Which Breeds Are Aggressive (or Peaceful) With Other Dogs
By Michele Welton, Dog Trainer, Breed Selection Consultant, Author of 15 Dog Books
Fencing needed for confinement
Risk of Aggression Toward People
Risk of Aggression Toward Other Dogs
Your dog's attitude toward other dogs might match his attitude toward people... or it might be different.
For example...
- Bullmastiffs have a high risk of aggression toward both people and other dogs.
- Basset Hounds have a low risk of aggression toward both people and other dogs.
- Rat Terriers are often friendly toward people, but aggressive toward other dogs. (Quite a few terriers are like this.)
A dog's attitude toward other dogs is based on:
- The genes he inherited from his parents.
- Any good (or bad) experiences he has had with other dogs.
If a dog was previously attacked by another dog, it's understandable that he might now have a fearful or aggressive ("I'll get them before they get me...") attitude.
- How effectively you correct him if he shows aggression toward another dog.
- How effectively you handle the situation when you're out with your dog and another dog approaches the two of you.
Do you know how to act like the leader so that your dog trusts YOU to handle the situation? Or does your dog think HE'S the leader, so HE must handle the situation, usually by threatening the other dog?
If you need help handling any of the above issues, it's all covered in my free online training program (see the bottom of this page).
Which breeds are pugnacious (or peaceful) with other dogs?
TINY DOGS
Nearly all tiny breeds are fine with the pets in their own family. But they may be pugnacious toward other dogs they don't know.
This is mostly a survival mechanism as the tiny dog tries to pre-empt an attack by convincing larger dogs not to mess with him. (The problem is, the little guy often ends up calling attention to himself when the other dog hadn't even noticed him!)
In my experience, the most peaceful tiny breeds are Toy Poodles, Maltese, and Japanese Chin.
SMALL DOGS
In this size catory, there are lots of terrier breeds, and terriers are typically bold/pushy/aggressive toward other dogs.
The most fickle small breed in his attitude toward other dogs is the Jack Russell Terrier. JRTs can go from zero ("I love my doggy friends!") to 100 ("Kill this one!") in the blink of an eye. I don't recommend keeping two JRTs together; at the very least, don't leave them alone together, especially with food or toys present.
The most peaceful small breeds are the Mini Poodle, English Toy Spaniel, Cavalier King Charles, Shih Tzu, Italian Greyhound, Pug, Pekingese, and the Bichon Frise & his cousins (Havanese, Lowchen, Coton de Tulear).
MIDSIZED DOGS
In this size range, we see contentiousness from the terriers, along with the German Pinscher.
The most peaceful midsized breeds are the various spaniels, Sheltie, Beagle, Lagotto Romagnolo, and Whippet... except that the Whippet, with his strong chasing instincts, can be a threat to other dogs who are very small.
MEDIUM-SIZE DOGS
Again, most likely to be quarrelsome with other dogs are the terriers, plus the Standard Schnauzer, Australian Cattle Dog, and Chow.
The most peaceful medium-size breeds are the various spaniels, Brittany, Basset Hound, Keeshond, and Vizsla.
LARGE DOGS AND GIANT DOGS
Most large and giant breeds are assertive with other dogs, which can progress to combativeness, especially toward other dogs of the same sex, or toward smaller dogs who trigger the larger dog's prey instincts.
If you already have another dog, be cautious bringing home one of the following large/giant breeds. In fact, I don't recommend it unless you have experience with these breeds and your other dog is at least medium size with a really mellow temperament (for example, an opposite-sex Golden Retriever):
Akita | Greater Swiss Mtn Dog |
Alaskan Malamute | Great Pyrenees |
American Bulldog | Komondor |
Anatolian Shepherd | Kuvasz |
Bullmastiff | Leonberger |
Cane Corso | Old English Mastiff |
Catahoula Leopard | Neapolitan Mastiff |
Dogo Argentino | Newfoundland |
Dogue de Bordeaux | Rhodesian Ridgeback |
Fila Brasileiro | Rottweiler |
Giant Schnauzer | St Bernard |
Great Dane | Tibetan Mastiff |
The most peaceful large/giant breeds are the Rough & Smooth Collie, four retrievers (Golden, Labrador, Flat-Coat, Curly-Coat), the English and Irish Setter, English Pointer, and Bernese Mountain Dog.
Some large/giant breeds belong to the family of dogs called sighthounds , which are hunting dogs. Sighthounds are usually fine with similar-sized dogs. However, with smaller dogs (and cats), the powerful prey instincts of large sighthounds can pose a real threat. The Afghan Hound, Borzoi, Greyhound, Ibizan Hound, Irish Wolfhound, Saluki, and Scottish Deerhound are sighthounds.
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