Watch out for the little guy

[CANDANeh]

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Having had a cattle dog I thought it would outrank the dachshund...go figure. My cattle dog (ranked 5th most aggressive) had a determination to follow instinctive or bred- in behavior that I have yet to witness in any domesticated animal. Not as "loving" as the border collie that followed or as predictable as my german shepherd was. Anyone who ever dealt with the cattle dog (especially as a working dog) will likely nod in agreement.

[Bill Glasheen]

One of the things you need to realize is that a large aggressive dog is the fastest dog to make it to the culling needle. Having owned several Great Danes that were larger than the average human, I was thankful that their nature was gentle. They were bred to hunt (and kill) wild boar. If a good-sized Dane really wanted to, it could easily kill a human. But their disposition is that of an over-sized lap dog. And that's a good thing.

On the aggression thing, I have a bit of a problem with the metric. Aggression to what? My Ridgeback is bred to chase, and it is single-minded in the pursuit of that instinct. I've sprained fingers in my hand, strained tendons in my elbow, and sprained muscles in my lower back trying to teach Maverick not to pull on the leash. Unless the choke collar accidentally gets around the floppy ear, a full-force yank just barely gets his attention. But he doesn't want to kill; he just wants to run things to death. He is otherwise a lovable dog that I could trust with kids if I didn't fear him knocking a kid over trying to kiss him in the face.

Aggression must also be weighed against persistence. Any "typically" aggressive dog goes running away screeching if I make a move towards it. But Pitt Bull Terriers? Some don't care if they run straight into their death. That's the kind of aggression that in my book is really scary.

- Bill

[CANDANeh]

On the aggression thing, I have a bit of a problem with the metric. Aggression to what?

Good point.
When something triggered my cattle dog into action it became highly independent and "aggressive" in pursuing what it knew must be done (much like your dogs need to chase). The cattle dog breed works with you not for you. The larger shepherd seemingly more aggressive dog always worked for me and was consistent no matter what triggers occurred.
The Australian shepherd was a wonderful blend as it could work independently until told otherwise.
True some breeds have strong remnants of the kill instinct which has been bred out of the "chasers and herders". Herders position the prey for the kill, but basically have "forgotten" how to finish the job in order to be a useful tool in herding our livestock.
In Nova Scotia (late 1800`s ) bull dog breeds were often used in hunting moose. Naturally dogs were lost in the hunt as once unleashed they did not relent even when critically injured.
To truly appreciate a pet I think knowing where it came from is essential in making it be a positive part of our lives. Interesting about the Great Dane, I did not know that.

[Bill Glasheen]

When something triggered my cattle dog into action it became highly independent and "aggressive" in pursuing what it knew must be done (much like your dogs need to chase). The cattle dog breed works with you not for you

Working WITH you is definitely what the Ridgeback does. It is single-minded in pursuit of what it is bred to do - to a fault. My thinking here is that any dog bred to hunt lions (chasing, not killing) would be eliminated in short order if it wasn't completely focused on its prey.

Before my intact dog got too big to let loose in suburbia (too many cars, don't want to chase him all over the county, etc.), I used to let him run around my neighborhood. He had this way of doing "fly bys" with cats in the neighborhood, much like the character Maverick did to the control tower in Top Gun. The cats would get so frustrated that they'd just stand in a spot and hope to swat at him as he ran by. Never worked...

Interesting about the Great Dane, I did not know that.

The Great Dane's origin is the mix of two very old breeds: the Bullmastiff and the Greyhound. To hunt a wild boar, you need the strength of the Mastiff to kill the animal, but the agility of the Greyhound to keep from getting skewered by their tusks.






Natural selection on the hunt led to the final standard for the breed.









- Bill