One of the best parts of having a dog is taking them on a nice stroll in the morning before a busy day, or to soak up some sun over the weekend. But to do so, your pup has to be willing to let you take the lead, and if they tend to pull, are more reactive, or just don't know their own strength, the experience isn't always a pleasant one. Now, a dog walker who works with different breeds daily is sharing the dogs that she doesn't love taking around the block. Read on for the five dog breeds she said she would never own.
RELATED: I'm a Dog Trainer and I'd Never Own These 5 Breeds "Unless My Life Depended on It."
1 | Spaniels
Aneta Jungerova / ShutterstockIn a Feb. 2023 TikTok video, dog walker and "dog mom" @oakleyandme.xx posted a video of the breeds that she walks, but wouldn't own herself.
Starting off, the TikToker highlighted spaniels. While she didn't elaborate in the video, these dogs are "always on the move," according to K9 Bridle, a dog collar company based in the U.K.
"[Spaniels] are athletic dogs with loads of energy and find walking at the speed of their owners on a lead almost impossible, especially when they are young," the website reads. "Despite some spaniel breeds being relatively small, they are incredibly strong."
In a separate video, the TikToker clarified that her opinions are based on the fact that she works with dogs "all day, every day."
"Of course, I'm gonna have an opinion, I'm gonna have a favorite breed, I'm gonna have a not as good breed—but still, every single dog that I put in [the video], I walk," she notes. "I don't hate them, I love every single dog that I walk, I just wouldn't own that breed. I can't take every dog breed home."
2 | German Shepherd
ShutterstockNext up on @oakleyandme.xx's list is the German Shepherd. In a follow-up video, the social media user responded to a comment asking if "reactivity" was the reason for her aversion to this breed.
"I actually got bit by a German Shepherd, so maybe I'm just holding a grudge," she explains in a March 2023 video, then panning to a photo of the bite.
"Also, I used to work in a dog groomers and I found that they will come in there just so nervous and like, I just couldn't read them," she says. "Their nervousness would turn into aggression, and I wouldn't be able to know. Normally, I can clock a dog if it's gonna turn aggressive, happy, naughty, whatever—like, you can tell. But with German Shepherds, I just couldn't."
The TikToker also points out that this breed's strength is another reason she wouldn't have one of her own, but that doesn't mean she dislikes German Shepherds.
"Obviously they're very strong, so, I don't know, I just wouldn't own one, but I love them and I look after them ... I do have one that I walk sometimes, and I would never turn one away. I love every single breed," @oakleyandme.xx says.
3 | Jack Russell Terrier
Maryshot / ShutterstockA third breed @oakleyandme.xx says she wouldn't own is a Jack Russell Terrier. Unfortunately, this is another dog breed she's been bitten by before, she shares in a March 2023 follow-up.
"It bit me on my face, I swear to you, it was hanging off my face. I had to pull that dog's teeth out of my head, and it was so close to my eye," she says in the TikTok, providing a photo of the bite. "It's not actually that obvious, but it made my eye cry for ages—and I'm just not willing to own one. But they're also really way too small for me, anyway."
In a comment reply, @oakleyandme.xx confirmed that the incident was during a grooming session—and the dog showed "no signs of aggression or anxiety," with the bite coming "out of nowhere."
RELATED: I'm a Veterinary Tech and These Are the 4 Dog Breeds I'd Never Own.
4 | Great Dane
BIGANDT.COM / ShutterstockThe dog walker, who documents her experiences with different pups on her TikTok page, also says she's not planning to own a Great Dane any time soon.
@oakleyandme.xx didn't mention why a Great Dane made her list. However, in terms of exercise and walks, they do need to be kept on a leash as "they tend to follow their nose wherever a scent takes them," according to the American Kennel Club (AKC).
5 | Pug
iStockA Pug is the fifth and final breed that @oakleyandme.xx says she would pass on owning.
The TikToker didn't provide extra reasoning, but Pugs are known to have certain needs when it comes to walks and physical activity. While Pugs need daily exercise to keep their health in good shape and their weight under control, they struggle with too much activity, according to iHeartDogs.
They're a brachycephalic breed, which accounts for their (very cute) squished-in faces and can create breathing difficulties—and that makes long walks difficult.
In one of her follow-up videos, @oakleyandme.xx also made it clear that it's not that she can't "handle" a Pug or a Jack Russell Terrier.
"Of course I can 'handle' [them]—they're tiny, bless them!" she jokes at the end of the video.
