is saint bernard aggressive

They could meet the wrong person under the wrong circumstances. My question then is do these dogs truly qualify to be listed as dangerous? haha. No way! [Are They Confident In The Water? My calf is being viciously attacked. Audrey Kirchner (author) from Washington on February 18, 2012: Cute way of presenting the facts, Larry and I do agree. Debbie. Long time no see, my friendI'm so glad to see this writing career of yours is so incredibly successful-at least I'll bet it is. just bad dog owners. Saint Bernards are not dangerous in the traditional sense. I do think the way that the dogs are raised is essential to their training. I still think the most dangerous element of this whole scenario though is the dimwit owners - more to come on later hubs on THAT stupid score! I hear you on the panic first and relief afterwards.my 2 malamutes decided to prank us by getting in our downstairs door. But he's never bitten anyone seriouslyyet. While Saint Bernards will not show signs of aggression often; there are some particular environments and contexts in where it is more likely. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. I also believe that every dog is trainable and no dog is disposable. Each of them then grabbed a kitten, setting panic in the neighbourhood. We have a place now, but it a rent from owner situation. Banned breeds is like a dog holocaust in my opinion. However, I've met a few that were super aggressive and even bordered on vicious - all in the training. What a great pet and how long he lived! PALEEZE! Wow, excellent hub, and a great point of view. If you notice your dog being protective of their food for example, you must respect their needs and be sure not to interrupt them doing this time. But they also have an uncanny ability to interact with their human counterparts like no other dog I've ever owned. She has also rescued many other dog breeds. I've been off work for weeks and my leg is still not healed. He's certainly 'out there' but has chosen me, and that's that. IP, my last dog of twelve years was a St Bernard and previous to him three Great Danes in sequence. So good to read your wonderful words-grand hub as usual! Often aggressive acts are reserved for the intruder; if and when they were to encroach into the home. This can only increase and lead to aggression being totally unproductive. With an appropriate course of treatment, their behavior is likely to return favorably if this was in fact the cause. It's not that he can't get along with other dogs (He behaves well with my uncles Labradors and Pomeranian-Chiwawa (unless said mix starts his usual BS with my female, then i have to pull the male off him), it's just that he seems to hate other dogs on walks. Some breeds may still have tendencies that better served their ancestors. I know, Dim - neither can I believe that malamutes are on the list! For most owners, aggression never is observed, noticed or becomes an issue in this breed. However, that said, it is a constant thing, which you know too. Answer: I'm not certain. I've had a thing with my leg - totally unbelievable but I was walking Griff and fell down on a rock! How Much Exercise Does A Saint Bernard Need? She also had a penchant for chewing up poodles of all things! I have no doubt that in any given circumstance, if they misbehaved seriously, I would have to lose them and that is something I just never could bear. We have owned dogs for almost 50 years. I really liked your article . Audrey Kirchner (author) from Washington on April 07, 2011: MP - Thanks so much for adding more oomph to my post. share my comment if you agree!!!! So malamutes aren't dangerous? I, too, do not believe there is any such thing as a 'bad dog.' I've been laid up for weeks now with a golfball knot in my leg (blood) and managed somehow to also give myself a severe burn with icing it. Laurel Rogers from Bishop, Ca on March 26, 2012: I am sooooo confused, Aud! We had a perfect understanding! You could tell it was the owners fault the way their dogs behaved. Gitrdun444 - gotta love your user name! I think he goes a little bit crazy. P.S. Are Saint Bernards aggressive or is there a lack of knowledge and training among owners? How do I get him to stop being aggressive towards bigger Dogs? Saint Bernards generally become more docile as they age. Let's take a look at some breeds that made the list and some others that could be considered "honorable mentions." The most dangerous dogs in the world are the ones who have improper training or none at all and the most aggressive dog breeds are the ones who have the potential to do bad things if left to their own devices and not trained properly. OMG THERE IS NO THING AS A 'DANGEROUS BREED' ONLY A DANGEROUS DOG AND EVEN THEN YOU WOULD HAVE TO DO SOMETHING TO THE DOG TO MAKE IT AGESSIVE AND IF IT WAS ABUSED ITS STILL CHANGEABLE I HATE PEOPLE WHO SAY PITS OR ANY BREED IS DANGEROUS JUST BECAUSE OF ITS HISTORY WOULD YOU CALL THE HUMAN RACE DANGEROUS OR KILLERS BECAUSE OF OTHER PEOPLE DOING STUFF LIKE MURDER AND OTHER STUFF. was that a no?! Much like children, they need consistent 'parenting' as it were and most need a 'job' so if you don't have the time (or the personality) to be a responsible pet owner, babysit your friends' dogs when you need a 'fix' and don't get a dog you might doing more of an injustice than a service by 'neglecting' its needs as a breed. Therefore, you can imagine the kind of strength that is needed to counteract any jumping or over-exuberant playing. Ranger, dangerous? Training, of course can teach a dog to curb those instincts and again, be a good citizen. That said, I'm grateful every day for the opportunity to share my life with my 3 goofballs. Or a brown and black dog of unknown breed will be classified as a Rottweiler when in fact it could be a shepherd or another mixed breed. Is it a socialization thing?? Audrey Kirchner (author) from Washington on April 02, 2011: Darlene Sabella from Hello, my name is Toast and Jam, I live in the forest with my dog named Sam on April 02, 2011: Yes, your right you diffently know your dogs that's is a given. More on the dangerous dog list and what's missing, Why improper training can lead to aggression, Rottweiler (weighing in at 85110 pounds), German Shepherd (weighing in at 7085 pounds), Alaskan Malamute (weighing in at 80110 pounds), Presa Canario (weighing in at 100125 pounds), Saint Bernard (weighing in at 110180 pounds), Great Dane (weighing in at 90120 pounds), Wolf Hybrid (weighing in at 70100 pounds), Mastiff (weighing at 10070 pounds, though some claim up to 200 pounds), Reproductive status - Most dog attacks and bites occur from males who are not neutered or females with puppies, Dogs acquired for fighting purposes and trained to fight, Protection dogs that are trained to react and protect at all costs, Lack of socialization, especially at an early age. Same with jumping on people - I knowI'm very anal - but I figure if you have a dog that's on this dang list, you should be OVERLY cautious to a fault to protect the world rather than create more of a problem for the breed - or 'dangerous' dogs in general. Genetic conditions such as cocker spaniel rage syndrome, Lack of confidence - a frightened dog will react more than a confident dog, Being in the wrong place at the wrong time. They generally are kept as 'working' dogs on farms to work sheep for the farmer. Knocked on side door. Audrey Kirchner (author) from Washington on April 04, 2011: Marie - Totally agree with you - it is all about how they are brought up and all that! Im not sure what to do? I'd like to add that the relative dangerousness of a given breed is NOT the absolute number of dog bites, or dog bite deaths that's relevant, even when the breeds of the biters are correctly identified. I'm glad you've written it! I don't like having large dogs as pets anyway, not because I'm afraid they might be dangerous, but because it's just more convenient for me to have small pets (less food to buy, smaller living space to provide, etc). Voted up, thank you! Intrigued, I decided to spend some time researching the nature of this breed. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. I THOUGHT SO KNOW TAKE THIS IMFORMATION I GAVE YOU AND LEARN THAT A DANGEROUS BREED ISNT A REAL THING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Suppose the owner knew the dog was dangerous? It can help us to form a closer bond with them and it can also help us to set the social hierarchy within the home. Griffin and Denaya both were attacked on the street by a loose Presa Canario I think - all I know is that it was HUGE. All of them had been raised around children. The dogs that snapped or acted badly were many different breads. This can be within or outside of the same breed. Nonetheless, as they develop, grow into their larger size along with being properly socialized and trained, they mature and become far more mellow. However, it should be noted that one of the main reasons that dogs are on the list in the first place is because by and large, the dog bite reports or incidents reported almost always involve large breed dogs. They require consistency, so ensure they fully appreciate your commands. This malamute did serious damage, has been designated a "dangerous dog" by the SPCA, and now has a muzzle order, a neuter operation required, owner must display dangerous dog sign on house, must carry a one million dollar insurance policy, get microchipped, and abide by all other "dangerous dog" laws and restrictions. Take care and thanks (as always) for your kind, kind comments! Now whenever around people I stress out and Im sure he senses that. If we stopped to consider the situations that some of these dogs are in when the attack or the bite has occurred, in my opinion, you would find in almost every case that it was an unnecessary risk that was taken by the pet owner and a no-win situation for the dog involved. Hopefully they can read and maybe they'll find their way to my pages!! Thanks so much for the read. It depends upon their individual characteristics and most importantly, their training and socialization. Conversely, good-tempered dogs may also become vicious under the right circumstances. 2022 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. I never can see the point in people not being real. I'm a bit hesitant to regard this pitbull death post as genuine. She's making an exception for me regardless as I come with references from my current landlord for my dogs, proof of full vet care & pro training, and a hefty deposit. Unfortunately, I do not see the same care and attention in some other people's little dogs that needs to be addressed. I always look them square in the eye though and ask "but what did YOU do about their behaviors? You need to look out for any potential events, circumstances and environments that cause your dog unease. Especially while young or recently after you have adopted them. My Dog was used for bate when he was a puppy, He was rescued by the ASPCA when he was a year old and the Owner before me has had him for 6 years and My Dog has no issues with dogs smaller than him but yet he like our Neighbors Horses. Never allow the dog to go through a door or gate in front of you. Only bad owners and bad situations. By the way, how could you tell male or femaleprobably don't want to ask on this 'family' siteha ha. Glad you got accepted~~~. My malamute talks incessantly and some people misinterpret that as growling. He is 150 pounds and we have three kids and two cats. But if it'd been a chihuahua, it more likely would've gotten dressed in doll clothes and fed a cupcake! Personally I think we ought to have a list of the most dangerous dog owner traits. Then let's examine why these lists exist and learn some ways we as a society we can eradicate the need for them. I think the goal should be to inform more OWNERS how to raise their bloody dogs and we would see a considerable decrease in the bite statistics! Certain breeds are prone to certain behaviors, but when someone keeps that in mind while training a dog, those problems can be minimized. Audrey Kirchner (author) from Washington on September 16, 2012: jsdjohndavid--I don't think you can classify any dog breed across the board as dangerous--that was the whole point of my article. I had Chow dogs once and they were the best guys in the world - to me. So, when owning a Saint Bernard you must remain vigilant and responsible at all times. I believe that if we started at the core of the problem and people were smarter about man's best friend, there would be fewer and fewer bite reports and perhaps less need for the most dangerous dog lists. Yes, they have a great potential to disobey if as you say not properly trained. However, this is where the pet owner's responsibility is crucial. Sometimes, this level of protection is wrongly mistaken for genuine aggression. It is essential that when raising a Saint Bernard from a pup, that you overcome and early signs of aggression. However the risk of an individual TD biting someone could actually be LOWER than average. I love my dogs and I think they are awesome. PamelaThanks so much for your kind comment. One of the striking characteristics of Saint Bernards is that they are very loyal. By the way, I can't believe the chow chow also makes the list. Such as, whether or not they are dangerous, protective, and if and when they can display aggression. It's all about not putting your dog (any breed) into situations where they can do nothing but fail. I sell dog licences door to door. I figured the same thing.bloody news at 11:00!!! But they rarely have reports filed against them even when there is violence involved or bites why? As an aside, for 24 years, I owned a turtle. Crewman6 - I LOVE the turtle story - that is fantastic! If you previously suspected that they were aggressive, or perhaps had an unfortunate and unlikely bad experience with one once, be rest assured that this is a friendly, loving dog that would make a great addition to any home. You just can't give up and hide them away if they've had an incident. This includes Amazon. Thanks for the hub. theherbivorehippi from Holly, MI on April 06, 2011: What?? There, inlays the problem! Thanks for stopping by! They may have been mistreated or raised poorly. People need to research and committ to providing what the dog needs before diving in. Audrey Kirchner (author) from Washington on April 03, 2011: Dearabbysmom - I have had mostly rescue dogs over my lifetime and they really are a butt-load of work. I'm done with my rant now!! He came flying at our dogs to attack while the owner just STOOD there looking stupidly at what was happening. I would recommend you definitely just work with a trainer on it and see what you can come up with. He goes wide-eyed, to the point where it looks like he's watching some great tragedy. And they had a part chihuahua who was a cranky old buzzard - both dogs were lying in their beds in our dining room area. Their teeth can do a horrendous amount of damage in seconds just because they are large. You'd think there'd be something, especially since this sort of thing gets media frenzy. If your Saint Bernard begins to display aggression, it may be that they have an injury or illness that they are looking to keep from you. What are your thoughts? However, we must acknowledge and recognize their sheer size. I know you do the same and bravo to you~! Peteducate.com uses affiliate links; where we may earn from qualifying purchases (at no additional cost to you). I have had bad experiences myself with pit bulls but none obviously as severe as your experience. With all this being said, the Saint Bernard is not entirely immune to acts of aggression. Nevertheless, let us take a look at some examples of situations where a Saint Bernard may become aggressive: Some Saint Bernard males are more dominant and have a desire to be the alpha male. Answer: Dogs do all kinds of goofy behaviors but I do not think that a dog jumping on you is necessarily a sign of aggression. The people are usually very innocent about their reply - "well, no - I thought they were just a bad breed.". He was never leash trained and pulls dreadfully - the sellers told me they never leash train guardian dogs. I agree there is no such thing as a bad dog, but there is such a thing as a damaged dog. If a Saint Bernard is continuously placed in a situation that makes them anxious or very uncomfortable, they may act out aggressively because its a last resort that they feel is the only route out. That's what's happened to Griffin only it was a couple of RAT dogs that bit him - in the nose no less - at the same time! No injuries, no harm, just a prank from the "ferocious dogs". Prospective dog owners should be mindful of the relative risk for a typical dog of a certain breed, rather than the Scare-of-the-Month-Club headlines in newspapers. I am also the main writer and chief editor here at Pet Educate; a site I created to share everything Ive learned about pet ownership over the years and my extensive research along the way. True! Never allow the dog to lead you. I've got a rescued border collie with fear aggression issues. Too sad sometimes but they definitely are a working breed and you need to make sure that they stay focused on what they have rather than what mischief they can find to make up for it! Either way, its important that your dog learns through positive reinforcement techniques and that they are never punished. Who knew? It could be an 'accidental' puncture but it could kill something unintentionally so I try to always monitor their behavior, correct the 'not so good' and reinforce their positive attitudes. I believe in testing your dogs to make sure they are trained appropriately but never taking them into situations where you know they might fail just because of their natural instincts. I can't agree more. [Owners Dietary Guide]. I've never done this before because I don't like to see any dog get a 'rep' but this dog was TRULY not friendly. This is most likely to occur if they hear noises or suspect a threat to their owners. I find it hard to believe that anyone would consider them dangerous!! It's pointless to try to argue that perhaps the dog could be/would be better if his owner(s) knew how to care for him--unfortunately this kind of event is all too common because people with dogs like this DO NOT RAISE THEM PROPERLY nor do they spend the time training them like they should. The nature of the dog has to be taken into consideration when brought into a family situation as a pet. Hugs and dog slurps~~ (Mine have been so sweet about NOT jumping on my damaged leg - go figurethey are more graceful than their owner by far!). He'll get a bit jumpy, trying to get closer. Below are some practical steps that you can do to limit aggressive behavior and tendencies and to ensure they grow up to be the gentle and calm giants we know them to be: First and foremost, you need to keep a close eye on your Saint Bernard. I have always had Golden Retrievers and they are pretty gentle even though they can be fairly large. Lastly, they are on the dangerous dog breed list much like many of the other large breeds simply because their teeth are HUGE. BTW, what is a puggle, A combination of a pug and a ??? Audrey Kirchner (author) from Washington on June 09, 2018: It can be, yes, Kathy. Fortunately on 15 foot leash. Audrey Kirchner (author) from Washington on March 27, 2012: OMG - Hope you are okay!!! I did NOT have a h.a. Aggressive dogs are predominantly the result of mistreatment or an abusive relationship with their owners. Youll even commonly see them being referred to as Gentle Giants, or even Teddy Bears. They get a rep and we usually only know HALF of the story! One such characteristic of them is that they are protective by nature. Wow - we are lucky we have an 'open' type of house where there is a lot of space for them to run around in while they dodge the furniture! However, not all pet owners are the same and that is why the bad "rep" I think. Wishing you good healing--and incidentally--I have THREE mals and they have never bitten anyone--however, I take great care with mine simply because they are big and they have big teeth. I expect a lot from my brood in terms of good behavior, however, I try and remember their strengths but also am aware of their weaknesses and try and avoid situations that do not accentuate the positive! A small dog could have done the same thing to you only it wouldn't be as severe because "size matters."

Golden Cavapoo Full Grown,