The world loves dogs. They are the most preferred pets in the world. People of all ages love dogs. They aren’t just great as pets, they are also great at tasks like sheep herding and fox hunting. On top of that, some dogs also serve in the military. The US Army has an aptly named K9 unit which consists of dogs that go into combat. As you can see, dogs are really awesome. But unfortunately, there are occasional cases of dogs biting humans as well. If the dog bite is minor and by a small dog, it doesn’t really affect people that much but when someone is bitten by a huge and powerful dog, the consequences can be more extreme. Sometimes, dog bites have resulted in people suffering traumatic injuries, facial disfigurement, and even death. In this post, we will find out what turns our lovable best friends aggressive at times. We will also take a look at some of the breeds that are considered more aggressive than others. Let’s get started.

Most Aggressive Dogs In The World: All You Need To Know

What makes dogs aggressive?

Among dog behaviour problems, aggressiveness is the most frequent. But also, given the large number of people who suffer from dog attacks every year in different parts of the world, it is a phenomenon of great importance for public health.

Aggression is an important characteristic of social behavior in animals, and generally refers to behavior performed to neutralize an individual or a situation perceived as threatening, which is ultimately resolved through combat or defense. Once aggressiveness has been defined, the next important step is to rule out from a veterinary clinical point of view any organic cause that may be causing the aggressive reaction. 

There may be tumors at the central level, hypothyroidism, pain or itching, a lot of organic elements that irritate the animal, as it happens to us when we have discomfort. If there are no organic causes, then other types of explanations for the attack can be sought, be it on people or other animals.

Aggression towards humans can be triggered in different situations. One of them may be a matter of social structure, which was previously called dominance, while now there is more talk of social conflict. The dog occupies a place in the group. When you think you are above the rest of those who make up that group, problems begin to arise. 

Other aggressions can be linked to the moment of play between the person and the dog, especially between puppies that are going through puberty and boys. Sometimes the transition between gambling and aggression is a very small limit, which in combination with the more hormonal influx, sometimes leads to these issues. 

This last situation is one of the reasons why male children are the population group most affected by dog ​​bites, due to the more active form of play, with more gestures, where fights are simulated, compared to which the dog sometimes responds in an aggressive way.

 Another type of situation that can trigger aggression, in this case in females, occurs when the mother is with her puppy and a person tries to take it away. Then there is “redirected” aggression, which occurs when two dogs are fighting and someone is attacked while trying to separate them.

While the list of dog-to-human aggression situations could go on for a bit longer, let’s now turn to dog-to-dog aggression. This usually occurs in environments where many dogs live in the same space. This situation is a headache for the owners.

The consequences of aggressions can vary from very mild to the most serious, which is the death of the person or another animal. There are people who are left with disfigured faces or who may lose a limb. But there are not only the physical consequences, but the psycho-emotional ones, which are even stronger in children. Once a child has a very negative experience with a dog, it can have future consequences or even “generate panic” when facing these animals.

Is Aggression in dogs related to their sex?

From this angle, the work shows that canine males are more involved in aggression episodes (62%) than females. According to the perception of veterinarians, similar percentages were found in aggression events between dogs (54%) and events directed at humans (46%).

This has a simple explanation: sex and aggression in males are linked to a hormone, testosterone, which regulates behavior patterns. In fact, in males that are aggressive, castration is recommended. Meanwhile, in females, the situation changes, and castration is not recommended to control aggressiveness, since it can even generate the opposite effect. 

The females in their reproductive cycle – depending on how many cycles each female has per year – have progesterone flow, an anti-stress hormone, which makes them respond less aggressively.

Which are the most aggressive dog breeds in the world?

German Shepherd

The German Shepherd is a medium-sized dog that weighs between 31 and 39 kilograms. The origins of the breed go back to the 19th century in Karlsruhe.

These dogs have served in the military for many years. They don’t like strangers, so they make good watchdogs. They are a very intelligent breed and were the first guide dogs for the blind. They are often used on search and rescue teams and also serve as police and drug dogs.

While they tend to dominate most “aggressive dog breeds” lists, they are usually kind and gentle with children. As long as they are not trained as guard dogs, they aren’t really that aggressive.

Rottweiler

Rottweilers are some of the largest and strongest dogs in the world. They have incredibly powerful jaws and can do serious damage while attacking.

These beasts can weigh between 38.5 kg and 58.9 kg. They are short-haired dogs with a straight, thick coat that is black with rust or mahogany markings.

The Rottweiler is named after the town of Rottweil in Germany. They were first known as the “Rottweiler Metzgerhund” but the name was later shortened to Rottweiler. In the past, they were used, among other things, to herd cattle and to hunt bears. They became popular as guard dogs and worked in the army and police.

They are usually good-natured with children, but because of their size and energy, they are not recommended for families with very young children. Even a friendly, playful gesture from a dog as powerful as a Rottweiler can cause a lot of damage to young children.

Chihuahua

This tiny breed of dog gets its name from its place of origin, the Mexican state of Chihuahua. They are officially the smallest dogs in the world. They are also among the oldest breeds. They belong to the toy group of dogs and reach 1.8 kg to 2.7 kg.

The Chihuahua can come in almost any color, and their coloring can either be solid, spotted, or striped. Chihuahuas are very loyal and devoted to their owners, but they are usually dogs with one or two caretakers. They can be jealous and bite or snap when they get too close to their owner. They are very spirited and are not known to be kid-friendly dogs. Because they don’t like strangers, they often bark and can be good watchdogs.

Don’t let the diminutive stature fool you, these dogs are very aggressive.

Pitbull terrier

These dogs have earned a very bad reputation over the years, and that’s not because of any fault of their own. A lot of dog fighting enthusiasts bred and trained these dogs to be aggressive and brutal fighters.

The Pitbull terrier which participated in numerous dog fights was actually quite large, aggressive and muscular. The breed that has emerged after dog fighting was banned, is much gentler and smaller.

Known as the American pit bull, this newer breed of pitbull is very loyal and protective of its owner and family. They are also known to be very good and patient with children.

If you are unsure about a pitbull’s pedigree, do a pedigree check before selecting him as a family dog. 

Dachshund

These German origin dogs can weigh anywhere between 3.6 kg and 14 kg.

The dachshund comes with long and short hair and can be any color. This breed was primarily used to hunt badgers. They were on the verge of extinction after World War I and are now some of the most popular dogs in the world.

Like most small breeds, the Dachshund is constantly looking for attention and can get extremely aggressive at times. 

If socialized at a young age they can be fine with children, but beware of too much rudeness.

Beware of small pets such as mice, rats, hamsters, as Dachshunds have a strong hunting instinct towards these types of animals.

Siberian husky

The next aggressive breed of dog is the majestic Siberian Husky. These large dogs can weigh between 15.8 kg and 31.5 kg. Their thick fur protects them from extreme cold. 

The Siberian Husky also pulls sleds over long distances in cold climates. They have also performed numerous rescues in the frigid cold.

While huskies tend to appear on most “aggressive dogs” lists, it’s a bit unfair to label them that. They are more territorial than aggressive. They are not the friendliest with other dog breeds, but they are usually very well behaved with kids.

Doberman Pinscher

These smart dogs tend to be quite big and their weight usually ranges from 31.7 kg and 40.8 kg.

They have thick, shiny, short-haired fur and come in red, black, bluish or beige colors.

This breed was developed by a German man named Karl Louis Dobermann He worked as a tax collector and wanted a dog to take with him when he visited the more dangerous areas he went to.

The Doberman Pinscher is a very intelligent breed and was mainly used as a watchdog and for police work.

They have very strong, protective instincts towards their owners, but if raised with strong leadership and good owners, they can get along with children and other dogs as well.

Jack Russell Terrier

The Jack Russell Terrier and the Parson Terrier are basically the same breed, but with little differences. While these dogs tend to be small, weighing between 6.3 to 8.1 kg, they can get very aggressive at times. 

These dogs were developed for fox hunting and as a result of that, they have very high energy levels and can get annoyed if they are forced to sit at home for a long time.

Jack Russells are small dogs and can reach 6.3 kg to 8.1 kg.

Their fur can be short-haired, long-haired, or broken. The term “broken” refers to their fur made from both long and short hair. These dogs aren’t best for children as they lack patience.

Dalmatian

These beautiful medium sized dogs come with a short and shiny spotted coat. They can weigh between 20.4 kg and 27.2 kg.

The exact origin of the Dalmatian has not been established. Similar dogs have been found in paintings in Egyptian tombs where they run behind carts. They have been used as carriage dogs to guard passengers and cargo since the late 18th century.

The Dalmatian can coexist with other dogs and needs to be socialized at an early age.

They are very energetic dogs and need a good place to release some of that energy. They also demand a lot of attention from their owners and tend to get aggressive if they don’t receive it.

Which aggressive dog breed is the most dangerous?

Perhaps no one sums up the answer to this question better than Cesar Milan (the Dog Whisperer). According to him, the most dangerous breed of dog is the one that’s bred by a human. 

How a dog behaves is completely dependent on the way it’s raised. Yes, there are some breeds that have higher energy than others but energy doesn’t always mean aggression. A lot of high energy dogs are extremely playful. 

Take the Pitbull’s case for example, it was known as a highly aggressive and dangerous breed (even fatal to humans) for a long time that it was bred for dogfighting. However, as dogfighting started getting hit with the ban hammer, Pitbulls that were raised in normal households, ended up becoming an extremely gentle, kind and loving breed of dogs.

Dogs usually reflect their owner’s personality so if the owner is very aggressive, the dogs will probably start mirroring that and vice versa. The best way to control your dog’s aggression is to give it enough exercise and not raise it in an angry, stressed environment.