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Abstract
Canine aggression poses serious public
health and animal welfare concerns. Most of what is understood about
breed differences in aggression comes from reports based on bite
statistics, behavior clinic caseloads, and experts’ opinions.
Information on breed-specific aggressiveness derived from such sources
may be misleading due to biases attributable to a disproportionate risk
of injury associated with larger and/or more physically powerful breeds
and the existence of breed stereotypes. The present study surveyed the
owners of more than 30 breeds of dogs using the Canine Behavioral
Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ), a validated and
reliable instrument for assessing dogs’ typical and recent responses to
a variety of common stimuli and situations. Two independent data
samples (a random sample of breed club members and an online sample)
yielded significant differences among breeds in aggression directed
toward strangers, owners and dogs (Kruskal–Wallis tests, P < 0.0001).
Eight
breeds common to both datasets (Dachshund, English Springer Spaniel,
Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, Poodle, Rottweiler, Shetland
Sheepdog and Siberian Husky) ranked similarly, rs = 0.723, P < 0.05; rs = 0.929, P < 0.001; rs = 0.592, P = 0.123,
for aggression directed toward strangers, dogs and owners,
respectively. Some breeds scored higher than average for aggression
directed toward both humans and dogs (e.g., Chihuahuas and Dachshunds)
while other breeds scored high only for specific targets (e.g.,
dog-directed aggression among Akitas and Pit Bull Terriers). In
general, aggression was most severe when directed toward other dogs
followed by unfamiliar people and household members. Breeds with the
greatest percentage of dogs exhibiting serious aggression (bites or
bite attempts) toward humans included Dachshunds, Chihuahuas and Jack
Russell Terriers (toward strangers and owners); Australian Cattle Dogs
(toward strangers); and American Cocker Spaniels and Beagles (toward
owners). More than 20% of Akitas, Jack Russell Terriers and Pit Bull
Terriers were reported as displaying serious aggression toward
unfamiliar dogs. Golden Retrievers, Labradors Retrievers, Bernese
Mountain Dogs, Brittany Spaniels, Greyhounds and Whippets were the
least aggressive toward both humans and dogs. Among English Springer
Spaniels, conformation-bred dogs were more aggressive to humans and
dogs than field-bred dogs (stranger aggression: Mann–Whitney U test, z = 3.880, P < 0.0001; owner aggression: z = 2.110, P < 0.05; dog-directed aggression: z = 1.93, P = 0.054),
suggesting a genetic influence on the behavior. The opposite pattern
was observed for owner-directed aggression among Labrador Retrievers, (z = 2.18, P < 0.05) indicating that higher levels of aggression are not attributable to breeding for show per se.