Pitbulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans oh my! Just the mention of those breeds sends chills down some people’s spine. They tend to be aggressive breeds no doubt (especially when the owner is irresponsible), but would you believe that the most aggressive breeds are tiny?
The dog taking the number one spot as the most aggressive breed is the Dachschund (or weiner dog). I know as a young kid my sister got bit by one. She was fearless & picked the dog up & bit it right back (on the back)! It avoided her from then on.
The number two spot is held by the Chihuahua. No surprise there. Practically every chihuahua I’ve ever met shook terribly & snapped at everyone (including their owner). I was bit by a chihuahua but didn’t even realize it because it bit my pant leg. I only noticed it when the owner (who was yakking on her cell phone) apologized & I felt my pant leg being tugged on.
And the number three spot goes to the Jack Russell terrier. A neighbor has one that lunges at everyone who walks by. He’s bitten quite a few people before the owner can yank him back. Come to think of it, that little terror bit my pant leg too!
Dr. James Serpell, a University of Pennsylvania researcher said smaller breeds might be more genetically predisposed towards aggressive behavior than larger dogs. Not to mention the fact that bites from small dogs are rarely reported.
I believe owners of small dogs that bite are irresponsible if they let their dog bite people…even if they only grab someone’s pant leg. What if they bite a small child? Any dog that bites (big or small) needs the problem corrected.
The winner of this years 20th annual “World’s Ugliest Dog” contest held at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, CA is no surprise…well the breed is no surprise. The winner is a Chinese crested - the ugly, bald pedigree from China. But Gus (the winner) is extra ugly: he’s missing a hind leg, has one eye, & he’s hairless except for a tuft of white hair on the top of his head. Gus came all the way from St. Petersburg, FL to compete for the title. Gus’ owner won $500 and will be flown to New York to appear on “CBS This Morning.” The event will be aired on the Animal Planet network in October. I tell ya, this is a dog only an owner could love!
With the television landscape littered with one reality show after another, we’ve got two more with dogs coming out. We already had Animal Planet’s “Pet Star” but that was for any pet. Next month on CBS the first specifically for dogs is called “Greatest American Dog” where 12 dogs & their owners compete for $250,000 for the title. This one sees how well the owners can train their dogs. The premise is the same as practically all competition based reality shows - compete, judges comment, viewers vote, elimination. Watch video of all 12 contestants here…
The other reality show about to go into production is out to find the “Baddest Dog In America.” This one centers around a British female animal psychologist who will perform the bad dog intervention, coming in to the owners homes, diagnosing the bad behavior – of the pet and its owners – then dispensing advice. Sound like a British “Dog Whisperer” to me. Look for it on your cable channel.
It’s sort of ironic that South Korea is the first country to clone dogs, in many parts of Korea - they eat dog! And they now want to export their native dog…as a pure bred show dog.
The Jindo is South Korea’s native dog and the government wants to try to interest others outside of Korea interested in the breed. They’d love for it to be in the prestigious dog shows. There is a problem though. Exporting this dog will be difficult because it is considered a “cultural treasure.”
The government got the Jindo recognized by the British Kennel Club, but it is not yet in any competitions. The American Kennel Club has started the process to recognize the Jindo as well.
The best performance by a dog at the Cannes Film Festival was won by Lucy - a retriever mix who appears with Michelle Williams in the film “Wendy and Lucy.” Lucy won the “Palm Dog” award, a diamante dog collar that is given to the first winner of the award eight years ago. The first winner, in 2001, was Otis, who appeared in Jennifer Jason Leigh’s directorial debut, “The Anniversary Party.”
A one year old Coon Rapids, Minnesota Havanese dog with the show dog name of Sasha Goc Radivojevic, has been named by an internet survey America’s Most Pampered Pup.
Sasha has more than 200 toys including her own Chewy Vuitton purse, and a Growlex watch.
Sasha, named after a Minnesota Wild player, beat out 11 other dogs in a slightly controversial contest. But the tide swung in Sasha’s favor & she got the most number of votes.
Today are the Academy Awards and Oscar statues will be handed out. Celebrities all get elaborate gift bags stuffed with the latest ‘must haves’ - swag valued at thousands and thousand of dollars.
This year, pets of celebrities are not being left out. In the Oscar gift bags will be a 14kt gold, diamond encrusted skull and crossbones dog collar charm valued at $2,000. And a Swarovski crystal dog collar and matching bracelet for the owner, valued at $600. Oh the life of a celebrity dog.
Now that a Beagle has won the Westminster Dog Show, that usually signals a rush on the breed. Beagles are great dogs, but one big problem many Beagle owners face is excessive barking!
A friend of mine had a Beagle that when she left, barked all day, every day. And his deep bark sounded like someone was being murdered (he died many years ago). Needless to say, the cops were called to her home often.
Think twice and do thorough research before you rush out to get the latest “it” dog. Neglecting to do that leads to beautiful dogs ending up in the local animal shelters. Consider this - Dalmations were quite popular when “101 Dalmations” came out in theaters. They were also big residents of animal shelters nationwide about 9-12 months later.
There were two dogs in the running for World’s smallest dog in the Guinness Book Of World Records - both chihuahuas. The deciding factor was a scant fraction of inches. But out of left field came the eventual winner, Boo-Boo - another chihuahua who measured in at a mere 4 inches tall - nearly an inch smaller than the previous record holder.
