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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
- 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
- 81% of dog bites cause no injury at all or only minor injuries that do not require medial attention4
- You have a 1 in 112,400 chance of dying from a dog bite or strike5
- 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 Attacks states that 25% of fatal attacks were inflicted by chained dogs of many different breeds7
- The insurance industry paid more than $530 million in dog bite related claims in 20148
- 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.com3. 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
- American Bandogge: 731 PSI
- Cane Corso: 700 PSI
- Dogue De Bordeaux: 556 PSI
- Tosa Inu: 556 PSI
- English Mastiff: 556 PSI
- Dogo Canario: 540 PSI
- Dogo Argentino: 500 PSI
- Wolfdog: 406 PSI
- Leonberger: 399 PSI
- Akita Inu: 350-400 PSI
- Rottweiler: 328 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 Institute, 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 $37,000.8
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
To share this infographic on your site, simply copy and paste the code below:
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] CDC, [2] Puppy Lover News, [3] Pet Comments, [4] National Canine Research Council, [5] National Safety Council, [6] The Humane Society, [7] Fatal Dog Attacks, [8] Insurance Information Institute, [9] USPS, [10] AVMA
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It makes a heck of a lot more sense to try to figure out what conditions led hundreds of pit bulls to cause problems when millions of pit bulls don’t, and try to make sure pit bulls don’t suffer these conditions. This is why plane crashes or train de-railings are investigated: we don’t just throw our hands in the air and decide planes and trains are dangerous so stay away from them – it’s obvious that millions of flights and train trips go on with no incident all the time – the question is why was there a problem with THIS one.
Geez…people with ZERO ability to think and reason feel totally fine creating opinions based on ignorance and committing to them tooth and nail. Shame on you!
Reported statistics aren’t reflective of the true number of “Actual” bite statistics. I did not report when the Chihuahua bit my leg in multiple spots leaving me bloodied and bruised though I should have. However, had a pitbull come at me with the same aggression that “little” dog had, I probably would have lost my leg. My point being, most people don’t report bites that occur by small dogs because the damage inflicted is not as severe when compared to that of a larger dog. It does not mean that small breed dogs like Chihuahuas, Duaschunds, etc. do not bit just as frequently, if not more than the other “big, mean breeds.” It is just usually that their bites don’t typically require the same amount of medical attention when they occur.
Much like I would rather get shot with a pellet gun than an AR15
She was bitten in 2007 and got a pay out from insurance yet her biggest “volunteer” is writing insurance companies to tell them to not back laws pertaining to non discrimination so more victims of any and all dogs are covered, like the master once was. lol Hypocrisy at it’s finest.
Until you’re educated on who you spout from, you have no verifiable information. Not even medical experts understand dog bites. It’s not their field. Even vets who follow dogsbite have been put into question regarding the information they’ve tried to use in supreme court hearings because it’s jut not reliable.
There are also victims false labeled on the blog pertaining to dog breeds.
There are dog breeds left out, there are dog breeds crossed off. Cant implicate anything more than the “pit bull” just as it says in the mission statement that it focus’s on.
Question: Do you know where dogsbite donation money goes? I didnt think you did either and neither do any of the other followers.
There is no science to back up what the PeTA backed extremist organization of Dogsbite has. Nothing she has even for medical is sound and it’s been proven by people with degree’s in both medical and animal fields to include peons such as myself.
My problem with the site is that whoever runs it (I suppose it’s more than one person by now) doesn’t understand statistics or risk analysis, yet put a bunch of useless nonsense on the site.
By now (this site has been up for over a decade) you’d think this organization would been able to present a clear picture of how many “pit bull” attacks occur per year. That, after all, is the bread and butter of this site. But no! No where can you find a clear table showing this!
At first I thought it was stupidity, but then I realize it’s by design. The number of attacks (and I don’t mean just deaths – I mean any attacks serious enough to be reported) per year are so low as to be statistically insignificant, considering the number of dogs that are considered “pit bulls” in this country. One clear table would make that so obvious people wouldn’t spend any time being confused with the confabulations on that site.
Instead there are pages and pages of anecdotes, inaccuracies, unsupported conclusions…a major mess of claims without relevant context.
Of course, since too many people don’t bother to think straight, this site and other anti-pit bull sites have led to greater problems for pit bulls, making it more likely for pits to get abandoned and mistreated. The site isn’t only misleading, it’s actually harmful.
So this is pretty bad research. I’ll not go into the details, but anyone with an advanced science degree would chuckle while reading this.
You can die from taking aspirin? Well yeah, in some really extreme circumstances that would not actually be attributed to the taking of aspirin, sure. This is like saying someone died from using a match, when he actually died because he lit a match and then dropped it in a tank of gas that was at his feet. And blood clotting is a little more complicated than the anti platelet properties of aspirin being enough to kill someone.
Look, at the end of the day, I’m sure everyone can agree that every life taken by any dog is quite significant. And here’s the thing, pit bulls kill more people than any other dog. Period. They kill children. Man I can’t imagine what it would be like to have someone else’s dog come into my yard and kill two of my children. But a pit bull has done that to someone else. My daughter is the world to me. And any time I see a pit bull, I assume it’s one that can kill her. I understand that you guys have great dogs. I’ve met so many good pits along the years. But, since I cannot be certain whether or not a pit bull or pit bull like dog (who really cares if it’s correctly identified?) doesn’t have one of these bad owners that you guys are calling the actual problem, I must assume the worst. And that makes me feel danger. It makes me on alert. Because to assume otherwise might mean my daughter may be attacked and killed. That simply isn’t acceptable. And that applies to all breeds of dogs that are known to kill children regardless of the circumstances.
So if you guys really want to keep these potentially dangerous dogs, then why not make people take special classes to be certified to own such a dog? That way if I do see someone with a dangerous dog, I can feel like the dog is with someone who knows their stuff. If I see military personnel with big guns that can kill people, I generally feel safe since they are trained to use these weapons. There are solutions you could work towards. How about trying to make people like me feel safe around your dogs? How about making sure no one with certain criminal records can own a dangerous dog? How about making everyone with a potentially dangerous dog register their dog so I can go look it up?
If you ignored everything I’ve said, I want you to consider what I say next seriously.
What does the world miss out on if all dangerous dogs are gone? Could the connection you feel to your dog not be the same if it were towards another breed of dog? If dangerous dogs didn’t exist, how many children would have made it to adulthood? How many more children will die? Is it worth it? I’ve loved every dog I’ve ever owned. And I’m sure anyone could fall in love with another breed if all of the dangerous breeds simply vanished tomorrow.
Significant part of the answer is “heritability”. Anyone involved in a breeding program for anything, “…dogs, cats, horses, cattle, poultry etc”, will tell you that heritability of many traits is very low: even with generations of strictly regulated breeding the offspring of champion race horses don’t all (or even most) become champion race horses, nor do most of a litter of master shepherd dogs become great shepherds.
Yet anyone with zero comprehension of science, breeding or genetics will think it’s “common sense” that since “pit bulls” (no idea which blood lines those are exactly or which of today’s “pit bulls” are genetically related to those blood lines) were bred over 100 years ago in a different continent to be aggressive towards bulls, and some here were “bred” for fighting (by backyard breeders apparently so much better at the science than those involved with horse racing or guide dogs), then today’s “pit bulls”, the majority of them mixed with whatever, whenever and the puppies sold or given to whoever, have been really, really great at keeping up that trait. This lack of reasoning is both laughable and sad at that same time. You yourself say “Dogs, cats, horses, cattle, poultry etc., are all bred according to characteristics and the breeding pairs are selected generation after generations for characteristics that the breeder wants to have” without it actually occurring to you that THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED WITH PIT BULLS. (sorry for the all caps, but this level of shoddy reasoning is frustrating)
Why don’t you apply your common sense to another question. A. How many pit bulls are in this country (notice I didn’t say “pit bulls” if you can find a definite answer to how many of these so called pit bulls bred for aggression exist in this country good on you) B: How many pit bull attacks occur per year (and I don’t ask for fatalities, I’m concerned with the number of attacks serious enough to be reported). C: Divide B by A and tell me what percentage of these pit bulls (bred to be aggressive, mind you) have ever attacked anyone?
You probably won’t be able to find these numbers – despite so much hoopla about pit bulls, even laws being proposed and passed (and then repealed), the public can’t get a simple risk assessment number about pit bulls. Maybe the reason is that the number of pit bull attacks is statistically insignificant given the number of pit bulls, which would raise a lot of questions for the “pit bulls are genetically dangerous” crowd. You’d really have to ask 1. If the danger is in their genes, how come the overwhelming percentage of them are fine family pets, and it’s the ones that attack that are an aberration, and 2. Is it common sense to kill 100% of millions of dogs when we have zero idea of what percentage of these dogs are likely to cause harm?
No one wants anyone harmed ever, but do we only care about people harmed by pit bulls? Or after the pit bulls are all dead, then we’ll worry about killing the Rottweilers? Then the GSDs and on down the line, until any breed that has ever produced a killer dog is gone? Instead, why not educate the public about the proper care, socialization, and treatment of ALL dogs, which is a much better way to reduce harm than by giving a false sense of security to owners of Huskies, Dobermans, Mastiffs, etc that their dog is completely safe, since it’s not a “pit bull”?
Most ironic sentence ever.
I feel like a good solution to both dog attacks and animal abuse is to only allow people who have taken the time to learn about these animals and go to classes to get a license. No one should be allowed an animal if they can’t treat it right.
If you take a type of dog and breed it for a purpose so that you can maintain a pedigree database and so that certain traits “breed true” generation after generation, you have a purpose bred or purebred dog. That’s why you have pointers that point and retrievers that retrieve and border collies that herd sheep. Most dog people are “ok” admitting that those breeds are bred for specific traits and not a one of them calls it doggy racism.
The only dogs people use in the example of doggy racism are the pit bull types of dogs which far and away cause the most fatalities in children and adults in the United States partially because of how they are bred. They are not bred for a “soft mouth.” They are terriers which are bred to kill other animals and pit bulls in particular are a purpose bred dog as much as any border collie is. IT SHOULD BE NO SURPRISE TO ANYONE THAT THEIR BITES ARE WORSE. Shame on us as a hobby for making stupid excuses for pit bull type dogs at the expense of things we hold dear about our own breeds.
If we can’t acknowlege those breed traits, and if even the AKC and the AVMA are saying that breed doesn’t matter, that we should ignore statistics and that “any dog can bite” I want to know what the point is for continuing to breed “purebred” dogs. Because some of us work really hard to maintain our breeds and if it doesn’t matter and breed traits don’t matter, why am I paying so much for some judge to come and tell me my dog lacks type? Why am I trying to breed for a soft mouth if I’m being told “any dog” can bite?
Let’s all just “adopt don’t shop.” Let’s just let our breeds die out and own the pit bulls that overflow shelters because “breed doesn’t matter.” What? It wouldn’t fit your personal lifestyle to own a pit bull? Why ever not, since all dogs are the same and breed doesn’t matter. Since all dogs are individuals and there’s no way for us possibly to breed better dogs, what’s the difference between a pit bull and a Papillon? Is size the only difference?
Well. I would love to see someone reply to this article with some articulate thought on how this is supposed to work for “us” in the “fancy.”
“Since 2012, an increasing number of cities are repealing breed-discriminatory laws and replacing them with comprehensive breed-neutral laws that focus on problematic pet owners and individual dog behavior, rather than a dog’s breed. As of 2017, a total of 21 states have provisions prohibiting breed-discriminatory laws and policies by municipalities.
Negligent and reckless pet owners create unsafe environments that put people and pets at risk. Effective laws address the behavior of dog owners and the resulting behavior of their individual dogs, and put regulations in place to restrict and restrain any dangerous dog.”
https://resources.bestfriends.org/article/dog-breed-neutral-laws-safe-communities
I don’t think you know what “doggy racism” refers to. It has nothing to do dogs being bred for special traits. It has to do with dogs being discriminated against because of their breed, regardless of their behaviour.
You use the term “breed doesn’t matter” with zero context. If I say “breed doesn’t matter, ALL dogs need proper care and socialization” am I saying something untrue and/or controversial?
While pit bulls overrun dog shelters, it’s very easy to adopt a dog that’s not a pit bull. There are even pure breds in shelters. If you can’t imagine having any other type of dog than a Papillon, good for them – someone’s gotta want those things.
Yes, any dog can bite. The damage can range from death and mutilation to a scratch, depending on the size and temperament of the dog.
As you mention, most of the dogs in shelters are pit bulls. If pits are the dogs most likely to be abandoned, abused, trained for protection or aggression, is it any surprise they’re also the ones most often not well socialized and easy to come by for people who want a dog but don’t really know how to care for them?
Do you imagine that there are the same number of Papillons as “pit bulls” in this country? Do you suppose there are the same number of Papillons abused, abandoned, trained for aggression and used for puppy mills in this country as there are pit bulls? And yet you suppose that the difference between pit bulls and Papillons isn’t in their treatment, but in their genes?
It can never be proven of course, but it would not surprise me if Papillon face the same conditions as pit bulls face in this country, they’d be in shelters as often as chihuahua and chihuahua mixes are.
You say “If you take a type of dog and breed it for a purpose so that you can maintain a pedigree database and so that certain traits “breed true” generation after generation, you have a purpose bred or purebred dog.”
Then you say “They are terriers which are bred to kill other animals and pit bulls in particular are a purpose bred dog as much as any border collie is”. Which dog breed do you mean by “they”? If you mean “pit bulls” which of the many different breeds of dogs labelled “pit bull” do you mean? You actually believe the so called “pit bulls” that have harmed people are the result of a pedigree database that have have “bred true” for certain traits generation after generation for the purpose of killing other animals? Do you actually believe that there are many pit bulls in this country that fit that description?? Do your own arguments make sense even to you??
The term “pit bull” does not refer to one specific breed “bred true” for any trait whatsoever. That should be obvious to anyone who knows anything at all about this topic. There are a bunch of different dogs considered “pit bulls”, and in true racist “one drop” fashion, any dog mixed with those breed is considered a “pit bull mix” and added to the list of dangerous “pit bull” or “pit bull type” dogs. That’s millions of dogs! If all the “backyard breeders” with their pedigree databases have produced these to “breed true” for killing anything they’ve done a piss poor job of it, since the average cat kills more animals than these dogs do. If they’d been successful with this purpose bred dog there would be blood baths in the streets, rather than a statistically insignificant percentage of dogs of indeterminate breed harming people, compared to the number of “pit bulls” out there.
Negligent and reckless pet owners create unsafe environments that put people and pets at risk. Effective laws address the behavior of dog owners and the resulting behavior of their individual dogs, and put regulations in place to restrict and restrain any dangerous dog.”
https://resources.bestfriends.org/article/dog-breed-neutral-laws-safe-communities
That’s advocated by organizations like the American Veterinary Medical Association, the CDC, American Bar Association, Humane Society of the United States, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, StateFarm, the National Canine Research Council and MANY more
Michael Dennis, I think you are on to something. Hold the owners accountable for vicious attacks to the fullest extent of the law. I am not sure that falls under the domain of murder but it certainly could be manslaughter. The only other thing I would add is that the dog gets put down or held in a shelter immediately until the case is resolved. Why are “pitty” owners not on board with this? Very simple…they do not want to be held responsible for what their dogs do, which is “pittyful!”
I have had a “pitty” owner tell me that their dog charged my GSP puppy because I was afraid of their pitbull. Great logic, especially when it comes to kids which are by far the #1 target of pitbulls. Of course a kid is going to be afraid of a pitbull, especially if it is coming at them. That comment and those like it are pure ignorance…just plain stupid.
Oh and let’s just say that pitbull that I was so “afraid of” had a really bad day because I for one am done with them. If your “pitty” gets close to me or my dogs when I ask you nicely to keep them away or if you let your dog roam unleashed or if you are too weak to control it, you are playing with your dog’s life along with those of people and animals around you and/or your dog.
Pit bull apologists will throw out all the excuses in the world. They blame anything but the dog. Lack of training, abuse, failure to nueter, on and on the excuse train goes. My personal favorite is when the baby is killed by the family pit bull and they blame the parents for leaving the dog alone with the kid. Oh but I thought it was supposed to be the “Nanny dog?!” Lol that’s another fabricated myth by the way, but I digress. It’s as if they believe other breeds are never left alone with kids, never abused, never trained. And yet, only the pit bulls continuously kill and maim humans at such a rate.
You can make all the pit bulls and parolees shows you want. You can tell me about how you and all your cousins have owned pit bulls and never had a problem but your stories are nothing more than anecdotal evidence. In case you dont know what that means, it means your personal experience means nothing in the face of statistics.
Every dog is a good dog until the day they arent. For pit bulls, that day seems to come around a lot more often.
The difference between a pit bull biting and a chihuahua is that the pit bull is stronger. Chihuahua attacks aren’t publicized nearly as often because people don’t usually report them due to receiving no major injuries. Pit bulls are much more likely to be reported for an attack, having the stereotype that they’re very aggressive and dangerous dogs.
I’m not saying they’re all sweet and nice “love bugs†who have never hurt anyone or pulling out the “Oh I have three, and they’re just sweetie pies! Stop hating on pitties†card. Just saying that pit bulls have an increasingly higher tendency to be reported for attacks than any other breee at this point.
It’s similar to news channels and social media stories in the US. In order for a white American male to get the same coverage as a Muslim, he’d have to kill 7 times more people. Because of it, all Muslims are stereotyped as evil when they aren’t the only root of the problem.
Until people learn to face facts, stereotypes on neither pit bulls nor Muslims will ever change in the face of Americans.
People are maimed and/or killed because selfish incompetent a$$hats want to own dangerous dogs.
“the most comprehensive research suggests that dog demographics are not relevant to DBRFs, but rather preventable human decisions regarding care, husbandry, and control of their canine charges may be the most important variables.”
–source
Do alittle more research! Dumb is dangerous
Dumb is dangerous!
Even here the statistics are based on differing criteria on reporting.
But, really, the commonality in all statistics is abuse/neglect/disease leading to negative human-canine interactions.
Thanks
Mak
Sources: AVMA, AVMA, National Canine Research Council, National Canine Research Council
Kill a human EVERY TWO WEEKS! About 30 per year. I’d like to see some actual bite numbers for the dogs you list that bite the most. Surely, you have them. Or was listing the Chihuahua as #1 just for sensationalism. How about listing the breed(s) responsible for killing the most humans. For Chihuahuas btw that’s ZERO. This article is a joke!!!
May 2019, St. Lucie County, FL – Christine Liquori, 52
May 2019, Jefferson County, KY – Isaiah Geiling, 2
March 2019, Dallas County, TX – Johana Villafane, 33
March 2019, Alachua County, FL – Tanner Kinnamon, 2
March 2019, Rowan County, NC – Jacari Long, < 1
February 2019, Lubbock County, TX – Johnnie Garner, 88
February 2019, Riverside County, CA – Angela Johnson, 54
February 2019, Todd County, KY – Ashton McGhee, 1
January 2019, Potter County, TX – Ed Stanley, 85
January 2019, San Bernardino County, CA – Lana Bergman, 70
November 2018, Newaygo County, MI – Sharon Daniels, 77
November 2018, Citrus County, FL – Cecileigh Garris, < 1
November 2018, Clark County, KY – April Collins, 45
October 2018, Edgecombe County, NC – Triniti Harrell, 1
October 2018, District of Columbia – Angela Smith, 55
September 2018, Baker County, OR – Mitchelle Segerdahl, 53
September 2018, Howard County, MD – Robin Conway, 64
September 2018, Siskiyou County, CA – Teena Mawhorter, 74
August 2018, Hamilton County, OH – Della Riley, 42
August 2018, Edgecombe County, NC – Gurney Walker, 75
August 2018, Montgomery County, NC – Olga Rekhson, 64
August 2018, Cook County, IL – Karen Brown, 57
August 2018, Philadelphia County, PA – Jaevon Torres, 2
July 2018, Duval County, FL – Jaelah Smith, 6
June 2018, Humboldt County, CA – Donald Steele, 91
May 2018, Broward County, FL – Liana Valino, < 1
May 2018, Clark County, NV – Bradley Cline, 62
May 2018, Blair County, PA – Gauge Eckenrode, 6
May 2018, Harrison County, MS – Georgia Morgan, 75
May 2018, Carter County, OK – Tracy Garcia, 52
March 2018, Milwaukee County, WI – Hong Saengsamly, 49
March 2018, Cape Girardeau County, MO – Loxli Chavez, 1
March 2018, Bexar County, TX – Noah Trevino, 4
February 2018, Daviess County, KY – David Brown, 46
January 2018, Stephens County, OK – Rylee Marie Dodge, 3
January 2018, Ouachita Parish, LA – Laura Ray, 53
December 2017, Stanislaus County, CA – Deborah Onsurez, 56
December 2017, Bell County, KY – Lorraine Saylor, 66
December 2017, Goochland County, VA – Bethany Stephens, 22
December 2017, Cook County, IL – Dorothy Ford, 77
December 2017, Jackson County, AL – Emily Mae Colvin, 24
November 2017, Marshall County, AL – Tracy Cornelius, 46
November 2017, Richmond County, NC – David Baber, 65
October 2017, Johnson County, AR – Sharon Lindemann, 75
October 2017, Middlesex County, MA – Javien Candelario, 7
September 2017, Gilmer County, GA – Kathy Sue Nichelson, 61
September 2017, Knox County, OH – Barrett Hagans, < 1
September 2017, Neshoba County, MS – Connie Storey, 61
August 2017, Palm Beach County, FL – Grace Walks, 41-years old
August 2017, Calhound County, FL – Alicia Malagon, 76
August 2017, Hart County, GA – Paris Adams, 1
July 2017, El Paso County, TX – Jacob Brooks, 4
July 2017, Seneca County, OH – Michael Parks, 60
July 2017, McCreary County, KY – Vinson Tucker, 79
June 2017, Gallatin County, MT – Melissa Barnes, 65
June 2017, Virginia Beach, VA – Margaret Colvin, 90
May 2017, Kent County, MI – Susannah Murray, < 1
May 2017, Clark County, NV – Kamiko Dao Tsuda-Saelee, < 1
April 2017, Lehigh County, PA – Lisa Green, 32
April 2017, Montgomery County, OH – Maurice Brown, 60
April 2017, Oklahoma County, OK – Cecille Short, 82
March 2017, Calvert County, MD – Jase Patrick Fohs, < 1
February 2017, Los Angeles County, CA – Valentine Herrera, 76
February 2017, Adams County, IL – Jamie Owsley, 21
January 2017, Fulton County, GA – Logan Braatz, 6
December 2016, Cabell County, WV – Isaiah Franklin, 6
October 2016, Staten Island, NY – Daisie Bradshaw, 68
September 2016, Shawnee County, KS – Piper Dunbar, 2
August 2016, Jefferson County, CO – Susan Shawl, 60
August 2016, Clark County, NV – Derion Stevenson, 9
August 2016, Screven County, GA – Michelle Wilcox, 30
July 2016, Honolulu County, HI – Crisencio Aliado, 52
July 2016, Navajo County, AZ – Kayden Begay, 3
July 2016, Wayne County, MI – Elizabeth Rivera, 71
June 2016, Fresno County, CA – Susie Kirby, < 1
June 2016, Penobscot County, ME – Hunter Bragg, 7
June 2016, San Joaquin County, CA – Earl Stephens Jr., 43
May 2016, Dallas County, TX – Antoinette Brown, 52
May 2016, St. Louis County, MO – Adonis Reddick, 45
April 2016, San Diego County, CA – Sebastian Caban, < 1
March 2016, Lake County, FL – Sonda Tyson, 66
March 2016, Mecklenburg County, NC – Bessie Flowers, 86
March 2016, Thurston County, WA – Gladys Alexander, 92
Februrary 2016, Perquimans County, NC – Suzanne Story, 36
January 2016, Robeson County, NC – Talan West, 7
January 2016, Grayson County, VA – Payton Sawyers, 1
January 2016, Yuba County, CA – Tyler Trammell-Huston, 9
“The most comprehensive research suggests that dog demographics are not relevant to DBRFs (Dog Bite Related Fatalities), but rather preventable human decisions regarding care, husbandry, and control of their canine charges may be the most important variables.” – source
National Animal Control Association Guideline Statement: “Dangerous and/or vicious animals should be labeled as such as a result of their actions or behavior and not because of their breed.”
AVMA
AVMA Journals
I HIGHLY suggest you do some actual research before opening your mouth. If you find any studies that support your view I’d love to know cause currently there is NO reliable evidence to back you up.
So uneducated. You really should do more research before commenting.
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!
Here’s something for all you Pitbull haters:
“Maulings by dogs can cause terrible injuries and death—and it is natural for those dealing with the victims to seek to address the immediate causes. However as Duffy et al (2008) wrote of their survey based data: “The substantial within-breed variation…suggests that it is inappropriate to make predictions about a given dog’s propensity for aggressive behavior based solely on its breed.” While breed is a factor, the impact of other factors relating to the individual animal (such as training method, sex and neutering status), the target (e.g. owner versus stranger), and the context in which the dog is kept (e.g. urban versus rural) prevent breed from having significant predictive value in its own right. Also the nature of a breed has been shown to vary across time, geographically, and according to breed subtypes such as those raised for conformation showing versus field trials.” –AVMA
People need to learn how to research something probably and think for themselves. Dumb is dangerous people!
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. !!!!!!!
There’s a reason why the American Veterinary Medical Association and CDC, along with the American Bar Association, Humane Society of the United States, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, StateFarm, the National Canine Research Council and MANY more have expressed their opposition to breed bans. There’s a reason why more and more communities are lifting their “Pit Bull” ban. Educate yourself. Dumb is Dangerous
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.
National Animal Control Association Guideline Statement: “Dangerous and/or vicious animals should be labeled as such as a result of their actions or behavior and not because of their breed.”
Educate yourself.
https://www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/
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?
Nipping, mouthing and biting a two very different things. If any dog actually bites you there would be real damage and that dog is too dangerous to be around people and other animals.
My first dog that was ‘mine’ I got as a rescue when I was 8. I loved that dog (to this day still my favourite ever dog) he was Basenji. When he was about 14 years old he bite my niece. He was an old dog by then and she did the kid of thing of getting in his personal space (she needed a few stitches) and I felt just awful about the whole situation, however, I had him put down a few days after that incident. While I loved him and had him for 12 years at that point, I couldn’t trust he wouldn’t bite another child again and do serious harm. To this day the hardest choice/thing I have had to do. Over the year I have put other dogs down due terminal illnesses, not anywhere near as hard as my Basenji.
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 okâ€. 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….
I am constantly being asked if my pit bites, and my response is always the same… “She has teeth and she is a dog, she has never bitten anyone as of yet but she can.†I have respect for my dogs and what they can do and they in turn respect me and what I do for them.
Comparing a pit to other dogs simply because of their breed is no better than comparing a man of color to other men simply because of the color of his skin. There are good and bad in all walks of life.
Now if you want to talk about selective breeding, by all means, do so. But if you do, you should be really clear about the difference between a breed and specific lines.
The dogs that people call “pit bulls” are a far cry from a pure APBT as it’s the “backyard” breeders who are breeding unstable dogs that are simply more likely to bite. I’d guess if there are 100 “pit bulls” at a shelter, maybe 3-4 are the real deal and those are the ones much less likely to bite a human.
Also, remember an APBT male typically weighs as low as 35-60 lbs on the HIGH end and that’s not what you are seeing biting others is it? NO, I didn’t think so. So if you are going to blame a breed, at least have a basic understanding of the actual breed you are blaming.
The idea of a dog as a pet is thousands of years old, there’s scientific proof of this.
English Bulldog Anatomy
Early modern English bulldog history shows a dog bred for specific characteristics related to their primary occupation.
The English bulldog’s body, short and stocky and low to the ground with wide set legs, helped these dogs stay grounded when facing off against an angry bull.
Their now-famous facial folds and wrinkles actually helped channel sweat and blood neatly down their faces during fights, keeping these fluids away from their eyes, nose and mouth.
The bulldog’s short muzzle ensured that keeping a solid grip on the bull wouldn’t block their nostrils and impede breathing.
And their signature underbite gave them a better grip on the bull’s face or body.
Finally, the bulldog’s short spine and smaller hindquarters helped these dogs guard against spine injuries when the bull shook or threw them during the fight.
It is important to note here that, overall, these early English bulldogs were hardy, healthy and strong.
Dumb is dangerous
“there is no reliable evidence that demonstrates a link between breed and fatal dog bites”
–source
Dumb is dangerous
There are simply too many breeds, and mixes thereof, that make up the pit bull type. Thus, the three breeds that are commonly considered pit bulls cannot logically have dog bite/fatality statistics applied to them since there are so many other breeds (approximately 30) that contribute to the recognized pit bull type.
This doesn’t negate the issue but does require that we recognize that a much larger number of dog breeds are responsible for these horrific bites/fatalities. It’s not primarily “pit bullsâ€.
Inferior “breed” that is referred to as pit. Fix them all and they won’t be able to kill our pets or children.
When one of my granddaughters was little, she was petting my mother’s Pekingese and when she stood up, Gizmo jumped up and bit her upper lip. I had to take her to ER for stitches and gave all dog info to the ER staff. An animal rescue friend of mine told me that the police and/or HS would contact me and maybe have him quarantined. Apparently the hospital never reported it because I never heard from anyone. But if I had said Gizmo was a Pit the police and HS would probably have beat me to my house. About 6 years later I ended up rehoming my mother’s Peke due to concerns of him taking advantage of my elderly mother. He had bitten her on the face – didn’t break the skin but caused bruising and swelling and would bite the caregivers and mother and even grazed the finger of a nurse when my mother was in a rehab facility and they told me to bring Gizmo to see her.
Our little dog Deeto is in our chest freezer waiting for burial in another place. We miss him terribly and so do the many people who have know him. He was 10 yrs. old.
We now have a Pit Bull, (and a Malti-Zhu, and a Cocker) and I raised him the same way… hand in the bowl. You CAN train a Pit how to have a soft bite, contrary to what Pit-haters think. He refuses to bite down if my fingers are anywhere near his mouth. As a matter of fact, I was being a goof and fed him a piece of chicken with a fork. (That’s because he thinks he’s human. LOL!) Anyway, the moment he sensed something ‘different’ in his mouth, he refused to take the chicken! I couldn’t believe it! He LOVES chicken! So I had to take it off the fork and hand it to him. But even then… he tested the waters to see if it was okay.
That ‘leave them alone while they’re eating’ thing should NOT be confused with proper training. (Strange dogs? Yes! Family pets? No.) You should have your hands in the bowl, in their mouths, touching them, interrupting them, taking the food away, but ALWAYS giving it back, and then leave them in peace. They need to learn that fingers aren’t food. I’ve had SO MANY dogs in my life! (I lived on a ranch for part of it), and have never had a problem. Until Coco.
These Pit-haters? They have NO IDEA what they’re talking about.
I rescued my Pit from a lifetime in a fighting ring. But the ONLY thing he fights now? Are his stuffed animals.
My Malti-Zhu, on the other hand, is a little monster. LOL! My Pit always just lays there, looking amazed. LOL!
If something like that happened to me while I was walking my Malti-Zhu, I would never be the same! I’m so sorry for your loss!
See, that, right there, is irresponsible ownership. Those Pits should’ve NEVER been allowed to do their deed on their own! All dogs require supervision… even if it’s just to be courteous and to pick up their poop! In all of my years, I’ve never allowed my indoor dogs to go out on their own. (My outdoor, ranch dogs were a different story. We lived on a MASSIVE amount of land, and they had a job to do. And we had no neighbors.)
Now, I live on seven acres, but STILL won’t let them walk, unsupervised.
A while back, I was walking my brother’s miniature Greyhound, when a hawk swooped down to try to get her. I saw this in time, and protected her. But if I wasn’t there? It scared the daylights out of me!
Another time, I was watering my garden… and came within a few yards of a black bear! (Thankfully, my dogs were inside. They think they’re bigger than they are!)
I have a Pittie. And not only is it my responsibility to have him on a leash and supervised (even though he’s a mush). I have to make sure that the people around me feel safe!
I also keep my Malti-Zhu and Cocker on a leash at all times while we’re walking.
They’re like my furry kids! (Not literally, of course.)
When my children were young (they’re adults now), I never let then go out, unsupervised. In this day and age, you never know what might be lurking out there.
The same goes with my ‘furry boys’. But different dangers. Hawks, bears, other dogs…
With the ‘big guys’, its courteous to those around you to keep them on a leash. It makes people feel more comfortable, because you can’t tell the temperament of a dog just by looking at them. (My Pit is 70 pounds and looks intimidating. But he’d rather curl up with a teddy bear and sleep.)
But not all Pits are like my Ozzy. ALL dogs are different! But whether they’re aggressive… or passive… it doesn’t matter. Those dogs should’ve been on a leash! They should’ve NEVER been free to do what they wanted.
That angers me!!!
And you should’ve been PERFECTLY SAFE walking your dog! I don’t know the laws where you live, but here? All dogs must be on a leash. And if they ARE the same for you? Than there REALLY was no excuse for those Pits to be out and about like that! ZERO!!!
My Jellybean, even though he only weighs about 7 pounds, thinks he’s a big guy, and tries to protect me from everything! Leaves, airplanes, the wind. Then he looks at me as if asking, “Are you proud of me? Did I do a good job?†And I always have to praise him and give him love.
I’d bet your little guy thought he was protecting you, too… showing you love! And even though that must’ve been the most traumatizing experience for you (I don’t know HOW you’re able to function… my heart goes out to you… TRULY!) these little guys are SO loving and loyal! I’d bet that, even though his little spirit is no longer here, he’s watching you, and he’s so happy you’re safe!
Oh… I mean I hope you weren’t hurt! My apologies if you were! And if you were, I hope you’re all healed up now.
The owners of those dogs did wrong by you! Yes, I love my Pittie. But I’m also a responsible dog owner. And even though my dog has a mushy temperament, I would’ve NEVER allowed him to be out there, unsupervised!
Just like THEY shouldn’t.
They really did wrong by you… AND your poor furbaby!
I’m so sorry!!! :’(