I would agree with that some breeds are typically more aggressive than others; however a breed does not define a dog. I prefer to give a dog the benefit of the doubt once I have consulted with their owner and observed a dog on my own. For example, there is a dog beach by my house where I noticed a happy-go-lucky dog. It was a sweet Pit Bull, but I observed nobody wanted to allow their pet to play with this sweet girl. She was stout and her sheer size could intimidate, but I was able to see her offer great negotiation signals to my dog, so I allowed them to play. It was great; they took turns rolling one another and took breaks to make sure it stayed playful. If I judged that dog just on breed, my Zeus would have missed out on that great play date. Now, if I see a dominant breed with someone who appears to be more concerned with ego than their dog’s behavior, I will use caution, because I know that I need to be even more responsible because I have to pick up their slack of possibly being an irresponsible dog owner. You know who I mean: the people that allow their dog to pull them around all over… Guess who the dog thinks is in charge?
For my personal dogs, I have always loved the dominant breeds: Rottweiler; Pit Bulls, and my favorite, the Belgian Malinois (the breed Zeus is). These breeds can display severe aggression, but with dog proper training, their aggression can be controlled and circumstantial. For example, I am fine with my dog intimidating people that come to my door. Like guns, dogs don’t necessarily become dangerous until they are put in the hands of the wrong people. My point is to not always blame the dog for its tendencies. A lot of the issues with popular breeds like Pit Bulls is that backyard breeders are creating unstable bloodlines. If you ask me, amateur breeders are too concerned with breeding for looks rather than sound genetics. Since some dogs were bred to be guard dogs and serve in aggressive roles, I recommend giving those dogs jobs where they can express that natural tendency in a controlled environment. Consider dog sports such as personal protection or ring sports. It’s common to see GSDs, Rottweiler, Doberman, Malinois, and Pit Bulls in these games, to name a few. Dogs like Rhodesian Ridgeback were bred to hunt lions, so it should not come to any surprise if those dogs display some natural aggressive behavior. The behavior may come out in different ways, but it is still there somewhat. If your dog seems to be extra irritated or walk around with a chip on the shoulder, it could simply be due to the breeding and bloodlines.
