do you think dog turns agressive because of the way their owners bring them up?or is it bad genes?

Question

i have a doberman and was just reading about a very stupid guy whos doberman bit a three year old. i thought there was some very conflicting opinions. i am concerned that people class certain dogs as dangerous when all dogs can be lethal.....before anyone says it, im currently looking into one to one dog trainers.

i hate people that ill treat their dog. ive always found that the best way of disipline if ignorance. my dobe is not allowed to greet anyone unless i say so.she is made to sit for a while first (although im still training so its always with a meaty treat in my hand).its always worked for me, i would inevitably blame myself if she were to turn aggressive so i take extra measures to prevent this as should all owners.

thanks hannah! and your your right she is!

the reason why i am choosing one to one dog trainers is because i need ideas when it comes to teaching a my dog patience. i have no problems letting her of her lead and shes great with kids.socialisation is the most important factor in helping a dog fit into your life as part of your family.

Answer 1

No puppy was ever born into this world mean. While some dogs are better suited for certain types of work (guard dogs, police dogs) those dogs are generally not agressive until their handlers instruct them to act - they certainly never seek vengence upon criminals -- dogs have no such motivation.

However, dogs do not like people who mistreat them and will wisely growl at those who do in self defense. Dogs are territorial and those dogs who have established territories -- say a fence line within a yard, will patrol their yards and bark at people and dogs passing by.

About your doberman -- they were bred for a purpose. In that breeding is a hundred years of instinct - which is why people classify them as potentially dangerous. Some dogs hunt, other's swim, others chase.

Size matters as well - - it's the law of common sense -- the bigger the dog, the bigger the teeth. While your dog is potentially a dangerous dog -- it has a well deserved as well as an ill gotten reputation. I've seen some dogermans who were as dumb as a rock and never seemed to grow out of puppy hood - and others I would not go within a hundred feet of.

If you are going to have a large dog - of any kind -- it is best to have it totally in your command at all times. It is odd though how we might be leary of a doberman and never think twice about a St. Bernard.

Good luck with your dog -- and always err on the side of caution when people come into your home - especially children.
Sometimes the smell or the personality of a visitor (say a guest brought along someone you didn't know and your dog picks up on something you may miss that doesn't sit well with the dog or a child your dog has never met before)

Keep your dog leashed and close by until you are certain that no one there is going to set off your dog with any unexpected behaviors. We have a Golden, and he's a very good judge of character. If someone comes over our dog is leary of -- we've learned our dog NOSE best.

Answer 2

I believe it can be both: You should not breed a dog that is overly timid or has fear aggression, but I think that it is the way the dog is raised mostly (on a chain, no socialization, hitting, or kicking, starving, and any neglect are what cause aggression. There are some breeds that are more prone to bite, but not beacuse they are aggressive but because they were bred to guard and they will protect what they feel they should even if it requires biting. I do not like to recommend dog breeds to anyone without know them. I guess if I had to I would recommend an ADULT from a shelter, if the person was instant on a breed I might recommend a Standard Poodle, Beagle, or maybe even a Pug. I would choose a medium size dog that is intelligent and eager to please, that does not have major grooming issues. I would not recommend most large breeds, but I definitly would not recommend any Bully Breeds (including Boxers, Bulldogs, PittBulls, Staffshire Terriers, ect), or Shepards, Rottweilers, Shar Peis, Chows, Terriers, Huskies, Malamutes, or any Mastiffs. The reason being is I love most of these breeds, especially the Bully Breeds, and I have seen way to many who are abandoned, because people are not able to train them. The owners are not strong enough leaders and the owner is not able to control and train the dog. This causes the dogs to remain unsocialized and untrained which can lead to disastrous situation. It is what also causes alot of owners to hit, kick, beat, and tie the dog out on a chain until they grow tired of it and dump it for someone else to deal with. I would never recommend a puppy for a first time owner, because they are so difficult to raise. That is just my opionion. Sorry about mispellings, spell check not working.

Answer 3

There's no one answer; some dogs are insane, some are just nasty. Others have been badly handled, or encouraged to be aggressive. Most are left to their pwn devices and the owners are amazed when something goes wrong.
Often its just ignorance on the part of the owners; they don't see their dog as a risk. They don't believe their dog will bite. They make excuses if it does. Or they just don't know how to train a dog to be under control, or think they have to show it whos boss and just get it all wrong.
And some people just can't be bothered to train. Or they think the dog 'should' do what its told.
Dog trainers hear every miserable excuse under the sun. They also talk to people who are desperate for help and really want to learn, they just need to be shown what to do.

Dogs bite each other for various reasons and they have no way to communicate other than to just be themselves; we have to teach them never to bite a human, no matter what the provocation.
With some breeds and individuals its easy; others are closer to biting to start with. So they need more precise training.
Don't be worried that this other dog in the news was a doberman; there are thousands of them in the uk today.
You can get your dog to sit quietly when you answer the door instead of leaping all over your visitor or running off up the street. So you're doing something right!
Can you safely take a chewstick off him? Can you get him to ignore a cat? If he shows interest in something in the park, can you call him back? Maybe those are the kinds of things you want to learn how to do.

I didn't hear about the incident you mentioned; but I wouldn't leave any 3 year old with any dog.

Answer 4

Temperament is extremely hereditary, this is why when looking for a puppy of any breed or mongrel you should always see the parents. Bad temperaments and aggresive/over dominant dogs can occur in any breed and some puppies will be predisposed this way because of their parents.

On the other side of the coin, so many dogs with a normal/good temperament will develop aggresiveness through the environment the live in and the training they recieve. Usually this is much more common.

The latter is much more distressing as in the right home with the right owners it could have been a wonderful dog!

If only ALL breeders could be more discerning as to the homes their puppies go to.
Would love to see new dog owners having to attend some training classes or seminars before they are allowed to take a dog home!!!
Many bad homes are a result of ignorance rather than deliberate cruelty etc.

Answer 5

This is an interesting question. I believe that both genetics and upbringing are the key factors here but that genetics play a larger role than we care to admit. I'll explain why I say this.

First of all, certain dogs are predesposed genetically to aggressive behaviour. This is obvious in dogs that have been specifically breed as guard and attack breeds or fighting dogs etc. Any owner of such a breed should be aware of the dogs breed origins.

Take puppies from a litter of dobermans. You'll have some soft and gentle characters (if any pup can be called gentle!) and somemore dominant characters. Take puppies from a litter of Golden Retrievers and you will still have the quiet gentle ones and the more dominant ones. No upbringing here, just their genetic personalities coming through. If you compare the dominant characters in the doberman and golden retriever litters, I don't think that any one would disagree that the doberman pups are more fiesty and more athletic as they boss their litter mates around. Again this is their genetic make up.

Those pups from either litter will go to different homes and if the dominant characters are trained and brought up correctly by experienced handlers, such as yourself, there will be few incidents of bad behaviour. However, if they go to bad homes, and if they are subject to cruel behaviour, they will undoubtably become dangerous dogs. The average badly behaved doberman will do more damage than the average badly behaved golden retriever because they are bred to be strong, fearless and independant thinkers.

The more submissive characters with typically more gentle behaviour wll generally go through life with fewer problems and fit into their human families. Again this is the same for both the dobermans and the golden retrievers. If they are badly treated they will also develop behaviour problems.

I have always been amazed that many rescue dogs who have been through the most horrific experiences, are rehomed quite happily and adapt to their safer life well, overcoming fears and bad habits. They are not necessarily put off from interacting with humans. In contrast, other dogs become impossibly aggressive and are put down. I believe that this is strong evidence of the strength of a dog's predisposition as a result of the genetic makeup.

Personally, I think that dobermans are beautiful intelligent dogs as are rottweilers, akitas, rhodesian ridgebacks and many of the other strong and working dog breeds. The sad truth is that these breeds are very unsuitable for irresponsible and inexperienced handlers, the very people who seem to be attracted to these breeds! They are powerful, typically domineering and think for themselves. They do not have the traits of gundogs who follow their owners around and have soft mouths etc.

It seems that the people often attracted to these big strong dogs are the irresponsible and inexperienced looking to improve their street cred and that is why the public are in general afraid of them.

Answer 6

Naturally certain breeds are more aggressive than others by nature. This stems from the deliberate selection of guarding and/or aggressive fighting traits.

In modern society these traits are tamed down to some degree as the dogs don't have to perform in the same capacity but the latent aggression is still there.

You are more likely to have a Doberman or fighting breed lose its rag than a labrador, for example.

If the owner brings his animal up to be obedient and well socialised then it is likely these latent traits will never be an issue but it is far easier to encourage a doberman to bite than a retriever- that is just common sense.

I had a Doberman when i was a boy and she was the most amazing, loving, loyal animal I have ever encountered. She would not have been aggressive without reason but i always knew she was there for me if I needed her.

There will always be bad animals in an otherwise sound collection of animals. I know the question you are referring to- the owner does seem a bit daft and whilst i agree that the child should not have just grabbed the doby he must have been aware that the dog has a tendency towards this type of rat-trap mentality ergo it should have been muzzled.

There are some lines of dog that will always be more aggressive than others- even in the same breed. So it is a combination of genes and environment.

Answer 7

Certain breeds of dogs are by nature more easily excited and have been breed for protection.
Dobermans for expamle were bred to protect humans. That is all they were bred for. They are good at it. They tend to have a high prey drive and will chase things. They like to play hard and rough. They like to be the dominant one in a relationship and most people do not want to put in that much time training with them. Dobes are smart and they TEST to see who is in charge. If they are they will gladly take over if you let them.
I work as a behavioral midification trainer for people who are having specific problems with dogs. Mostly Doberamns but have worked with many other breeds. I also train upland bird dogs to hunt.
I love dobermans and will never be without at least one in the house. They are great dogs but not great for every owner. Although my Mom loves mine she would make a bad dobe woner as the dog would rule the house. She has a dacshund that rules the house now I can only imagine what a Dobe would do.
Owners need to train with the dog and most are fine there are a few truely aggressive dogs who for everyone safety should be put down but it not common like people think.

Answer 8

Some dogs are actually born with mental health issues, just as some people are. However, the majority of aggressive dog problems, is from lack of the owner's knowledge of how to train, or just plain laziness in neglecting the training and socialization...

In 38 years of breeding, I have produced 3 pups that were 'mean' from the time they had eyes opened..They were aggressive with litter-mates, and later just ill tempered and aggressive to anything that caused any aggravation..One of those 3 was a Doberman..

Answer 9

Ahh, the old question NATURE OR NUTURE.....
Well, I believe it's a combination of both. Although sometimes one can override the other. (i.e. many dominant agressive dogs can be trained to be very obedient, other friendly breeds can be made agressive by bad conditions.)

However, each breed has good and "challenging" characteristics which can be exagerrated or kept at bay by good training.

I am the owner of a very obedient, well-behaved pit-bull. However, I must be careful not to get her into situations where her instinctual dog-agressive behavior can come out.

Good luck with your doberman. They are one of the most highly intelligent, eager to perform breeds. They are also a dominant independent breed that requires a skillful master and trainer, so get those skills if you need them, and your dobe will be your best asset.

Answer 10

I hate to say because I never thought it could be true, but mainly it has to do with breed and some to do with how they are raised. I have worked in a very busy vet office and what I have seen are certain breeds that are naturally aggressive. Chows, Dalmatians, Pit bulls, Rots, Dobermans. I hate it but for the things that I have seen it it true, Chihuahuas are even known to be aggressive dogs and I will never own one with a child. Now there are different types of aggression. They could be protecting their family, meaning you. They could be protecting pups or soon the be born pups. They could just not like small loud children. Some dogs are prone to arhritus and when they get older they hurt and in turn get snippy. I have never seen an aggressive labrador unless it is mixed with another breed, like a chow for example. They are just mellow dogs. anyhow I could talk all day about this topic but the answer is really "both" but mainly genes.