Weiner dogs: mean or cuddly?
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- July
- 8
The British newspaper, The Daily Telegraph, recently reported on a study that found dachshunds, known for their long bodies and little legs, to be the most aggressive dog breed.
NBC10, Philadelphia’s NBC affiliate reported the story today, listing chihuahuas, Jack Russell terriers, Akitas and Austrailian cattle dogs as rounding out the top five.
Basset hounds, golden retrievers, Siberian huskies and greyhounds ranked among the least aggressive dogs.
What do you guys think? I’m especially interested in hearing from doxie owners. I’ve heard the rumors about this breed being … fresh, shall we say, but haven’t ever met any that were anything but friendly.
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, July 8th, 2008 at 3:45 pm by Sarah Netter.
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We had a Siberian husky growing up and they’re not only completely not aggressive, they’re also far too smart. My husband had one, too, growing up, and had the same experience. They look mean and will bark at strangers and jump at them, but then they just lick the person’s face.
As a veterinary professional I am extremely sensitive to articles that categorize certain breeds as dangerous and aggressive. As a profession we have apposed legislation that would allow discrimination against breeds that have been associated with attacks against humans. I am skeptical if the information in the article came from a study that took into account breed prevalence and stratified the population appropriately.
There are nine different types of aggression and any dog can be provoked to be aggressive. As an experienced veterinarian working with dogs for over 25 years, I have my own personal bias because of the situations I am forced to interact with my patients. Dogs become aggressive in situations that create fear, challenge them, or hurt them and examining a patient on a table in an animal hospital can clearly be at trigger.
Dogs have been bred with specific conformation and personality traits the make them suited for specific tasks. As stated on the www.AKC.org web site “Dachshunds were first bred in the early 1600s in Germany. The goal was to create a fearless, elongated dog that could dig the earth from a badger burrow and fight to the death with the vicious badgers” Knowing that the breed was formulated specifically to aggressively pursue badger’s can provide some insight into situations that may provoke a dog to become aggressive.
I encourage all owner’s before purchasing a pure breed dog as a pet to investigate the breed carefully ensure they are selecting the right pet for their household.