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According to the Center For Disease Control (CDC), approximately 4.5 million dog bites occur in the United States every year, and 900,000 of those bites become infected. The U.S. population is approximately 325.8 million people as of 2017. That means a dog bites 1 out of every 72 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.
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 4.5 million dog bites occur each year
- Dogs that bite the most:
- Chihuahua
- Bulldog
- Pit Bull
- German Shepherd
- Australian Shepherd
- Lhasa Apso
- Jack Russell Terrier
- Cocker Spaniel
- Bull Terrier
- Pekingese
- Papillion
- In 2016, there were an estimated 78 million dogs in the U.S.
- 80% of dog bites 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
- In 2016, there were 41 U.S. dog bite-related fatalities, which means 0.00000053% of dogs caused fatalities
- Pit bulls contributed to 22 of these deaths
- Labradors contributed to 3 deaths
- Rottweilers, American Bulldogs, Belgian Malinois, Doberman Pinschers, German Shepherds and mixed-breeds each contributed to 2 deaths
- 31% of deaths were infants ages 3 to 6 days
- 42% (13) of deaths were children ages 9 and younger
- 58% (18) of deaths were adults ages 30 and older
- Pit bulls and Rottweilers accounted for 76% of fatal attacks from 2005 to 2016
- You have a 1 in 112,400 chance 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 neutered
- Fatal Dog Attacks 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 related claims in 2014
The video below discusses more dog bite statistics.
Be Mindful of Breeds, But Not Fearful
You’ve likely heard of the Pit Bull breed, touted as the breed most responsible for dog bites. But you can dismantle much of your fear of them with our Pit Bull Facts article. Unfortunately, Pit Bulls account for the majority of reported fatal attacks in the United States. While there’s no denying that one should be more vigilant around a large dog than say, a Cocker Spaniel, 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.
What Breeds Have the Strongest Bite?
Below are the top 10 dogs with the strongest bite in terms of PSI (pound per square inch or pound-force per square inch), as reported by PetComments.com. 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
- Doberman: 600 PSI
- English Mastiff: 556 PSI
- Rottweiler: 328 PSI
- African Wild Dog: 317 PSI
- American Bull Dog: 305 PSI
- German Shepherd: 238 PSI
- American Pitbull: 235 PSI
- Dutch Shepherd: 224 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 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.
If you are interested in protecting yourself with dog liability insurance, visit our partner at InsureMyCanine.com to learn more and get a free quote.
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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111 Comments on "Dog Bite Statistics"
“Dog bite statistics” The only thing I was looking for is which dog bites the most. Bad job.
Sorry you didn’t find what you were looking for. We’ve now added which dogs bite the most to our article. It may take 24-48 hours to show up in some areas due to caching.
Psi stats are bs, each individual dog have different bite presure. Just like each human has different strengths.
dogsbite.org is a biased website that skews statistics. You should not be using them as a source. It is run by an individual with a vendetta against Pit Bulls.
Source: Care2 and various others. Do a Google search for Dogsbite bias
I have been a dog owner for 61 years. Have never had a dog that caused an injury requiring medical attention. I have had Rotweilers, German Shepards, Labs, Cockers, Beagles, hounds, Rhodesian Ridgeback and many mutts. The English Black Lab is the best dog I ever owned. They are more subdued than the American and absolutely LOVE children. I now have a Ridgeback. He nipped (no broken skin ) my granddaughter twice. Both were when she was playing rough with him. He is more dangerous than my labs. But not a killer. She knows how to act around him and no problem. Both times she was playing rough with me. He is VERY protective. She loves him now. Just train well and watch any dog around kids. I am 67 and want a protective dog, but I teach him and those around him how to react to each other.
No mention of Pakistani fighting dogs such as Bully Kutta, Gull Dong etc re strength of bite. Then there are also the various central asian & east european shepherd/ livestock guarding breeds eg caucasian shepherd, sarplaniac, etc
Just curious why African Wild Dogs are on there. And not hyenas or wolves?
Hi Kelsey, great question. The source we sited is for the top 10 dogs. From reading the source, it seems like it is ranking the top 10 dogs that live with people. People don’t have too many hyenas and wolves in their homes. Hope that explains it! 🙂
Hi, Hyena’s are actually not related to dogs they are considered more feline.
I didn’t know people owned African Wild Dogs, but cool! Thanks
Okay so I don’t proclaim to know much about Pitbulls as I have never owned one. There where quite a few where I live and some loose. I had run ins with some. Most of the fights were provoked by my dog a lab cross. Luckily the fights were not too hard to break up.
I study dogs and dog breeds in my spare time. I have noticed that mastiff type dogs are less likely to maul people. Why is this? I think it could be that mastiffs are understood more. People realize what those dogs are capable off and keep them away from strangers. Mastiffs are aldo more mellow tempered. Pitbulls are generally very well natured so lead people to believe they are safe. People tend to forget that they are terriers first of all and t erriers do tend to be more snappish then say mastiff and when a pit bites it tends to do huge damage. I remember a mauling in my country by a pit. The dog’s owners nephew who was over visiting quickly jumped off the couch and the dog reacted thinking that perhaps it’s owner was in danger. not the dog’s fault but the owner. I think that pitbull owner’s need to keep their pitbulls in a cage or tied up when strangers at around for safety’s sake. And realise that under that friendly layer is a dog that will fight to the death and protect the owner to the death. They turn off when fully angry. And its need a owner that understands the breed fully and not just generally. They can be the most amazing dogs in the right hands and the worst in the wrong hands.
I also like how in the midst of the article there is an ad for Dog Bite Insurance. Gee, I wonder why that ad is there… maybe because the article has now gotten you afraid of pitbulls, so you’d better go get their insurance to protect yourself.
This reads like a sales ad for the insurance company more than an objective look into dog bites. Mark Twain once said “There are three kinds of lies: ‘A lie’, ‘A damn lie and a statistic.”
People who are concerned with dog bites or who have “aggressive dog breeds” may not be aware of liability insurance and it is the best way to protect ones’ self financially. This is a free site with original content about dogs because we love dogs and want to share what we have learned over the years with other responsible dog owners. Ads and partnerships are how we are able to produce the free content you are reading.
pits were bread to fight , not be companions . hell my wolf dog is less likely to bite than my sisters pits . my dog just gets excited about other doggos and wants to play . hers have litterally jumped out of their home window ran the neighbors dog down and attacked her .
Being raised around all large breeds specifically pits and having neighbors with half wolf dogs. Half wolf dogs are more likely to bite. By nature they know no bounds so you have to know the nature of the wild to protect yourself. My friend also adopts half wolf breeds all the time and I’ve been nipped just by them protecting their own space. I knew it was just an instinct, you can’t have thin skin and cry about not respecting a breed. My parents have adopted every large breed said to be “aggressive” and me and my siblings have never been bit. But growing up I know how to respect these breeds and how to act around them and how they should be treated. And I will tell you this, I’ve only been bit in my whole life by small dogs who were under 30lbs and were not respectful by any means. One you never show fear to a dog, and you never turn your back and run. You know those dogs were never picked up or reported on when I called the police to file a report. My sister was bit in the face by a Dalmatian as a child, supervised, and she was told numerous times to stop getting in the dogs face. She now knows her bounds and know takes in pits. Owners are the reason for lack of responsibility and training.
Hav you seen the documentary Warriors? It is about those dogs and it is AWESOME!! I liked it especially because the ones who couldn’t get fostered were still able to find a home at The Sanctuary. I think that’s the name of it..
My mistake, the movie/documentary is called The Champions.
Anecdotal comments have zero weight in debate!
Furthermore M.Vicks dogs were bred, trained and fought and after they were rescued 49 of 51 of the dogs went on to homes and became good canine award holders and therapy dogs so take your rhetoric about Pits are not companions you closed minded bigot!
“Pit bulls” which is a TYPE not a specific breed, were bred (not bread – they are animals, not food), to be protectors of children. They were bred to be loyal and gentle to all and had nothing to do with fighting. Unfortunately, due to their loyalty, humans used this to their advantage in order to selectively breed a few for “sports”. This trait however, is not an innate behaviour and if raised for a family pet they thrive. If raised with little discipline, the fear creates an uneasy environment, as with any breed.
We adopted our first pit 3.5 yrs ago. She was a shelter dog brought in as a stray. She has all kinds of scars and we believe she was a bit dog. BEST DOG EVER! She is the love of my life. Loyal, affectionate, sweet, gentle and kind. I’ll always have pits from now on.
Amanda, your comment brings a smile to my face. I’m so glad you were able to give her a loving home. Thank you for sharing with us!
US population is not in the billions.
Whoops, sorry about that typo 😉 It is corrected now! Thanks for bringing it to our attention.
I’m not smart man but I know 22 is not 71% of 41
Sorry about the confusion. Originally in the article we found the figures from it says there were 31 dog bite-related fatalities in 2016 and 22 of them were from pit bulls. Then later it says, “In 2016, eight fatalities involved dogs from two or more different breeds, thus producing a “death credit” total of 41 rather than 31.” This is a bit confusing so we removed the percentage next to pit bulls. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
Stats seem to be the last thing the writer was thinking about when writing this article yet it was named “dog bite statistics” As far as I can remember labradors are the biggest (registered) biters (stats don’t lie! Look it up).
To all the pitbull haters: even I would like to bite you ignorant morons, almost every dog bite can be attributed to irresponsible owners. It barely has anything to do with the breed at all (every dog has a prey drive), when small dogs bite its usually considered “cute”… Stop discriminating!
stats are numbers that are made up there is no actual number because there is those that don’t report it don’t report actual numbers.
Another reason dogs bite: simply to kill. Why not mention this? In the past two weeks our small community has seen three separate unprovoked pit bull attacks (these are just the ones reported by the victims on our local neighborhood website). Two of the attacks happened one week ago today.
These were three separate incidents (one pit bull was brown and white, another young and gray, another had three legs- accompanied by people of different descriptions from one another)
In all three incidents, the pit bull charged from a distance of approx 50 yards to attack and kill: 2 small fluffy dogs taking a walk on leash, one small mixed breed dog on-leash at the park lying in the sun next to its owner, one small chihuahua sized dog taking a walk on leash in a different park.
In all 3 incidents, vet bills were in the thousands ($2,500-$5,000). The chihuahua type dog almost had his neck severed.
None of the reasons listed above apply here. These dogs were not provoked, afraid, etc. They simply charged from a distance intent on killing these little dogs.
Do you have something valid to cite, say like a newspaper article or something? I ask because if we go by just people’s words, I could say you murdered 3 small kids and it is true because that’s what I said. Now something tells me I would not survive in your community. That you have a local gossip, I mean neighborhood , website speaks volumes. Why would you need a website if your a small community? All those details seem made up. Your hate group must be proud.
On the other hand, living in your small community would save me a ton of money. $5000 for an almost severed neck? My dog got heart worms, luckily we caught it early, and it cost over $6000!! I really should move to where you are at. I can deal with the neighborhood chatter if it saves money.
Are you claiming that anyone who believes an animal, in this case your beloved pit bulls, is dangerous belongs to a hate group. And only your words are correct. If you paid 6000 for heart worm treatment maybe think about changing vets. And I’m so sure if it doesn’t come from a newspaper article it can’t be true. I am sure the person writing this was just lying to spread hate about pit bulls.
Pitbulls are known to have a prey instinct. I can honestly attest that my pit gets aggressive with small dogs. However, as a responsible dog owner I am aware of this and don’t bring her around other dogs. She’s an angel with people. Doesn’t know a stranger, but doesn’t particularly like other dogs. At the same time I have a back yard full of Canadian Geese and she lays out there while they do their thing and there’s never been an issue. They don’t even fly away, she doesn’t even pay them any mind. A squirrel on the other hand gets her full attention.
I dd enjoy this article it is well written but is seems to paint a picture that all dogs are dangers waiting to happen and I do not agree with that. Personally from living with dogs as long as i can remember I do not agree with heightening laws on dogs and forcing people to take them to obedience training if they are “more than 30 pounds”. In my experience little dogs are the worst behaved because when a tiny dog jumps on you people say oh how cute how cute. I have been bitten on my ankles by little doges more than big dogs, and I used to do a lot of food deliveries to peoples houses. The big dogs never even growled when the little dogs nipped at my heals. I do also understand the difference between a tiny dog bit and a big dog bite as I have never owned a dog that weighed less than 70 pounds and played football with our dogs but I am just saying. And that is what I love about the US unlike Europe who ban breads we do not. I mean I looked at a small number of countries and some of the dogs I have owned mixes of they are the best dogs I have ever owned. We have a German Rottie mix and she is the sweetest dog in the world. We also have had 100 pound labs. But the German Rottie she is my favorite and possibly the best dog I have ever owned. And with her I have done everything the people in this article say not to do and she has NEVER once even growled at me. I have pet her back while she eats I have walked up to her and pet her and not wait for her to come to me like some people say we need to and she has never nipped. It is all about knowing your dog and its behavior you can tell easily when a dog wants to be left alone. I have been left alone with our 100 pound lab when I was 8 and that dog never once shown any aggression. I am a dog owner and will be for the rest of my life and it is a sad day when this country refuses my insurance because of the breed. I will always have big dogs and will raise and train them the way I see fit because the way I have been doing is doing great because everyone who loves dogs loves my dogs because of how tenderly and playfully they act so I do not need people telling me how to train my dogs.
All dogs are dangerous. Golden Retrievers are statistically almost as likely to bite as other dogs. People need to 1) Spay and neuter to reduce hostility 2) Be required by insurance companies to attend at least level 1 of dog obedience for dogs more than thirty pounds in weight. 3) Understanding that chaining a dog in the back yard is the same as deliberately creating a possible serial killer; they are unsocialized, unhappy, isolated and frequently mentally unbalanced from the horrible life chained up. If you have to chain your dog, rehome it… you are not a responsible pet owner. 4) NEVER leave kids or elderly unsupervised with dogs. Ever. They are weaker and more susceptible to attack. 5) Make it illegal for anyone who has been an irresponsible pet owner (raising a violent dog) to own another animal in the interest of public safety.
It is the laws that need to change to make owners even more financially responsible for their lack of pet responsibility. Its not breed specific… but it IS even more important for large dogs who can do a lot of damage.
I agree with most of what you said. My dog (pitbull) hasn’t had any formal training, but she’s a doll. I agree about chaining them up though. Why have a dog if you’re going to leave it on a chain? My girl sleeps in our bed, heck I even let her sit at the dining room table with me when it’s just us. She’s very well behaved over all. But she has nipped at kids, so now we don’t allow kids in the house unless she’s crated. I think it’s all about being a responsible pet owner which we try very hard to be.
Changing laws has never helped in any situation. Do you have any idea what the criteria is for lvl 1 obedience training? Do you know how much it would cost? Are YOU, personally, going to pay for everybody with a dog to attend training? How about the hours folks lose from work? Are you going to reimburse them?
I didn’t think so.
What if a recluse, as you described it, doesn’t become a possible serial killer? What if they joined the military, went to combat, did something brave and got the highest award possible? I guess that can’t happen because as you so blatantly said, they’d be a serial killer.. Oh but wait, it did happen.
The only thing you said that is close to being true is all dogs are dangerous. Close but it should be all dogs are capable of being dangerous. So are cats, snakes, scorpions, ferrets, rats; all animals, plus more unsaid, with a history of attacking humans that were kept as pets can be dangerous.
Even people who think they are right are a danger. Sadly, it’s not just themselves they’d be a danger to.
This is rediculous. Where do you get your stats?
Seriously..?? Over thirty pounds..ive been chased n bit by poodles n Chihuahuas! Little dogs where the owners did not control the yapping monsters..my 50 lb precious princess pitt is a darling..i raised her from a pup putting my hand in n out of her food bowl..she has no aggressions and is always on a leash outside my fenced yard..even walking to the car..as all dogs..no matter size..should be..because like ALL canines they are indeed animals..its their nature ..a responsible owner makes the best dog.plain and simple
I read many articles on dog bites. I post regularly. I read “insights” on all dogs bite, they say–‘there are more things that harm a child more than pitbulls such as marbles, car accidents, or choking on food”. When a pitbull bites, it is not a part of normal life. As to say- whoops my dog accidentally killed this child. These dogs should not be in a home with children, in a neighborhood with children, elderly or anyone. They are like a down power line waiting to strike. I can not tell you how many news articles or postings I read daily on these breeds. They are kept by people (usually the 20 something) who have zero structure for the animal or they baby the dog where it has zero boundaries and than call victims names when we tell them the statics of how many children have died as a result of pitbull attacks. I think it is over 150 as of 2016. There is no “how you raise them” there’s no “Chihuahuas bite more” crap. I never see someone in a coffin from a Chihuahua bite. In the European countries they ban vicious dogs for the peoples safety and it works. The US is the biggest problem for these breeds. Just like anything else, we go on and on until so many die, than years later someone does something. It’s a shame.
It is very sad to see people discriminate in such a way. This is the exact same logic as those who claim that a certain race is more violent than another, as if their environment did not contribute and some genetic makeup is the answer. My pit loves children, the little ones down the street try to ride her like a horse. Doesn’t sound very “vicious” to me… however, my chihuahua hates children. She snaps whenever they try to pet her, it has been this way since she was a puppy, likely because they are generally not as gentle as an adult would be. The solution? To be a responsible pet owner and ask children to not pet her. The other solution? For parents to teach their kids to ask before petting someone else’s dog. It is easy to forget that these animals were not made for us, we took a wild breed and domesticated them, and then brought them into our homes. It is only through responsible ownership, training, and respect for the animal that attacks can be reduced.
I have to agree with you. My pit is the sweetest girl, but she isn’t used to children and has shown a lack of patience with them. So we don’t allow young kids in our house unless she’s crated (which with the mile high pile of blankets and pillows she doesn’t mind at all, although the door is rarely ever closed except during such visits). My kids are 18 & 19, so they understand and respect our Lola.
At the same time I was attacked by Chihuahuas. Been terrified of them ever since.
We don’t know her history (she’s climbing into my lap as I type this, lol) except that she was brought into the shelter as a stray and stayed 272 days before we found her. Best dog I’ve ever had. She’s sweet, affectionate, protective, and loyal. But what a lovey. My friends come over to see her instead of me! Lol
GOTTA GIVE YOU A BIG…WRONG.a friend of mine had half his face bit off by a Chihuahua mix..he had to be put down years laterl the other family dog..an all american pitbull terrier had never once growled at anyone.
Your post is completely logical. It seems that this site is for pit bull advocates.
Victoria, Please disregard the post starting with What logic? That one went through before I could delete it. I sent it without seeing if it was right. I had/have other questions and meant to ask them. Instead of the question mark, I hit return. I’ll have to wait if it’s approved or not and see if I can delete it.
What logic? Where did you see anything remotely resembling logic? Even your last sentence was illogical. When a biased opinion (not even you can say the story was unbiased) attacks a “breed,” folks have every right to say something back. Do you honestly believe you could get away with talking about someone without them striking back? That is not logical. However, just like the trolls, you pick and choose what to believe. You don’t have a dog, do you? What’s the name of your hate group? Are you and Fowler in the same group? There’s just too many of you troll groups to keep up with.
You have no absolute right to talk about pit bulls like that. Have you ever owned one? No. Have you ever seen a pit bull attack someone? No. Most people who claim to be bitten by a pit bull is lying because they don’t know the breed and it’s easier to pin the crime on a “well known biter” than to just say it was a dog. I have been around pit bulls all my life they came from bad situations. Ginger (one of my dogs) was a former champion fighting dog and yes she is a pit but she is great around kids and puppies. She is very gentle and playful and has never bit a person since we have had her. Now Isis is another pit we have and she is great with kids and other dogs really she is great with everyone and loves playing. I have had pit bulls all my life and never once been bitten or seen anyone get bit. So before you start judging get to know a pit bull before you talk crap. And yes chihuahuas do bite more than pit bulls but they aren’t fatal so these ugly annoying ankle biting rats are responsible for biting just as much as pit bulls. You just have your head up your a** and are too busy with that to see how great and amazing pit bulls are.
“No right?” Where are we Russia? North Korea? Your argument is a joke and does not follow logic. I don’t have to own a cobra to know that just having it around me is dangerous. Fact: Pit Bull Terriers are responsible for more deaths and more attacks that ALL OTHER BREEDS COMBINED. Only an idiot would put a former “fighting dog” around children and only a fool would choose a breed with the potential to hurt humans around their family and especially children. If you were walking in an alley at night and came up against three pit bulls you would react much differently than you would against three chihuahua’s. Your argument is moronic.
How are you going to say someone else’s argument is moronic when you just did the same thing? You are an idiot.
Who walks down an unknown alley at night? Forget there might be dogs there, I’m talking bout dealers and dope heads. So you are dumb for that bit.
Where’d you get your stats from? How far back do they go? Is that the same time frame when Rottweilers were the top of the evil list? Or maybe when dobermans were? Or German shepherds? All these have been top of the list as well. I don’t see you attacking their owners?
If you are going to attack a breed, get it right. My service animal is a Staffordshire. Idiots like you who can’t distinguish different breeds always talk crap and then look stupid when you’re proven wrong. Your dog is what, a chi-poo mix? Or you don’t have one which makes you a bigger idiot for trolling here.
Russians have freedom, citizens of the Soviet Union didn’t. Again, you are an idiot.
North Korea? They believe The Glorious One invented the car. And again, you are an idiot.
Just to be clear – Pitties are a category of breed, not a breed itself. The stats that say Pit Bull Terrier are wrong. There is no “pit bull terrier”. There is an American Bull Terrier, but most of these “pit bulls” are a combination of breeds and anything that remotely resembles one is labeled as a Pit Bull. Even this article calls them Pit Bull Terriers. Therefore to say that Pit Bulls are responsible for 22 deaths is probably inaccurate because eyewitnesses often misidentify dog breeds and if it’s close, they just call it a Pit Bull. Owners are mostly the reason why dogs, or any animal for that matter, act the way they do. Lack of training, abuse and training to be aggressive by a**hole owners are probably the reason for most attacks and that isn’t the animal’s fault, it’s the human who owns it’s fault. It’s like anything else, you get what you give. If you abuse you get aggression and if you love and nurture them you get love in return.
Id rather come across the pitbulls..ur moronic!
As we sit here, a toddler was mauled over the weekend by pit mixes, a couple months back a family pit bull attack and killed a 3 day old infant simply from crying, do you hear of retrievers, or even Rottweilers, doing this damage? These dogs are dangerous.
Yes I have heard of those dogs attacking. And, yes they can do as much damage. I am an instructor of Dog Aggression. Socialization, spay and nueter is a must. Chaining creates a monster. And allowing young children and toddlers to “play” with any large breed dog is a recipe for disaster! My Grandchildren never allowed to “play” with any dog. They are taught to respectfully give all dogs space. They are taught to not make eye contact or approach any strange dog. They are taught to let the dog approach them if it wants to. People expect dogs to be robots. They are animals and should be given respect for the fact that they can not tell us what they want or need. They speak body language. If human would take the time to understand their language you would see a large drop in attacks. Breed can be a factor, but it’s only a piece of a puzzle. The number of attacks will not improve unless humans put together the whole puzzle!
I think a good place to start this discussion is “yes, the general population is ignorant about dog behavior.” So, if that’s the case, why bring an animal that can cause lethal damage into that situation? There are many people in the population that don’t like dogs and they have that right. They have no obligation to learn about “dog body language” (or be killed or mauled). It’s the owner’s responsibility–entirely–to make sure the public or his family is protected from an animal. Owners who believe that their pet is a product of their environment are ignoring the obvious: certain breeds exist because humans bred them to be killers (of other dogs). But those breeds don’t discriminate between their targets. And spreading the “myth” that “my pit bull” wouldn’t hurt anyone is the biggest problem. People’s positive experience with the breed is obvious. But so are the statistics that pit bulls are over-represented in the death of humans. It’s irresponsible to ignore the latter. And, to own a pit bull requires special awareness and training. And we all know human beings aren’t equal in being responsible in dog ownership. I agree that with this breed there should be special training (or licensing). That would go a long way to restoring faith in the breed.
All you idiots are really making me so angry ..any freakn animal can growl..bite ..or attack..not my all american pitty would bite you..BUT I SURE AS HELL WOULD!
My childhood pastor’s 1 year old was attacked by their Labrador. They had him for years before they had children. My dog Oscar ( pitbull) loved all children ( and cats too) He was always super gentle and calm when a kid was around even though he was a very hyper active. I miss him every day. He was my very favorite dog. A little girl was on the beach, crying because her sandcastle had washed away. Oscar ran up behind her, gave her a giant lick on the head and continued on his way happy as can be. The girl was so surprised she stopped crying. It was cute. RIP bestest buddy.
Did you know that home owner liability claims are only 2.7% of total claims? How it is stated makes all the difference. That bites correlated to population is 0.005% Did you know there were 66,000 unintended accidental deaths and 19,900,000 medical consulted injuries? With 77.8 million dogs in the US I would have to say pretty good safety record compared to humans.
Insurance industry does not support that claim of 1 billion. I know of no study that shows definitely about the type of dog involved in bites. Dog bite claims accounted for 0.005 percent of the population. Three time more likely to be hurt on a bicycle. Please don’t misrepresent this issue.
Thank you for your comment. We sourced all of our resources in the article. We did not come up with these numbers on our own. We are sorry if you feel we are misrepresenting the issue. We are all huge dog lovers here at Canine Journal and we want pet parents to know the facts about dog bites. That is all we tried to do with this article.
Then provide the facts not just posting a poorly written article that accepts Insurance company statements without putting them in context. The statement one third of homeowner liability claims is true but disingenuous. My stats are from the Insurance Industry Institute.
There is a web site, by Allstate insurance, if you enter your zip code, or any zip code, it will tell you what the most expensive and the most common claims for that area are. Dog bites, barely made the list, of the more than 10 zip codes I entered. They are far from being 1/3 of liability claims, as far as Allstate claims. I think the insurance companies are just looking for a way to save money. Here is the link, check it out yourselves. https://www.allstate.com/anon/commoncostlyclaims/#
Hey, according to the Allstate site you references, dog bites come up as the #3 highest cost per claim, $28,342. So is your point that you, have no point other to defend some dangerous breed of dog?
“Studies confirm that while Pit Bulls may be considered a higher-risk dog, most of their owners themselves are higher-risk people, thus creating a recipe for a dog-bite disaster.” Please provide info on these “studies”. I believe, based on facts (myself and several hundred other people I know who are owners), that this statement is false. It is ridiculous and it perpetuates myths about this breed type. The “pit bull” might be considered “higher-risk” by people who believe everything they read in the media (ignorant) and who don’t know how to properly act and/or approach dogs, but that doesn’t make it true. I enjoy your website, but I am extremely disappointed when I read statements like this one. Oh, and by the way, most of the pit bull breed owners are not “high risk” (whatever the hell that means).
FINALLY…..I SO AGREE WITH YOU..thank you from me and my darling people..child kittycat..guinea pig loving all American pitt bull terrier
Hi Kim, so glad that you enjoy our website and thank you for your comment! Attached are the sources where the “high risk” information comes from. We did not make this up, it is information we found so we chose to share with our readers. I believe by “high risk” the author means that pitbull owners are more likely to have a criminal background and may display antisocial behaviors. However this isn’t true 100% of the time. We love pitbulls and think they’re great dogs. 🙂
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1556-4029.2009.01001.x/abstract
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1556-4029.2011.01961.x/abstract
http://jiv.sagepub.com/content/21/12/1616
Wow… not only are pits discriminated against as “high risk”, but now their owners are “criminals” and “antisocial”… I have learned so much about myself (a pit owner) through this article! Fascinating
As I told Kim above, this isn’t the case for every pitbull owner.
754 college students? I will stick with CDC, Humane Society and AMVA. While I may agree the some bites are attributable to bad owners not everyone that has a dog that bites is a criminal and or deviant behavior as your links suggest.
The purpose of these articles appears to be analyzing psychopathic behavior potential in humans (college students as the survey subjects). It is not geared toward analyzing dog breeds and is not an appropriate resource to cite for the Canine Journal story.
The website of the first two cited sources is devoted to forensic science, i.e., scientifically analyzing criminals (human), crime scenes, etc.
The last cited article also pertains to human on human violence, and whether ownership of high risk breeds is linked to deviant (human) behavior.
I’m a new visitor to the Canine Journal website, and I’d deduce that CJ journalists have a pro-risky-dog-breed (e.g., Pit Bull) bias.
We agree with you, “not everyone that has a dog that bites is a criminal and or deviant behavior”. We know that there are great pet parents out there as well as not so great pet parents. As stated in our previous comment, we merely found this information and decided to share it with our readers.
But the wording your writer used to share this information implied something far different then what is really happening in the world. Most dog owners in general have to be responsible people. And when you own a breed that is hated and restricted, you have to be even more responsible. Hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people own these dogs all across the country. Hundreds of thousands are abused by not responsible dog owners and sick mean people, these dogs have certainly earned the right to bite and yet they bite no one. You don’t hear about these dogs in the news and your reference study does not accurately reflect the type of person that owns a Pit bull.
Neither science nor statistics support policies that discriminate based on breed or physical appearance. What the Humane Society states: http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/breed-specific-legislation/fact_sheets/breed-specific-legislation-no-basis-in-science.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/
Thank you for your response. I do appreciate it. However, I firmly stand by my belief that the statistics are ridiculous and I believe it is irresponsible to make the statements I referred to in my original post. The first study cited is dated 2009 and is based on: “A total of 869 college students completed an anonymous online questionnaire assessing type of dog owned, criminal behaviors, attitudes towards animal abuse, psychopathy, and personality.” Really?! Not very inidicative of the real and “complete” world we live in and definitely not based on our knowledge now in 2016. Do you really think it’s fair to say most pit bull owners are “high risk” based on a survey of 869 college students (or most anybody’s opinions in 2009?) I think it’s safe to say that most pit bull owners are definitely not college students, do not have criminal backgrounds, and are not anti-social! I didn’t bother checking the other cited studies and I did not pay to read the entire first cited study. Please dig deeper; research real-life pit bull rescuers, read their blogs, talk to them personally; research the lives of some of the surviving fight and/or bait dogs, from rescue to where they are today; read social media sites of owners, rescuers, foster families, forever owners. Again, I stand by my objections; I respectfully disagree with the statements and the information (and lack thereof) cited.
Thank you for respectfully sharing your thoughts. This article was originally written in 2013 and the author who wrote this article uses the word “studies” so there could be some articles that she looked at that I did not give you. She no longer writes for us and to be honest, it’s difficult to remember your sources as a writer after 3 years have passed 😉 .
Along with the 869 college student study you mentioned, there’s another study of 355 people that I’m aware of, which is one of the resources linked. Granted, both of these studies are now dated 2009 and 2006 so it wouldn’t hurt for some new information to come out on this subject. As you mentioned, I’m sure things have changed since 2009 and 2006, whether it’s more or less “high risk” people owning pitbulls, I’m unsure. Like you said, we’d need to dig in again on research for this, however, we do not conduct our own studies.
I’m sorry you see a “lack” of information in our article, but we stand by what is written for the time being. Although you yourself are not a “high risk” owner nor are the people you know there may be a large population of “high risk” pitbull owners. And to note, in the studies a traffic citation may be considered a “high risk” person.
I mean no disrespect by my statements and appreciate your honest feedback.
Insurance Company Institute shows 16,500 dog bite claims in the same period where your quoted study states 4.5 million without a source. Please don’t just post click bait articles. If as you state you don’t conduct your own studies perhaps you could at least verify what you do post. I am not trying to attack you specifically but there are so many articles like this one that keep getting repeated when they are at best questionable. It is only because I love my dog. The extensive studies that have been done all state that it should be on a dog by dog basis.
Not condemning an entire breed and their owners. AKC CDC VETS
I found some great resources on my lunch hour today…wish I could attached files here. Check out the Animals and Society Institute website, specifically, their study “Dog Bites: Problems and Solutions (Revised 2014). Also, at the end of this study is a long list of resources. I hope you don’t mind this info, but I found it and wanted to share!! Thanks, Kim
Thanks for sharing the information Kim! We will take a look at it! 🙂
Thank you, Kimberly. I mean no disrespect either. I am simply urging and encouraging serious review/editing of comments regarding pitties. I believe your publication means well from what I’ve seen, but that’s not enough. I am just asking for deeper, newer research (I know you don’t do your own studies!). But, thorough research of current events, owners, and the animals themselves will elimate statements that are out-dated or simply not indicitive of the majority. And it doesn’t take days and days to do that research. That’s all I ask. I think that’s fair. Thanks for your time and patience. I really do appreciate it!!
Just came across this site after reading an article about a pit bull attack on a small child. I read your posts. You blew right past the fact that the article wasn’t about Pit Bulls and instead zeroed in on just that small part. Your comments come across loud and clear as the typical response from folks such as yourself. It yells out “I’m a Pit Bull owner and my friends own Pit Bulls. We say they’re fine. Everyone else is wrong.” You question the author, her work, and the validity of statistical results and polls from multiple legitimate sources, yet only offer anecdotal evidence in your response. By that I mean you want everyone to simply believe and trust that, because you and your “several hundred other friends” own Pit Bulls and have never had a problem, that the breed is just fine. There is overwhelming evidence supporting the arguments that Pit Bull breeds are high risk, and widely considered one of the most dangerous breeds. This comes from highly reputable sources such as the CDC, the AMVA, the APPA, to name a few. I trust those sources far more than I trust your naive and denial-based arguments.
Now, to be fair, Pit Bull breeds aren’t the only high risk, dangerous dogs out there. Rottweilers, Presa Canarios, Dobermans and German Shepherds are also dangerous. I wouldn’t own them any more than I’d own a Pit Bull. I certainly wouldn’t allow them around my children or grandchildren. If I see that someone in my neighborhood has one of these breeds I guarantee you I’m watching them like a hawk.
Lastly, I do agree 100% with you that the media has grossly over-covered the stories about Pit Bulls, and also that people who only rely on the media for information about high risk and/or dangerous breeds are behaving ignorantly.
No, I’m not not saying I am right and everyone else is wrong! And, no, not all of my friends own pit bulls…actually, only one of them does. I am saying to research the facts. The facts are pit bull type dogs are no more dangerous than any other dog. Fact: they are mis-identified over 90% of the time because it is FACT that correct visual ID is impossible. I could go on and on with the FACTS. Like, I am not saying it’s okay to believe me. My dog has been attacked by a “pit bull” and my kid has 9 stitches in her face because of a “pit bull”; I’ve got a 2-inch scar on my mouth from a poodle bite. You should watch ANY dog like a hawk that is around your kids or grand kids. THAT is the point you are unfortunately missing.
I didn’t miss that point at all. But we’re not talking about ALL dogs, are we? We’re talking about Pit Bulls. Stay on topic. If you’re going to claim everyone research the facts then you need to do the same. It is NOT a fact that Pit Bulls are no more dangerous than any other dog. That’s a ridiculous statement. They’re considered dangerous dogs for a reason, and the reasons are real and valid. I can’t help that you either don’t get that or won’t get it. The final word is yours but I’m moving on.
Well Wayne, since according to you only the breeds you listed are dangerous, you are seriously ok with your children or grandchildren being around any other breed of dog unsupervised? You would be ok with them approaching and petting an unknown random dog on the street as long as it’s any other breed? Common sense should tell you to “watch them like a hawk” no matter what type of dog it is. Of course, like what many anti-pit bull people will say on any subject regarding pit bulls, you’ll say that all that matters is the likelihood of death occurring. It doesn’t matter if they just get bit and need stitches. It didn’t matter the black lab that lived next door to me when I was a kid tore off the lower lip of a little boy trying to pet him on the other side of the neighbor’s backyard gate, he just needed reconstructive surgery, no biggie! And if that were to happen to your child or grandchild, I guarantee you’d be the first to sue. I mean if we are basing danger off of just fatalities, explain to me why it is so common place then to euthanize most dogs for biting people.
You’re entitled to your opinion but not your own facts. For example CDC has this to say. The very scientists who have authored studies trying to determine a link between breed and aggressiveness oppose breed discrimination and BSL. In many of the CDC studies, the scientists cautioned against using their incomplete data on attacks to make knee-jerk legislative or policy decisions based solely on breed. They pointed to the lack of reliable data on bites per breed (the “numerator problem”) and the absence of a reliable count of dogs per breed (the “denominator problem”).
AMVA
Dog bite statistics are not really statistics, and they do not give an accurate picture of dogs that bite. Invariably the numbers will show that dogs from popular large breeds are a problem. This should be expected, because big dogs can physically do more damage if they do bite, and any popular breed has more individuals that could bite. Dogs from small breeds also bite and are capable of causing severe injury. There are several reasons why it is not possible to calculate a bite rate for a breed or to compare rates between breeds.
There were 16,550 bite claims last year, 33,169 gun related deaths and 33,000 deaths from poison, but which one do we regulate?
So it’s important to pet a dog only when the dog shows he wants it, normally by resting his head on your hand, brushing it with the side of his head, or turning sideways to show you his body; a gesture of trust and acceptance. Also, pit bull stats are whack because there are so many more of them, estimates vary from 3 to 6 million in the US compared with about 800,000 German shepherds. Good article Sara.
So it’s important to pet a dog only when the dog shows he wants it, normally by resting his head on your hand, brushing it with the side of his head, or turning sideways to show you his body; a gesture of trust and acceptance. Also, pit bull stats are whack because there are so many more of them, estimates vary from 3 to 6 million in the US compared with about 800,000 German shepherds. Good article Sara.
It looks as if your ‘stats’ are a little whack there Amy!
There are about 3.5 million registered German Shepherds in the U.S. That doesn’t include the unregistered or mixed Shepherds. http://mygermanshepherd.org/global-gsd-population-how-many-gsds-are-there-in-the-world/
Second favorite according to AKC I would think more like 4.5 and a fine dog. Just for perspective 3 x more likely to be injured on a bicycle than bit by a dog.
Wow! Dog bite injuries equal almost 1/3 of total bicycle injuries. I didn’t realize the numbers were that high. Glad you put it in perspective!
And, then there are the 2015 dog bite fatality statistics. Together, pit bulls (28) and rottweilers (3), the second most lethal dog breed, accounted for 91% of the total recorded deaths in 2015. This same combination also accounted for 76% of all fatal attacks during the 11-year period of 2005 to 2015. And, since a high court has ruled that any intelligent human can identify a pit bull breed, don’t say the media has gotten the offending breeds wrong. My son is a police officer and they, I assure you, can identify a pit bull breed and there are police officers, EMS as well as animal control at the scene of every dog attack called in to 911 (whether pit bull or other) who give breed identity information to the media.
Identify my dog as a pit bull and not only would you be as wrong as all the other “experts” who swear they are right, but you’d have to tell the AKC, the NSAR, the ADI, and the Department of Justice that they are wrong.
Why? Because my service dog is a Staffordshire, not to be confused with an American Staffordshire. She is AKC registered. So many “experts” say she is a pit bull. I laugh because it’s that or throat punch them. The cops know by now when they get a call about her, they just refer the people to the DoJ’s number. The offended parties can then explain to the FBI why they are discriminating against her. Seems kind of dumb to report yourself for a hate crime. Keep thinking with your narrow mind. Just please don’t throw EMS and police under the bus to try and inflate your argument. Just say, “I’m close-minded and ignorant” and move on.
Not what I said. Do you have a valid point?
I work in insurance and I know people who have had their homeowner's insurance canceled because their dog bit someone, who then filed a claim. I also know that certain insurance companies will refuse to sell homeowner's insurance to people who own certain breeds of dogs (usually pit bulls, rottweilers, etc), which I think is totally unfair.
Agreed. I’m working out of town and having to live in a hotel because none of the RV parks will allow me to stay in their park, in my RV because I own an “aggressive” breed. This is costing me $1000 more a month out of my pocket. Good, hard working citizens with well behaved, well trained dogs should not be treated like second rate citizens.
And does anybody wonder why dog bite claims are like the third highest liability claim to a home owner? Opportunity. Look at how many times a person interacts with a dog each day. Each interaction is an opportunity for something to happen and the dog to bite. A child may interact with the dog 25 to 50 times a day. They may only ride their bike once or twice a day. The housekeeper may only come over 2 times a week, limiting her opportunity to slip and break her leg. Considering the overwhelming numbers of opportunities that there are for a dog bite to happen, I think the actual number of bites is pretty darn low.
Consider that in the same time period there were 19,900,000 unintended accidents in the home that required medical attention. compared to 16,500 dog bite claims.
Source Insurance Industry Institute
I don’t think its unfair. If a pit bull or rottie bites it can and often does result in serious expensive physical damage. If a german shepard or collie bites it’s usually just a bite that needs a few stitches and the dog backs off. The insurance company will have to pay a lot more money out if the victim ends up in ICU vs just a visit to the ER for some stitches.
So not true
Well my children’s hospital nurse, niece, and plastic surgeon’s father in law would really disagree with you because of their real life experiences with dog bites.
Most of the cost of claim is lawsuits.
As someone who trains Belgian Malinios for personal protection work, I beg to differ. German shepherds, Malinois and Collies can and do inflict serious damage. I know of at least one person requiring 10+ stitches from a well placed Chihuahua bite. The breed doesn’t dictate the severity of the bite, the attitude and intention of the dog does. It depends if it is a “warning nip” or if the dog means serious business.
You’re talking about a trained animal. I think the issue is when a dog bite is unpredictable/unanticipated and usually triggered by protective behavior, a perceived threat, or some other behavior that triggers an attack. As well, the reaction of the person or animal that’s being bitten can unknowingly escalate the attack.
Right well pit bulls have a tendency to not give warning bites, they are either all in or all out. I have a relative who works at a children’s hospital in the ER and from her mouth I have been told “every serious life threatening bite case we get is by a pit bull”. She has no reason to lie, so I have no reason to not believe her. My own job puts me at risk of dog bite and the only time I have been genuinely concerned about a biting dog (nip vs a genuine attack) was with pit type dogs. I have a lot of personal experience with dogs and when a dog is ‘serious’ there is no mistaking the body language or energy they are giving off.
There is a reason she doesn’t know that it’s a “pit bull” because the facts are that even professionals can’t identify a dog as a pit bull breed type simply by looking at it. So, she’s not lying; she just doesn’t know the facts. And, unfortunately, she is spreading untruths out of ignorance.
Children go to the emergency room for injuries from bicycles and poisoning more often than they do from dog bites. I don’t see the insurance companies restricting bikes or poisons kept in the home. How about a mandatory education class in you want to be insured and own a dog. Any dog can bite. Yes, the bigger ones can do more damage, so the owners need to be more responsible and more educated. Education is the only way to prevent most of the dog bites that happen on the owner’s property and could have been prevented with some education.
It’s perfectly fair. It’s based on accurate statistical analyses of recorded attacks and fatalities instead of emotion-based but factually-unsubstantiated opinions and anecdotal examples.
Spit out your stats….oh, yeah, you have no “accurate statistical analyses”, I have several to dispute your comment.
There are minimal accurate stats of recorded dog bites and/or attacks per PROFESSIONAL organizations. There ARE, however, many, many organizations who have performed accurate and fair studies that PROVE that “dogs of targeted breeds (such as Bull Terriers, American Stafordshire Terriers, Staffordshie Bull Terriers, Rottweilers & Dobermans) are statistically NO MORE LIKELY to show inappropriate aggressive behavior.” REF: 1) Journal of Veterinary Behavior (2008) 3: 97:103; “Is there a Difference…..Regarding Aggressive Behaviour?” (2008) 3:134-140; Dr. Esther Schalke
Show me the accurate statistical analysis you quote.
Whatever the statistics the important issue is for all animals owners to be diligent and responsible. What angers me is that many owners assume their dogs are friendly especially when letting their dog or dogs off a leash in a public area where children are or in the case where other dogs are around are attached to a lead.
No dog is friendly as in this instance I encountered when two little children in a park playing with their dogs. They were ripped by chance when caught in between their two dogs when on the opposite side another two dogs off the lead ran towards their dogs and matters got ugly.
The mother of the children and her two dogs was too engaged and distracted on her mobile-phone texting without due care and attention.
Her two dogs were off the lead and the man on the other side had his two dogs off the lead. I know this as I was walking with my 14 year old Belgian Sheppard when his two dogs approached us as I quickly ordered him to put his both dogs on a leash. His reply, “It’s okay they’re friendly”. I responded, “My dog is not”.
It was evident my dog Willow was snarling and showing her teeth in order to protect me. Before walking away I had no choice to deter both his dogs with my walking stick which annoyed him, The Bloody idiot,
What saved the day when then his two dogs was then distracted by these two other dogs approaching he and his dogs from where the children were playing.
With sigh of relief Willow and I left pronto, helpless and unable to prevent or come to the aid of the children and the dogs in question.
A lesson to all dog owners: Do not assume your dog is friendly and always be diligent and responsible.
Dog Bless. Jan and Willow. jan.anthonisz@live.com.au
Well said, Jan. Best comment with an example I’ve seen. Thank you.
That’s a great reminder. And even if you think your dog is friendly it doesn’t mean that every other dog you come across is friendly. Thanks for sharing Jan and Willow.