New Spanish Study on Aggressive Dog Behaviour

A new study by the University of  Cordoba, Spain, has found that breed has little to do with a dog’s aggressive behaviour.

The study has found that bad training is the key ingredient to an aggressive dog.

The Spanish researchers studied 711 dogs (354 males and 357 females) of which 594 were purebred and 117 were half-breed dogs older than one year of age.

Among the breeds observed were the Bull Terrier, the American Pit Bull Terrier, German Shepherd, the Boxer, the Rottweiler, the Doberman, as well as apparently  more docile breeds such as the Dalmatian, the Irish Setter, the Golden Retriever, the Labrador Retriever, the Miniature Poodle, the Chihuahua, the Pekinese, or the French Bulldog, which also exhibit dominant behaviour.

According to the Spanish study, certain breeds, male sex, a small size, or an age of between 5 – 7 years old  are ‘the dog – dependent factors associated with greater dominance aggression’.

Nevertheless, these factors have ‘minimal effect’ on whether the dog behaves aggressively.

Factors linked to the owner’s action are more influential.

The study found that some of the factors that cause aggressiveness in dogs are: first time dog ownership failure to provide the dog with basic obedience training spoiling or pampering the dog; buying a dog as a present, as a guard or on impulse or spending a very little time with the dog in general and minimal exercise.

Taken from the article written by Lisa Treen

Published with permission from Urban Animal Magazine…www.urbananimal.net