Elsevier

Journal of Veterinary Behavior

Volume 3, Issue 3, May–June 2008, Pages 134-140
Journal of Veterinary Behavior

Research
Is there a difference? Comparison of golden retrievers and dogs affected by breed-specific legislation regarding aggressive behavior

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2007.09.009Get rights and content

Abstract

Between 2000 and 2002, legislation in Lower Saxony insinuated a special dangerousness of certain dog breeds, and controls were imposed on them. Exemption was only possible if the dogs passed a standardized temperament test. In a previous study, test results of 415 dogs belonging to breeds affected by the legislation were analyzed. Ninety-five percent of the dogs showed no indication of disturbed aggressive communication or aggressive behavior in inappropriate situations. Because a control group was not available at that time, these results referred to a comparison between the affected breeds. In this study, golden retrievers were tested and used as control group. Seventy golden retrievers were tested in the temperament test. The order of testing was: veterinary examination, learning test, situations of dog–human-, dog–environment-, and dog–dog-contact, and obedience. Levels of escalation in aggressive behavior were scored using a scale of 1–7. A total of 58.57% of the dogs did not show aggressive behavior (Scale 1). Forty percent displayed aggressive behavior referring to Scale 2, and 1.43% showed aggressive behavior referring to Scale 5. A total of 98.57% of the dogs reacted appropriately, and 1.43% displayed aggressive behavior in inappropriate situations. In the previous study, 95% of the animals reacted appropriately, whereas 5% displayed excessive aggressive communication or aggressive behavior in inappropriate situations. Comparing the results of golden retrievers and breeds affected by the legislation, no significant difference was found. A scientific basis for breed specific lists does not exist. Therefore, legislation in Lower Saxony was changed, and breed lists were withdrawn.

Introduction

Between July 2000 and July 2002, the Niedersaechsische Gefahrtierverordnung (GefTVO) was in force in Lower Saxony, Germany. At that time the authorities assumed that certain breeds of dogs were especially dangerous without just cause. Therefore, controls regarding keeping and breeding were imposed on these breeds. An exemption from these restrictions was only possible if the dogs passed a standardized temperament test. This test had been developed to detect individuals displaying an indication of disturbed aggressive communication or aggressive behavior in inappropriate situations. It was based on a temperament test by Netto and Planta (1997).

In a previous study (Mittmann, 2002), the results of the temperament tests of 415 dogs belonging to six breeds affected by the legislation were analyzed for: (1) breed predisposition for disturbed aggressive communication or aggressive behavior in inappropriate situations, and (2) differences in behavior between the breeds. In 395 dogs (95.18%) no indication of disturbed aggressive communication or aggressive behavior in inappropriate situations could be found. Nineteen dogs showed aggressive behavior in inappropriate situations, and 1 dog reacted with disturbed aggressive communication (4.82%).

Because a control group was not available at that time, those results referred to a comparison between the six breeds affected by the legislation (American Staffordshire terrier, bullterrier, Doberman, rottweiler, Staffordshire Bullterrier, and dogs of the pit bull-type). However, whether the assumption of a special dangerousness of certain dog breeds is correct or not can only be proven with the use of a control group of dogs that do not belong to the breeds affected by the legislation.

For this reason, in a consecutive study 70 golden retrievers were tested and used as a control group. The results of this study were evaluated for:

  • Breed disposition for disturbed aggressive communication or aggressive behavior in inappropriate situations in golden retrievers.

  • Significant differences in the occurrence of aggressive behavior between the dogs affected by the legislation and golden retrievers.

  • Clues for preferred strategies to solve conflict situations.

Section snippets

Animals

For statistical reasons, all dogs of the control group had to belong to only 1 breed. The golden retriever was not affected by legislation in any German county. It is often regarded as a friendly and peaceable dog and widely represented in the German society. For these reasons, the golden retriever was chosen as breed to make up the control group. The owners attended the temperament test voluntarily.

According to the guidelines of the temperament test, the animals had to be at least 15 months

Dogs

Of 70 golden retrievers tested in this research project, 22 were male (3 of them neutered), and 48 female (6 of them spayed). The dogs were between 15 months and 10 years old with a mean age of 4.1 years.

Thirty-three golden retrievers had previously attended and passed a temperament test of their kennel club, 2 golden retrievers had attended it and failed. Thirty-five golden retrievers had not attended their kennel club's temperament test.

Highest scale reached

Of 70 golden retrievers tested, 41 dogs (58.6%) did not

Discussion

The assessment of the behavior of dogs by observing them is always prone to the subjectivity of the observer. In 1 study, a significant difference between judgments made by experts in more than 50% of observed behaviors was found (Sundgren, 1993). The dogs tested by Mittmann (2002) were all observed by 2 experts. The golden retrievers were assessed by only 1 observer different from the experts in the previous study, and a second expert could always be consulted. However, to minimize the

Results

A significant difference in the occurrence of aggressive behavior in inappropriate situations between the golden retrievers tested in this study and dogs belonging to 6 different breeds affected by the legislation and tested in a previous research project (Mittmann, 2002) could not be detected. For the following reason, this is a striking result. The owners of the golden retrievers participated in this study on a voluntary basis. The results of their dogs' tests did not have to be passed on to

Conclusion

In this research project, no significant differences in the occurrence of aggressive behavior in inappropriate situations were found when comparing golden retrievers and 6 dog breeds affected by legislation. Therefore, assuming that certain dog breeds are especially dangerous and imposing controls on them cannot be ethologically justified. Consequently, legislation in Lower Saxony was changed, and breed lists were withdrawn.

It is striking that the golden retrievers and the dogs tested

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