogs are almost always more aggressive than their larger counterparts. Miniature Poodles and Miniature...

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Anyone who has had a small dog snapping at their feet will declare that the most dinky of pooches often are the most inclined to start a fight.

Now, a new study has found that smaller dogs are almost always more aggressive than their larger counterparts.

Miniature Poodles and Miniature Schnauzers top the list of most aggressive dogs in a new study, published in Scientific Reports.

Larger dogs including Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers and Lapponian Herders were found to be the most docile.

Researchers from the University of Helsinki studied over 9,000 dogs to analyse aggressive behaviour, including growling, snapping and biting.

As well as breed, other factors which impacted aggression include fearfulness, age, the company of other members of the same species and the owner's previous experience of dogs.


Older dogs were more likely to be aggressive than younger, with scientists saying this could be because of the pain caused by health conditions, and male dogs were more likely to be aggressive than female. Smaller dogs within breeds were also found to be more ready to snap than larger counterparts.

"Understanding the factors underlying aggressive behaviour is important. In what kinds of circumstances does aggressive behaviour occur and what is the dog's motive for such behaviour? In normal family dogs, aggressive behaviour is often unwanted, while some dogs with official duties are expected to have the capacity for aggressiveness. At the same time, aggressiveness can be caused by welfare issues, such as chronic pain," explained doctoral researcher Salla Mikkola from the University of Helsinki.

The study investigated aggressiveness towards both dog owners and unfamiliar human beings. Dogs were classified as aggressive if they growled often and/or had attempted to snap at or bite a human at least occasionally in the situations described in the survey.

Although small dogs are more likely to be aggressive, the study found that the behaviour was less likely to be addressed by owners as they are not seen as a threat.

"Aggressive behaviour is a serious and common behaviour problem in domestic dogs," the study said.

"Aggressively behaving dogs can cause public concern by biting people and other pets, with medical or even lethal consequences for the victim."

They add: "The severity of aggressive behaviour varies from biting and snapping attacks that can even lead to the death of a victim to less severe, but more common growling and barking."

Prof Hannes Loi from the University of Helsinki added: "People who are considering getting a dog should familiarise themselves with the background and needs of the breed. As for breeders, they should also pay attention to the character of dam candidates, since both fearfulness and aggressive behaviour are inherited".

Spoiler: The most to least aggressive dogs

Rough collie

Miniature poodle

Miniature schnauzer

German shepherd

Spanish water dog

Lagotto

Chinese crested

German spitz mittel

Coton de Tulear

Wheaten Terrier

Pembroke Welsh Corgi

Cairn Terrier

Border Collie

Finnish Lapphund

Chihuahua

Smooth Collie

Jack Russell Terrier

Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Shetland Sheepdog

Lapponian Herder

Golden Retriever

Labrador Retriever

 

[Dr. Hannibal Buress]

I agree with the least aggressive dogs being Goldens and Labs, I don't think I've ever met a mean one in my life, unless they were abused horribly and even then they were basically fully withdrawn and terrified of everything around them and only snapped and bit when their personal space was entered.

My family owned a yellow lab, as a puppy he bonded with my younger brother who was 2 at the time. He was the most gentle, loyal, and protective dog I have ever known.

when they got older my brother and I would rough house and the lab would throw himself between us as a doggy shield, and lean up against me to push me away.

Now if he felt that a non pack (family) member was a threat he would bark and snarl, but even then he would do his shield and push move instead of biting or charging head on.

 

[Agent Abe Caprine]

Many animals are inherently evil. Have you ever seen ducks fuck?

Not all rapists are male ducks, but all male ducks are rapists.

 

[TaterFarmer]

Collies are herding dogs and so have behaviors like nipping that are annoying but are not meant to be aggressive. They are working dogs, though so can get neurotic and potentially develop aggressive behaviors if not provided with ample activity and mental stimulation. I also wonder if the population of collies in the study may have a very high rate of either poor breeding affecting temperament, or an increased risk of several health issues from poor breeding.

Collies were impacted back in the 60s when the TV show "Lassie" was very popular and they bred for a very narrow skull phenotype above all other breed standards. Prior to that show, they were reliably good dogs, but after a decade of back yard breeders, they'd ruined the breed.

 

[TLEN]

So the actual amount of damage done to humans or other dogs/pets was not taken into account here, but growling was.

Stuff my dog used to growl at included thunder, the vacuum cleaner, horses on television (but not in person), and robins trespassing on the front lawn.

Mine only ever growled at niggers, go figure.

 

[Lord Neeba]

So the actual amount of damage done to humans or other dogs/pets was not taken into account here, but growling was.

Stuff my dog used to growl at included thunder, the vacuum cleaner, horses on television (but not in person), and robins trespassing on the front lawn.

Well, yeah. They were studying aggressiveness, not danger. Those aren't the same thing.

 

[Tasty Tatty]

So the actual amount of damage done to humans or other dogs/pets was not taken into account here, but growling was.

Lmao, so they didn't actually observe or test the dogs' aggressiveness themselves? This "study" is worthless. Of course every shitbull lover is going to answer "oh no Mauler is an adorable floof who wouldn't hurt a fly!".

"Barking dog never bites" is a common saying for a reason. Some dogs are ultra nervous and bark at anything. Some even try to jump at you for whatever reason. They won't bite, though. Usually, they just run away when you make any aggresive movement back.

look at that arrogant smirk...this dog actually looks English for real

Terrier of Akkad.

 

[Sithis]

They forgot to include chow-chow and shar-pei in the study. Those breeds are just massive assholes. I'd trust a pitbull before I trusted a Chinese breed.

Fucking amen on that shit. Chows are on an entirely different level of asshole dog. Had someone in my family that owned one, and I was not a bit sad when I heard its dumb ass managed to drown itself in a pool.

Is this like "daddy long legs" are the most poisonous spiders but can't penetrate human skin? Because any dog that I can kick in the face causing it to stay down doesn't count. No shitbulls on the list, go figure.

It always cracks me up when people bitch so much about little rat dogs like chihuahuas etc. Are they annoying when they nip at your heels? Yeah definitely. But I'd rather be attacked by 20 pissed off chihuahuas than one pissed off pit bull.

Well, yeah. They were studying aggressiveness, not danger. Those aren't the same thing.

Would be interested in how they differentiated aggressive behavior from defensive behavior. Dogs are pretty limited in how they can communicate with us and growls and barks are like, 70% of how most of them do it. If they were measuring it as "dog hunts someone down and snarls at them with teeth bared" then yeah but if they're counting simple instances of a dog barking or growling if they go near its toy/food/etc that's more a defensive "get the fuck out of here you dumb ape" thing that I personally wouldn't consider aggressiveness.

 

[furūtsu]

So they studied aggression as barks, not bites.

That's the problem with pitbull type dogs, and likely the reason why they test so well on AKC aggression tests; they tend to bite without barking. It's an advantage they were bred to have for the fighting pits. If they struck the other dog without warning they were more likely to tear them apart vs getting torn themselves. Hence why pits are known for being so friendly and loveable; to an extent yes they really can be affectionate, but they also don't give warning signs before striking. That's why there's so many "Little pibble was such a sweet boy until one day he broke through the fence and mauled a child" stories.

A yappy Chihuahua is a menace but probably won't nip you, and even if it does you can easily get it off of you and it won't cause much damage. Try punting a maul-happy pitbull away and see what happens.

If they wanted a most dangerous aggressive breeds list, they'd have the ABPT at the top, followed by the Amstaff and other pitbull types except maybe the American Bully (newer breed and has a lot of French/English bulldog in the admixture so could be less aggressive and is definitely way lower energy), then Filo Brasileros, Dogo Argentinos, Dobermans, Rotties, etc.

Mind you I'm not a rabid anti-pit person but the lengths to which lobbyists and Karens will go to defend an inherently dangerous breed is ridiculous. A Miniature Schnauzer will never be more dangerous than a dog more than quadruple its size with a bite force PSI strong enough to crush bones.

They add: "The severity of aggressive behaviour varies from biting and snapping attacks that can even lead to the death of a victim to less severe, but more common growling and barking."

This right here is a heinously disingenuous statement considering the test featured in the article. How many deaths have Toy Poodles caused?

 

[Troonos]

Is this like "daddy long legs" are the most poisonous spiders but can't penetrate human skin? Because any dog that I can kick in the face causing it to stay down doesn't count. No shitbulls on the list, go figure.

Do you always believe retarded urban legends with no basis in reality?

 

[Local Coyote]

There is a reason small dogs rank high on aggression studies like this. Behavior that is aggressive in small dogs is seen as no big deal or funny but if a big dog exhibits the same behavior the dog is considered a dangerous menace.

People absolutely encourage this behavior. I have seen angry small dogs growl and bite and the owners just downplay it as "oh he doesn't like XYZ."

 

[Scarlett Johansson]

People abuse pitbulls and its depressing.

I think that cats are worse tbh though.

 

[Devyn]

Anyone who has had a small dog snapping at their feet will declare that the most dinky of pooches often are the most inclined to start a fight.

Now, a new study has found that smaller dogs are almost always more aggressive than their larger counterparts.

For those who have been traumatized by ankle biters, there's support available:

Here at SoTDA we work tirelessly and under great danger to bring you eye opening exposés on toy dog fighting gangs and the latest conspiracies against nanny dogs.

We are fighting to get our attacks press worthy. Too long have poor innocent nanny dogs have been framed and put in the media for them to make money. We want to know how come only "pit bull attacks" make the news. We want to know how come that bite we got from a toy dog did not make the news.

If you are like the rest of us and have been bit by a toy dog and tried contacting media outlets to no avail, we can help here!

Toy dogs are just and nasty., they bite more and they are more dangerous than pit bulls period!

We make sure to chime in on all articles where nanny dogs were framed or hard to protect themselves against 7 month old babies and tell the parents that small dogs bite more. We tell them that we are sorry for their loss, BUT... Small dogs bite more, Hellen Keller, Stubby, All how they were raised, the kid must have did something, I was once bit by a poodle. etc;

https://m.facebook.com/SurvivorsOfToyDogAttacks

 

[Merrick]

I will say this: once upon a time, a Miniature Schnauzer I know used to bark at virtually everything. She used to chase deer out of the yard routinely, never really caring that the deer were much larger than she was. She would bark out of car windows, and even got nasty with the mailman.

However, she was taken to a park where two little girls approached her. She let them pet her and was very gentle with them. Additionally, this same dog was taken to a nursing home to visit an elderly family member with dementia. This dog became the darling of the nursing home, and everyone wanted a turn holding her.

Aggression in dogs depends on a lot of things. Situations always matter.

 

[ChaChaHeels:BlackOnes]

I agree with the least aggressive dogs being Goldens and Labs, I don't think I've ever met a mean one in my life

The chocolate ones can be a fucking nightmare though! Probably due to being bred from a shallower gene pool.

But I'd rather be attacked by 20 pissed off chihuahuas than one pissed off pit bull.

This is like ‘would you rather fight one horse-sized duck or one hundred duck-sized horses?’
But yes, I agree, because size and jaw power have to be a factor when assessing dangerousness. If a chi attacks a human toddler, the toddler will almost definitely survive, not true of the dog types that were originally bred to fight bulls,

There is a reason small dogs rank high on aggression studies like this. Behavior that is aggressive in small dogs is seen as no big deal or funny but if a big dog exhibits the same behavior the dog is considered a dangerous menace.

I agree, plus acoording to the study even smaller dogs within a breed are more aggressive, so dogs have a sort of napoleon syndrome? Lots of the smaller breeds were originally bred to be tenacious, violent little shit heads with loads of stamina (ie the classic hunting terriers, Jack Russell, patterdale, bedlington, border). They also bark lots (because if they were down a rabbit hole or badger set and the ground fell in, they would have to bark loudly til their owner dug them out with a spade).
It’s the combo of terrier traits with bull breed physique that makes the BT breeds such efficient and devastating fighters. Cross breed a bit of terrier in a dopey, sleepy greyhound and you make an extremely fast small animal killing machine (a lurcher).

People abuse pitbulls and its depressing.

They do, but people abuse all sorts of dogs, The sad thing about pits (and other bully types) is that they actively attract shitty owners who exploit their physical traits. Same with German shepherds., rotties, Doberman etc. Same with some of the Chinese/Japanese fighting breeds.

Re: the stuff about collies above, collies can be a nightmare for barking and nipping if neglected, because they need to use their brains all the time to be content.
Labs can be a nightmare in the house (and get super fat) if they don’t get walked much, because they have big energy stores.
I don’t think any breed or type is intrinsically bad, but different types of dog have different needs, different physiques and different temperaments and make different amounts of noise (mostly because of decades, sometimes centuries of human intervention in breeding) and anyone getting a dog should be ensure they have realistic expectations and are getting a dog that is a good fit for their home/location/household members and are willing to put lots of time in. Some dog types are much happier in two or more dog homes, so that needs to be a factor.

I wouldn’t personally have a bull terrier breed OR a chihuahua in a family with children, both are better off with adult only homes. I wouldn’t have a collie or a lab when working long hours or living in a city. Humans need to be realistic about their input and not select a dog purely because they like the look of it.
No time/interest in training? Out all day?
Get a cat.

urgh. Dog spergery. Soz.

 

[whogoesthere]

I don't even see Pit Bulls on the list.

To be fair, most of Europe will rarely if ever see one of those, it's not a breed that is common. I have only seen one in my entire life, they clearly imported it in, and it looked like shit (bad batch).

The list kinda makes sense when you consider that a well known thing in dog circles is women make up the bulk of bad owners, and the dogs they like always end up being the snappy little shits that were never disciplined, rarely played with, and almost always never get much exercise.

Although it's a shame they didn't include the mighty Dogo Argentino. A dog so aggressive it's hard to breed on account of it killing its mate in a frenzy too often.

 

[KelpieSelkie]

To be fair, most of Europe will rarely if ever see one of those, it's not a breed that is common. I have only seen one in my entire life, they clearly imported it in, and it looked like shit (bad batch).

The list kinda makes sense when you consider that a well known thing in dog circles is women make up the bulk of bad owners, and the dogs they like always end up being the snappy little shits that were never disciplined, rarely played with, and almost always never get much exercise.

Although it's a shame they didn't include the mighty Dogo Argentino. A dog so aggressive it's hard to breed on account of it killing its mate in a frenzy too often.

American Pit Bull Terriers are banned in several countries throughout Europe, but Staffordshire Terriers, or "staffies" are not. The Staffordshire Terrier has direct ancestry from the APBT, and so is an extremely similar, if not the same breed aside from a smaller size. I've heard that staffies are very popular in the UK. So actually yes, you guys have pit bulls too. Even if they seem nice, they have those fighting genes in them.

 

[Jimjamflimflam]

Do you always believe retarded urban legends with no basis in reality?

I did when I was 6 and heard it on the playground.

Such simple times.

 

[Dr. Hannibal Buress]

The chocolate ones can be a fucking nightmare though! Probably due to being bred from a shallower gene pool.

I think the issues with chocolate and black labs may be more of a modern issue, they got so popular in the 90's/00's that unethical breeders were pushing out very inbred and poorly cared for puppies.

I've also noticed (anecdotally) that in lab mixes the lab genes seem to be a more dominant part of the offsprings behavior.

Hell I read an article about a litter of "Wolador" Timberwolf×Labrador hybrids and at least one pup looked more like a lab and had very lab like behavior, while his brothers and sisters were considered very mild by wolf standards despite taking after the wolf side physically.

 

[ChaChaHeels:BlackOnes]

American Pit Bull Terriers are banned in several countries throughout Europe, but Staffordshire Terriers, or "staffies" are not. The Staffordshire Terrier has direct ancestry from the APBT, and so is an extremely similar, if not the same breed aside from a smaller size. I've heard that staffies are very popular in the UK. So actually yes, you guys have pit bulls too. Even if they seem nice, they have those fighting genes in them.

The similarities are not because staffs have pit in them, but because they both came from the same mix of other breeds initially (ie a terrier crossed with a bull breed)

Probably worth me pointing out that an American Staffordshire Bull Terrier is different to a standard Staffordshire Bull Terrier so in a conversation like this two people could be correct in their own countries but still in disagreement with each other.

(I know lots about dog breeds and types as they are defined by the U.K. KC and not much about the US KC but if you have a Staffie in the U.K. it can’t be the type descended from the APBT (ie an American SBT) because you’d be committing an offence and if you got caught/grassed up the dog will be destroyed, even if it’s never hurt anyone - this is the actual legislation: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1991/65/section/1 )

As an aside, I got to spend an afternoon with a classic British BullDog the other day. These are rising in popularity again after a few decades of being pretty unfashionable, so I’ve not come across many. He was lovely (but I wouldn’t want to own one, too many health issues, as always, caused by human intervention in breeding)

 

[Ma_Hooty]

Seems pretty legit from personal experience but imo, you really can't lump them at an individual level. It's good to know how a pet generally behaves as a species/breed (wish a lot more owners would do that) and to always be cautious around them if they're not your own, but a lot of factors shape a pet, for better or for worse and a lot of the time it's behavioral issues due to lack of socialization/training/discipline.

Seen a few posts here that talk about how toy breeds are treated like uwu soft baby stuffed animals and it's unfortunately true, they tend to get away with a lot more than larger dog breeds. I'll cut my sperging short and just say that there's some people who shouldn't own certain breeds of pet, let alone own them at all and I wish there was more shaming involved because of it lol