Why are wiener dogs so aggressive?

Wienerdogs or simply dachshunds, are small dogs and hence we don’t take their aggression seriously, but they are even more aggressive than the largest dogs. There are various reasons for this and I have listed all of them only for you.

• Careless Training: The most important reason for their aggressiveness is their inefficient training. Small dogs are thought to be small and hence aren’t given proper training by their owners who underestimate their dog’s violent side. An untrained and uneducated child is more likely to be violent. Small dogs are mostly stay-at-home dogs and their opportunities to meet others is rare which makes them antisocial and untrustworthy towards others. Big dogs like mastiffs, on the other hand, are trained more sincerely by their owners and socialize every day, hence exhibit less violence. Every dog needs to socialize with humans and other dogs early in life to be calm around them.

• Breed Origin: The name ‘dachshund’ literally translates to ‘badger hunter’ and these dogs were specially bred to hunt badgers in holes giving them their signature long body and sharp claws on the front legs. Badgers are violent animals which makes these dogs an equal enemy to them. Dachshunds have also been used to hunt boars in the past.

• Leadership complex: Dachshunds tend to accept you as the dominant leader but you need to maintain your position, otherwise you will lose. If they feel you are weak, they will gladly take your place. Dachshunds happen to be one of the rare breeds that bite their human if angry. Hence you need to control your dog with an iron hand if you want their love, loyalty and face licks.

If you still feel they are pushover dogs, here’s a dachshund who’s friends with a lion

Wienerdogs, also known as sausage dogs, are more properly called Dachshunds. In a 2008 study published in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania determined Dachshunds, followed by Chihuahuas were the two breeds with “the greatest percentage of dogs exhibiting serious aggression (bites or bite attempts) toward both humans (strangers and owners)”.

The article does not attempt to explain why these breeds tend toward higher than average aggression. While almost everyone can agree that “snarling, growling, snapping, biting, barking or lunging” is how a dog displays aggressive behavior, no one really knows exactly why this behavior is more common in certain breeds.