Ranking Dog Breeds from the Most Aggressive to their Owners to the Least Aggressive to their Owners

Last Updated: Nov 22, 2022

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Dog Breeds that are Very Aggressive to their Owners
Dog Breeds that are least Aggressive to their Owners

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 Owner Directed Aggression. This allowed us to rank dogs based on Owner 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 Owner 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 Owner 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 their Owners

1. Pekingese

Weight of the Pekingese : 7 to 14 pounds

Height of the Pekingese : 6 to 9 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Pekingese : 12 to 15 years

Pekingese Puppy Price : $1288 to $2500

See list of Reputable Pekingese Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Pekingese

2. Basenji

Weight of the Basenji : 22 to 24 pounds

Height of the Basenji : 16 to 17 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Basenji : 10 to 12 years

Basenji Puppy Price : $1450 to $1450

See list of Reputable Basenji Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Basenji

3. 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

4. Lhasa Apso

Weight of the Lhasa Apso : 12 to 15 pounds

Height of the Lhasa Apso : 9 to 11 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Lhasa Apso : 12 to 15 years

Lhasa Apso Puppy Price : $1500 to $1996

See list of Reputable Lhasa Apso Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Lhasa Apso

5. Alaskan Husky

Alaskan Husky Puppy Price : $412 to $1000

6. Standard Schnauzer

Weight of the Standard Schnauzer : 30 to 50 pounds

Height of the Standard Schnauzer : 1 foot, 5 inches to 1 foot, 8 inches tall at the s

Lifespan of the Standard Schnauzer : 13 to 16 years

Standard Schnauzer Puppy Price : $1200 to $2000

See list of Reputable Standard Schnauzer Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Standard Schnauzer

7. French Bulldog

Weight of the French Bulldog : 16 to 28 pounds

Height of the French Bulldog : 11 to 12 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the French Bulldog : 11 to 14 years

French Bulldog Puppy Price : $3100 to $5000

See list of Reputable French Bulldog Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the French Bulldog

8. 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

9. 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

10. Poodle (Toy)

Weight of the Toy Poodle : 6 to 10 pounds

Height of the Toy Poodle : From 6 to over 10 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Toy Poodle : 12 to 15 years

Toy Poodle Puppy Price : $1900 to $3500

See list of Reputable Toy Poodle Puppy Breeders here

Dog Breeds that are least Aggressive to their Owners

1. Chinook

Weight of the Chinook : 55 to 70 pounds

Height of the Chinook : 21 to 27 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Chinook : 12 to 15 years

See list of Reputable Chinook Puppy Breeders here

2. 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

3. Irish Water Spaniel

Weight of the Irish Water Spaniel : 45 to 65 pounds

Height of the Irish Water Spaniel : 1 foot, 9 inches to 2 feet tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Irish Water Spaniel : 10 to 12 years

See list of Reputable Irish Water Spaniel Puppy Breeders here

4. Rhodesian Ridgeback

Weight of the Rhodesian Ridgeback : 70 to 85 pounds

Height of the Rhodesian Ridgeback : 24 to 27 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Rhodesian Ridgeback : 10 to 12 years

Rhodesian Ridgeback Puppy Price : $1250 to $1900

See list of Reputable Rhodesian Ridgeback Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Rhodesian Ridgeback

5. Italian Greyhound

Weight of the Italian Greyhound : 6 to 15 pounds

Height of the Italian Greyhound : 13 to 15 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Italian Greyhound : 14 to 15 years

Italian Greyhound Puppy Price : $1500 to $2250

See list of Reputable Italian Greyhound Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Italian Greyhound

6. Scottish Terrier

Weight of the Scottish Terrier : 18 to 22 pounds

Height of the Scottish Terrier : Up to 10 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Scottish Terrier : 11 to 13 years

Scottish Terrier Puppy Price : $1495 to $2000

See list of Reputable Scottish Terrier Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Scottish Terrier

7. Irish Setter

Weight of the Irish Setter : 60 to 70 pounds

Height of the Irish Setter : 2 feet, 1 inch to 2 feet, 3 inches tall at the sho

Lifespan of the Irish Setter : 11 to 15 years

Irish Setter Puppy Price : $1200 to $2200

See list of Reputable Irish Setter Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Irish Setter

8. Bouvier des Flandres

Weight of the Bouvier des Flandres : 70 to 100 pounds

Height of the Bouvier des Flandres : 23 to 26 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Bouvier des Flandres : 10 to 12 years

Bouvier des Flandres Puppy Price : $1600 to $2500

See list of Reputable Bouvier des Flandres Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Bouvier des Flandres

9. Portuguese Water Dog

Weight of the Portuguese Water Dog : 35 to 60 pounds

Height of the Portuguese Water Dog : 1 foot, 5 inches to 1 foot, 11 inches tall at the

Lifespan of the Portuguese Water Dog : 10 to 14 years

Portuguese Water Dog Puppy Price : $2500 to $3300

See list of Reputable Portuguese Water Dog Puppy Breeders here

10. German Wirehaired Pointer

Weight of the German Wirehaired Pointer : 60 to 70 pounds

Height of the German Wirehaired Pointer : 1 foot, 10 inches to 2 feet, 2 inches tall at the

Lifespan of the German Wirehaired Pointer : 12 to 14 years

German Wirehaired Pointer Puppy Price : $875 to $1200

See list of Reputable German Wirehaired Pointer Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the German Wirehaired Pointer

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

Owner-Directed-Aggression Rank	Breed	Owner-Directed-Aggression Score
1	Pekingese	100.0 %
2	Basenji	84.3 %
3	Australian Silky Terrier	66.0 %
4	Lhasa Apso	64.0 %
5	Alaskan Husky	60.1 %
6	Standard Schnauzer	58.1 %
7	French Bulldog	56.2 %
8	American Eskimo Dog	55.9 %
9	Alaskan Malamute	53.2 %
10	Poodle (Toy)	48.9 %
11	Maltese	46.0 %
12	Fox Terrier (Toy)	45.5 %
13	Basset Hound	43.2 %
14	Beagle	41.6 %
15	Bull Terrier	41.0 %
16	Dachshund	40.0 %
17	Cairn Terrier	38.2 %
18	Chihuahua	36.7 %
19	Tibetan Terrier	36.5 %
20	Dalmatian	36.1 %
21	Bearded Collie	34.5 %
22	Pomeranian	33.6 %
23	Jack Russell Terrier	32.5 %
24	Shih Tzu	32.4 %
25	Chinese Shar-Pei	32.3 %
26	English Bulldog	31.9 %
27	Yorkshire Terrier	30.3 %
28	Old English Sheepdog	30.2 %
29	Shiba Inu	28.8 %
30	Cocker Spaniel (American)	28.2 %
31	Chesapeake Bay Retriever	28.2 %
32	Dachshund (Miniature)	27.5 %
33	Miniature Pinscher	27.4 %
34	Poodle (Miniature)	26.5 %
35	Cocker Spaniel (English)	26.4 %
36	Cardigan Welsh Corgi	25.7 %
37	Chow Chow	24.3 %
38	Afghan Hound	24.1 %
39	Bulldog	23.1 %
40	Fox Terrier (Wire/Wire-haired)	22.8 %
41	Saint Bernard	22.6 %
42	Chinese Crested	22.1 %
43	English Springer Spaniel	21.9 %
44	Newfoundland	21.2 %
45	Samoyed	20.9 %
46	Papillon	20.5 %
47	Miniature Schnauzer	20.1 %
48	Parson Russell Terrier	19.8 %
49	Australian Cattle Dog	19.0 %
50	Pembroke Welsh Corgi	18.5 %
51	Cavalier King Charles Spaniel	18.1 %
52	Schipperke	18.1 %
53	Rottweiler	17.4 %
54	Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier	17.1 %
55	Black and Tan Coonhound	16.8 %
56	Siberian Husky	16.5 %
57	Akita	16.4 %
58	Rat Terrier	16.4 %
59	Anatolian Shepherd	16.3 %
60	Pug	15.4 %
61	Pit Bull mix	15.2 %
62	Bichon Frise	14.9 %
63	Shetland Sheepdog	14.8 %
64	Kuvasz	14.7 %
65	Border Collie	14.4 %
66	Bullmastiff	14.0 %
67	Borzoi	13.3 %
68	Greyhound	13.3 %
69	Flat-Coated Retriever	13.1 %
70	West Highland White Terrier	13.1 %
71	Belgian Malinois	12.7 %
72	Great Pyrenees	12.4 %
73	Redbone Coonhound	11.9 %
74	Fox Terrier (Smooth)	11.9 %
75	Norwegian Elkhound	11.8 %
76	Whippet	11.6 %
77	Airedale Terrier	11.5 %
78	Vizsla	11.5 %
79	Havanese	11.4 %
80	Golden Retriever	11.2 %
81	Australian Kelpie	11.0 %
82	Keeshond	10.9 %
83	Labrador Retriever	10.7 %
84	German Shepherd	10.4 %
85	Giant Schnauzer	10.3 %
86	Weimaraner	10.2 %
87	English Setter	9.5 %
88	Dingo	9.5 %
89	Staffordshire Bull Terrier	9.1 %
90	Ibizan Hound	8.7 %
91	American Bulldog	8.6 %
92	Gordon Setter	8.6 %
93	Boxer	8.5 %
94	Treeing Walker Coonhound	8.4 %
95	American Staffordshire Terrier	8.3 %
96	Eurasier	8.3 %
97	Belgian Sheepdog	8.3 %
98	Lagotto Romagnolo	8.0 %
99	Belgian Tervuren	7.7 %
100	German Shorthaired Pointer	7.7 %
101	Boston Terrier	7.6 %
102	Bernese Mountain Dog	7.3 %
103	Irish Wolfhound	7.2 %
104	Australian Shepherd	7.0 %
105	Brittany	6.9 %
106	Doberman Pinscher	6.7 %
107	Pit Bull	6.6 %
108	Collie	6.5 %
109	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever	6.4 %
110	Poodle (Standard)	6.4 %
111	Great Dane	6.1 %
112	Border Terrier	6.0 %
113	American Pit Bull Terrier	5.7 %
114	Mastiff (English)	5.6 %
115	German Wirehaired Pointer	5.4 %
116	Portuguese Water Dog	5.0 %
117	Bouvier des Flandres	4.9 %
118	Irish Setter	4.6 %
119	Scottish Terrier	3.9 %
120	Italian Greyhound	2.6 %
121	Rhodesian Ridgeback	0.9 %
122	Irish Water Spaniel	0.9 %
123	Pointer	0.3 %
124	Chinook	0.0 %