Aggressiveness in Dogs

[DarknessHuntress]

Each dog is different, and the level of aggression isn't the same in each dog within a breed. For example-- Dog A and Dog B are in the same breed, but Dog A is more aggressive. -- Some people get a dog that's simply more aggressive. It's just how the dog is- with proper training, that aggression can be managed, but caution should still be used whenever dealing with the dog.

The dog breeds that are targeted as "highly aggressive" breeds are done so because they have a higher tendency to have aggressive dogs. Pitbulls are a prime example- not all of them are dangerous, but some are.

The level of aggression can depend on how the animal was trained/raised. If it was raised in a high stress home, then it would be more likely to 'snap' and attack someone/something with little to no provocation. It also depends on the situation, because, if the dog(s) believe that their person was in danger, they are more likely to be on guard/ more aggressive than they normally are, which could make them appear to be an aggressive animal.

Another factor that could have a key role in a dog's level of aggression towards other animals could be the level of exposure that they have to other animals/dogs- the more variation in other animals the dog has, the more comfortable the dog will be in situations where there are other animal species/ dog breeds around.

*this is based on my experiences with dogs- and stories/news articles that I've read about dog attacks and such.

[Neuvillette]

no but it should have kept behind fence and not out of it's area in my opinion if the owners had been responsible that dog would have been inside the house not outside so whoever owned the dog in that video should have kept the animal behind fence o.O. most dogs are not inherently aggressive theres no such thing as an aggressive dog thats aggressive for no reason. it's not always te dog it's usually the owners and lack of training/socialization/irresponisiblity of owner that dog attacks happen. I've never been attacked by a dog but i do know that the older a dog gets the more likely they are to snap at you because I have a 12 year old border collie and he can be bit of grump when he doesn't want to move so he does nip at my arms and such.

I also know that a few dog breeds are often trained as guard dogs rotties dobermans just to name a few the males are very territorial but what male dog isn't. and of course malinois which are so high energy that they make special harnesses for head to help manage the aggression streak thats actually bred into them. some dog breeds are bred for the sole purpose of being attack and guard dogs o.O the malinois is perfect example of this as it does require some special equipment to train them o.o. now i don't know everything about dog breeds like the malinois but i do know that most people who have them train them when they are young using head harnesses and this is just what i've read up on and such in various places it appearently helps too keep them from biting and nipping at other dogs and no where in any place i read up about them does it say that the Malinois should ever not have a head harness on them when out and about. I read only few articles though so chances are not every malinois is like this but to me pitbulls if trained and well socialized can be sweet pets i've met quite a few people with pitbulls and they where well trianed pitbulls though and sweetest dogs ever I wouldn't own one.

The key with most dog breeds is responsible ownership. also because pitbulls are often times used in illegal dog fighting and because pit bulls tend to do damage when they attack due to irressponsible owners. they get a bad rep just for being the breed of choice for illegal dog fights.

[HoarderofMistwalkers]

Here comes my opinion about pitbulls.

They are not completely bad, but not completely good or safe. A pitbull is an unpredictable and dangerous animal and one must be careful when raising one. It's not okay to only see bad in a creature and thus hate it. But it's also shows ignorance when you completely ignore anything bad, possibly putting your life on the line. A responsible owner is the only good owner for one of these animals, because they are simply that, animals, not good nor evil. It is in their nature to be aggressive. They are bred for it. At best a pitbull is simply overprotective, at worst they will attack everything in sight.

Of course, all dogs can be dangerous when not raised properly. I have an Australian shepherd puppy. Nutmeg, which is her name, has a mean streak. Aggressiveness can simply be in a dog's nature. It takes a responsible owner to break a dog of such behavior, because if you let a dog do what it wants, one day something will go wrong.

[Sourikus]

I think all dogs are sweet (except those which charge you and don't stop barking, but it's their natural response to stuff that moves. These dogs that are "agressive" are considered so for a reason. If not trained properly they can potentially be dangerous to other people (so be wary) but most are okay. I don't own a dog, but have relatives who do. They have three in all, and they're really nice (but rough sometimes!)

[punyama]

I feel like I talk about my dog more than I do myself on this forum.

Well, it turns out that my precious little bundle of joy is a pitbull. Now, don't get me wrong, she is :very: protective over my family and I when we are in the vicinity of our house. When my friends come over that she doesn't recognize, she'll bark at them until I show her that they are okay (via hug or standing next to them with my hand on their shoulder, etc), and from then on, she is okay. I don't mind her protectiveness because it's, unfortunately, a benefit to having her, especially in where I live.

When we go out for walks or to the dog park, she is the most well-behaved pup there. She minds her own business, doesn't growl or start fights with other dogs--nothing. She sniffs and finds a toy and plays with it. People often come up to me and compliment me on my training.

Which is kind've funny. Because Lulu is my first dog that I soley take care of, and I was very much against what many people told me to do, such as and most definitely crate train her. Nope. Nope nope. I understand the benefits of that--if you realize your dog has behavioral issues since they were a pup, but even if Lulu did, I don't think I would have. I don't care that others do it, it's just not something that I would personally do. People also suggested those collars that dig into her neck, and all sorts of things, which I disagree with.

Do I trust Lulu 100%? Nah. I don't trust any dog 100%. I always have my eye on her, and on other dogs. I had a rottweiler and a husky, and a mixed bred dog. My rottie and husky were very lovable and loved attention. But the mix bred dog? He was the worst, even to family members and to my husky and rottie--we had to keep them separated at all times. I don't know what happened to him--we bought him out of a box, so we had no idea of his past or lineage. But thats an example of a, perhaps, behavioral issue that couldn't be prevented? He was in an otherwise, loving environment, no matter how many times he snapped at my hand and growled at me for just passing by.

Pitbulls do have a bad rep. and honestly, 95% (not a real statistic...) comes from humans themselves. I wonder, if you were do get a pitbull from a lineage of dog fighting pitbulls, would that pitbull be more prone to aggression? Regardless, that would be a human fault, as most "pure" breeds currently are. Humans seemed to have played god in dog DNA and lineage, and then we have poor pups like bulldogs that suffer for it for their whole lives--however that's for a different conversation.

Pitbulls are known to be very intelligent, and surprise--family dogs. They are very playful and lovable--that is if they are raised in the right environment. And most of all, they are very loyal and obedient. All these traits are great for a dog, but, sadly, people exploited these traits to create the image of the pitbull we have today. Of course, there are other factors that will attribute to the dogs personality, such as a lineage of "bad" ancestors, bad environment, or bad experiences as a pup. For every heightened and sensationalized article about a pitbull attacking a person (and while I think the articles are important to have, I do think that the media tends to skew or favor these articles to perpetuate an idea that pitbulls are satanic spawns, which is the reason why people question me about having one--which I hate) there is a quieter, and less known article about a pitt saving their owner's life. I feel like people already have this notion about pitbulls, which was created by the human, and they refuse to think that they are creatures that can be loved and are legitimately good dogs, which is why you'll see a pitbull attacking a person on the front page of a newspaper, and then, on a different day, have an article about a pit saving their owner inside as a small blurb somewhere, hidden in the depths of the newspaper. I'm not talking all the time, but generally.

Regardless, the owner definitely is responsible for teaching the dog to handle these aggressive impulses, otherwise the owner shouldn't have the dog in the first place.

Okay, I'm gunna make an analogy that might not fall right with some of you. When children are raised in a bad environment, what usually happens? When children live in a notoriously bad neighborhood, what becomes of them? Assuming love and care is minimal to none?

And then to establish a connection with my second point...Why is it that in the news, the stereotypical views about races saturate the articles, when everyone that has common sense and a heart knows that the news is definitely slanted to appeal to the readers? Do you see what I'm saying here? I think there's an interesting parallel that can be drawn. I'm not saying that people who hate pitbulls are racist, lmao, that's definitely not what I'm saying cause you can't compare humans to dogs. I'm just saying that there are reasons why people think this way, and it mimics a bigger picture in our everyday lives.

[Sourikus]

No baiting other participants, please. -- TxCat

[zorua9]

apparently staffies are sopossed to be aggressive, but my mazy the silly seal is very cute......... minus the nawing on sticks and toilet paper

[mindfull]

bunny4eva the only creature that hunt for fun is the cats, dogs just only hunt if are forced scared or ordened it happen beause the cats are group and social animals but the cats hunt and adventure alone instead the dog what hunt in group and live togheter

[vipor]

bunny4eva the only creature that hunt for fun is the cats, dogs just only hunt if are forced scared or ordened it happen beause the cats are group and social animals but the cats hunt and adventure alone instead the dog what hunt in group and live togheter

I have to disagree with this.
Cats have the instinct to wake up, hunt for food, eat, wash, sleep. Most enjoy hunting toys just as much/more than life animals. Yes somethings they hunt for fun, toy around with the prey, but those prey tend to escape with their lifes. Sometimes a bit bruised but fine.
Or they hunt to train us how to hunt. In which case the initial prey is dead or close to dead.

My own cat caught and killed a mouse once and I have worked with stray cats in a rabbit and rodent shelter who would on occasion play with wild mice letting them escape if they arn't hungry.

If you don't let the cat hunt of toy prey and allow them outside to roam, they will kill. Play with them enough and that is less the case.

Dogs tend to hunt when ordered but also when it is ingrained in them by breeding.
Dogs bred to hunt rats will hunt for fun.
I had to work with a jack russel who enjoyed hunting and tearing apart small animals. Also worked with someone who often walked her own small dog on the beach, but every time a guy let his pack of grey hounds loose on the beach she had to pick up and defend her dog against them.
Jack russels are bred to hunt and kill rats. Grey hounds are sight hunters so if something small moves they will hunt it.

In each case the animal hunts because it is ingrained in their genes to hunt and when they obey those genes they feel relieved or happy. It takes a strong trainer to silence the call of their genes.

The only animal that hunts just for plain fun is the human.
Sadly some chimp tribes are learning from us.


But back on topic.
The problem lies two fold.
Some breeds are bred with a form of agressive streak in them. Bad lines of golden retriever and I am sure you all know of many more of them.
With a good and experienced owner that can be pushed down, but there lies the problem.

Not everybody who gets a dog knows what they are doing.
And some people who always had a easy dog think they can handle all types of dogs.
The biggest problem owners can cause if forgetting that the dog is a dog. Some treat their dogs as little kids. Yes love them like they are your kids, but raising a dog and raising a kid are two differnt things.

With the jack russel I mentioned earlier.
His owner doesn't care if he kills small animals. Never even bothered to train it out of him or teach him rules. He even tried to kill my kitten. If he tries to do that, how much can you trust him in a park with people who own other small dogs? Personally I am suprised he hasn't killed other dogs. Though the owner would most likely claim it would be because of the other dogs.

The grey hounds, they never managed to kill my coworkers dog, but they did all team up to kill an adult lab.

Both are breeds that are listed as sweet (very energetic) sometimes naughty but further safe dogs.


Why can't people reed up on the breed, common character traits and how to train them?

[Brynmala]

... Also worked with someone who often walked her own small dog on the beach, but every time a guy let his pack of grey hounds loose on the beach she had to pick up and defend her dog against them. ... Grey hounds are sight hunters so if something small moves they will hunt it.

Dogs allowed to run in a pack are likely to revert to pack hunting behaviour. Greyhounds are sight hounds and will chase, but this also depends on the individual. I've had several ex-racing greyhounds and most just plain didn't see small animals running. One was only interested in chasing hedgehogs (they are also known for not being very bright!), prior to her coming to me she had lived on a pheasant farm, and could be walked off lead through a compound of 500 young pheasants without so much as looking at them. Another would see something run and just say 'nah, not interested', if she even saw it at all. All of my dogs lived with cats and house rabbits and we never had any problem - actually the rabbits ruled the roost, and we have photographic evidence of one particularly feisty doe chasing both the greyhound and the lurcher off their beds.

So, yet again its a case of an irresponsible owner, in this case allowing dogs to revert to their natural hunting behaviour but causing distress to others.