We’ve got some unfortunate news for the dog lovers among you – not all of the dogs out there are good boys and girls.
While we’re sure the vast majority of them are, sadly there are cases where dogs can pose a danger to people and that risk is especially high when children are around.
With Christmas rolling around plenty of families will be thinking about getting a dog, but those who’ve got kids to think about should be careful what sort of dog they should go for.
Taking to TikTok, canine behaviourist Will Atherton ran through what he thought were the top three breeds of dog that families with children should think twice about before getting.
He said one of the main things he had to deal with was dogs that had bitten children and in his time he’d seen ‘certain breeds cropping up time and time again’.
Top of the list was the Border Collie, a very popular choice of dog breed for many, and Atherton explained that the big mistake people made with them was assuming that being ‘so trainable’ made them a good choice to live with.
However, giving his expert view on the subject he warned that ‘those herding instincts will kick in’ and if a family couldn’t satisfy the dog’s need to herd things properly then it’d look to the kids to get their fix.
He said Border Collies which didn’t get their needs fulfilled properly would start ‘herding your kids’, which really meant ‘chasing them around and biting their ankles’.
Next up was the Akita, the dog breed from Japan, with Atherton saying they could be ‘incredible dogs’ in the right situations but warning that wasn’t always the case.
He revealed that in his experience he’d seen plenty of Akitas having ‘serious issues with children’ and warned that it was ‘never pretty’ when something happened.
Rounding off the list was a very surprising entry – the Dalmatian.
You’d probably never think it of the black and white spotted breed that ended up getting treated to a Disney movie of their own, but the Dalmatians might not be the best choice for a family looking to pick up a pooch.
Atherton explained that Dalmatians have ‘one of the highest bite histories’ in the UK and would often target children with their attacks.
Plenty who saw the video chipped in with suggestions of their own, with many mentioning smaller breeds of dog and suggesting the problems stem from owners who ‘often treat them like toys’.
Plenty of dog owners chipped in to defend their beloved canine companions, arguing that their own dogs were ‘sweethearts’ who’d never bite anyone.
Still, a well trained and well behaved dog is always a joy to have around and if you look after them properly, they’ll look after you.
