[Swidemaiskikemu]

A New Study Finds English Cocker Spaniels as the most “aggressive breed.”
COMMENT: The NCRC is in agreement with Dr. Randall Lockwood, one of the authors of the CDC’s “Breeds of Dogs,” as well as a member of the AVMA Task Force. In 2007, Dr. Lockwood submitted an affidavit in opposition to the breed ban currently in effect in Denver, Colorado. He stated, in part: “Focusing on a single breed as the ‘source’ of the dog bite problem reflects a 19th century epidemiological mindset . . . The dog bite problem is not a disease problem with a single vector, it is a complex societal issue that must address a wide range of human behaviors in ways that deal with irresponsible behavior that puts people and animals at risk.”


World’s Meanest Dog: The English Cocker Spaniel?
Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News
May 22, 2009 — A floppy-eared, innocent-looking breed may be one of the world’s most aggressive dogs, according to a new study that found English cocker spaniels tend to be more hostile than other breeds.
“In our country and according to our database, the English cocker spaniel is the breed that shows more aggression problems,” lead author Marta Amat told Discovery News.
Amat, a researcher in the School of Veterinary Medicine at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, and her colleagues analyzed 1,040 cases of canine aggression brought to a nearby veterinary teaching hospital from 1998 to 2006. Of those cases, the majority of cases were attributed to English cocker spaniels, Rottweilers, Boxers, Yorkshire terriers and German shepherds.
Probing the data further, Amat and her team discovered that English cocker spaniels were more likely than other dogs to act aggressively toward their owners as well as unfamiliar people. In contrast, dogs with reported behavior problems from other breeds tended to act aggressively toward other dogs. Among the English cocker spaniels, golden varieties and males were found to be the most hostile.
The findings, published in the latest Journal of Veterinary Behavior, confirm an earlier study conducted by a separate Spanish team from the University of Cordoba, which also found males and golden English cocker spaniels were more aggressive than females or those with black and mixed-color coats.
In terms of coat color, Amat explained that the coat pigment melanin shares a common biochemical pathway with dopamine and other brain chemicals involved in the control of aggressive behavior.
Amat also noted that “inadequate handling by the owners due to their lack of information on dog behavior” is a contributing factor.
Other experts place even more blame on caretakers, suggesting there are no born-to-be-bad dogs, only bad owners.
Joaquin Perez-Guisado of the University of Cordoba led one of the earlier studies on English cocker spaniels and is the lead author of a new Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances study that found poor training by owners predicted aggressive behavior in 711 test subjects from a variety of breeds.
Taking all possible reasons into consideration, he and his team found that 40 percent of dominance aggression in dogs is associated with a lack of authority on the part of owners, who performed no, or minimal, obedience training.
According to Perez-Guisado and his team, “dogs that are trained properly do not normally retain aggressive dominance behavior.”
Members of the English Cocker Spaniel Club of America appear to agree. They describe their favorite breed as being “a homebody” that is “typically affectionate, loyal and reserved with strangers.”~
http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/dog-news/

[CenICrerflind]

My dh found me the same article. He was amazed it was a cocker, we have friends who have american cockers.

[Effofqueeno]

I'd actually heard this before, I don't know whether it's true or not. I remember a few years back I was watching It's Me or the Dog when Victoria was still filming the show in England and she was trying to help a family who had a nasty Cocker that kept attacking their young daughter. After all the training Victoria ended up telling the family the dog needed to be euthanized because it was just too aggressive. That was the first time I'd ever seen one of these tv trainers tell a family to put a dog down.

[Plaumpholavup]

i got bit by one of those mean a$$ lil dogs when i was younger. neighbor's dog. just attacked me for no reason. hate cockers.

[BinasiDombrs]

I have enjoyed all of the Spaniels that I have fostered in the past. But there is really no breed that I think is worse than others. I'm one of those weird people who like all breeds. lol

[Trikaduliana]

My next-door neighbor is an OR tech for a plastic surgeon. When we discussed dog bites one day, she told me that they see more patients who were bitten by Cocker Spaniels than any other breed. Labs came in next.

[Trikaduliana]

But there is really no breed that I think is worse than others. There is no "bad" breed. However, it's important to showcase these sides as a means to get through that banning "pit bulls" and Rottweilers isn't going to do a thing to stop dog bites, much less people getting killed from dogs.

[BinasiDombrs]

There is no "bad" breed. However, it's important to showcase these sides as a means to get through that banning "pit bulls" and Rottweilers isn't going to do a thing to stop dog bites, much less people getting killed from dogs.

Oh I agree. If they will show every single "Pit Bull" bite, they should just show every single dog bite.

Once a breed gets popular, sloppy breeding will follow, then overpopulation, and more often bites and attacks from that breed.

Cockers are pretty popular aren't they? They are here, atleast. Lol Huskies are actually becoming extremely common here in Vegas, and so Husky bites have risen. Hopefully that fad will fade quickly.

[sat23neus2]

Oh I agree. If they will show every single "Pit Bull" bite, they should just show every single dog bite.

Once a breed gets popular, sloppy breeding will follow, then overpopulation, and more often bites and attacks from that breed.

Cockers are pretty popular aren't they? They are here, atleast. Lol Huskies are actually becoming extremely common here in Vegas, and so Husky bites have risen. Hopefully that fad will fade quickly.

We've gotten a disgusting trend of the desiger "oodles"...larbradoodle, schoondle, cockapoo, yorkie poo, goldendoodle...ect.. I ran into like 4 poodles yesterday...not to be outdone by all of the BYBing of labs.

I haven't noticed a trend in huskies though, maybe it's just a vegas thing.

OH and doxies, which I think is a bit comical

[metrocartockasur]

Not surprised.

[Knillagrarp]

My sister has had a couple of Cockers in the past, and both of them were mean as everything, and would bite anyone, even bit her a couple of times. I had a Cocker one time, and she was great, but I've seen plenty that are mean little jokers.

[jeepgrandch]

Oh I agree. If they will show every single "Pit Bull" bite, they should just show every single dog bite.

Once a breed gets popular, sloppy breeding will follow, then overpopulation, and more often bites and attacks from that breed.

Cockers are pretty popular aren't they? They are here, atleast. Lol Huskies are actually becoming extremely common here in Vegas, and so Husky bites have risen. Hopefully that fad will fade quickly.

Damn,huskies in Vegas? Poor things must be just miserable.Dose it ever get cold there?

[jeepgrandch]

I'd actually heard this before, I don't know whether it's true or not. I remember a few years back I was watching It's Me or the Dog when Victoria was still filming the show in England and she was trying to help a family who had a nasty Cocker that kept attacking their young daughter. After all the training Victoria ended up telling the family the dog needed to be euthanized because it was just too aggressive. That was the first time I'd ever seen one of these tv trainers tell a family to put a dog down.

Thats crazy,I've never heard her suggest Euthing a dog,and I've seen her deal with alot of shitty dogs.As far as cockers The only one I ever spent anytime around was a disgusting little bugger who would allways hump you leg and anything else it could.It would even knock the baby over and try to hump on him!It ate womens panties and got sanitary napkins out of the trash and would growl at its owner when she tried to get them from him.She thought he was just the greatest dog ever.The husband finnaly got rid of the dog after it snatched a cookie from the baby and nipped at the poor little guy when he tried to get his cookie back.Man that dog was a disgusting deplorable little wretch!

[BinasiDombrs]

Damn,huskies in Vegas? Poor things must be just miserable.Dose it ever get cold there?

It actually snowed last year!! Crazy stuff lol but no It doesn't get really cold. Well it gets cold to me since I enjoy the 120 degree weather so anything below 70 is freezing! lmao

[Buincchotourb]

My friend's family had to put theirs down because it bit their owners several times and would not let any stranger pet him.

[spineeupsenry]

I cockers. My childhood dog growing up was a cocker spaniel and he was the sweetest thing ever. Everyone loved him.

[Goseciwx]

Cockers are mean. Period. They are babied way too much.

[VogsHoock]

Wow. I had to baby sit my uncles cocker and she was a little shit. As soon as she came into our home she starting nipping at my Boo. Thank god he is the way he is. I think part of her problem is that "lady" was spoiled and my uncle let her get away with EVERYTHING.. I think because she was small it was suddenly "ok" for her to have bad manners. But then my grandmother had one and she was such a sweet loving girl..

[SkatrySkith]

I've always heard that Cocker spaniels were biters....I don't know where I heard it...but I did.

I see Yorkies are on that list....I better keep a watch on "Killer" next door......