Property Management and Pets: Most Aggressive Dog Breeds
September 25, 2012 Rental Pros
carterse (flickr)
Knowledge is power when it comes to pet policies. You may be a dog lover, maybe even a lifelong dog owner, but naturally this doesn’t make you a veterinary expert. Thus, it’s important to know a bit about dog breeds to determine if you should let a tenant have a certain pet, in order to protect yourself and the rest of your tenants.
Meeting each pet before agreeing to a lease is a good idea, even with a liberal pet policy in your units. Weight limits for dogs are a smart in terms of general damage a big and energetic dog could wreak on your property, inside and out. But a 10 year old, mopey golden retriever is unlikely to be a huge concern. When you do meet the pet, you should not only check its general disposition, but have the renter prove to you that the pet follows commands well.
However, some dog breeds you should beware of generally include the following:
- The dogs most often banned around the world include American bulldogs, Mastiffs, Wolfdogs, Boerboels, Dogo Argentino, Presa Canario, Fila Brasileiro, Japanese Tosa Inu, and the American Pit Bull Terrier.
- Dogs that generally have a bad rap are Pit Bulls, Dobermans, and Rottweilers.
- Schnauzers, old English Sheepdogs, and Shar Peis are not particularly friendly.
- Dogs that don’t normally get singled out because of their size but can be aggressive include Chow Chows, Llasa Apsos. Jack Russell Terriers, Papillons, Dachshunds, Cocker Spaniels, Bull Terriers, Pekingeses, Beagles, and Chihuahuas. Small dogs can be aggressive and bite too, so just because a dog is small doesn’t mean it’s not a risk.
- Mutts unfortunately have no recipe for disposition.
- For perspective, some dogs that are known to be friendly or docile include Bassett Hounds, Golden Retrievers, Labradors, Siberian Huskies and Greyhounds.