Ranking Dog Breeds from the Most Aggressive to Other Dogs to the Least Aggressive to Other Dogs

Last Updated: Nov 22, 2022

Quick Links: Table of Contents

Dog Breeds that are Very Aggressive to Other Dogs
Dog Breeds that are least Aggressive to other Dogs

Introduction

It used to be very difficult to reliably measure the temperament of dogs.

However, in 2015, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania developed the Canine Behavioral Assessment & Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ) tool.

Many research studies have shown that the C-BARQ tool can reliably measure the behavior of dogs.

With data from the C-BARQ tool, you can calculate how bad or good the temperament of a dog breed is.

We analyzed data from the C-BARQ database to obtain the temperament score of dog breeds for Dog Directed Aggression. This allowed us to rank dogs based on Dog Directed Aggression.

Note that the fact that a dog breed ranks high for bad behavior does not mean all hope is lost for the dog breed. With proper early training, you can always mold a dog`s temperament into what you want.

Also, smaller dog breeds tend to have high aggression scores. However, aggression in small dog breeds is usually born out of insecurities or fear, and less from the meanness of their hearts.

Note that Dog Directed Aggression is one of the 14 temperament components that the C-BARQ test measures.

The complete 14 temperament components are:

Below is our ranking of dog breeds based on Dog Directed Aggression.

Click on the link for each breed to learn more about the complete temperament of the breed.

Click here to see our ranking of dog breeds from the ones with the overall `best` temperament to the ones with the `worst` temperament.

Dog Breeds that are Very Aggressive to Other Dogs

1. American Eskimo Dog

Weight of the American Eskimo Dog : 18 to 35 pounds

Height of the American Eskimo Dog : 15 to 19 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the American Eskimo Dog : 12 to 15 years

American Eskimo Dog Puppy Price : $800 to $1500

See list of Reputable American Eskimo Dog Puppy Breeders here

2. Parson Russell Terrier

Parson Russell Terrier Puppy Price : $1500 to $2000

See list of Reputable Parson Russell Terrier Puppy Breeders here

3. Chinese Crested

Weight of the Chinese Crested : 5 to 12 pounds

Height of the Chinese Crested : 11 to 13 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Chinese Crested : 10 to 14 years

Chinese Crested Puppy Price : $1000 to $1800

See list of Reputable Chinese Crested Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Chinese Crested

4. Pit Bull mix

5. Dachshund

Weight of the Dachshund : 16 to 32 pounds

Height of the Dachshund : 8 inches to 9 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Dachshund : 12 to 15 years

Dachshund Puppy Price : $1000 to $2000

See list of Reputable Dachshund Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Dachshund

6. Akita

Weight of the Akita : 70 to 130 pounds

Height of the Akita : 2 feet to 2 feet, 4 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Akita : 10 to 12 years

Akita Puppy Price : $1100 to $2200

See list of Reputable Akita Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Akita

7. Alaskan Malamute

Weight of the Alaskan Malamute : 75 to 100 pounds

Height of the Alaskan Malamute : 1 foot, 11 inches to 2 feet, 1 inch tall at the sh

Lifespan of the Alaskan Malamute : 12 to 15 years

Alaskan Malamute Puppy Price : $950 to $2000

See list of Reputable Alaskan Malamute Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Alaskan Malamute

8. Bull Terrier

Weight of the Bull Terrier : 35 to 75 pounds

Height of the Bull Terrier : 21 to 22 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Bull Terrier : 10 to 15 years

Bull Terrier Puppy Price : $1300 to $2000

See list of Reputable Bull Terrier Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Bull Terrier

9. Miniature Schnauzer

Weight of the Miniature Schnauzer : 11 to 20 pounds

Height of the Miniature Schnauzer : 13 to 14 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Miniature Schnauzer : 12 to 14 years

Miniature Schnauzer Puppy Price : $1400 to $2500

See list of Reputable Miniature Schnauzer Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Miniature Schnauzer

10. Australian Silky Terrier

Weight of the Silky Terrier : 8 to 10 pounds

Height of the Silky Terrier : 9 to 10 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Silky Terrier : 12 to 15 years

Silky Terrier Puppy Price : $1800 to $2738

See list of Reputable Silky Terrier Puppy Breeders here

Dog Breeds that are least Aggressive to other Dogs

1. Pointer

Weight of the Pointer : 45 to 75 pounds

Height of the Pointer : 1 foot, 11 inches to 2 feet, 4 inches tall at the

Lifespan of the Pointer : 12 to 15 years

Pointer Puppy Price : $800 to $800

See list of Reputable Pointer Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Pointer

2. Black and Tan Coonhound

Weight of the Black and Tan Coonhound : 75 to 100 pounds

Height of the Black and Tan Coonhound : 23 to 27 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Black and Tan Coonhound : 10 to 12 years

Black and Tan Coonhound Puppy Price : $400 to $800

See list of Reputable Black and Tan Coonhound Puppy Breeders here

3. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Weight of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel : 13 to 18 pounds

Height of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel : 12 to 13 inches at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel : 9 to 15 years

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Puppy Price : $2000 to $3000

See list of Reputable Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

4. Irish Wolfhound

Weight of the Irish Wolfhound : 115 to 180 pounds

Height of the Irish Wolfhound : 32 to 35 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Irish Wolfhound : 6 to 8 years

Irish Wolfhound Puppy Price : $1000 to $2100

See list of Reputable Irish Wolfhound Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Irish Wolfhound

5. Keeshond

Weight of the Keeshond : 35 to 45 pounds

Height of the Keeshond : 1 foot, 4 inches to 1 foot, 7 inches tall at the s

Lifespan of the Keeshond : 12 to 15 years

Keeshond Puppy Price : $1800 to $2000

See list of Reputable Keeshond Puppy Breeders here

6. Eurasier

Weight of the Eurasier : 40 pounds to 71 pounds

Height of the Eurasier : 19 inches to 24 inches

See list of Reputable Eurasier Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Eurasier

7. Bearded Collie

Weight of the Bearded Collie : 45 to 55 pounds

Height of the Bearded Collie : 20 to 22 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Bearded Collie : 12 to 14 years

Bearded Collie Puppy Price : $500 to $975

See list of Reputable Bearded Collie Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Bearded Collie

8. Collie

Weight of the Collie : 50 to 70 pounds

Height of the Collie : 22 to 26 inches all at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Collie : 10 to 14 years

Collie Puppy Price : $1000 to $1800

See list of Reputable Collie Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Collie

9. Greyhound

Weight of the Greyhound : 50 to 85 pounds

Height of the Greyhound : 2 feet, 1 inch to 2 feet, 6 inches tall at the sho

Lifespan of the Greyhound : 12 to 15 years

Greyhound Puppy Price : $500 to $800

See list of Reputable Greyhound Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Greyhound

10. Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

Weight of the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever : 35 to 50 pounds

Height of the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever : 1 foot, 5 inches to 1 foot, 9 inches tall at the s

Lifespan of the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever : 10 to 14 years

See list of Reputable Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever Puppy Breeders here

See below the full ranking of dog breeds based on Dog Directed Aggression.

Dog-Directed-Aggression Rank	Breed	Dog-Directed-Aggression Score
1	American Eskimo Dog	100.0 %
2	Parson Russell Terrier	90.2 %
3	Chinese Crested	87.0 %
4	Pit Bull mix	83.4 %
5	Dachshund	81.3 %
6	Akita	80.9 %
7	Alaskan Malamute	76.1 %
8	Bull Terrier	75.2 %
9	Miniature Schnauzer	75.1 %
10	Australian Silky Terrier	74.9 %
11	Fox Terrier (Wire/Wire-haired)	73.0 %
12	Pekingese	72.3 %
13	Chihuahua	71.8 %
14	Fox Terrier (Smooth)	70.3 %
15	Pit Bull	69.7 %
16	Miniature Pinscher	69.3 %
17	Chesapeake Bay Retriever	69.3 %
18	Australian Kelpie	69.2 %
19	Old English Sheepdog	68.9 %
20	Bullmastiff	68.7 %
21	Boxer	68.6 %
22	Rat Terrier	68.0 %
23	Treeing Walker Coonhound	67.9 %
24	Australian Cattle Dog	67.1 %
25	Shiba Inu	66.9 %
26	Belgian Malinois	66.8 %
27	Basenji	66.6 %
28	American Pit Bull Terrier	66.5 %
29	German Shepherd	66.2 %
30	Jack Russell Terrier	65.8 %
31	Saint Bernard	63.0 %
32	Staffordshire Bull Terrier	62.6 %
33	Tibetan Terrier	62.3 %
34	Chinese Shar-Pei	61.7 %
35	English Bulldog	60.5 %
36	Dachshund (Miniature)	60.1 %
37	Lhasa Apso	59.6 %
38	Schipperke	58.6 %
39	Border Terrier	58.5 %
40	English Springer Spaniel	57.5 %
41	Standard Schnauzer	56.4 %
42	Maltese	55.9 %
43	Yorkshire Terrier	55.6 %
44	American Staffordshire Terrier	55.3 %
45	Anatolian Shepherd	54.3 %
46	Boston Terrier	53.5 %
47	Pembroke Welsh Corgi	53.2 %
48	Cairn Terrier	52.8 %
49	Alaskan Husky	51.7 %
50	Cardigan Welsh Corgi	50.9 %
51	Australian Shepherd	50.9 %
52	Dalmatian	50.6 %
53	Irish Water Spaniel	50.4 %
54	Fox Terrier (Toy)	50.0 %
55	Doberman Pinscher	49.5 %
56	Belgian Sheepdog	48.4 %
57	Border Collie	47.6 %
58	Afghan Hound	47.6 %
59	Bouvier des Flandres	47.1 %
60	Beagle	45.9 %
61	Giant Schnauzer	45.8 %
62	Airedale Terrier	45.7 %
63	Pomeranian	44.9 %
64	Belgian Tervuren	43.3 %
65	Flat-Coated Retriever	43.0 %
66	West Highland White Terrier	42.7 %
67	Kuvasz	42.2 %
68	Cocker Spaniel (American)	42.0 %
69	Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier	41.9 %
70	French Bulldog	41.9 %
71	Poodle (Miniature)	41.1 %
72	Papillon	40.3 %
73	Gordon Setter	40.2 %
74	Great Dane	39.8 %
75	Bulldog	39.4 %
76	Vizsla	38.3 %
77	American Bulldog	37.3 %
78	German Shorthaired Pointer	37.1 %
79	Rottweiler	36.9 %
80	Redbone Coonhound	36.8 %
81	German Wirehaired Pointer	36.7 %
82	Cocker Spaniel (English)	36.5 %
83	Borzoi	36.4 %
84	Poodle (Standard)	35.7 %
85	Weimaraner	35.2 %
86	Chow Chow	34.6 %
87	Poodle (Toy)	34.5 %
88	Rhodesian Ridgeback	32.7 %
89	Siberian Husky	31.8 %
90	Samoyed	30.4 %
91	Mastiff (English)	29.9 %
92	Ibizan Hound	29.4 %
93	Scottish Terrier	29.3 %
94	Portuguese Water Dog	29.2 %
95	Shih Tzu	28.9 %
96	Great Pyrenees	28.8 %
97	Havanese	28.5 %
98	Bichon Frise	28.1 %
99	Dingo	27.7 %
100	Labrador Retriever	27.6 %
101	Norwegian Elkhound	27.2 %
102	Newfoundland	27.0 %
103	Golden Retriever	26.7 %
104	Chinook	26.3 %
105	Brittany	25.7 %
106	Italian Greyhound	23.5 %
107	Basset Hound	21.6 %
108	Pug	21.4 %
109	English Setter	20.8 %
110	Irish Setter	20.7 %
111	Shetland Sheepdog	20.3 %
112	Lagotto Romagnolo	20.1 %
113	Bernese Mountain Dog	19.5 %
114	Whippet	19.3 %
115	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever	19.3 %
116	Greyhound	18.0 %
117	Collie	16.1 %
118	Bearded Collie	15.2 %
119	Eurasier	13.2 %
120	Keeshond	13.2 %
121	Irish Wolfhound	10.3 %
122	Cavalier King Charles Spaniel	9.3 %
123	Black and Tan Coonhound	6.3 %
124	Pointer	0.0 %