Andrea Rosebrock 
Seems the smallest dogs ranked the highest when it came to human aggression, the top three being the Dachshund, then the Chihuahua and third, the Jack Russell Terrier.
The is the findings recently published by the journal of Applied Animal Behavior Science from a study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania.
Dachshunds, originally bred to hunt badgers, do not have a fearsome reputation due to their size, but research found that one in five dachshunds have bitten or tried to bite strangers, and a similar number have attacked other dogs; one in 12 have snapped at their owners. This put them on top of the list of 33 breeds which were rated for their aggression, after academics analyzed the behavior of thousands of dogs.
Following closely on the heels of the Dachshund is the Chihuahua, a dog noted as the smallest breed of dog. Then the feisty Jack Russell.
Dr James Serpell, one of the researchers, said smaller breeds might be more genetically predisposed towards aggressive behaviour than larger dogs.
“Reported levels of aggression in some cases are concerning, with rates of bites or bite attempts rising as high as 20 per cent toward strangers and 30 per cent toward unfamiliar dogs,” he added.
Until now, research into canine aggression has almost exclusively involved analysis of dog bite statistics. But the researchers said these were potentially misleading as most bites were not reported. Big dogs might have acquired a reputation for being aggressive because their bites were more likely to require medical attention. (Telegraph)
The study conducted by Deborah Duffy, Yuying Hsu and James Serpell at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society, considered one of the most extensive of its kind and is the first to report replicated findings of breed differences in aggression, collected basic and behavior-related dog data from two separate groups.
The first group, consisting of members of 11 American Kennel Club recognized national breed clubs, such as The Labrador Retriever Club and The English Springer Spaniel Field Trial Association and the second involved an online survey both reached similar conclusions.
Chihuahuas and Dachshunds scored higher than average for aggression directed to both humans and dogs, putting them towards the top of the list.
Akitas and Pit Bull Terriers, which have “bad boy” reputations, mostly scored high for dog-directed aggression. When they did injure humans, however, the injuries tended to be more severe than those inflicted by the scrappy, smaller dogs.
“Small size very likely plays a large role in the development of fear-based aggression among some breeds,” Duffy explained. “Smaller dogs may feel more threatened by other dogs and people — a perception that may be well founded.”
Other breeds with a greater tendency to bite humans included Jack Russell Terriers, Australian Cattle Dogs, American Cocker Spaniels and Beagles.
On the “least aggressive” end of the spectrum were Basset Hounds, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Siberian Huskies, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Brittany Spaniels, Greyhounds and Whippets. Interestingly enough, several of these dogs also rated low for “watchdog behavior” and “territorial defense” behaviors, suggesting that they tend to be lovable family pets, but are less vigilant watchdogs than Chihuahuas and Dachshunds. (Discovery Channel)
Below is a list showing how dogs from the online sample fared. The percentages in the middle four columns refer to the “snaps, bites or attempts to bite” responses. The last 2 columns are the averages, average of all and average of aggression against people. I ranked this chart based on the human aggression percentages but you can easily see the ranking based on the overall averages.
|
Breed |
# of Dogs |
Human – Stranger |
Owners |
Other Dogs |
Dog Rivalry |
Ave All |
Ave People |
|
Dachshund |
68 |
21% |
6% |
18% |
7% |
10% |
14% |
|
Chihuahua |
56 |
16% |
5% |
18% |
4% |
9% |
11% |
|
Beagle |
63 |
8% |
8% |
10% |
6% |
6% |
8% |
|
Jack Russell Terrier |
78 |
8% |
4% |
22% |
9% |
9% |
6% |
|
Australian Cattle Dog |
136 |
10% |
1% |
21% |
4% |
7% |
6% |
|
Cocker Spaniel |
107 |
5% |
6% |
7% |
4% |
4% |
6% |
|
Border Collie |
163 |
8% |
2% |
13% |
4% |
5% |
5% |
|
Pit Bull |
132 |
7% |
2% |
22% |
8% |
8% |
5% |
|
Great Dane |
53 |
6% |
2% |
25% |
6% |
8% |
4% |
|
English Springer Spaniel |
57 |
4% |
4% |
18% |
7% |
7% |
4% |
|
Shetland Sheepdog |
57 |
4% |
4% |
4% |
4% |
3% |
4% |
|
Airedale Terrier |
66 |
5% |
2% |
9% |
3% |
4% |
4% |
|
Bichon Frise |
65 |
5% |
2% |
5% |
3% |
3% |
4% |
|
Doberman Pinscher |
144 |
6% |
1% |
11% |
3% |
4% |
4% |
|
Rottweiler |
210 |
5% |
1% |
8% |
1% |
3% |
3% |
|
Boxer |
70 |
6% |
0% |
16% |
4% |
5% |
3% |
|
German Shepherd |
292 |
4% |
2% |
16% |
4% |
5% |
3% |
|
Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier |
216 |
4% |
2% |
16% |
4% |
5% |
3% |
|
Akita |
99 |
3% |
3% |
1% |
5% |
2% |
3% |
|
Collie |
132 |
2% |
2% |
7% |
2% |
3% |
2% |
|
Bernese Mntn Dog |
67 |
1% |
3% |
4% |
1% |
2% |
2% |
|
Mastiff (English) |
126 |
2% |
1% |
6% |
4% |
3% |
2% |
|
Portuguese Water Dog |
75 |
3% |
0% |
7% |
3% |
3% |
2% |
|
Havanese |
73 |
3% |
0% |
4% |
1% |
2% |
2% |
|
Golden Retriever |
181 |
1% |
1% |
7% |
2% |
2% |
1% |
|
Siberian Husky |
54 |
0% |
2% |
6% |
2% |
2% |
1% |
|
Brittany Spaniel |
66 |
0% |
2% |
5% |
2% |
2% |
1% |
|
Whippet |
59 |
0% |
2% |
3% |
2% |
1% |
1% |
|
Greyhound |
62 |
2% |
0% |
2% |
0% |
1% |
1% |
|
Poodle |
169 |
1% |
0% |
8% |
1% |
2% |
1% |
|
Rhodesian Ridgeback |
69 |
1% |
0% |
6% |
1% |
2% |
1% |
|
Labrador Retriever |
349 |
1% |
0% |
2% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
One thing you will notice is that many of the breeds have a higher percentage of dog-dog aggression. For dogs, being territorial, this is not a great surprise. I would have to say the most important percentages are those that show aggression toward people; Humans/Stranger and Owners.
Now keep in mind that this information is to be used only as a reference and there are also contributing and genetic factors.
As in humans, behavioral patterns in dogs seem to arise from a combination of environmental influences and genetics. The DNA component is supported in a separate study published this week in the journal Genetics.
Paul Jones, a Mars Veterinary genetics researcher at the Waltham Center for Pet Nutrition, and his co-author identified locations in a dog’s DNA that contain genes believed to contribute to behavior, trainability and longevity, as well as body and skull shape, weight, fur color and length.
“By applying this research approach, we may be able to decipher how genes contribute to physical or behavioral traits that affect many breeds,” said Jones, who indicated future applications might include tailor-made foods and medicines, along with specific recommendations to individuals about what would be the “most lifestyle-appropriate pet for an owner.”
Duffy countered that “just because there is a genetic component to behavior does not necessarily mean that it is predestined.”
“Anyone looking to bring a dog into their home should find out as much as possible about the individual dog’s history and temperament,” she advised. “Certainly some breeds are better with children than others on average. However, it wouldn’t make sense to pass up a well-socialized, well-trained, non-aggressive Rottweiler for an atypically aggressive Labrador Retriever.”
Regarding the study, I do believe that some breeds can be more predisposed toward certain traits than others which is why when people choose dog breeds, even mixes of breeds, they look at the traits that specific breeds are known for. I also believe that much behavior also goes back to training and socialization. So as far as this study goes, I don’t discount it, but I do believe people need to take the results with a ‘grain of salt’ as the saying goes.
This is ABSURD SAYING DASCHUNDS ARE AGRESSIVE. i HAVE BEEN AROUND ALL BREEDS ALL MY LIFE AS A RESCUER, STATE HUMANE OFFICER, SHELTER MANAGER, AND DOG TRAINER AND THIS INFO IS ABSOLUTELY FALSE! THEY ARE SWEET, LOYAL, AND VERY INTELLIGENT BUT CERTAINLY NOT AN AGRESSIVE BREED!
@Nancy – Nancy, your response echoes that of many Dachshund owners and the same with Chihuahua owners. I think a lot of people were surprised with the results of the survey. All I can say is that it looks like a well done study and the people queried were dog owners, specifically people who owned the breeds they were responding about. Bottom line, you have the good and bad within any breed, part determined by genetics and part by breeding and training.
by the way, speaking of aggression…michael vick quietly got out of prison today.
i saw him walking out in his expensive suit…but the arrogant attitude was missing…no more…”hey, they will always love me” comments like he had before his arrest.
I implore the sports loving public to not, absolutely not, allow him to continue to play football. boycott any games that he is in. there are excellent players around every corner..we must make a statement that this kind of moral, ethical depravity will not be tolerated, condoned or forgotten.
I have to say, as an animal lover, I am relieved and vindicated by this study. My younger brother has owned two Dachshunds at different times in his life – the first destroyed everything it came across and the second was so insane and unpredictable that it attacked both me and my father on seperate occasions. We were forced to get rid of it after he tore my father’s hand open without any provacation and nearly gave my grandmother a heart attack from the viciousness of the attack. We were never cruel to either dog, in fact we treated them pretty much like small children. For years, people have laughed at me for my “amusing” prejudice against Dachshunds due to these incidents, and now, finally, someone else has confirmed it. These dogs are dangerous to have around children, violent without warning and prone to getting away with attacking people because they are so “small and cute.” Those tiny beasts put me off dogs entirely, and now I would never own another member of the canine family if you paid me to. Which sucks, because before I came into prolonged contact with Dachshunds, I LOVED dogs. I understand if loving Dachshund owners disagree, but I’ll still say it: WATCH YOUR BACK.
First, let me say that I am sorry you had such horrendous experiences with dachshunds.
I have had dachshunds since my teens and I am now in my late 50’s. I have never had a problem and for that I am grateful. I think one of the “problems” with small dogs is that they can get under feet, where they can be stepped on or tripped over accidentally. Another thing worth considering is to talk in detail to the owner of the mother. Make sure that the puppy is NOT coming from a puppy mill. Those first 6 to 8 weeks of life can make a world of difference. There is also a lot of training to go through to make sure that you have a dog that doesn’t become hand shy.
J, if you treat a dog like your child, you will cause all kinds of behavior problems. haven’t you read The Dog Whisperer? that said, there are all kinds of individuals within a pack and irresponsible breeders who breed for length and special coat cause a lot of problems.
While I found it refreshing that someone is taking on a breed other than the embattled pit bulls and Rottweilers, I have to protest that these studies are inherently flawed.
Tallying dog bites by breed alone gives us no useful information. It utterly ignores the profound complexity of human/canine interactions. Further, because it is impossible to accurately assess the total number of dogs of a given breed in the population, we are not able to establish the relation of numerator to denominator.
As a hypothetical example: if there are 50 Doxie bites in a given population and 5 bites by, say Clumber Spaniels, it would seem that Doxies are more dangerous. If we learn, however, that there are five thousand Doxies and only 10 Clumber Spaniels, then we see these numbers in a new light.
Another important point is that most dog bite ’studies’ lump all bites in together, so that a playful nip by an 8 week old puppy is given the same weight as a severe bite by a police dog taking down an assailant. Bites to groomers, vets, rescuers and ACO’s are all tossed in there, willy-nilly, as well.
After studying over 40 years worth of data, the National Canine Research Council has found that severe and fatal attacks by dogs are vanishingly rare. In these rare incidents, the fault is consistently that of reckless and criminal human behavior. (see NCRC – Canine Aggression).
Dogs are enormously valuable to human society. When we treat them humanely and responsibly, they respond overwhelmingly by being affable and helpful companions.
I’d love to see people stop talking about breed altoghether in these cases and start talking about responsible ownership!
I’d love to see people stop talking about breed altoghether in these cases and start talking about responsible ownership!
I ditto everything you said!! Especially this statement that I pasted above.
Yeah, Vick’s a piece of work, but here’s some happy news about the dogs that were rescued from his property: Washington Post
Be sure to check out the slide shows!
@J – That’s your problem right there, you treated them like small children, and not animals. I own two dachshunds, and this just sounds like someone who did not socialize their dogs properly or know enough about the breed. Many dachshunds become aggressive towards children because children around them were not guided by adults in how to properly pick them up and treat them. Believe me, I have met people who HATE dachshunds because they did run into a mean one. But I think sometimes people don’t train them or socialize them as well as a dog with a reputation for aggression, such as a pit bull. Dachshunds need a lot of training, discipline, and consistency, but if they are given that, just like pit bulls, they become wonderful, social pets! Not to mention, it’s a sad fact that dachshunds are over produced nowadays, and they are being bred for money. Your best bet in getting a well-behaved doxie is to get one from a reputable breeder, who knows his/her dogs have no aggression issues. Just want you to know, it probably wasn’t the dachshund that went wrong, but the owner. And that is not meant in any offense to you, but again, it’s a lack of dachshund knowledge.
A survey comprised of merely 68 dogs doesn’t constitute a thorough study in my opinion, especially since none of these dogs were evaluated by professionals, only owner response. I currently own 5 miniature dachshunds and have had mini dachshunds for the last 20 years. Not one has ever bitten or snapped at me or anyone else. They have been friendly and sociable. Yes, they bark and strut around because a doxie is an arrogant little dog with high self-esteem, but they have been well-brought up and biting is absolutely forbidden. Dachshunds are strong willed and require an owner that is firm, consistent and gentle. I have seen entirely too many dachshund owners who are not up to the challenge, unfortunately, and the dog winds up running the household. Dachshunds are tough little dogs, bred for courage beyond their size, but they are good natured, intelligent, loyal and affectionate if handled correctly. Mine raise bloody cain when there’s a knock on the door…and when the person enters the house it’s like the return of the prodigal – even if they never saw that person before.
absolutely agree daschunds exhibit behavior and they aren’t known for their patience.
The truth of the matter is, all dogs can be provoked or egged on to bite,but all kinds of dogs are trainable.
I’m tempted to send this article to a trucking company I used to work for. They had a list of dog breeds that, for insurance reasons, were not allowed on company trucks, including Rotties, GSDs, and Dobermans. Interesting to see that the breeds I mentioned were pretty far down the list. While it is true that a Rottie on the rampage could do quite a bit more damage than a cranky Chihuahua, I’ve never actually met a bad Rottie in my life. On the other hand, I have met a few Chihuahuas I would not trust even a little bit.
I couldnt agree more.
What about chow chows? I currently have a chow mix, and he’s a laid-back baby, but remember a vet once saying chows were toughest to handle (because of aggression).
I don’t see chows on the list at all.
I’m not surprised that Siberian huskies rated low for biting. I found mine were really friendly with dogs and strangers.
“A survey comprised of merely 68 dogs doesn’t constitute a thorough study in my opinion,”
Actually, I’ve taken statistics. Most of the time if the number of people studied is over 30, and as long as the people studied are chosen at complete random, then any results found in the small group is a pretty good representation of the entire population. The same rule can be applied to virtually everthing else, including dogs. This phenomena is the reason why most studies in memdicine can be extremely acurate despite small sample sizes.
“As a hypothetical example: if there are 50 Doxie bites in a given population and 5 bites by, say Clumber Spaniels, it would seem that Doxies are more dangerous. If we learn, however, that there are five thousand Doxies and only 10 Clumber Spaniels, then we see these numbers in a new light. ”
This is why the study took into account the percentage of dogs that bite in proportion to the sample size study. It is simple statistics really.
I have two Dachshunds and know many others, and I both agree and disagree with these findings. At home, my two girls are as sweet as can be, totally mellow, affectionate, and obedient, and I can’t even imagine one of them even thinking about growling at me, let alone snapping or actually biting. But they have very little patience with strangers, and especially grabby children who often think it’s ok to just dive right at them. After all, they certainly don’t look threatening, and they are those well-known “weiner dogs,” which I’ve found most kids seem to find hilarious. But my dogs simply don’t want anything to do with them (despite their very extensive and always ongoing socialization), and they aren’t shy about making that known. Still, neither one has ever attempted to bite anyone. But, if provoked or pestered enough by a stranger (and let’s face it, some people just don’t know when to back off a dog who is clearly saying “leave me be”), I could see it happening.
I had to laugh at this wild generalization, though: “These dogs are dangerous to have around children, violent without warning and prone to getting away with attacking people because they are so “small and cute.” These things may have been true for your brother’s Dachshunds, but certainly not the breed as a whole. Since both of them turned out that way, I’m inclined to believe it had more to do with the owner’s way of doing things. I recently went to a gathering of over 600 Dachshunds and their owners, and there wasn’t a single incident of any kind all day. If they really were, as a breed, “violent without warning,” I really doubt things would have been so peaceful. They do require patient, firm, fair and consistent training, and if given that, they are wonderful, affectionate, loyal, sweet, well-behaved dogs. However, if treated “pretty much like small children,” and not properly taught boundaries and rules, any dog can turn into a bratty, misbehaved monster. Dachshunds especially, who are bold, intelligent, and independent thinkers, could easily “go bad” if not properly and consistently reminded of what is allowed and what is not allowed. This doesn’t consist of shouting at the dog to behave, but firm, consistent, patient training. Unfortunately, a lot of people think they can treat dogs, especially little dogs, like babies or dolls, yet still expect them to be little angels. Unfortunately, it’s just not that easy!
I’m glad someone did an honest study for once, not that bs the media is always trying to peddle us
Sometimes the truth hurts.
The study while ultimately flawed, is unbiased and at least somewhat credible.
Time to stop making excuses people.
Breeders of these dogs need to start putting more emphasis on tempermant and potential buyers must demand that the sire and dam have some sort of tempermant evaluation from a credible source (CGC, TT..ect).
Like many other great breeds the Dachshund is swiftly on it’s way to demise, for the sake of the breed, take off the rose colored glasses and start taking some initiative in saving your breed. Rather then argue studies, why not admit you have a problem (like so many other breeds) and work towards fixing it.
Just my 2 cents…
I personally think Chihuahuas belong in the number one spot. I’be been bitten by dogs twice in my life and both were Chihuahuas. Of the approximately 20 Chihuahuas I’ve met in my life, I can think of two that were actually sweet and amiable. Just today, I was walking my very well behaved Rottweiler, when we were accosted by two Chihuahuas. Unlike other loose dogs we’ve encountered these two followed us all the way back to my house. I actually had to push one of them back out the door with my foot. All Chihuahua breeders and owners care about are tiny sizes and exotic colors. The breed is becoming a menace, but temperment is obviously not a priority. Neither is training for that matter. All dogs need to be trained whether its a Chihuahua or English Mastiff. I feel much more comfortable around a Rottweiler or a Pit Bull than I do a Chihuahua. Notice to small dog owners everywhere: IT’S NOT CUTE WHEN YOUR LITTLE JERK OF A DOG RUNS OUT IN THE STREET TO TERRORIZE A LARGE DOG!!!!!!
It was THIS very article that nearly turned me away from the dachshund forever. I was so worried that I’d get the pup, and he’d grow up and be a tiny terror. After months of flopping back and forth between breeds I decided to go with my gut and pick up a baby weenie pup.
Of course in the beginning I was paranoid that he’d suddenly lose it and start snapping at people aggressively, but as time went on I knew that was a stupid thing to fear. I am a firm believer that a dog is made to be what it becomes. As of now, my elongated buddy is only five months old, but I couldn’t imagine finding a more lovable dog. Sure, he’s not perfect (stubborn as can be, wearing on the patience, and not always quick to learn…anything really), but when it comes to finding a loyal companion, you can’t do much better than a dachshund. When they stick to you, they’re like glue…your little four-legged shadow.
As far as children go, my dog either loves them or tolerates them, he’s not nasty towards the kids at all. BUT, that’s because I don’t let children treat him like a cute little toy. Keep an eye on youngins’ when they’re with the dog. When it comes to strangers, my doxie gets overly excited to meet someone new (as was his father), and always responds with a bevy of licks and playful behavior.
Point being is that I LOVE my dachshund, and I don’t regret for a minute deciding to go for it and get one. I feel bad for those that haven’t had good experiences with them, because they’re missing out on all that these little guys can offer.
Every dachshund I have ever met was aggressive and tried to bite my ankles. One was even aggressive to the owners child.
That dog would have been history in my house. I would never put up with that.
This is a total of 8 different dogs.
I have a very large Dachsie; Standard, Black and Tan, 30 pounds of solid muscle and grit. Great guard dog and watch dog for the family. I have trained him well enough that he obeys ANY command I give him. He is neutered, and still very aggressive. He won’t even eat his ration of food unless challenged for it or unless there is another dog around. I guess that is Alpha Dog behavior. I cannot imagine how aggressive he would be if not fixed. I have friends who like to stare him down and bark at him, even though I tell them not to engage in such behavior. They do not listen and still choose buffoonery over instruction. The thing is, Dachsies have a great memory, and he knows who they are either by sight or, most likely, smell. He is lovable, but pound for pound, I would put his breed up against any breed I have seen. He was only challenged once, and it was by a larger, un-neutered male. That said, as a responsible dog owner, if he bites someone unprovoked (not likely but possible) he goes down. Also, if he does that, it is my fault and I know it. But, he also responds to my command, that if anything is a threat, he is fangs out. A simple “Get the Bad Guys” would be perilous for anyone threatening me or my family. Hell, they were bred to hunt badgers underground. Anything above ground is EASY!
I TOTALLY agree about the dachshund, my neighbor’s dachshund bit me unprovoked and left two puncture wounds in my leg which I’m receiving antibiotics for. This male has bitten a child, his owner, and several other people. I have been around dogs and owned various breeds my entire life and this is the first time I have ever been bitten by any dog. He also goes after the bulldog they own…terrible, nasty breed. Sorry, maybe some of you love your daschies but I will never go near another one. This one is like a ill-bred pit bull.