Vets warn that aggression is almost TWICE as prevalent in dog breed

Whether it’s a Chihuahua or a German Shepherd, dogs of all shapes and sizes have been man’s best friend for centuries.

But experts at the Royal Veterinary College in London warn that one breed isn’t as friendly after all, with almost twice the aggression in these dogs than any other pup in the UK.

Surprisingly, this turned out to be the English Cocker Spaniel – a beloved pet of countless famous faces, including the Prince and Princess of Wales.

While aggression was experienced by 2.2 per cent of other dogs in the UK, this averaged four per cent for the Spaniel breed.

Golden-coated dogs were found to be even noisier, with aggression prevalent in 12 percent of those studied.

“The English Cocker Spaniel (ECS) is a popular family dog ​​in the UK, but there is limited information on common disorders of the breed,” the study said.

“The purpose of this study was to describe demographics (age, gender, neuter, and body weight), disease state, lifespan, and reasons for death.”

Scientists looked at a pool of 2,318 English Cocker Spaniels for this study, based on veterinary records from around the country.

Aggression ranks sixth in a list of conditions the breed experiences most often, after others such as anal sac impaction and diarrhea.

Nearly 230 dogs suffered from obesity, which ranked third on the list, with periodontal disease being the leading condition, with a prevalence of 20 percent.

This condition – commonly known as gingivitis – usually develops when bacteria and food particles build up in a dog’s mouth.

Still, the pups were most likely to die from neoplasia – a condition that causes the uncontrolled, abnormal growth of cells, often developing in the form of a tumor.

Experts also looked at the coat color of more than 64 percent of the dogs studied to understand possible links between appearance and disorders.

While golden dogs were the most aggressive, brown dogs were the least, with scientists finding that only 4.3 percent were on the feisty side.

Meanwhile, 6.3 percent of black dogs, 4.3 percent of brown dogs, and 6.5 percent of red puppies were seen as aggressive.

Scientists claim these numbers trace back to previous research that highlighted that solid-colored dogs are much more likely to show signs of anger than bicolored and tricolored quadrupeds.

Despite this, any cause for this association remains unclear, with some believing there is no real link at all.

Pet expert Zita Wells of the Southern England-based Pet Patrol said: ‘In my opinion coat color is mainly determined by genetics and has no direct correlation to a dog’s temperament or behaviour.

‘Temperament in dogs is influenced by a combination of genetic factors, early socialization experiences, training and individual personality traits.

“While certain breeds may display certain general temperaments or tendencies, such as being more energetic, calmer, or more sociable, these traits are not determined by coat color alone.”