Why are Some Dogs More Aggressive than Others?

There are some dog breeds that were actually bred to be aggressive using selective breeding practices. Some dog breeds were originally bred to be fighting dogs such as the Akita while others may have been bred to be trained to become fierce guard dogs. Dogs such as the German Shepherd or Doberman are breeds that are prone to loyalty and protectiveness. This instinct can be tapped into to train these dogs to become fierce watchdogs.

Every dog is unique regardless of his breed. It is just as likely to meet a kind and gentle Rottweiler as it is to meet a mean and fierce Poodle. The way that a dog behaves does not only depend on bloodlines. The dog may have been conditioned to be fierce through abuse. Some of the training practices to train dogs to be guard dogs are actually quite abusive. A dog that is scared and fearing for its safety will naturally tend to attack. Attacking a dog physically will provoke it to attack. While it is true that starting off with a breed which is known to have a tendency towards aggression makes it more likely that a dog will be aggressive, there are also dogs that come from aggressive lineage but that have always been treated well and are good-natured.

DOG AGGRESSION AND CHILDREN

Over the last twenty years many studies have been done on children being attacked by dogs. While the researchers may have set out wanting to know which breed of dog was the most responsible for attacks on children, what they have found is that while the breed of dog is not consistent in terms of attacks, what is consistent is the age of the children.

Most studies have found that the majority of dog bites and vicious dog attacks occur against children between the ages of five and nine. Dogs are pack animals with a strong social hierarchy. The one who feeds and gives instruction in a household is usually an adult. A pet dog will equate this behavior from the master as similar to the behavior of the Alpha dog in the pack. Therefore a dog is less likely to attack his master.

Young children may be seen as peers that can be dominated so that the dog can get ahead in the hierarchy. A dog which shows domination tendencies towards children such as humping them should not be left unattended with children because signs of trying to dominate children are signs that this dog could become aggressive with this child. A dog who humps adult visitors may be simply trying to show that in this house he or she is above the visitor in the hierarchy but he will not necessarily bite.

Perhaps children under the age of five are not left unattended with dogs as often as children between the ages of five and nine and this may explain why there are more incidences with children over the age of five. It is found that three out of four dog attacks against children are by the family's own pet. Something else which people may find equally shocking is that friendly lovable dogs like Golden Retrievers have as many incidences attacking children as other breeds. One conclusion that has been made from this is that the more popular a breed is, the more chances there are that dog bites will come from this breed purely because of the numbers.

FATAL DOG ATTACKS

While all dog breeds may become aggressive in certain circumstances, the number one dog breed for causing fatalities is the Pit Bull Terrier. The Rottweiler comes in second. The problem of fatal dog attacks increases every year as these two breeds have become more popular. For this reason it is important for governments to make decisions on the conditions in which these breeds are allowed to co-exist with humans. Some cities and countries such as Denmark, Holland and Norway have banned Pit Bull Terriers completely. Others say that this does not address the problem of dog aggression because Pit Bull Terriers are not the only dogs attacking, maiming and killing children. One thing that is certain is that a solution needs to be found to prevent such horrifying and meaningless deaths. At present, how to deal with dog aggression is a widely debated topic all over the world but it is highly recommended that all dog owners train their dogs not to show aggression.