Ranking Dog Breeds from the Most Aggressive to Strangers to the Least Aggressive to Strangers

Last Updated: Nov 22, 2022

Quick Links: Table of Contents

Dog Breeds that are Very Aggressive to Strangers
Dog Breeds that are Very Friendly to Strangers

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 Stranger Directed Aggression. This allowed us to rank dogs based on Stranger 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 Stranger 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 Stranger 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 Strangers

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. 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

3. Miniature Pinscher

Weight of the Miniature Pinscher : 8 to 11 pounds

Height of the Miniature Pinscher : 10 to 12 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Miniature Pinscher : 10 to 14 years

Miniature Pinscher Puppy Price : $825 to $1500

See list of Reputable Miniature Pinscher Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Miniature Pinscher

4. Dachshund (Miniature)

Miniature Dachshund Puppy Price : $1300 to $2500

5. 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

6. 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

7. Belgian Malinois

Weight of the Belgian Malinois : 40 to 80 pounds

Height of the Belgian Malinois : 22 to 26 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Belgian Malinois : 12 to 14 years

Belgian Malinois Puppy Price : $850 to $1800

See list of Reputable Belgian Malinois Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Belgian Malinois

8. 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

9. Chinese Shar-Pei

Weight of the Chinese Shar-Pei : 40 to 55 pounds

Height of the Chinese Shar-Pei : 18 to 20 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Chinese Shar-Pei : 8 to 12 years

Chinese Shar-Pei Puppy Price : $1100 to $2000

See list of Reputable Chinese Shar-Pei Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Chinese Shar-Pei

10. Chihuahua

Weight of the Chihuahua : 3 to 6 pounds

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

Lifespan of the Chihuahua : 10 to 18 years

Chihuahua Puppy Price : $900 to $2500

See list of Reputable Chihuahua Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Chihuahua

Dog Breeds that are Very Friendly to Strangers

1. Siberian Husky

Weight of the Siberian Husky : 35 to 60 pounds

Height of the Siberian Husky : 20 to 23 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Siberian Husky : 12 to 15 years

Siberian Husky Puppy Price : $700 to $1250

See list of Reputable Siberian Husky Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Siberian Husky

2. 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

3. 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

4. Samoyed

Weight of the Samoyed : 50 to 60 pounds

Height of the Samoyed : 1 foot, 7 inches to 2 feet tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Samoyed : 12 to 14 years

Samoyed Puppy Price : $1500 to $3000

See list of Reputable Samoyed Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Samoyed

5. 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

6. 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

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. Whippet

Weight of the Whippet : 18 to 48 pounds

Height of the Whippet : 18 to 22 inches tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Whippet : 12 to 15 years

Whippet Puppy Price : $2500 to $2600

See list of Reputable Whippet Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Whippet

9. Dingo

10. Flat-Coated Retriever

Weight of the Flat-Coated Retriever : 55 to 70 pounds

Height of the Flat-Coated Retriever : 1 foot, 10 inches to 2 feet tall at the shoulder

Lifespan of the Flat-Coated Retriever : 10 to 12 years

Flat-Coated Retriever Puppy Price : $100 to $100

See list of Reputable Flat-Coated Retriever Puppy Breeders here

Guide on how much food to feed the Flat-Coated Retriever

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

Stranger-Directed-Aggression Rank	Breed	Stranger-Directed-Aggression Score
1	American Eskimo Dog	100.0 %
2	Dachshund	91.3 %
3	Miniature Pinscher	90.7 %
4	Dachshund (Miniature)	83.1 %
5	Miniature Schnauzer	79.1 %
6	Australian Silky Terrier	74.1 %
7	Belgian Malinois	72.5 %
8	Pekingese	71.3 %
9	Chinese Shar-Pei	68.5 %
10	Chihuahua	67.8 %
11	Parson Russell Terrier	64.3 %
12	Anatolian Shepherd	63.4 %
13	Standard Schnauzer	63.3 %
14	Chesapeake Bay Retriever	62.9 %
15	Maltese	58.7 %
16	Australian Cattle Dog	58.6 %
17	Rat Terrier	56.3 %
18	Kuvasz	53.6 %
19	Chinese Crested	53.4 %
20	Yorkshire Terrier	52.6 %
21	Belgian Sheepdog	52.4 %
22	Schipperke	52.3 %
23	Lhasa Apso	50.6 %
24	Doberman Pinscher	49.8 %
25	Fox Terrier (Toy)	49.2 %
26	Fox Terrier (Wire/Wire-haired)	49.2 %
27	Chow Chow	48.4 %
28	German Shepherd	48.0 %
29	Australian Shepherd	47.9 %
30	Pit Bull mix	47.6 %
31	Bouvier des Flandres	44.8 %
32	Pomeranian	44.6 %
33	Jack Russell Terrier	43.9 %
34	Pit Bull	43.9 %
35	Poodle (Toy)	42.7 %
36	Giant Schnauzer	42.3 %
37	Bichon Frise	42.3 %
38	Weimaraner	42.2 %
39	Boxer	41.8 %
40	Dalmatian	41.5 %
41	Belgian Tervuren	40.9 %
42	Poodle (Miniature)	40.7 %
43	Old English Sheepdog	40.5 %
44	Cocker Spaniel (American)	40.4 %
45	Saint Bernard	39.9 %
46	Cairn Terrier	39.6 %
47	Redbone Coonhound	38.8 %
48	Rottweiler	36.8 %
49	Afghan Hound	36.5 %
50	Bull Terrier	36.5 %
51	American Bulldog	36.3 %
52	Great Pyrenees	36.0 %
53	Border Collie	35.2 %
54	Great Dane	34.8 %
55	Akita	33.6 %
56	Mastiff (English)	33.1 %
57	Beagle	32.4 %
58	Italian Greyhound	32.4 %
59	Treeing Walker Coonhound	32.3 %
60	American Staffordshire Terrier	32.3 %
61	Australian Kelpie	32.0 %
62	Havanese	31.5 %
63	Alaskan Husky	31.3 %
64	Bullmastiff	30.7 %
65	American Pit Bull Terrier	30.2 %
66	Basenji	29.9 %
67	Poodle (Standard)	29.9 %
68	Vizsla	29.7 %
69	Gordon Setter	28.8 %
70	Pembroke Welsh Corgi	28.8 %
71	English Springer Spaniel	28.5 %
72	Rhodesian Ridgeback	28.5 %
73	Airedale Terrier	28.3 %
74	Irish Setter	28.0 %
75	Fox Terrier (Smooth)	27.9 %
76	Lagotto Romagnolo	27.7 %
77	Cardigan Welsh Corgi	27.5 %
78	Shiba Inu	27.3 %
79	West Highland White Terrier	27.2 %
80	Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier	27.0 %
81	German Wirehaired Pointer	27.0 %
82	English Bulldog	26.4 %
83	Shetland Sheepdog	26.3 %
84	Papillon	26.2 %
85	German Shorthaired Pointer	26.0 %
86	Ibizan Hound	25.9 %
87	Irish Water Spaniel	25.6 %
88	Boston Terrier	25.5 %
89	Cocker Spaniel (English)	25.4 %
90	Pug	23.7 %
91	Shih Tzu	23.6 %
92	Tibetan Terrier	23.5 %
93	Pointer	23.5 %
94	Norwegian Elkhound	23.2 %
95	Labrador Retriever	22.8 %
96	Brittany	22.5 %
97	Scottish Terrier	21.2 %
98	Border Terrier	20.5 %
99	Staffordshire Bull Terrier	20.1 %
100	Eurasier	20.0 %
101	Collie	19.3 %
102	Bernese Mountain Dog	18.8 %
103	Portuguese Water Dog	18.7 %
104	Basset Hound	17.1 %
105	Borzoi	16.9 %
106	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever	16.3 %
107	Chinook	16.0 %
108	Newfoundland	15.8 %
109	Bulldog	15.6 %
110	English Setter	15.1 %
111	French Bulldog	14.4 %
112	Bearded Collie	14.2 %
113	Golden Retriever	13.1 %
114	Cavalier King Charles Spaniel	12.5 %
115	Flat-Coated Retriever	11.1 %
116	Dingo	11.0 %
117	Whippet	10.9 %
118	Alaskan Malamute	10.9 %
119	Keeshond	10.7 %
120	Black and Tan Coonhound	9.6 %
121	Samoyed	6.9 %
122	Irish Wolfhound	6.6 %
123	Greyhound	2.5 %
124	Siberian Husky	0.0 %