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According to a study from the Center For Disease Control (CDC)1, approximately 4.7 million dog bites occur in the United States each year, and 800,000 of those bites result in medical care. The U.S. population is approximately 325.7 million people as of 2017. That means a dog bites 1 out of every 69 people.
These are scary statistics. But scary becomes a lot less so when you’re armed with the right information. From the top breeds to be wary of, to accounting for your own behavior around animals, to why dogs actually bite in the first place, we’re giving you an arsenal of information in this article so you can bite back in the dog bite debate.
Article Overview
Why Do Dogs Bite?
Before we start profiling dogs or analyzing your behavior around them, let’s talk about the question everyone should first be asking: why does a dog bite?
- Dogs bite as a reaction to a stressful situation.
- They may be scared or threatened.
- To protect themselves, their puppies, or their owners.
- They’re not feeling well or if they’re startled.
- They may nip or bite during play (which is why rough play should be avoided to ensure you don’t overly excite your animal).
Keep these triggers in mind anytime you’re around a canine. Your awareness of their mental state will help you recognize a potential bite situation more quickly.
Dog Bite Statistics
- Approximately 4.7 million dog bites1 occur each year
- Dogs that bite the most:2
- Chihuahua
- Bulldog
- Pit Bull
- German Shepherd
- Australian Shepherd
- Lhasa Apso
- Jack Russell Terrier
- Cocker Spaniel
- Bull Terrier
- Pekingese
- Papillion
- In 2017, there were an estimated 90 million dogs in the U.S.3
- 81% of dog bites4 cause no injury at all or only minor injuries that do not require medial attention
- Dog bites sustained by children have been decreasing in the past decade
- You have a 1 in 112,400 chance5 of dying from a dog bite or strike
- You are at more risk of dying from:
- Cataclysmic storm: 1 in 66,335
- Contact with hornets, wasps and bees: 1 in 63,225
- Air and space transport incidents: 1 in 9,821
- Firearm discharge: 1 in 6,905
- Choking from inhalation and ingestion of food: 1 in 3,461
- Heart disease and cancer: 1 in 7
- You are at more risk of dying from:
- Most dog bites involve dogs who are not spayed or neutered6
- Fatal Dog Attacks7 states that 25% of fatal attacks were inflicted by chained dogs of many different breeds
- The insurance industry paid more than $530 million in dog bite related8 claims in 2014
- 6,244 U.S. Postal Service employees suffered from dog bites in 20179
- Over 30 breeds and dog-types were associated with dog bite-related fatalities10
Video: Dog Bite Statistics
The video below discusses more dog bite statistics.
What Breeds Have The Strongest Bite?
Below are the top 12 dogs with the strongest bite in terms of PSI (pound per square inch or pound-force per square inch), as reported by PetComments.com11. This list is not indicative of any specific animal and should only be viewed as a scientific study.
We certainly recognize that there are many well behaved and sweet dogs of these breeds, especially when paired with responsible owners.
- Kangal: 743 PSI
- English Mastiff: 556 PSI
- Wolfdog: 406 PSI
- Rottweiler: 328 PSI
- African Wild Dog: 317 PSI
- American Bull Dog: 305 PSI
- Doberman: 245 PSI
- German Shepherd: 238 PSI
- American Pitbull: 235 PSI
- Dutch Shepherd: 224 PSI
- Chow Chow: 220 PSI
- Malinois: 195 PSI
How To Protect Yourself Against The Risk Of Dog Bites
Dog liability insurance is a special policy that you can get to insure yourself in case you have what a landlord or other important person in your life might consider a “dangerous dog breed.” If you have one of these dogs, you most certainly know it as some people are probably a little scared of your pup. It is unlikely that they need to be, but better safe than sorry in case a situation ever were to arise where your dog bit someone.
Why? Because with liability insurance you would merely file a claim and it would cover the cost of the situation. In many cases, we have heard of dogs’ lives being saved by the ability to cover these sorts of incidents by proactively seeking insurance rather than reacting after a bad situation occurs. Better safe than sorry, right?
According to the Insurance Information Institute8, one-third of all homeowner’s insurance liability claims (in dollars) result from dog bites or dog-related injuries, and the average cost is more than $37,000.
Decreasing Your Chances Of A Dog Bite Attack
While we’re not absolving the canine completely of its own responsibility in a dog-bite situation, there are always two sides to a story — even a bad one. When it comes to your side, there are more than two things that you can do to decrease your chances of an attack.
Things To Consider Before Getting A Dog
There are a few key things to consider before bringing a new dog into your home, especially if you already have other animals or children. Below are a few factors that, if considered, can help decrease your chances of an unwarranted attack before an animal ever walks through your front door.
- Dogs with a history of aggression are not appropriate for a home with children. Period.
- Before choosing a dog, research and consult with a professional (a trusted vet or dog trainer would be an excellent resource) to find the best breed for your needs.
- Proper socialization and training for your pup is key.
- Spend time with your prospective pet before adopting to ascertain aggressive tendencies.
- Spay or neuter your animal to reduce aggressive tendencies before bringing them home.
How To Prevent A Dog Bite
Just like people, there are always good pets that snap. Even though the dog never displayed any aggressive attitudes, even though you didn’t provoke him to attack, there are still those unaccountable instances that no one can explain or rationalize. However, more often than not, this isn’t the case.
That’s why, when dealing with any dog, you should maintain confident, but cautious body-language. Below are a few things you can do to make sure your attitude doesn’t trigger an attack.
- Don’t approach an unfamiliar animal.
- Do not run from a dog, panic or make loud noises.
- If an unfamiliar dog approaches you, remain motionless. Do not run or scream. Avoid direct eye contact.
- Don’t disturb a dog while they’re eating, sleeping, or taking care of their puppies.
- Allow a dog to sniff and smell you before you attempt to pet it. Afterward scratch the animal under the chin, not on the head.
- Report strays or dogs displaying strange behavior to your local animal control.
- If knocked over by a dog, roll into a ball and remain motionless. Be sure to cover your ears and neck with your hands and arms. Avoid eye contact and remain calm.
- Don’t encourage your dog to play aggressively.
Dog Bite Statistics Infographic
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Be Mindful Of “Breeds”, But Not Fearful
You’ve likely heard of the Pit Bull, touted as the type most responsible for dog bites. But you can dismantle much of your fear of them with our Pit Bull Facts article.
Unfortunately, claims against Pit Bulls account for the majority of reported fatal attacks in the United States (again, many of these are misreported due to a lack of understanding of dog breeds and types).
While there’s no denying that one should be more vigilant around a large dog than say, a Beagle, there’s also no denying that an animal is part product of its environment.
Remember that any dog can bite, no matter how well-trained it may be. Many popular family dogs have caused fatalities including Labradors and German Shepherds. So it is always a good idea to be a responsible dog owner and make sure pets are supervised at all times with others.
Finally, if you have a dog that’s prone to biting, consider a training collar or online training courses to help change their bad behavior.
Have you had an issue with dog bites before?
Sources: [1] Center For Disease Control: United States Dog-Bite-Related Fatalities, [2] Puppy Lover News, [3] Statista, [4] National Canine Research Council, [5] National Safety Council, [6] Humane Society, [7] Fatal Dog Attacks: The Stories Behind the Statistics (United States) by Karen Delise (Author), [8] Insurance Information Institute, [9] U.S. Postal Service Releases Annual Dog Attack City Rankings, [10] AVMA, [11] PetComments.com.
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I currently own a Perro de Presa Canario, pit bulls worse nightmare! But she wouldn’t hurt one dog, shares food, bever growls at dogs, never been attacked by a dog. She sleeps with a smile on her face….
My fear? Some dumb human allowing their dog to be unsupervised or them getting out of control and attacking her. I still let her meet, but under my order of process. Dogs meet laying down. I clip large dog nails laying down. I raise my dogs to submit to the slightest pressure, all my dogs! I have altered and unaltered, a total of 10 dogs with me, not one is allowed to grumble at each other…they know to submit to voice. They know how to LEAVE IT! Why? Because this leader is the only leader and it is ok to let me handle their problems. No one is separated, no one is locked up in a crate. We all live on harmony in my home.
Understand what you all are commenting about and research current findings…oh, and dogbite.org is ran by a anti-pit bull organization working on eliminating dogs by look…not by a breed. Go DNA what you think is a pit bull and I will bet you they are not a pit bull. I just proved several examples at our city hall meeting in Yakima, WA. What is thought to be pit bull were often Boxer/lab mix, Dalmation Boxer mix, contained less than 12.5% Staffordshire with Boxer and Great Dane, and the best one was 12.5% Great Dane 12.5% Hound and 12.5% pug. These DNA samples were tested using Wisdom panel. Unless you DNA an adopted dog you are playing Russian roulette without knowing what breed characteristics you may have to deal with. Just because it looked like a pit, does not mean it was, and until owners are educated on what they have as a dog, the will continue to be doing bite and misunderstanding!
My question to you is do you own a Papillon, do you actually know anything about the Breed so you just copy information from another inaccurate site to yours. In that article its claiming rage syndrome which is a joke. Not once does it mention BITERS. THE ONLY WAY A PAPILLON WOULD EXPERIENCE THAT IS FROM READING GARBAGE LIKE THIS. !!!!!!!
Parents are compelled by law to ensure their child is properly restrained while traveling by vehicle on the off chance that they MIGHT be involved in an accident, and faces charges if they do NOT have their child properly restrained, so why should the owning of a potentially aggressive dog be any different??!!
No one is implying that the parent PLANNED such an attack by a pit or any other breed, but the statistics don’t lie, even if HALF of them are accurate as to breed!
Parents warned about pedophiles living in their neighborhoods, about running into the streets while chasing a ball, and all manner of dangerous possibilities that can occur at any time and in any setting.
WHY are parents so nonchalant about bringing an animal into their HOME that has the documented propensity to injure and/or attack, especially the smaller family members??!! And those younger family members are the LEAST educated regarding THEIR OWN behavior/treatment toward the dog, placing themselves in even GREATER danger of being harmed!!
(We’ve all seen the videos that an idiot parent has taken of their small child repeatedly pulling on the tail or ears of a dog, or cat, while laughing, which teaches the child the absolutely HORRIFYINGLY WRONG AND DANGEROUS way to treat ANY animal!!
IDIOT PARENTS, are YOU willing to gamble with the life of your child?
Just TODAY, I saw a news report of 5 DAY OLD INFANT, ATTACKED AND KILLED BY THE FAMILY PIT BULL.
The parents and/or guardians should, WITHOUT EXCEPTION, be held accountable.
enclosed, while they went on a trip. And at a cheaper rate! They took him to dog training, but the biting is still ongoing..I feel sad for this dog, but what can be done?
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with our community. We always appreciate hearing all views.
It doesn’t seem realistic or possible to ban all power breeds from the earth. So why not? And who am I? I was the owner of a wonderful, loving pitbull that I loved very much. I held him in my arms as he passed away from an illness. We loved him but we worked very hard to keep both him and others safe. He was either in our home or on a leash. He was never even allowed to bite a toy that squealed or looked like an animal. It worked too because he brought me a baby rabbit from our yard unharmed. We need both training and accountability to own a power breed. A powerful dog should also require and pass training and temperament tests. They are as potentially dangerous as owning a gun, alcohol or a car. I was the owner of one but I am also a mother.
My family has had pitbulls for most of my life. They were all sweet and very mindful of everyone around them. The only time they got aggressive were when my ex step dad was being a violent arse towards my mother and little sister.
Again, pits can be the absolute sweetest dogs IF given the proper environment and training by a RESPONSIBLE owner.
Stop being an idiot and actually brush up on your facts before you start dragging an entire breed through the mud.
2nd – Just because a dog is inside, it’s OK to be aggressive? B.S.!
As an adult, I’ve owned two shepherd mixes, one pure bred german shepherd, a doxie/pit mix, and two malteese mixes. (All rescue dogs) I’ve never had a problem with them biting or trying to bite anyone. I’ve never put them in a stressful situation that would cause them to react poorly with people and they were well trained. That is a big part of it.
One day I was with my friend and we went to her family’s home. They invited me inside. I was standing just inside the door with them and something growled at me from under the couch. I asked what was that and they laughed, saying it was their Chihuahua. Sense they were not taking it seriously that their dog was growling at a guest and correcting its behavior, I said I was going to leave. They said, “no, no, it’s ok”. Then the dog ran out from underneath the couch, bit my ankle, and ran back under the couch. They thought that was acceptable behavior from their small dog, they were laughing. If it had been a large breed, would the still think it was funny? Probably not. It’s a double standard. I was furious and I left. The little dog drew blood with that bite and they didn’t care.
Most of the time, people are to blame with their actions and/or lack of training for dog bites.
Just keeping it real
It’s the same thing. PSI=Force….