A dog expert has described the five breeds she would never want to own – even describing one as a “demon”.
Debate over the safety of American Bully XLs has thrust the topic of dangerous dogs into public mind – but some breeds, while not necessarily dangerous, come with their own set of issues.
A TikToker who sells supplements for dogs and cats has shared her experiences with five of the most difficult breeds.
Elle, from South Portland in Maine, shared the insights to her TikTok @ellevetsciences, declaring that chihuahuas were “demons”.
However, her comments attracted some ire from her followers, particularly from those defensive of their beloved tiny toy dogs.
She started by saying: “Here are the five dog breeds that I would not own as someone who works in the veterinary field.
“And before you point your pitchforks at me, I’m sure your dog is lovely most of the time. This is just my personal opinion.”
Her choice for number five was the husky, which she described as “escape artists”.
Elle said: “Unless you are willing to run for seven miles a day with your dog – and that won’t even tire them out – do not own a husky.”
Meanwhile the “good old chihuahua” came in at fourth.
She insisted that 99 percent of this breed were “demons”.
Her comments echo that of another user of the social media app Garrett King, who had similar words for the miniature pups.
He said: “If I needed a 3lb demon from the underworld that served no other purpose than to sit on my lap and bite anything that comes within three feet range of me, then I’d get a chihuahua. But it’ll be a hard pass for me on that one.”
Elle’s third dog on the list was a collection of breeds – specifically those with short-noses or flat-faces like the pug, French bulldog or Boston terrier, or what she described as “any brachycephalic pets out there.”
She said: “They literally cannot breathe, they cannot breathe and they get a lot of skin issues, but they are very sweet dogs.”
Scooby Doo fans had best look away for Elle’s second choice, however, as she said she would never want to own a Great Dane.
She explained: “Listen, they are gentle giants, but they have incredibly sensitive stomachs and that dog will have diarrhoea on your carpet at 3am and it will be bigger than if a horse went.”
Finally, the number one spot was taken by the Belgian Malinois – which are banned in the UK.
She said to “seriously be careful” around these dogs, adding: “Unless you are willing to go to a military canine training bootcamp, you are in for a wild ride.”
However some commenters were quick to leap to the defence of the notorious chihuahua, with one writing: “Can we stop the little dog hate and stereotypes? Chihuahuas aren’t demons.
Another added: “So I have two chihuahuas now and had a husky for ten years! All were/are fantastic!”
While a third said: “My chihuahua gets complemented all the time about his behavior, I’m guessing he’s that one percent.”
Meanwile another had clearly had a rather different experience with huskies, writing: “My husky must have been uninspired because I had an old wooden fence & he never escape at all. Never dug under or jumped over, lol.”
