Can you judge a dog by a Breed?

Believe it or not, but dog groomers tend to be a pretty good judge of character when it comes to dogs. It makes sense, really. Why?

1. If you don't know dog language, you're far more likely to get bit.
    -Miss a warning sign, you get bit. Pretty simple. More often than not, dogs show plenty of signs of agitation prior to biting and if you aren't picking up on those to avoid a bite, you're far more likely to get bit.
2. It makes you a better groomer.
    -If you do understand dog language, you can understand the difference between aggression and fear. Fear is something that can be often worked through with lots of patience and time. Understanding dogs gives us the ability to better serve our canine clients with more love and respect.


This being said, I'm NOT saying I'm freaking awesome at reading dogs. I'm simply saying that I can more than likely read a dog better than Mr. Joe Smith down the street because I HAVE to. It's just part of my job and I didn't always have this ability. I developed it working with a bunch of let's say..behaviorally challenged small breed dogs at a chop shop where they'd accept anything so long as they got paid. It was learn the signs, get bit or try to find a new job. Since I was too scared to find a new job at that time, I chose to learn and stay - I'm thankful I did. I learned and that is vital is my career field.  Without going too far off track, I have to say this, too - Each dog is an INDIVIDUAL! I cannot stress this enough. Each dog will have higher or lower limits and tolerance than the next. I might be able to brush out Fluffy, but Fido doesn't want a brush coming near him. A lot of dogs have ONE THING they have trouble with (running a brush or clipper on the legs, working around the eyes, ear hair pulling and nails are the most common) and I am NOT referring to these dogs when I say I talk about the following.

These are some of the WORST cases of AGGRESSION (NOT fear) that I have heard of (from reliable sources who have seen things happen personally) or been through (1-11 are what I've witnessed personally):

1. A Golden Retriever/Standard Poodle - This dog was hell on wheels and fought off sedatives whenever he was groomed. He thrashed, pawed, bit and was just a general NIGHTMARE to groom. We suspected he also bit the kids at home because the children nodded yes while the parents said no when we asked if he was aggressive at home. He also got into a fight with a Scottish Terrier in the lobby.
2. Cocker Spaniel - This dog was one I worked on while working at a vet. It had 5 shots of sedative because it bit the last groomer so bad and STILL was fighting the anesthesia off. The vet sternly warned me that this dog "BITES to BITE."
3. Labrador Retriever -  I was working on this dog and he (without warning) turned and bit me in the head. He drew a tiny bit of blood and gave me some VERY nasty bruises that I had for about 8 weeks on my scalp/forehead.
4. Alaskan Malamute - Bit the bather THROUGH a muzzle. Proceeded to bite a groomer with the owning standing right there. Both bites were significant enough to draw blood and cause some serious swelling.
5. Labrador Retriever - Bit a kid in the face unprovoked (This was a friend's dog) as he was petting the dog
6. Shih Tzu - Punctured my boss' hand in several places.
7. Golden Retriever - Actively tried to bite groomers whenever touched.
8. German Shepherd - Turned to bite me when I approached him in an open room - he was NOT up against a wall and had plenty of room to move.
9. Sheltie - Left a bruising bite on me
10. Bichon/Maltese - Left a bruising bite on me and drew blood on other groomers.
11. Chihuahua - Bit me hard enough to draw blood in several places
12. Scottish Terrier - Bit a groomer's finger OFF.
13. St. Bernard - Flew out of a cage and went for a groomer's throat, getting her arm instead. Dog had to be beaten off the groomer so the two people could get out of the room.
14. Alaskan Malamute - Mauled (my friend) a groomer's arm when it was ENTIRELY unprovoked. This dog proceeded to bite a child and was PTS (Put To Sleep.)


I do not judge a dog based on its breed because of the experiences I have had with ALL breeds. You'll note a breed that is NOT on there is the American Pit Bull Terrier or Rottweiler because I have yet to have a single issue with either one of these breeds. Does this mean they can't be aggressive? No. They can be, but so can Shih Tzus, Labs, Goldens, mixed breeds, etc. EVERY dog has the potential to bite so please don't look at my Pit Bull and say "He's vicious" before you meet him because just like you don't know me, you don't know him either.