The top 10 breeds not suited for first-time owners

 

So let's assume you've decided to get your first dog now comes the question which breed to go for there are so many different kinds of dogs to choose from that finding the perfect breed for you can be a challenge now to better understand what you want in an ideal dog for your level of experience it can help to see examples of what dog that you don't want.  

 

The top 10 breeds not suited for first-time owners

 

So let’s jump straight into the list of top 10 breeds that are not a wise choice for first-time owners.

 

Please do not get me wrong by no means do i want to discourage you from getting a breed that you absolutely adore and would love to live with you may simply require a bit more education and experience with dogs in general before you go for the breed of your dreams.

 

The Estrela mountain dog

 

At number 10 we have perhaps the most glorious guardian breed in all of Portugal the Estrela mountain dog classed as a massive tight breed and gifted with an amazingly beautiful long coat in various shades of foreign and grey.

 

These giant dogs are a sight to behold therefore it is no surprise that they are rapidly gaining popularity outside of their native country praised by european and American breeders as loyal and excellent guardians the Estrela level of natural aggression is usually not talked about however portuguese owners breeders and canine behaviorists concur that a Estrela mountain dogs can and will buy should they deem it necessary now most often to protect their territory from intruders but if corrected too harshly by an uneducated owner they will in the words of a Portuguese dog trainer bite everyone.

 

Now these bear like dogs can weigh up to 50 kilograms which is a solid 110 pounds and they are known to not forget or forgive unjust corrections and even less violent treatment so that said the estrella is a legendary natural family farm and livestock guardian and an amazing choice for people who have experience with large and independent guardian breeds.

 

Turkish kangal

 

Now at number nine we have one of my personal favorite dog breeds the Turkish kangal now very similar to the portuguese of Estrela mountain dog. The Turkish Kangal has been bred as a robust independent working dog these giant livestock guardians with their characteristics short sand coloured coats can weigh measure all the way up to kind of 86 centimeters which is around 34 inches and like the Estrela the kangal's original task was to keep wolves wild dogs humans and other predators away from their flock which again means that these giants come with a natural readiness to attack a perceived threat and wild kangals are far more trainable than Estrela they also require a lot more engagement physical and mental stimulation to become well-balanced companion dogs.

 

These dogs absolutely require an experienced owner unless perhaps you own livestock yourself and you are planning to put your kangal to work as a livestock guardian from an early age onwards in which case they will take to the task like a duck takes to water and guarding their flock will provide them the most mental stimulation that they could ever possibly dream of now that said if this is you you still might want to enlist the assistance of a local canine behaviourist or very skilled trainer in this way as your kangal puppy grows you will learn how to best communicate with the dog and become its calm consistent leader also even if your future lifestyle guardian rarely will encounter humans you still really should make a huge effort to socialize this type of breed.

 

Belgian malinois

 

So at number eight we have the Belgian malinois now whilst a dream in the hands of the experienced dog trainer.

 

The Belgian malinoisis an accident waiting to happen in the care of a novice owner and not so much because the dog could bite somebody but because malinois can become amazingly destructive when under stimulated most certainly their piercing barks will not endear you to your neighbors either that is if you keep them outside especially now should you decide to share your house with a malanois ask yourself how much chewing damage you are willing to take or how often you want to come home to find the contents of your bin distributed all over the floor or your sofa shredded to pieces.

 

Now contrary to the giant livestock guardian breeds we've just discussed the Belgian malinois is not at all stubborn, independent or difficult to train actually quite the opposite they are not even aggressive by nature even though their popularity as police and military dogs might suggest that they are the challenge with this dog lies in their extremely high prey drive which is a straight 10 out of 10 and the same applies for their energy levels they are through the roof and i'm really not exaggerating for these reasons if you are new to the world of dog ownership I highly suggest that you avoiding the belgian malinois.

 

The jack Russell terrier

 

And at number seven on our list of the top 10 dogs least suited for novice owners we have a breed that no doubt may surprise a lot of you and that's the jack russell terrier now very cute in appearance this little english hunting dog resembles the german dachshund now not only in size but also in courage and prey drive but compared to most other small hunting breeds the jack russell terrier takes the fox and badger hunters typical tenacity to completely new levels these tiny innocent looking dogs can get very aggressive to the point where they attack strangers and even family members also dog aggression is a known problem in this small breed the fearless terriers will often pick fights with much larger dogs.

 

Of course for a jack Russell to start a fight with say a german shepherd is pretty much a suicide mission now owners of these fiery little canines need to be aware of these dangers and meticulously work towards shaping their jack russell puppy into an obedient canine companion if they lack the experience to do so the terrier will try to adopt the leadership position themselves and mercilessly will rule your household.

 

Spanish sight hound

 

Our number six spot goes to yet another hunting dog albeit one who does not come with the apparent mean streak of the fierce little jack Russell terrier now the large and elegant gal go Espanola or Spanish sight hound.

 

They were bred to hunt and catch rabbits in their native spain now gal goes are still very much used for their original purpose and these are serious working dogs and really shouldn't be considered as just house pets unfortunately this fact is often omitted when it comes to rescue organizations importing gal goes to central European countries dogs get paired up with inexperienced owners who are taken by their calm and gentle demeanor and their large soulful eyes but quite often these owners have to return the dogs after a few short weeks due to seriously problematic behaviors for example extreme separation anxiety that leads to the dog wreaking destruction in people's homes when left alone or to even injure themselves when created in their new owner's absence when kept outside gal goes habitually escape believe it or not these dogs can climb high fences with frightening ease and as if all that was not enough they also come with a prey drive that is off the charts being site towns they can spot potential prey from a long distance away rivaling even the english greyhound in terms of speed.

 

They are also quite capable of catching and killing what they regard as prey animals this can even be your neighbors cats their chickens or pet rabbits therefore unless you are willing to invest in an expensive extra secure fence around your property i would suggest that you beware of this breed.

 

Cane corso

 

On our number five spot we have a glorious mastiff who I personally count among my favorite breeds the Cane corso now once the legendary war dog of roman army is the Cane corso is an extremely capable protector and natural guardian however this is definitely not the breed to go for if you've never had a dog before every single day i get messages from corso owners who lack experience and therefore have run into serious difficulties with their dogs and by serious i mean that the dog has become a threat to anyone coming to their house or even worse a threat to their own children and again you'd be shocked about how many of these messages I receive every single day the only reason why this powerful mastiff does not rank higher on this list of the top 10 breeds not to go to a new owner is their natural devotion to their own family very rarely will a corso turn its aggression towards a member of the immediate family however the dogs we have ranking higher on our list often do not have such qualms.

 

American pit bull terrier

 

On our number four spot we have a breed that can be quite wonderful to live with but if things go wrong people's lives are at risk we are speaking about the american pit bull terrier the statistics unfortunately name the pit bull as one of the breeds most responsible for more human deaths caused by dog attacks in the united states now between 2005 and 2019 pit bulls contributed to 66 percent of these deaths combined pit bulls and rottweilers contributed to 76 of the total recorded deaths now don't get me wrong pit bulls are loving devoted and highly trainable dogs but when owned by an inexperienced person who fails to properly train and socialize them they can turn into a serious threat both for humans and other dogs.

 

As pit bulls are extremely prone to dog to dog aggression now we must keep in mind that these dogs were bred for war in other words for taking on fellow fighting dogs as well as balls and even bears they have an extraordinarily high prey drive coupled with their incredible tolerance for pain this makes an explosive mix because if something or someone triggers their instincts to chase bite and tear and not let go obviously the consequences can be fatal.

 

Rottweiler

 

So here we are at the top three positions on our list of the top 10 dog breeds not really suited for novice owners and the bronze medal for me has to go to the german guard dog breed that we have just briefly mentioned just now in that discussion with the american pit bull terrier and that was The Rottweiler now as we saw the rottweiler is responsible for the highest number in dog bite related fatalities of the past 15 years in america second only to the pit bull now it goes without saying that rottweilers are a breed to stay away from if you have never owned a dog before things can and quite often do go very wrong with these dogs now again don't get me wrong I personally love rottweilers and i enjoy working with them but they absolutely must be led with a firm hand of an experienced owner and in the case of a powerful Rottweiler i do not just mean experienced in owning any kind of dog but specifically in owning large powerful guardian breeds now then we have arrived at the second position on the pedestal .

 

Tibetan mastiff

 

Let's see who we've got on that prestigious silver medal spot and the breed that has managed to conquer that second top spot amongst our top 10 breeds not for first time owners is none other than the wonderful glorious one-of-a-kind tibetan mastiff now these dogs are tenacious natural guardians and protectors and they have the physique to match their fearless nature tibetan mastiffs look like lions with thick fur to protect them from harsh climates and from bite swaps battling off predators these magnificent mountain.

 

These Dogs can weigh up to a stunning 73 kilos which is around 160 pounds whilst excellent protectors and family guardians with a big heart for children to better mastiffs are one of the worst choices for novice owners they are extremely confident independent and aloof and do not like being told what to do when challenged these dogs can react with aggression and attack the person trying to impose corrections on them it goes without saying that a charging 160 pound plus mastiff is no joke but what is no less dangerous is their tendency to make their own decisions when it comes to guarding if not led by an experienced handler for example if someone visits your home and makes a sudden move towards you this can be easily enough to trigger that extremely keen protective instincts of your mastiff and lacking experience how high do you think your chances would be in being able to physically stop such an attack if that mastiff had misread the situation therefore best not to chance it and for now to make a wide berth of the Tibetan mastiff and choose a more suitable dog breed.

 

The Caucasian Shepherd

 

And now then we come to the absolute top spot on our list of canines least suited for newbie owners and the gold medal goes to the most powerful guardian breed on the planet who in terms of fierceness may even surpass the awesome Tibetan mastiff we are speaking about the incredible bear-like ,wolf killer of the caucasian mountains called the caucasian shepherd

 

This dog is famous for attacking and annihilating any threat approaching its flock its territory or its owners equipped with a thick double coat not unlike the Tibetan mastiffs the caucasian shepherd though can weigh up to 100 kilos which is amounts to around 220 pounds originally bred as a flock guardian the caucasian shepherd also has a long history a service dog for the Russian army and as guard dogs for prisoners these super-sized guardians do not take kindly to strangers or other dogs by nature and extreme caution is required to keep them in check like the tibetan mastiff this is an immensely independent and confident dog and very challenging to train a caucasian shepherd charging another dog or even worse another human is the ultimate worst case scenario and some caucasian shepherds even attack children in their own household usually due to inexperienced owners keeping them in an apartment all day together with the family and such a nightmare can easily occur if the caucasian shepherd is not given guidance and direction at all times by a very very experienced and knowledgeable owner.

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So i hope you enjoyed the list of the top 10 dog breeds not suited for first time owners and hopefully you found it useful if you did.

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If you have any queries you can mail me on

abhishekasiwal2005@gmail.com