Aggressive Dog Breeds

Big or Small: A Dog Lover's Dilemma

Chris Jones, 44, releases Precious – a Shih Tzu-Pekingese mix – from her leash and lets her scurry off into the dog park in White Plains. Noticing some other dog owners and park-goers around him, he quickly makes it clear that Precious is not his, but his girlfriend’s.

“I’ve always had big dogs,” he said. “In the past, I’ve owned an Akita, Black Lab and a German Sheppard. I just prefer them because I can wrestle with them. You can’t do that with a little dog.”

In the world of dogs, misconceptions – if you can pardon the pun – quite literally run wild. Little dogs evoke images of Yorkshire Terriers, also known as Yorkies, peeking arrogantly from out of the top of a woman’s pocketbook, snipping and cowering as soon as you get too close. Then there is the often annoying Chihuahua that barks and nips relentlessly at one’s ankles, as though it were ten feet tall.

On the other side of the spectrum, big dogs range from Chocolate Labs – gentle, protective, eager to fetch or roll around in the grass – to Pit Bulls, notoriously aggressive and territorial animals.

According to Kristen Collins, MS, a certified professional dog trainer and animal behaviorist with the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ (ASPCA) Animal Behavior Center, a dog’s genetic heritage can significantly influence how it will behave, but one should avoid jumping to conclusions about any particular animal based on its appearance.

“Through generations of breeding we’ve selected certain traits that make different dog breeds physically and behaviorally distinct,” says Collins. “Terriers, for example, have a well-deserved reputation for tenacity – a characteristic that once helped them do the tough jobs they were originally bred to do, like killing vermin. However, a dog’s environment and experiences play an important role in the development of his behavior too. Some small dog owners put up with excessive barking and even outright aggression in their dogs because of the dog’s size. A Chihuahua yipping and nipping at your heels is certainly annoying, but he poses much less of a threat than a Mastiff exhibiting the exact same behaviors.”

Mark Lieberman, a Westchester-based dog trainer and certified Grand Master Dog Trainer and Behavioral Therapist, warns owners against allowing aggressive behavior in any dog, regardless of size.   

“People need to remember that a dog is a dog,” said Liberman, who is a member of the International Association of Canine Professionals. “They should stop coddling and babying their dogs and be better pack leaders.

Dealing With Aggressive Dog Behavior In Small Breeds | Pampered ...

Large breed dogs often get a bum rap for being aggressive, violent animals, but in many instances, it is really the smaller breed dogs that actually bite. Smaller dogs’ reputation as devoted, lovable, cute companions might be deserved, but a badly handled small dog is often a lot more unsafe than a pit bull. Understanding the factors behind aggressive dog behavior can help owners lower the chances of their dog harming another person and help to stop the aggression entirely.

As funny as it sounds, lots of small dogs actually do suffer from insecurity due to their size. If you see aggressive dog behavior only when people are standing or walking around, odds are, your dog is frightened of getting stepped or sat on. Be careful to not pick up or coddle the dog when it starts barking at other people walking by; it may identify that as a reward, and rather than calming down, will just grow to be even more obnoxious. As an alternative, remove the dog from the area when individuals are moving around and pay no attention to the barking. Allow your dog back into the room only after it has quieted and everyone is seated.

Yet another basic reason smaller dogs have a tendency to bite is because they’ve been mistreated by a prior owner. This is especially true of dogs that are naturally loud and “yappy.” Again, the best method will be to remove the dog from the area and ignore any attempts to get your attention until finally your dog is calm. Provide a quiet, safe place where the dog can observe you and your guests until it determines that no one is really a threat.

Charging is actually an aggressive dog behavior that must not be tolerated for any reason. Smaller dogs will often charge at strangers, and even close members of the family, to show their dominance. Under no circumstances permit a dog to dominate a human! Address charging swiftly and firmly; keep a spray bottle of water close to the door and any other place where charging is very likely, and use it. Spray your dog directly in the face and tell him, “no,” using a loud, clear voice. Water will startle your dog, and it will quickly understand that charging is inappropriate. If this strategy seems cruel, bear in mind that smaller dogs can be killed with a single kick by a frightened child.

Even though mouthing might be playful in certain dogs, and is usually harmless, dogs need to find out that using their teeth on a person is completely wrong. Mouthing can from time to time lead to accidental biting, particularly when small kids are playing with the dog, so all kinds of mouthing, nipping, and biting should be discouraged. If licking is okay in your household, you could encourage licking as opposed to biting by placing bacon grease, butter, or salad dressing on your hands. Permit the dog to lick it off, but move away and say, “no,” if your dog tries to nip or mouth you. In due course, the dog will understand that biting results in losing a treat, and will stop trying to bite.

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