Is there one breed that you..

Question:
 Is there one breed that just makes you "question" their temperment?
The reason I ask is.. not all dogs are "up to standard" for temperment.
Recently - we've run into some really questionable Goldens at work.
They act all friendly and nice.. tail wagging the whole time.. that happy bum movement.. then their temperment switches into the "touch me and die" phase.
I've never had any that act on this, but they are very sneaky in how they come about this.
Ex. I'd be grooming a golden on the table.. I go and touch their paws to trim pad hair.. no problem.. I trim the nails.. no problem.. I trim the foot.. no problem..
THEN - I go to touch it again.. a NASTY snarl comes out with teeth bared - all the while tail is still wagging.
Thats what I mean by sneaky.
It caught me by total surprise!
We've had two Goldens that have come in like this.
Just questionable. And One is from a fabulous local breeder, not sure where the other one is from.
Do you have any specific breeds that your now more cautious around?

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I wouldn't say entire breeds, but certain bloodlines of certain breeds, definitely, since temperament is hereditary and there are enough breeders out there who will breed any dog with good conformation, regardless of temperament and most breed clubs don't give a **** about it. :(

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No entire breeds (though I'm certainly not going to give a strange Fila a big hug, lol) but like Mordy said, certain lines.
I steer clear of most over-angulated, structurally unsound looking american-bred GSDs and Rottweilers that appear to be poorly bred. EVERY badly bred Rott I've met, with the exception of one, has tried to attack me. The GSDs tend to be very nervy, although I've met a few at shows that were lovely dogs.

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Sadly, I'd have to say Border Collies. I understand what you are saying about certain bloodlines, but I'm answering as dogs I encounter, not dogs I would own. I say this because I can't count the number of BCs at agility and rally trials that are insanely dog aggressive and have lunged at my dogs unprovoked. I love the breed, but am now leary when I've got a dog with me. :(

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Is there one breed that just makes you "question" their temperment?

The reason I ask is.. not all dogs are "up to standard" for temperment.

Recently - we've run into some really questionable Goldens at work.

They act all friendly and nice.. tail wagging the whole time.. that happy bum movement.. then their temperment switches into the "touch me and die" phase.

I've never had any that act on this, but they are very sneaky in how they come about this.

Ex. I'd be grooming a golden on the table.. I go and touch their paws to trim pad hair.. no problem.. I trim the nails.. no problem.. I trim the foot.. no problem..
THEN - I go to touch it again.. a NASTY snarl comes out with teeth bared - all the while tail is still wagging.

Thats what I mean by sneaky.
It caught me by total surprise!

We've had two Goldens that have come in like this.

Just questionable. And One is from a fabulous local breeder, not sure where the other one is from.

Do you have any specific breeds that your now more cautious around?

Unfortunately my golden is the same, all though he is getting much better after a ton training work with him. I've never had problems when he's gone to the vet or groomers, never ever. He gets fussy over food and when I make him get off the furniture...some times he's ok with it, sometimes he grumbles. Not sure if it has to do with his lines or the bitter divorce that I went through. During the time I was married my ex refused to be the big dog and let KC do whatever he wanted, and I refused to let him be top dog, I think it really confused him. As most of his behavior problems popped up during the time I was married and more so during the divorce. I know now that he didn't come from the best of breeders. Not a BYB but definately not an ethical breeder. I had no clue at the time I got him. But I know better now. His behavior has gotten loads better since my life has settled down.

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we have a slew of nasty chocolate labs. and they're not sneaky about it, either. there are two males in particular (related of course) who come in the door, march right up to the front desk, jump up, and stare and growl at you. nice.
we see nasty and nice dogs of pretty much all breeds at the vet clinic where i work. nasty cockers, nice cockers. nasty springers, nice springers. nasty shar peis, nice shar peis. etc etc etc.

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No, not entire breeds. As a rottie lover and a person who has raised rotts properly and has also been around poorly bred or trained rotts, I am nervous around peoples' rotts that I know are not properly bred or trained. Same goes with many dogs that are susceptible to being human aggressive. I judge much less on the breeds and much more on the dog's body language when considering approaching a dog.

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Yeah, I tend to go by body language as well, but Labs...oh man. Though I've started to notice that those labs with a very long, snipey face and big eyes with wierd ears, the ones that you would swear were mixes except the parents love to brag about their AKC registration, they are all crazy in a bad way and tend to "flip" without warning.

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Yeah, I tend to go by body language as well, but Labs...oh man. Though I've started to notice that those labs with a very long, snipey face and big eyes with wierd ears, the ones that you would swear were mixes except the parents love to brag about their AKC registration, they are all crazy in a bad way and tend to "flip" without warning
I'm glad to see it's not just around here (actually, not glad at all). That same look you are talking about? We see it in labs and goldens here. When I was teaching classes, we (the trainers) referred to them as "Mock Labs" or "Mock Goldens". You could normally pick them out the minute they walked in the door. They all have that same face you described, and really hyper temperments that tend towards snippy or aggressive when they get frustrated. Lots of high pitch barking. It's such a shame what starts to happen to these breeds.

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I'm glad to see it's not just around here (actually, not glad at all). That same look you are talking about? We see it in labs and goldens here. When I was teaching classes, we (the trainers) referred to them as "Mock Labs" or "Mock Goldens". You could normally pick them out the minute they walked in the door. They all have that same face you described, and really hyper temperments that tend towards snippy or aggressive when they get frustrated. Lots of high pitch barking. It's such a shame what starts to happen to these breeds.
I agree, its here too :(
Also, I have been seeing so many nasty tempered cocker spaniels(towards dogs and humans)...:(

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I agree with the BYB (or badly bred, whichever) Goldens... isn't it sad? Goldens and Cockers are two of the best family dogs, and BYBs have ruined some of them... :mad:
It breaks my heart when I hear this about 'my breed'
And yet, I have to admit that the ONLY dog that ever bit me and brought the blood (and I've worked with a lot of dogs!!) was a golden. That jumped the fence, ran to me across the street, and grabbed my hand before I could even react... :(

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I agree with the BYB (or badly bred, whichever) Goldens... isn't it sad? Goldens and Cockers are two of the best family dogs, and BYBs have ruined some of them... :mad:
It breaks my heart when I hear this about 'my breed'
And yet, I have to admit that the ONLY dog that ever bit me and brought the blood (and I've worked with a lot of dogs!!) was a golden. That jumped the fence, ran to me across the street, and grabbed my hand before I could even react... :(
I know brattina :( I love Cockers, and Chloe absolutely love the puppy at petsmart that she got to meet a few weeks ago...and it just makes me sad

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It's such a shame that popularity has ruined so many breeds. I can truthfully say I've NEVER had a Golden that growled or bared his teeth unless antagonized by another dog . Never amongst themselves. Roosevelt's scottie , Johnson's beagle , Bush's spaniel ... movies ... " Stars " ... start waves which lead to bad breeding .

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Yeah, I tend to go by body language as well, but Labs...oh man. Though I've started to notice that those labs with a very long, snipey face and big eyes with wierd ears, the ones that you would swear were mixes except the parents love to brag about their AKC registration, they are all crazy in a bad way and tend to "flip" without warning.
That is why I am so wary of labs. I have been attacked by three pure bred labs on three different occasions. Once one ran out from its back yard and attacked me on the street. Anouther knocked me from a chair and was going for my face at a friends (I never touched the dog I had actually just got there). And the third was a loose lab at a dog park that wasent so friendly.
I try not to judge the breed but when I see ones like you described I try and stay away. Well bred labs I have never really had a problem with. Its so sad what over breeding can do to an other wise wonderful breed.

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Ummm Pit Bulls.....
Its only because I've never been around them... I dont really know anything about them either.....

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I avoid Pit Bulls and bully-type breeds when I have my dogs with me, but when I'm by myself, I'm comfortable around them. I've met far more friendly pit bulls than aggressive ones.

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Around here it's Maltese & Mini Foxies. The only two reasons are because they're are extremely popular with byb's and puppymills and they are two of the most common (the Maltese is probably THE most common) dogs with 'dog ignorant' people. Both dogs can turn into anti social brats with the wrong people (and the wrong breeders).
If I'm going to be harrassed, nipped at and chased by any dog...it'll be a maltese or mini foxie unfortunately. They're wonderful dogs with the right people (and right breeding) though, which makes it even more sad.
Cass.

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Goldens, Labs, and Border Collies. I love all of those breeds, but a lot of the ones I meet lately just have that look to them as was described above.

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It is REALLY strange that you mentioned Goldens, because I've actually been attacked by a golden more than once!!! We had a Golden a couple years back, but unforunately after attacking me numerous times, and lunging at a visitor, the state law wouldn't allow our vet to send him home with us, and we had to have him put down. :( He was a lovely puppy, but one day I reached to pet him, and he lunged at me, and literally mauled my head! I had several puncture wounds on my head, and was bleeding all over. Not long after this (maybe a week) he actually went for my throat! Thankfully, he only got my upper chest. After this, we started looking for specialist trainers, etc, and in the mean time, he bit me again, on the arm, and lunged at a visitor snarling, and trying to bite her!!! We took him to the vet, and had a test done, and he had an aggression problem. :( They said that he attacked me out of the family because I always used a high-pitched voice with him, and they said give it a year, and he'd attack my dad (who has a deep voice). They told us, that they couldn't legally send a vicous dog back into society, so they put him to sleep. :( I know he bit me, but that dog was my little baby. It was very sad. We got him because Goldens are suposed to be good with children, but apparently he wasn't!!!!

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American Eskimos for me! Only because we dealt with them at the clinic a lot and I NEVER met one that didn't try to go for every single staff member:yikes:

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I know I shouldn't hate on the whole breed, but after our incident a few weeks ago, I'll never allow my dogs to be within a 100feet of a Husky *ever* again.
We had a DA, small game chasing Husky in our neighborhood years ago that killed a pet rabbit as well.

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I know I shouldn't hate on the whole breed, but after our incident a few weeks ago, I'll never allow my dogs to be within a 100feet of a Husky *ever* again.
We had a DA, small game chasing Husky in our neighborhood years ago that killed a pet rabbit as well.
My husky killed several neighbor's cats. :yikes: but it actually was the cats (and cat owner's) fault becasue the cats would come into our fence (looking for a free meal) and would actually end up a free meal for our Husky!!! It was awful! But she was the sweetest dog, and absolutely loved people! Huskies still remain my favorite breed. :D

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My sisters husky busted through a screen window to chase down an opposum that had been tormenting him. He caught him and snapped his neck...:(

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Hmmm...I'd have to say chows. I haven't met one that was friendly. (Though I am sure there are tons of lovely ones out there :) )

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Akitas. I know I shouldn't single out a whole breed, but I've never met one I liked as every single Akita I've come in contact with for training or otherwise has been human aggressive and tried to take a chunck out of me. I know it's in the breed to be dog aggressive and to be a 'strong willed' dog. But geez, they're like little tanks ready and waiting for the perfect moment to attack.
In my opinion, they're snotty dogs and I'd be prefectly happy to never see another one again.
I'm sure there are a few nice ones out there SOMEWHERE but they sure as heck aren't here. LOL

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Even though I bear scars from a Labrador, GSD, Dachshund, Toy Poodle (I had 2 have 2 stitches from that monster), & a Cocker, I still can't single out an entire breed.
Unfortunately, bybs & peddlers (even the "innocent" ones who breed the family pet b/c he/she is so nice & cute) have completely ruined almost every breed to a point. I'm a vet tech, I can promise you that if you name a breed, we've seen a horrible example of it. And unfortuntaely, the more popular a breed is, the more people want to breed the dogs & make some $$$ off of them thereby putting out crappy dogs in the process.
Of course at the clinic, the majority of dogs with crappy temperaments are your smaller breeds (although I blame a lot of this on the owner as they think it's "cute") & mixed breeds (when 2 breeds are mixed, there's no "rule" that they get the best genes from both breeds, more often they get the worst).
IMO, weak nerved dogs are the vast majority of HA dogs. These dogs are so insecure, that they perceive everything as a threat, so in return they growl, snarl, lunge, & often attack at the slightest sneeze. However, there are some dogs that are just mentally off. Both categories deserve a ncie long dirt nap.
On the other hand, there are many breeds I won't own.

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I feel that way about most "toy" dogs...Shih Tzu's, Maltese, Lhasas, JRT's and Bichons are, in my experiences, the most prone to snap for no particular reason. A co-worker and I were talking about this the other day about how with big dogs we just go about our business and don't have a problem dealing with a 'testy' one, but small dogs will give us pause.

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I can't single out by temperament, because no breed is fully bad by nature.
However, health problems...there are a good basketful of breeds that I will never own, simply due to their health issues.

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Weimeraner... nothing to do with the breed ~ have met some great ones. My daughter was badly bitten by one and the one dog in our dog park that has badly attacked 2 dogs and killed one happens to be a Weimeraner. I'm NOT saying anything against the breed... I happen to like them... I am just a teeny weeny bit reserved when I meet one.

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I've had a few bad experiences with Chow Chows. Now bearing in mind that I try not to be leary of any breed , Chows make me nervous. I have a very hard time reading their expressions, and when they're thinking about doing something, they go from 0 to tearing it up in about .5 seconds. I would never bag on somebody based on their choice of breed, but its not a breed that I am comfortable around unless I know the individual dogs very well.

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Chows also make me nervous, but all of the chows I've known had bad owners and were mean. Our neighbors had one in their yard growing up that always growled at us and chased us when it got out. However I know now that the chow was probably like this from being outside 24/7 and not having any love or positive examples from its family. I am sure there are very nice ones and I would be happy to be around a nice one, but all of the ones I've met were mean to everyone but their owners.

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I have to say that German Shepherds make me very nervous..... perhaps I've mostly met the really badly bred ones, but every time a GS come to me and sniffs I feel like I can't move. No reason really as I was never attacked by any dogs, but I am really quite afraid of them With most breeds you can usually read their body language and with GS I just can't :( .....

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I've only met one chow that I could really trust. He was the biggest teddy bear I could rest my head on his belly. His name was go figure Teddy. His own would let him come and play with us kids when we were in our yard playing.

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We also have dogs that come into work that ONLY my boss can handle because shes been doing them for years..
They are ALL Llasa Apsos! One day when one of my co-workers was grooming a dog next to our boss.. that dog tried to leap off of my boss's table to attack my co-worker! How nutzo is that?! We had one in today that even the owner can't put a comb through its fur without it trying to bite them. Says something right there to me..

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I dont single out breeds either but the ones Ive had to be most wary of around here are lil designer mutts, big surprise there!
As for Huskies attacking small furry things...perfectly natural, common, and normal. They are supposed to have an immensely high prey drive after all to the point of going after small dogs if not well socialized! Owners should be aware of this and prepared for it before they aquire one (along with a bunch of other things of course LOL).
Roxy, I''m curious, what happened with the Husky a few weeks ago?

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jack russels

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People dont understand that a dog is a dog. They dont understand why strange poeple are all over them grabbing them with weird objects in their hands. ESPECIALLY at a grooming facility. Dogs are equipped to protect themselves when they feel its necessary (although it might not be, and socailization may not cover that aspect to which the dog is reacting too. Every factor in socialization matter, and your dog may behave when you are there and can misbehave when your not). They dont know who you are and what you are trying to do to them, therefore they "protect". No dog is safe, NONE. You can never say "my dog will never bite", because you dont know." One little thing can trigger a dog to respond and I'm not willing to let something happen to any of my dogs.
BTW, I see no breed more or less "unstable". A dog is an individual, not a brand.

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hmm, i try not to judge a dog based on its breed.
however im most leery for dogs which i find difficult to see their eyes/facial experessions, primarily chows, (all that hair and tiny eyes make it very difficult to see). ive also had bad experiences with toy poodles and badly bred chihuahuas and cockers.
(we own 3 chis and a cocker lol so i dont judge a breed by the bad apples)

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I have to say pointers. I know a guy who has the top field champion pointers but if you get close to thier crate he says to be careful they will bite!:yikes:
He also breeds these mean things. They can hunt but they cant be around other people?:confused:
Those and German shepards. GAHHH. I scareded of them:yikes:

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I'd have to answer no to that. There are breeds I personally wouldnt want (might be to yappy, to much engery, ect) but I dont worry about any one breed. I strictly go by the personality of the dog.

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I've had a bad experience with a lab when I was younger... I was bit on the lip and had to get stitches. Needless to say, I'm more cautious around labs. I've found badly bred labs to have funny aggression issues.
Other than that, I'm not really leary of any breed- just the individual dog.

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As someone who has chows and shepherds, I can tell you guys that temperament problems aren't inherent in the breed as a WHOLE, but of course you'll find problems in some dogs (just like you will in all breeds).
Chows and other spitz type breeds tend to be independent and aloof. Without good breeding behind them and good handling with early socialization, this can become a problem. I've been around hundreds of chows and very few have been a problem - and nearly all of the ones that WERE a problem were that way because of poor handling.
People need to be held responsible for the temperaments of their dogs.
That being said, as a trainer and one who is called in to deal with the aggression problems (how I ended up in that role I'm STILL not sure .. *L*), I've had more problems with labs and border collies than any other breed. But I've also seen people backed down by a ten pound shih tzu type dog and scared to death of a Jack Russell (that dog OWNED the household! *L*). These were both handler problems and once we re-established who the leader was the dogs turned out to be quite nice.
My worst bite (on ME) was from a redbone hound. My chows have been attacked numerous times by BC's and labs. For some reason, BC's tend to be very unsettled by my chows. I'm guessing it has to do with the body language - chows tend to be very "upright" looking. They are up on their toes and the mane makes them look bigger in the front. Add to that the tail tightly curled over the back and that they have a very direct look (all of my chows tend to look straight at things) and the BC's just fall apart. Three times my older chow - one of the most gentle dogs you'd ever meet - was attacked at obedience trials by OTCH BC's. Kylee (my chow) has never in her 15 years started a fight, but she has had to defend herself a couple of times.
Last week my shepherd was attacked by a lab in a class. We worked through it and I was able to have the two dogs side by side in short order, but that same lab went after Khana (my young chow) in another class later in the week. We're seeing more and more problem labs in this area.
Unfortunately I've also seen some bad goldens here too .. temperament problems can hit any breed. As a trainer, I've really studied canine body language. Any time I meet a dog I assess their body language and that's what I go on. I don't make the assumption that all dogs in a breed are mean, nor do I make the assumption that all dogs in a breed are friendly. There are always going to be both.
Melanie and the gang in Alaska

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(Iliam I love your chow chows! the black on reminds me of my old dog :( )
I am kinda weary about goldens. I was walking my APBT and chi and that dog tried to attack my dogs (golden was just running around no leash). I was trying to shield my dogs and thank God the owner came.

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I've had a bad experience with a lab when I was younger... I was bit on the lip and had to get stitches. Needless to say, I'm more cautious around labs. I've found badly bred labs to have funny aggression issues.
Other than that, I'm not really leary of any breed- just the individual dog.
That is the best way to put it "funny" or "weird". The lab at my friends who attacked me seemed happy go lucky sweet type. He was walking around getting pet by everyone just kind of waltzing around. I didn't really pay him much mind until he stood in front of me with this weird gaze. Some people say dogs can't give you weird looks but he just had this weird unconnected look. And kind of growled and before I could move a finger he knocked me from my chair teeth bared and going for my face.
The dog was otherwise friendly. Im not sure if he smelled my dogs but it was random and scary.

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The only chow I've know was owned by very irresponsible people. He was perpetually chained to a tree in the yard, even when people were out there partying, never socialized, bit several people, ate most of the furniture when he was indoors and pretty much didn't have a prayer with these people. When they first got the dog, I told them what I knew, that the dog would REQUIRE obedience training and a strong owner. Everything I feared for this dog came to fruition. One day they drove to the vet and had him put down.

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It breaks my heart to hear of bad tempered Goldens. Having known 100s in 60 years , I've never come across one .

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Grammy - thats because you bred the best personalities ;) hehe
I'm not trying to "single out" a breed here..
I know full well its the OWNER and not the dog 100% of the time. BUT genetics do play a role in temperment. Anything horribly bred will have at least ONE temperment defect.
There are SOO many illbred Goldens, Labs, Shih Tzus and Llasas in this area. That is why there are some bad tempered dogs that come through the grooming salon - its NOT b/c they dont know us - they are reglars that come all the time. They know our movements and our smells, they know what a brush is, what a bath is.. they just weren't properly trained when they were younger.
On the show grounds - the only dogs that I've had problems with would have been Scotties.. they ALWAYS try and eat Riot when we walk by them lol but they are never "aggresive" to me.. i've never met a people aggresive dog at the show grounds yet.. *fingers crossed* I wont have to.

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It breaks my heart to hear of bad tempered Goldens. Having known 100s in 60 years , I've never come across one .
Im with ya there grammy. With goldens and labs. Mine would lick ya to death!

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I wish I could introduce those of you who are scared of GSD's to my dog. I think you'd change your mind after spending some time with us. He's big and he's intimidating, but he's also a good dog and would accept you in an instant.

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I wish I could introduce those of you who are scared of GSD's to my dog. I think you'd change your mind after spending some time with us. He's big and he's intimidating, but he's also a good dog and would accept you in an instant.
ditto!!
Missy's a sweetheart, she just wants everyone to know :o lol

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I've been cautious around Labs since the 1980's; there are so many of them, and as far as I'm concerned they have a higher incidence of territorial aggression than people usually admit. I think a major factor in the problems people have with Labs and Goldens is their reputation as the perfect family dog. People who wouldn't dream of allowing a Doberman or Akita to just hang out on the front lawn regularly let their Lab or Golden do just that. The dogs wander all over the yard and down the street, marking territory all the way, and then start defending 'their' turf. I've had that problem countless times with Labs, and I have started to notice in the last few years that Goldens, which were always reliably sweet offleash, have started to be a problem too.

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At work there are alot of dogs I'm cautious around -- usually I try not to judge by breed first, but somtimes it's hard. One breed that I always groom, but still am terrified of, ironically is the Belgian. Pull their hair and your face could be gone. Visa's breeder always says, "Punch a doberman in the face and it runs away yelping. Punch a Belgian in the face and it pisses it off." Same goes i nthe shop -- hurt a Belgian in the least and you're going down. But Belgians are still predictable. I know from the beginning that the dog is freaky by the way it's behaving.
The number one unpredictable breed out of everything we groom is the golden retriever. They always act so happy and sweet and lovey until they try to rip yoru face off. I have never been so viciously attacked by anything else in my history of working with dogs. I've been cut open, majorly bruised, and had my face bitten by goldens. I've never actually had another dog go after me -- usually when a dog bites, it bites and pulls away. Occasionally it growls. All of the goldens that have gone after me are roaring and snarling and absolutely having a freakout fit trying to attack me.

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At work there are alot of dogs I'm cautious around -- usually I try not to judge by breed first, but somtimes it's hard. One breed that I always groom, but still am terrified of, ironically is the Belgian. Pull their hair and your face could be gone. Visa's breeder always says, "Punch a doberman in the face and it runs away yelping. Punch a Belgian in the face and it pisses it off." Same goes i nthe shop -- hurt a Belgian in the least and you're going down. But Belgians are still predictable. I know from the beginning that the dog is freaky by the way it's behaving.
I just had to share my one experience with grooming a Belgian...it was a rescue Terv that was from unstable lines and had already bitten the trainer because it didn't want to "down" one day during it's session. But he and I had always gotten along and so I decided that he really needed grooming. So I plopped him up on the table and spent the next two hours combing and brushing him out, with nary a grumble from him! And I was yanking on some places too to get the matts and tangles undone; he was an angel for me!

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Chihuahuas and daschunds. Frankly, there are so many badly-bred and badly-trained examples of both in my town, that I am leery of them right off the back.
My hubby does not like chows. He's been bitten three times by dogs in his life, and all three of the dogs were chows. When he was riding his bike as a boy, one chow even chased him down and pulled him off. Scary. He said that he will never, ever own a chow or chow mix.

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Pekinese . . . :eek:

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I've been cautious around Labs since the 1980's; there are so many of them, and as far as I'm concerned they have a higher incidence of territorial aggression than people usually admit. I think a major factor in the problems people have with Labs and Goldens is their reputation as the perfect family dog. People who wouldn't dream of allowing a Doberman or Akita to just hang out on the front lawn regularly let their Lab or Golden do just that. The dogs wander all over the yard and down the street, marking territory all the way, and then start defending 'their' turf. I've had that problem countless times with Labs, and I have started to notice in the last few years that Goldens, which were always reliably sweet offleash, have started to be a problem too.
I have noticed that too. Also just let me say I still love well bred labs they are great. If I didn't like labs I wouldn't go over to my friends house where they have four indoor labs. I also wouldn't have owned a lab mix (aka Pixie).
But that is how the lab was that attacked me in the street. I was walking to my friends and I saw the dog in its backyard. It barked a bit but I didn't think too much of it. This was the first lab to attack me and in my head I never got scared because it was a lab and labs are friendly. Next thing I know he's running at me and gets a hold of me by my arm. When his owner got him off my arm he got loose from his grip and when for my calf. Got stitches the whole works.
Anouther family friendly dog but his owner even said he was territorial and they also had a bitch in heat on the property. Crazy stuff.

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Akitas. I know I shouldn't single out a whole breed, but I've never met one I liked as every single Akita I've come in contact with for training or otherwise has been human aggressive and tried to take a chunck out of me. I know it's in the breed to be dog aggressive and to be a 'strong willed' dog. But geez, they're like little tanks ready and waiting for the perfect moment to attack.
In my opinion, they're snotty dogs and I'd be prefectly happy to never see another one again.
I'm sure there are a few nice ones out there SOMEWHERE but they sure as heck aren't here. LOL
I have a good friend in Akitas that produces dogs with absolutely WONDERFUL temperaments. They are huge teddy bears, and absolute show offs. These dogs LOVE attention! Last time I checked, she had 3 dogs in the top ten Akitas as well.
She has 2 young children who are an active part of these dogs lives from day one. I've seen a seven year old girl boss an 80+ pound male into his crate with no problems. The only thing she had to worry about was being covered in "keeter-kisses."
As for the "snotty" attitude- that's your typical Japanese/Spitz breed temperament! ;) (Shibas are the exact same way). Being designated National treasures in their country of origin gives them big heads. :D
As far as an increase in aggressive Goldens- I believe *some* of that responsibility goes to show breeders who put winning before anything else. While many show breeders still work to maintain the correct sweet, mellow temperament, there are few who have begun breeding for a slightly more "hyper" Golden. The idea was that such a dog would have an edge in the show ring, because it would be flashier. Unfortunately, it's ALSO led to an increase in aggressive animals- which is absolutely baffling to anyone who's in the breed.
I feel for you Grammy- I think one of the best things about Goldens is that dependable, gentle temperament. Kind of sad when the people who are supposed to be PRESERVING the ENTIRETY of the breed, are in fact doing just the opposite.

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For me it's German Shepherds. My mums cousin had a gorgeous girl and she was the most gentle, sweetest dog but every other Shepherd I have met has had an unstable temperament. Mainly being dog aggressive and generally being unstable around people, its sad though :(. I just wish I could meet a 'normal' German Shepherd. It's affected Casey too, a Shepherd attackted her a few years back and she took the challenge head on, scared the life out of me as this dog was much bigger than her. Ever since then she's been wary of Shepherds and can act defensively apart from my friends white German Shepherd (she doesn't mind white ones). The problem is I don't know any German Sheperds that are 'nice' that I can work with her on it. She doesn't try and attack every one we see she just doesn't trust them and I can tell.

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I have had problems with Chows and English Springer Spaniels especially...

One of the ESP's was raised around me and she was a doll until she had a litter of pups and after they were sold, she b/c VERY aggressive...

Another ESP would bite ya in a heartbeat

But I don't blame the dogs, I blame people...In both situations I asked myself did I do something w/o being aware of it for them to act the way they did...

The 2nd one I knew nothing about so maybe she had been mistreated in some way...

Just my 2 c's

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I have to say, I'm most cautious around male, (unaltered) German Shepherds. But because I know it's not any specific breed of dog that should cause concern, just individual dogs, I've been really good about paying closer attention to the body language of these dogs, and definatley have no issues whatsoever with a properly socialized, well adjusted GSD :)
My reasoning behind it is that my grandpa isn't a very good dog owner. He had a GSD named Snap when I was growing up, who was the BIGGEST suck with family members, but would become a vicious monster with anyone he didn't know. I saw him turn on a few too many people, and it didn't sit well with me. I know it's not common, and he was poorly raised, but still, the vision of this big baby who was getting belly rubs and licking my face moments before, lunging at his rope uncontrollably to get the guy walking up to the house sticks out in my head anytime I see one. But I'm trying, I really am! ;)

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I just had to share my one experience with grooming a Belgian...it was a rescue Terv that was from unstable lines and had already bitten the trainer because it didn't want to "down" one day during it's session. But he and I had always gotten along and so I decided that he really needed grooming. So I plopped him up on the table and spent the next two hours combing and brushing him out, with nary a grumble from him! And I was yanking on some places too to get the matts and tangles undone; he was an angel for me!
I have never had a problem with a Belgian. They are becoming very popular in my area and they all seem even tempered. They dont faze me at all. But then again I'm not stupid enough to correct any dog that isnt mine. A lady at work corrected a GSD one time for pulling her to the door and she got attacked. Thats just something you dont do. Any dog can rear up at you.

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Visa's breeder always says, "Punch a doberman in the face and it runs away yelping. Punch a Belgian in the face and it pisses it off." Same goes i nthe shop -- hurt a Belgian in the least and you're going down.
LOL, I highly doubt you would get that reaction from my Neeko or any Dobe that I know.

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This is a sad thread :(.
~Tucker

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I believe any dog from any breed can be vicious. Its only our experiences that differentiate the ones who we feel are on our list of vicious dogs.
This thread has proven this theory.

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I believe any dog from any breed can be vicious. Its only our experiences that differentiate the ones who we feel are on our list of vicious dogs.
This thread has proven this theory.
I agree.

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So true !!! Though I have stated that I've never has any aggression with any of my Goldens , When I loaded my poor IB into the car for what ended up being her last visit to the vet for her evaluation ( it was a brain tumor ) ...she did turn and tried to bite me . This wasn't my loving IB ... or a loving Golden . She had no idea of her actions .

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Grammy, I've always loved Goldens, and I've only ever heard of one that wasn't "right". My boyfriends childhood dog, ended up having to be put down because he bit two people (including the paperboy). He was from a good, reputable breeder, and it was the breeder who ended up putting him down after taking him back for an evaluation. Like I said, he just wasn't "right". They never did look into any medical problems after he died, so maybe he had a brain tumor, who knows, we'll never know. It's just sad.
Every other golden I've known has been exactly what they should be! :)

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The only breed I tend to be wary of is chow chows and that is because of my history with several of them. But, I am working on that. :)
In recent months I have met a few questionable GSD's and a golden retirever (that attacked my boys) but I've not seen an abundance of bad lines in them.

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chow chows like buddies parent said...
I've been chased by WAY too many while living out in the high desert

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I'm afraid that I'm also going to have to say Chows, every one that I have met has been extremely people agressive and I wouldn't have trusted them for a minute, in my limited experience with them I found it very difficult to read their body language.
The dog that lived in my street was fine one moment and lunging at you in the next with little or no warning.
They are beautiful dogs, particuarly the black chows imo and I'm sure there are lots of wonderful chows out there I'd never have one or want to be too close to one.
I'm also wary of Rottweilers(though one of the softest sweetest dogs I ever knew was a Rott) and I'm also wary of Dobermans though if I can overcome my fear I'd love to have one, ironic I know.

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Poms make me very nervous. I have only met one who I trusted. Of course, most of this is due to poor breeding and overindulgent owners.
I am cautious around cattle dogs, just because I know they tend to be mouthy and nippy. Usually they end up at our shelter because the owner didn't correct this behavior when the dog was a pup, so it is out of control by the time they are an adult. This isn't true agression, but still painful!

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I've seen a LOT of nasty chiuahuas. But it's hard to tell how much of it is the breed, how much of it is the bloodline, and how much of it is the owner's fault (like lack of training or thinking it's "cute" when a tiny dog tries to take your finger off.) I know there are plagues of over-permissive owners and BYB chihuahuas around, which I'm sure is a large part of it.

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Chows. I just don't like their general temperament, but what makes me wary of them is the fact that the majority of Chows I have met were aggressive.
I'm so sick of all this overbreeding....overbreeding and irresponsible owners are, in my opinion, the main reason there are so many aggressive dogs, of so many breeds. I hate when I see labs going nuts over another dog or a person, I hate seeing nervous border collies...these are not what they are supposed to be. Everytime I see a well-behaved, "correct," "proper" lab or BC (or any other breed, for that matter - I'm simply saying lab and BC because they are my breeds), I can't help ooing and awing over the thing.