- Blog
- Bios
- Boards
- Classifieds
- DIY
- Gallery
- Vendor Reviews
- Shop Weddingbee
Weddingbee boards
Interesting! The only doxies I’ve ever known were soooooooo sweet. The only dog that has ever bitten me was a cocker spaniel – which hardly anyone would consider a “mean” dog lol
They are certainly good and bad members of each breed (just like people!)
Pitties and rotties get bad raps, because well, when/if they do bite, it’s certainly going to be generally a much worse bite than if a little doxies bites you. That doesn’t mean that they bite more often though! A friend of mine has a male rottie who is a BEAST – seriously, he is 175 pounds and just huge – and the biggest baby ever! He doesn’t know his size, and will always try to crawl into people’s laps when they sit down, or lean on them (and knock them over). I have walked him alone several times, and babysat him, and never once worried he would run and attack or bite someone.
yeah regardless of what the article says, i'm likley to bemore concerned about a bite from a rottweiler than a small dog. big dogs can do far more damage
I agree that large dog bites are more detrimental. Thats just common sense, bigger mouth, bigger teeth, more damage. But the fact that they are less likely to bite or attack is the fact that is ignored. I do get nervous around large dogs who I dont know, but its because I dont know their upbringing. Its just refreshing to see another article that points out that these dogs are not violent beasts at heart-which is the most misunderstood aspect about them.
When I saw the name of your post, those were actually the 3 breeds that immediately came to mind. I guess just because I've had all three in my family. They are fiesty little things, but man do they get mean.
But I still wouldn't approach an angry pitbull!
thank you for posting this! im in agreement with PPs that pit bull and rottie bites are by fair more damaging than little dog bites (most of the time), but that doesn't take away from the aggression that can be inherent in some of the smaller breeds.
my pit has one of the most even tempers and least aggressive attitudes ive seen in a dog, and it always suprises me when we're out walking and smaller dogs try to nip at her and become aggressive (when she's just standing there!)
i have to wonder though if the increased aggression in smaller dogs is because of a more relaxed attitude toward it from their owners - if my pit snapped at ANYONE she'd in be in a world of trouble, but it seems like some owners of little dogs think it's "cute" or not a problem - all in all, i still believe that aggression and aggressive behavior come down a lot to how the dog has been raised and trained.
i agree that these dogs are more aggressive, but i also agree that it all depends on the owner and what he/she permits or encourages (without even knowing it, most of the time). i've owned small dogs and large dogs and the small dogs definitely are more defensive (you would be too if you were only inches from the ground) but as a responsible owner, i have to understand that and teach the dog that it is not okay to act defensively.
any dog can have a good or a bad bone, we just have to train accordingly as pack leaders!
Oh that's a really interesting article. I do have to say that I've never met a nice dachshund. But I've been around a ton of sweet pits before. Just sayin :)
I had always wanted a rottweiler when I was younger. Until I realized how much space they take up and how much training goes into owning one! So I think I want a smaller dog, for starters!
I dont want anyone to think I'm out and about picking on your dog choice if you do have one of those dogs in the article! No offense was meant here 
I love some cuddly little dogs, my point was just to point out the misconceptions that run wild about larger dogs, and to point out how the data is skewed because smaller dog bites dont get reported due to being less damaging. Just a disclaimer
@Lovebird - I think you have a good theory. That is definitely feasible. Having owned large and smaller dogs, I was definitely more relaxed with the smaller ones.
@KellyV: oh i doubt anyone was offended. it's a great article!
Not surprised at all. DH and I have been "pet parents" our entire lives to those large and small. The only animals I've ever been bitten by are my cat and our (RIP) Schnauzer mix who would bite and draw blood any time you tried to groom him. I miss the dog, don't miss the biting. Our ShepX, LabX, and SheltieX I would and have trusted with my life. They are non-aggressive and gentle, esp. around the sick, elderly, and children.
Having said that, I would never tell someone that my dogs don't bite. ALL DOGS will bite!Our ShepX is as gentle as they come, but chased someone off our property this past winter. The guy came up to the house claiming to be a door-to-door salesman. After the 3rd time I aske him to leave he lunged at me! The dog jumped between us, chased him back to his vehicle and then chased the car to the edge of the fence. Meanwhile, the other two were inside throwing themselves against the door trying to get our. She didn't bite the guy, but there was much snarling and snapping of teeth.
Neighbor had a similar experience with her Golden. The dog is so passive her 2 year old granchild rides him like he is a horse. But one day some guy came to the door and when she went to shut the front door he stuck his foot in it and tried to force his way in the house. Next thing she knew her "totally passive" golden had knocked her to the size and landed so hard against the man's chest that he knocked them both off the front porch.
I totally believe it! The point that they make that bites from smaller dogs are less likely to require medical attention is an important one. I think that because of the size differential between humans and smaller dog breeds, their negative behaviors are overlooked much more often than that of larger dogs breeds.
It is very unfair to persecute certain breeds. Of all of the dogs I have known (30+ that I've personally known and spent time with) including german shepherds, labs, pitt bulls, mutts, beagles, huskies... I've been snapped at once by a rottweiler and once by a lab. I've owned german shepherds while growing up, and both my parent's were raised with them. I lived with two pitt bulls for a year and my roommate brought them both to the dog park without ever having an issue.
Dog breeds should not be persecuted, poor dog owners should. I think there should be harsher penalties for dog owners who are too lazy to follow through with proper training and exercise and socialization.
Oh man...that article made me literally laugh out loud. I've had all three of those dogs and never were any of them aggressive. However, I (well, sister) had a pitbull and another sister had a pitbull mix and those dogs were CRAZY aggressive. We had a family dog who had rottie in him and he was the sweetest dog...most of the time. When he was in a bad mood it was like Watch OUT...You'll get your head bit off.
ejs...my hubs wants a rottie too. I think they're adorable and I know they can be sweethearts, but I'm still skeptical. I keep going on the "Sorry Hun, homeowner's association doesn't let them" argument. LOL
One dog that they SHOULD add to that list is a Minature Doberman...Holy cow. Talk about a whole lot of bite into a teeny little body. My parents have one and I LOVE LOVE LOVE her. Such a sweetie...but only to people she knows and loves. She is seriously the best guard dog ever!
It doesnt surprise me that much... I know jack russell's can be pretty nasty, chihuahua's, well, I think it would be more of a fear type of biter because they're so small and kids often torment them. But, like others have said, a large dog is going to do a lot of damage if it happens.
I think it's sad that breeds are getting banned... I dont think the problem is with the breed, but moreso the types of people and WHY they choose those specific breeds, and then dont socialize them well, etc. Also, it really depends where these people are getting their dogs. If they're bred properly, responsible breeders won't breed a bad temperament, which can be genetic too.
@JsDragonfly: actually miniature pinschers aren't miniature doberman pinschers. they aren't really related at all. though I agree that the miniature pinschers can be aggressive for their small size.
i actually have a min pin/chihuahua mix and she's the sweetest thing on earth, but I definitely have seen some crazy min pins and chihuahuas at the dog park. It all depends on the owner.
It all makes sense now. I have a super sweet dachshund and people ALWAYS tell me he's the ONLY nice one they know. They say all the others are mean!
Although I agree with PPs that generalizations about dog aggressiveness are unfair and wrong, I do have problems with this article and the use of "biting" as an indicator of aggressiveness in general. Dogs bite for many reasons: fear, defense, warning, and, yes, aggressiveness. So using all bites as a sign of aggression is not really an accurate assumption in my opinion.
Like a pp mentioned the reason a small dog may bite can be more related to size and fearfulness than an actual will to do harm which to me is a true sign of aggression.
@jjilyeah: Me too! My little doxie is as sweet as they come... she'd rather lick your face off more than anything! :) I've also had a few people tell me that she's the only "nice" doxie they've met - which I find crazy!
I totally agree with PPs, I think the only reason pits/rotts etc have been branded as "agressive" breeds is because their bites do and will require much more medical attention than that of a smaller dog. It also takes a lot more to PROVOKE these dogs to bite. I can say from personal experience that smaller dogs tend to be more agressive and fiestier with less provocation.
It's interesting, I haven't had many problems with larger dogs, but I have been snapped at and bitten by several small dogs, most notably my grandmother's dachshund who liked to terrorize us when we came to visit. It may be defensive anger, but a doxie bite can break your hand just as easily as a rotweiler can
I had a rottweiler. She was the sweetest dog ever, very intelligent. I strongly believe it's how the dogs are raised, not the type of dog that makes it aggressive/submissive, etc.
Doesn't surprise me actually. I've never had problems with larger dogs but have been bitten by terrier and doxies before.
You must log in to post.
| Visit our sister sites | eHarmony Online Dating |
eHarmony Advice Dating Advice |
Project Wedding Wedding Songs |
JustMommies Pregnancy Calendar |
Create the honeymoon of your dreams.
| User | Posts Today |
|---|---|
| ellisrobertson | 23 |
| fishbone | 15 |
| MsPanda | 14 |
| aduarte3201 | 14 |
| pengoala | 11 |
| ShellVee | 10 |
| ladyartichoke | 10 |
| ndreighton | 10 |
| mypinkshoes | 9 |
 sylvia.riggle |
9 |
| User | Posts Today |
|---|---|
| abbyful | 2 |
| ellisrobertson | 2 |
| noopnoop | 1 |
| jaguar | 1 |
| MrsRuby | 1 |
| relaxedabout it | 1 |
| Eva Peron | 1 |
| londonpeach84 | 1 |
| pecanpie | 1 |
| vorpalette |
1 |
I know some people might not agree with this article, but being a current and past owner of what most people consider to be an aggressive dog, this article makes me happy. At least the truth is getting out there, slowly but surely. It just reinforces the fact that rumors are one thing, but unreported statistics tell a WHOLE different story.
http://www.dogguide.net/blog/2008/07/the-3-most-aggressive-dog-breeds-revealed-pit-bulls-rottweilers-youll-be-surprised/