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Dog Bite Statistics (How Likely Are You To Get Bit?)

Guest Author Updated: May 1, 2019 Behavior 399 Comments

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Note: This article is based on third-party statistics. It does not necessarily represent the opinions of this website.

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.

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
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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HoundoftheBaskervilles

I debated whether to leave a comment here because what I’m about to say is not popular among most dog enthusiasts; however, I think it is important enough to share despite whatever pushback it gets. It’s politically correct nowadays to ignore how breed relates to behavior and tote the phrase “doggy racism.” Many people who don’t really understand how closed genepools work or breed history chime in with that statement as if it is fact. For one thing, it’s kind of awful to compare humans to dogs and also it doesn’t make sense in the context of how modern purebred dogs “work.”

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.”

Michael Dennis

Hey someone with a brain. Tired of the stupid comment “it’s all how you raise them” genetics as you just illustrated have a bearing on behavior. The same old nature vs nurture argument in a different form. The answer it’s both and for all those it’s all how you raise them idiots I feel sorry for you. When we start considering the genetic component of behavior we can start a real conversation. We can start admitting how much time and knowledge we have for our pets. This is why no one on these forums answers me when I propose a owner responsibility law. I won’t even consider Breed Specific Legislation. But none of the its all how you raise them answer me when I propose that owners take the punishment for their dogs. Your dog kills maims bites you the owner take the penalty just like you did it. So in the case of killing or maiming you would go to prison like you did it. Somehow all the its all how you raise them people (mostly the tough guy owner who thinks their genitals will grow by having a tough dog) never speak in favor for this. Why? because most (not all ) of these serious injuries and killings are done by male unneutered dogs of about 10 breeds. Come on if your really doing your job no matter what the breed this shouldn’t scare you. But every year about 10-15 pitt owners would be getting a life sentence.

Power in Education

I really wish the human population would watch and listen to Cesar Millan and learn about DOG behavior! All dogs are predictable and simple, not dangerous and complex like us humans try to believe. Also, there are NO aggressive BREEDS, aggression is a side effect behavior that ANY dog can display. There are powerful breeds, not aggressive ones. But to be honest; I am much more afraid of and have been charged by the small dogs than ANY large dog. Simply because the small dog owners I’ve ever come in contact with REFUSE to discipline the small dog because ‘they are small’. Bologna! They need exercise, discipline, then affection; not all just affection! If a large dog behaved like most small dogs, people would have no issues disciplining them or pass blame on the breed instead of the owner. And the great thing about dogs is that they don’t care where they came from, they only live in the moment; which we could all take a page out of that book! Education from the right places is key and it’s human ignorance that is dangerous! And always remember when in the presence of a dog, No touch, No talk, No eye contact until the dog has become calm and submissive by giving you space. And just because the tail is a wag’n doesn’t mean the dog is happy; the position of the tail is key and that is the dog TELLING you something! The ears, tail, and body language are all parts of their communication – pay attention! And humanizing their behavior is almost always guaranteed dangerous!

Truman Rider

I’m afraid of getting bit every time I go walking to the store or to the bus stop people’s will not stop these dogs from biting you and I do not want to get bit by a mosquito or a dog so I always have Dog Guard in my pockets.

Rizzo Vee

First let me start by saying I’m an animal lover in general regardless of breed,species, etc. That being said I’m partial to dogs specifically dog breeds that most uninformed/uneducated individual call or label as “pitbulls”. I’m 40 years old and was raised around, grew up and have been exposed to pretty much every type of dog you could possibly think of big, small, “pure breeds” to your common run of the mill “mutt”. Throughout my life between dogs belonging to myself, family, friends, associates and strays it’s safe to say I’ve been around, exposed and interacted with easily well over one thousand different dogs. I’ve been bitten three times, snapped at countless times and on two occasions out right viciously attacked twice and had countless acts of aggression directed towards me. All but one of these incidents were committed by smaller dogs weighing less than 15 pounds, the lone occurrence of a dog over 15 pounds was a bite I received to my face by my own bull terrier pup when he was about 4 months old. Now before anyone jumps to conclusions this bite happened while I was laying on the floor bouncing his ball, he would chase, retrieve, and then return the ball. As he was returning the ball to me it fell out of his mouth, bounced, then took a bad hop towards my face. He reacted by lunging for the ball to grab it and missed as it passed my face and accidentally bit me, he immiediately realized his mistake and before I could even cry out from the pain he had pissed and shit himself. After my initial scream he was in shock torn between getting close to me to inspect my injury and (even though I had never struck him) keeping his distance out of fear of reprisal I’m sure. I tell this story so people understand I’ve had a bad experience, although it was my fault it happened and a complete accident, with a breed deemed dangerous. All my other negative experiences with dogs boil down to one factor a complete lack of control on the part of the owner. The average dog owner doesn’t know the first thing about how to correctly house break their dog let alone proper socialization and being a responsible owner. Now that everyone reading this knows where I stand lets get down to brass tax. The reason the bite and attack numbers are so skewed against bull breeds is because of their media portrayal and there look in general. Lets put things in perspective. A man who weighs 110 pounds soaking wet beats the hell out of someone and everyones first reaction is what did the person who got beat up do to him to make him react in such a violent manner. A very muscular body builder type man does the same thing and the initial response is the exact opposite. People apply this way of thinking to dogs thats why bites by Labradors are rarely if ever reported because they’re not viewed as a dangerous breed but bites by “pitbulls” are almost always reported because they’re seen in the opposite light. I see alot of people citing statistics and numbers in favor of the eradication of the breed because “they are bred for violence” or people who own them be held to a higher standard of responsibility than someone who owns a breed not deemed dangerous. Lets apply that same way of thinking to another species lets say….humans. Just looking at the numbers there are more minorities in our prison systems than white people. So using that way of thinking me being a minority (I’m hispanic) means that being a criminal is in my blood, it’s part of my breeding. Lets take it a step further. Should my parents have been required to obtain a license to have even conceived me and held to a higher level of parental responsibility than say the parents of white children? I know those are extreme examples but it all boils down to logic and like math logic is a universal constant. When emotional attachment is removed and logic is applied to a given situation if it doesn’t work accross the board for slightly different yet similar situations than said proposal cannot be the correct solution.

Michael Dennis

So again not for BSL but dog responsibility. So owners go to jail if their dog maims or kills or serious injury. Not disagreeing that small dogs prob. bite more but damage wise most serious injuries including deaths occur by “pitt bull” type dogs. But irrelevant since penalty would be by injury not breed. So all those people killed by whatever breed each year would go to prison for murder. I’m for it but hardly ever are those owners of Pitts, rotties, GS, Dob. for it. I wonder why not? Wouldn’t this solve it? NO breed hate just out and out responsibility. And yes those small bites would be assault if pursued. For the record I have met plenty of sweet pitts, rotties etc. but big dogs more damage more responsibility.

I'mRightYou'reWrong

Which breed is most likely to bite is really only half of the equation. What you should be concerned about is which breeds are most likely to kill or maim you. Fact is, pit bulls (and to appease all the semantic warriors out there, “bully” breeds) do that at a higher rate than all other breeds combined. COMBINED! There is no arguing this fact. Is some of that statistical discrepancy due to owner negligence? Sure. All of it? Listen, if you believe that I have some beachfront property in Arizona to sell you.

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.

Chloe

While pit bulls can be more inherently dangerous dogs, the breed itself is not exceedingly more aggressive than some other large dogs such as boxers or German shepherds. Larger dogs in general need more training, time, and care. Any dog of any breed can be aggressive.

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.

Jonas

There is no breed called pit bull.

Evan Jakes

Exactly why are all pit breeds pooled together to garner a single statistic while shepards are split by actual breed? To push this false narrative.

Bob

It’s not a “false narrative”. Attacks happen and these attacks are far more prevalent with particular dog breeds. Argue semantics all you like.
People are maimed and/or killed because selfish incompetent a$$hats want to own dangerous dogs.

Rose

HAHAHA Yeah ok.

“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

Mama

Agree!

Rose

Thank you!

Rose

Wow! Just wow! I’ve heard some whoppers before but yours, made me laugh out loud! Haha Thank you! It’s truly amazing how Pitbull haters like yourself think everything you say is fact, that you know all there is to know about Pitbulls and dogs in general. Yet, none of you have actually done the research on both sides of the issue. You look for the information that’s gonna prove you right and that’s it. Well we were all taught how to properly research a topic and that’s not how.

Dumb is dangerous!

Shane

“Bully Breeds” are actually a large list of distinct and different breeds of dog. So,the few agreed upon statistics on “pit bulls” is erroneous as they fail to differentiate. And anyone who cares to do the research, Chows hold the, overall, maim stat. Death by dog is held by a group of breeds: pit bulls (the consortium of differing breeds.), Rottweilers, German Shepards, “large mixed breed”, and “two or more small or medium sized dogs”.
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.

Fenrir

66% Of the mortal attacks are done by pitbulls

Jonas

What breed is that…?

Makenna

Does anyone know of a more recent study done by the CDC? the one cited is from 1995- over 20 years ago.

Thanks

Mak

Rose

All of the following are great resources. The CDC stopped collecting breed data in dog-attack fatalities after 1998 because “identifying a dog’s breed accurately is difficult, even for professionals, and visual recognition is known to not always be reliable.”
Sources: AVMA, AVMA, National Canine Research Council, National Canine Research Council

Toni

And this article was obviously written by a Pit owner and supporter. Just full of all the ridiculous Pit propaganda that promotes these dogs who
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!!!

Rose

Where are you getting this information?

J. Tre

Having a number of dogs and actually worked with a non breed specific rescue for years, the main problem is upbringing and backyard breeding. I’ve never owned, not would I own a Staffie… Pitbull isn’t a breed. But I’ve had big and small dogs. The most aggressive have always been small, particularly Chihuahuas the worst. And most likely to kill. You may want to stay indoors, because you’re more likely to be killed by some random event than a dog. The article has its flaws and there are clearly the stereotypical “Pit” owners, but the nieve little dog owners are just as bad. Have been bitten 3 times, each by a dog under 15 lbs. It, like the truth to many of you, hurts!

Vanessa

Chihuahuas are the worst and most likely to kill … I suppose you have statistics to back that up?

Katie Montgomery

I wish that you didn’t list the dogs most likely to bite in the order you did. Last I checked into dog bite statistics (it’s been a few years) pit bulls were #13 I believe? AFTER golden retrievers. And chihuahuas first, like you have on your list. I think the way they’re listed is a bit misinformative as it makes it seem like that’s the order of dogs most likely to bite which I don’t believe it is. Suggest adding “this list does not like breeds most likely to bite by frequency” or something.

Karina

Hello I am writing a research paper on this topic and I was wondering what the source is for “why dogs bite” thank you.

Kimberly Alt (Admin)

Can you be more specific? The sources for this article are listed here. If you reference any of our content please source CanineJournal.com. Thanks and good luck with your paper!

DeEtte WOOD

Hello, I am a Pet Specialist with over 41 years experience. I specialize in hard to handle and difficult dogs, what is said in this article is exactly what the American Veterinarian Medical Association has found in studies they have performed over the last several decades. Honestly do some serious research yourselves. While you are at it study every breed charitoristics and behaviors, and what the breeds were originally intended use were. You would find HUMANS created this aggressive dog problem, and HUMANS are responsible for the actions of said dog! All dogs will bite! Have none of you watched the You Tubes of children provoking said bites by poking and teasing? O bred, raised, trained, and showed German Shepherds for 25 years, in those 25 years, I never walked away without being responsible for my dogs, all the down to having a personal protection dog put down for attacking the neighbor child for crossing yards at the corner. I was not ordered, we chosen to have him put down, it was an unjustified bite!
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!

Patti Anne

DeEtte Wood, thank you soooo much for your comment. I just now ran across this. I agree with you 100%. And just reading dogbite.org you can definitely tell they are run by anti-pitbull individuals. Sick when they spread incorrect information. DNA testing should be free on pit bull {type} dogs. This way everyone would be able to get their dog tested. Not just people that can afford a small fee of $100. (No, I did not look up the price) Even a price of $45 would be tough for some people. I support what you are doing and hope you keep up the good work. 🙂

Rose

dogsbite.org is an absolute joke!! The woman who started it uses information from the website of Merritt Clifton started and his list illustrates perfectly what the AVMA Task Force on Canine Aggression calls “media-driven portrayals of a specific breed as ‘dangerous.’” Both ONLY use the media to get their data so if the media doesn’t cover an attack it’s not in their statistics. Not good sources AT ALL!

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!

Shelly C

Well said

Kim

What you’re saying is exactly what my research says. So glad you responded!

Joanna

Awesome! Well educated, experienced and factual! Dogs respond well to love, discipline and respect. Thank you for being a wonderful advocate for all canines.

Papillons

Where are you getting this information from?? You are totally incorrect to put Papillons on a list of dog biters. This is Not correct AT ALL. Do you own a Papillon? Wherever you got this information from it is not right. Papillons are one of the Smartest and Sweetest Breed around. Please fix your information or make sure you know what you’re talking about before you write things that are TOTALLY INACCURATE!

Kimberly Alt (Admin)

You can see our source for Papillons being one of the most common biters here.

Papillons

That is another website that is totally inaccurate
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. !!!!!!!

Kimberly Alt (Admin)

No, I don’t own a Papillon. We don’t own every breed we write about. We sourced the website in our article. It is up to each reader to decide if that source is reliable or not. We respect your opinion and appreciate you sharing it with us.

Toni

This article was written by a Pit Bull owner and advocate. As we know, their favorite pastime is trying to convince people that small breed dogs are more dangerous and bite more than Pits. It’s all B/S. You didn’t see a single number of bites for any dog in that made up list. Why? Because that lust is the opinion of a Pit bull advocate. Alleging that small dogs bite more is their attempt to sensationalize the article. Further her opinion is based in the ranking of the ATTS which further proves she has no idea what that test was designed to demonstrate. They even state that other dogs scored lower. They just cherry picked the toy breeds (again) to sensationalize the article. Even the source they direct you to for their “findings” says nothing of the sort about Papillons. Every legit list of bites, maulings and fatalities lists the Pit Bull as Number one. Been that way for more than three decades.

Kimberly Alt (Admin)

The writer of this article does not own a pit bull. And our site advocates for all dogs, including pit bulls and papillions. As mentioned previously in this comment thread, papillions are listed here. We sited our sources and stand by the content in this article. I’m sorry you find the article to be inadequate to your beliefs.

Patricia Bednarski

I do agree with you about the smaller dogs being more aggressive than larger dogs. I have owned Chi’s and yes, they are aggressive. I’ve owned and fostered pits. The Chi was more aggressive than the all the pits I’ve owned. I have no personal information on the pap but I have always believed in the saying “the smaller the dog the bigger the attitude”. This is my experience with dogs. I’ve owned GSD, PB, Aussies, Beagles, poodles, Shih Tzu’s, min schnauzers. I know there are others but this is what comes to mind right now. I’ve found the larger dogs are less aggressive then the smaller ones. Some people may be blind due to their resistance to look past their own prejudices.

Rose

Do some research! You don’t know what you’re talking about. Educate yourself! Dumb is dangerous!

Rose

So how long have you been studying dogs? What qualifications do you have to backup your claim that the website is “totally inaccurate”? How could you possibly know? Please enlighten us all

DeEtte WOOD

Hello, I am a Pet Specialist in Eashington Dtate, I have been snapped at by a Papillon, this was an environmental issue. Please dont say they won’t, all dogs can and will.

Joanna G

Just because you own the breed doesn’t make the data incorrect. Subjective information is not fact

Anonymous

I feel this article was really helpful. Thanks!

Kimberly Alt (Admin)

Glad you found it helpful! You’re welcome! 🙂

Matthew

Your statistics are way off. wonder who paid you to put them on there. please refer to a more accurate list of dog bites on humans.

Kimberly Alt (Admin)

No one paid us to write this article. We site every source we used, they are not sources we made up. They are sources from reputable websites.

Liz

What is the cite for the 30+ breeds and mixes are included incorrectly in pit stats?

Kimberly Alt (Admin)

Liz, thank you for asking us this question. The source for our originally stated stat, “30+ breeds of dogs and mixes are incorrectly identified as “pit bulls”* in dog bite incidents, attributing the pit bull with an unfair and overstated number of incidents (*pit bull is not technically a dog breed; breeds that are commonly referred to as pit bulls in the U.S. are American Staffordshire Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and American Bully)” was the AVMA. However, we misstated the statistic and have corrected it in our article. If it weren’t for you, we probably wouldn’t have caught this until our next audit. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We have since reworded the statistic to read as, “Over 30 breeds and dog-types were associated with dog bite-related fatalities.” We are sorry for this error and any confusion it may have caused. Thank you for your understanding.

Stephanie Wooley

Now for the crickets

Rose

Pitbull haters don’t know how to think for themselves which is why they believe everything they’re told by the media without doing their own research. We can’t fix stupid. Dumb is dangerous people!

Rose

What statistics do you have? Where did you get your information? What research have you done on the subject? Please enlighten us since you apparently know all about dog aggression.

A.M. Child

This article states that when choosing a dog one should be mindful of breed but every Humane Society and Animal rescue says breed doesn’t matter and that all dogs are individuals. The truth is that breed does matter and pit bulls and their mixes kill and maim more people and animals than all other breeds combined. How many people have to die before the pet industry in the US including veterinarians tell the truth- when choosing a breed for a pet caution is forgiving but regret is a life sentence. Pit bulls kill and maim more people and animals than all other breeds combined. There were 6 people killed by pit bulls and their mixes in October of this year. The latest death of a child by pit bull is the heartrending mauling of one year old Triniti Harrell of Rocky Mount, NC killed by the family pet, a six yr old pit bull. Miranda, Tiniti’s mother can be heard on a 10 minute 911 call desperately trying to get the dog to let go of her child even stabbing it with a knife to no avail. It is horrifying but it is also becoming all too common. Close to 30 people have been killed by these dogs this year. In Mobile, AL on November 1, 2018 a 51 yr old woman lost both hands in another horrifying attack by the family’s pet pit bull. She is still alive but her life has been irrevocably altered by her debilitatingand disfiguring injuries. Stop writing about opinions and start writing about the actual people killed or maimed by the dogs. Follow DogsBite.org for a month or Daxton’s Friends on Facebook. Those are two organizations trying to raise awareness of the mounting toll of death, dismemberment, scalping , degloving, defacing injuries unique to pit bull attacks. Those are not opinions they are actual people whose lives are irrevocably changed or ended by pit bulls and/ or their mixes. For those of us who are aware, the knowledge is unbearable. Something needs to change. We should not accept as ok that a person in the US is mauled to death by a pit bull every 10 days and that dozens more are maimed and disfigured for life. Saying you are more likely to be killed by some other method as justification for placing pit bulls in homes as pets shows an alarming lack of empathy and human compassion for the unimaginable suffering of a victim of an attack by a pit bull. The comparison to being more likely to choke on a hot dog is flippant and insulting to every person whose loved one had actually experienced being ripped to pieces by a pit bull. No one should ever have to die that way, especially an innocent child. Pit bulls and their mixes kill more people than all other breeds combined. That is why they are banned all over the world. It is indisputable that pit bulls and their mixes kill more people than all other breeds combined. They also kill more pets and livestock than all other breeds. Why would anyone take the risk of having a pit bull especially in a home with children? I challenge you to write an article naming all the people killed by pit bulls in 2017. That information is not hard to find nor is it someone’s opinion. Then write an article on all other breeds that killed a person in 2017. Get up close and personal with the facts, get to know some survivors of pit bull attacks. The recommendation to have a break stick near by at all times comes with no other dog. Where do you get the idea that breed is misreported ? You know the people killed by dogs in 2017 are real people. You can get to know their families and interview them. You can get in touch with their grief. It is a cold hard fact and not an opinion. Get real. Start with DogsBite.org and Daxton’s Friends for Canine Education And Awareness. Then go on to Put Bull Victims Awareness. All of those are on Facebook. There is no doubt about what kind of dog killed the people written about as half the time it was the family pet or the babysitter ‘s dog or the next door neighbor ‘s dog. It is way past time to give the Victims or their Families or the First Responders or the ER Doctors a voice in this matter. You may be confused by opinions you’ve read but they are not confused about their actual experiences.

Matthew

you are so wrong.. though pit bulls have one of the strongest bites and can do the most damage they are one of the breeds that bite humans the LEAST. get your facts right.

jack

hey were did you get the info i really need it

boi

wow

Jonathan Lawrence

Yup its on facebook its a fact… 90 million dogs in the US and dog attacks by a pit is so rare. I have several friends with pits and have always raised pits for hunting and to have in the home. No attacks, no children killed…other breeds are confused as a pit in dog attacks, i had some one call my friends dog a pit and it was a boxer….

Gregory S. Reese

Frequency isn’t the issue. In fact, let us for the sake of argument, agree that “pit” bites are indeed rare–what then could argue more strongly for placing restrictions upon these animals than the fact that these “rare” bites are, to a nearly unimaginable degree, fatal all out of proportion to their frequency?

Stephanie Wooley

You’re reading more into the verbiage than necessary. Be mindful of the breed because you need to meet its physical needs. Hyper dogs need more exercise, some are more non-social, some landlords are bigots and will not allow a bully in a rented abode. If you have children, smaller dogs are more likely to bite (I know you think different but I can’t help you with common sense.

Patricia Bednarski

WOw, I only read the first sentence and couldn’t read any more. All I would see would be wah wah wah. You are ignorant. I’m not saying stupid because I believe you can learn. What you stated in that first sentence proves my point. In choosing a dog you must know the history of the breed. What the breed was bred for. So on and so forth. I also agree that, yes, every dog has an individual personality no matter the breed. If you want to learn, don’t just look up online. Get your hands dirty. Get out there and volunteer. Help with getting rid of puppy mills and kill shelters. Don’t blab on about wah this and wah that. I feel bad for the people that was actually attacked by dogs. That never should have happened. There is no bad dogs, only bad owners. My brother was bit by a doberman when he was 6. He has to pee. Do I hate that breed. No, I do not. All the owner said was “that’s what he’s out there for”. I was there. I was 5. And I remember it like it was yesterday. My heart actually hurts writing this. But I do NOT and never will “blame” the dog.

Grace

Just reading this ridiculous rant has not only made me lose several brain cells, but also just goes to show how INEXPERIENCED you are. Have you ever owned a pitbull? Have you ever formally met one? It’s quite obvious that you haven’t because if you did, you’d see what amazingly gentle and sweet creatures they are. All throughout history, there’s always been a certain breed that the public is overly terrified of: first it was the Bloodhound in the 1800’s, the German Shepard during WW1 and WW2 as well as in the 1980’s, the Doberman in the 1970’s, Rottweilers in the 1990’s, and today it’s the Pitbull. I happen to own a pitbull-staffy-beagle mix (only beagle characteristic is the coloring of her fur); her name is Margo. I always tell people who are skeptical of pitties, “You think my dog will MAUL your face off? More like she’ll LICK your face off.” She absolutely loves everyone she meets and will pin you down and repeatedly lick your face. This “dangerous pitbull” that I own also loves to grab either one of her many stuffed animals, tennis balls, a dish rag, or even a pair of your socks. She will then walk around the house with one of these things in her mouth, whining and wagging her tail until she gets attention. Margo just wants to be close to you; that’s all there is to it. My dog has changed the minds of several people (including my grandfather and one of my uncles) who believed every negative thing the media has put out about them, just like YOU. I bet you also believe the idiotic myth about pitbulls having “locking jaws”, which is not true WHATSOEVER. Several studies have been executed to try and prove this theory, but no evidence has ever been found. Pitbulls have a bite PSI (pound-force per square inch) of 235. German Shepards, Rottweilers, Dobermans, English Mastiffs, American Bulldogs, Great Danes, and Siberian Huskies all have higher PSIs. In fact, the Anatolian Shepard or Kangal takes first place with a PSI of 743; that’s 508 more pounds per square inch than the pitbull. Interesting right? You’re gonna love this one too: According to the American Temperment Test, pitbulls were one of the highest scoring breeds with a passing rate of 86%; much better than the general average of 77%. The lowest scoring breeds? Chihuahuas, Dachshunds, and Yorkshire Terriers. Additionally, according to a 2008 study published in the journal of Applied Animal Behavior Sciences, the most aggressive dog breeds are Chihuahuas, Dachshunds, and Jack Russel Terriers. Moving away from facts, my mother was also a Vet Technician for ELEVEN (11) years. During her time there, she said that the meanest breed that was ever brought in was not pitbulls, staffies, bull mastiffs, bull terriers, no bully breeds at all: Cocker spaniels. My mother had to muzzle more of these dogs than any other breed. However, in 11 years she was only bitten by ONE dog, and that dog was a Black Labrador Retriever, the self-proclaimed “family dog” (fun fact: Labs have a PSI of 230, only 5 pounds less then the PSI of a pitbull). She said that the PITBULLS were the dogs that were always scared, whining, submissive, with their tails between their legs. My mom never had to muzzle a pitbull or other bully breed; no pitbull or other bully breed ever attempted to bite or attack any of the other techs and the vet himself. My point is, every dog has the ability to cause harm (some more than others), but that DOES NOT mean that every single dog of one specific breed are all dangerous and vicious. Even if a pitbull were to ever severely injure me, I would still love the breed as much as I do now because I’ve seen what their true temperment is like; sweet, gentle, caring, goofy, playful, and just complete lovebugs in general. I could also go into the many intricacies and despicable acts of pitbull fighting rings and the kinds of things that these poor animals endure, but I’ll spare you. I sincerely hope that all of this makes you think and possibly want to meet a pitbull, because the more who see how amazing the breed is, the better 🙂

Grambler

You can philosophise as much as you like as to whether a dog is more, or less, likely to bit. However, on behalf of children, I say this….. as with road-deaths, a single dog-bite is too many.

David Stovall

I just read about another woman being killed by her pit bull. The pit bull defenders got the newspaper to change it to mixed breed. Beagles are bred to trail rabbits, bird dogs to point, Labradors to retrieve, pit bulls to kill. Non aggressive pit bulls are not bred, this is to maintain the most ferocious gene pool. The apologists quote statistics that are misleading. Sure , one is not likely to get attacked because one is not in the vicinity of a pit, but the likelihood increases dramatically when you are in their path.They are not just bred to do it, but to also be good at it. Massive head, mouth, neck and chest to bite and shake. Here in Memphis they tore a man’s hands off, and they could not be reattached. Warn people to stay away , especially children and elderly.

Matthew

Pittbulls were not bred to kill. please learn your history of the breed before you run your mouth.

Kathy Key Fitzpatrick

I believe the parents/guardians of children who opt to have a pit/pit mix dogs in the home whereby a child is injured, maimed or killed should ABSOLUTELY be charged with child endangerment, and/or child neglect/abuse.
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.

Emily Muchnick

I have a pit bull and she is the most sweetest dog I have ever met. The dogs behavior depend on their owners, the way they are trained, and raised. A dog is a man’s best friend and only wants to please the human. So if a dog is trained to fight and see’ s that’s what makes it’s owner happy it’s going to continue to do so to please their owner. If a dog sees it makes their owner happy to rollover on command that’s what they are going to do.

Kim

You believe every thing you hear it read, obviously. You are way into being dramatic. People like you are the problem.

Rosalynn

Why the absolute heck is a website called “canine journal” recommending a shock collar for training a dog who has a history of aggression. I’d strongly recommend changing that to “consult your local certified training to discuss training and management options”

Kimberly Alt (Admin)

We aren’t recommending anything. We’re just telling our readers about options they may like to consider.

Einstein Mcgregor

This article is so misleading and you know it.The facts about pitbulls is out there.

Kimberly Alt (Admin)

What parts in this article do you feel are misleading?

Pat Garrett

I’m in my 70s and grew up with dogs…terriers, boxers and basic mutts. The terriers would grab onto vlothing and shake their heads madly, since these dogs go after animals that burrow, or rats, etc. and grab onto the neck and shkectheir heads ripping out the the throat of their prey. It’s a natural instint in terriers. Luved with German Shepherd, 80 lbs of pure muscle, trained to be a guard dog and trained not to bark. When she stood on her hind legs, she was eye to eye with me…I was 5’8″ tall, 150 lbs. and she could knock me flat. I was never afraid of her, I walked her and fed her. I was not afraid of her but I respected her abilities and treated her well. I had another dog, small mized breed that my husband brought home without discussing it with me, as a favor to some friends. I did not like or trust this fldog. I’d seen him in action…he was a mean SOB. He tried to attack me one day and conveniently decided to leave the premises. I wished him well. I’ve met all kinds of dogs over 7 decades, most of whom were very nice, well behaved animals. As a single adult living in an apartment, I own cats. I worked for lawyers, sometimes long days and nights over the years. Cats don’t care, as long as they have a nice place to sleep, food svailable water and a clean litter box and their toys. Dogs need way more attention and exercise to stay sane and healthy. If you have very young children, you need to supervise the interaction with a dog…most dogs seem fairly tolerant of even small, grabby kids, as long as they can get away from them when needed. Never leave young children alone with dogs. Make sure the dog is spayed or neutered, not disturbed while eating, and not pounced on while sleeping. Mostly, it’s common sense. Humans seem to lack that sense, so work on it. All dogs can bite under the right circumstances. Keep uour animal well fed, well rested, and don’t forget regular health exams, shots, and training. And choose your dog wisely, based on you ability to give the dog your time, live and exercise. Don’t condemn all dogs becauae of situations which probably were out of the dog’s control…but not yours.

V Serrano

I love dogs, and dog sit all the time. I did encounter one dog however, part papillon and Australian Shepard. He was fine at first, our first meeting then promptly bit me me several times. I learned he was a rescue, a couple gave him up, after having their first child, the dog bit the infant. The owner decided to try another dog sitter, (they thought my fees too high) who he also bit. He ended staying at a dog kennel, where they just keep him
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?

Georg Cheatham

I don’t like dogs, hate dogs. I do not believe that any type of animal that shows the propensity for violence as do dogs should be allowed in human society as pets. They are smelly filthy animals that soil parks and city streets with their feces. They attack people without any apparent reason. Some dogs bark incessantly on a whim. Dogs as a group cause about 4.7 million bites a year in the USA, and about 800,000 of those bites require medical care. Who in their right mind would take the chance to allow these dangerous animals in their homes where numerous children have been mauled and killed by dogs? The fact that you agree that dogs do attack and bite people, and children, yet you support their ownership, means that you are not using reason in judging dog ownership. Some people even seem to think that dogs are just hairy humans, are they insane?

Kimberly Alt (Admin)

While I respect your opinion, I have to respectfully disagree. I know many dogs who are extremely friendly and lovable. Just like people, there can be some bad eggs when it comes to dogs. Holding all dogs responsible for the low number of dogs who are violent is not the solution. That would be like saying all women are criminals because one woman broke the law. One person (or dog) is not responsible for defining the entire group. That’s how prejudices occur.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with our community. We always appreciate hearing all views.

BRENDA FERNANDEZ

I would say 99% of the time it is the owner at fault for dog bites and misbehavior. I have had 3 dogs consistently since I was a child, now 53. That would be a total of 12 dogs. From Jack Russell’s, Labs, Shepherds, Bulldogs, Wolf Hybrid, Husky, and Malamute. I have dealt with one dog bite from my Jack Russell who bit a friend of my daughter because he was reaching for my daughter and his face was right in the dogs face. The dog reacted out of protection for daughter. The police even told the friend that was poor judgement. Regardless, the only other dog bites I have seen have been neglected, untrained, or put in situations that could have been avoided. Dogs are way more loyal and loving than most humans. Had humans been more responsible from the beginning to get dogs fixed and vaccinated, we would not have so many abused and neglected, and less bites in the end. It is the fault of mankjnd…not the dogs.

Michael Budde

“In the end we conserve what we love. We love what we understand. We understand once we are taught.” I saw it on a sign at SEA WORLD I am very sorry you feel that way you do. My heart goes out to you.

Aliel

Dogs are neither the dirtiest nor most vicious animals on this planet. If you want to see what is…go look in your mirror. And in SanFrancisco I understand that dog poo on their streets is the least of their problems.

Disgusted

Online training course?! Training collar?!!!!

Laurie

I totally agree that dogs are a product of their environment, but I think that everyone can agree that when any dog is stressed they can revert to their basic instinct and bite. Unfortunately some pits in this country have been intentionally bred to fight to the death, which does make the breed seem less reliable to me. What no one addresses is the difference between most dog bites (puncture wounds) and the pit bite. Pits’ skull shape and jaw musculature allow them to “lock on”. They cannot lock their jaws (no mammal can do that) so they can release if they want to, but the worry is that they will be in a frenzy and refuse to let go. When this happens they rip and tear what they have bitten onto, causing much greater harm than a puncture wound. My daughter is a pediatrician in a large metropolitan children’s hospital. Puncture bites are usually treated in the clinic. If the docs know a pit bite victim is coming they are sent directly to the ER and met by plastic surgery physicians. These children usually undergo multiple surgeries to correct the damage done, and are often left with disfiguring scars, not to mention emotional wounds. I have know some lovely, sweet dogs with pit in them and enjoy interacting with them. I am, however, quite wary of any dog that looks like they might have pit in them that I do not know. If every dog owner understood breed characteristics and knew how to control their animals dogs biting humans would rarely happen. As with most problems education is the key….

NanaMom

If It doesn’t work to ban Power breeds, then why can’t we pass a law that requires all owners of power breeds or any powerful dog to have extensive training and to have a license. Cars and guns hurt and kill people too so the government requires a license to operate it . People should be required to have a license that requires training for the owner and for the dog. It should require a fee to own a power breed and a costly fine and or jail time if someone gets hurt or if they are found neglecting care and proper keeping of the dog. People would not let their dog run loose if they knew it was gonna cost a lot of money or jail time. Why not? Why have they not done this already? It should be the same as DUI!
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.

Makenzie M LaPack

Sure, start by banning all breeds that have killed people and bitten people. Oh wait, that’s all breeds. Oops. Especially since most dogs on this list are under 45 lbs, why do you think it should stop at just what you call “power breeds”? Are my huskies included even though in the US they aren’t even on a list for dogs that kill people? Seriously though, I don’t want anyone telling me what animal I can and cannot have. If I do something wrong, take it away and charge me. But don’t make me pay for other’s mistakes (which is what a licence is). In Australia you can’t even own native reptiles without a license. I’m not going to let that happen in America. Besides, if your dog does hurt someone, you do face jail time. If it kills someone, you face lifelong prison or the death penalty and your dog is shot. Everything you ask is in place, short of me paying more for an animal (via a license) for no real justifiable reason other than you don’t trust other people to make the same decisions you did about your pet. I personally have been bit by 3 small dogs, and my husky has been attacked by multiple small dogs, 2 labs at once, and a golden retriever through the years, you know, good ‘family’ dogs. The ones you don’t want people to have to get a license for. I have yet to be bit or have anyone I know be bit by any “power breeds”. Anecdotal I know, but that’s the point. Labs account for 5% of the bites and killings of humans, so what do you do with that? Nothing, if I have my way. No special license. The only people it hurts is those who want to follow the rules. Just like gun free cities have the most gun violence, so will areas with ‘dog licenses’.

Gregory S. Reese

How cute: “breeds that have killed people and bitten people.” and “Especially since most dogs on this list are under 45 lbs”. Mixing killed and bitten (it’s not the number of %$#@! bites it’s the manner in which attacks are carried out!) this seems to be the favorite manner of obfuscation employed by those whom defend these creatures–number two being: “it’s was a mixed breed that killed those children”, or “the breed was misidentified”. Shame on you.

Shannon Walker

Huskies ARE on the restricted dog breeds list.

Jon Mosher

How many thousands of people need to die before people stop this Pit Bull love affair? Even this article tries to deviate and states pro pit propaganda. Pit Bulls have killed 8x more people than all other breeds combined in the past 3 years.

Arielai

First off, it all depends on what type of environment and type of owner a pit bull has. It’s always the fault of the owner, never the dog. Bad owners give the breed a bad rep. Pitbulls can be the most sweet and kind loving dog if raised right. They should never be left to an irresponsible and inexperienced owner or an owner that will use them for things such as fighting or bad behavior. Your most common breed that is known for biting is a Lab. Most underground breeders are breeding for all the wrong reasons and making the gene that causes aggression stand out more.

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.

Scott

There’s no greater example of nature over nurture than the dog. How many children die every year from the family pitbull “that was always so nice and gentle”!? These dogs need to be eliminated and breed down or out altogether.

Candi

How about we eliminate you altogether and the world would be a much safer, better place. This is America, where I am free to own any dog I choose to and that includes my 3 Pit bull dogs.

Kim

You are ignorant and don’t know the facts about the breeds labeled as pit bulls.

Mallory

Haven’t you heard of the many pit bull stories where “the happy family pit bull just snapped and scarred/ripped apart/killed the 8 year old kid?” Or the female owner who raised it from birth and was even a trainer and one day the dog freaked and bit her? You should check your own facts and read up on these instances. Sometimes nurture can NOT beat out decades of aggressive nature. Get over yourself. It’s a dog and it’s known well for being a triggered, unpredictable one at that.

sherri

I think you need to do a deeper dive into these statistics. I am currently doing a research paper on pit bulls and public perception. It is people like you that spout off negative comments when you don’t have the full facts. I am an owner of a Staffordshire Terrior and a Pit/Boxer mix. These dogs have been raised in a loving environment and have been through training classes. I have NEVER had a better dog than these two. There are cases where Pit bulls have attacked and caused serious harm and even death. Please do more research and get your facts straight. They are not as dangerous as they have been perceived to be by the propaganda. It truly is a case of nature vs. nurture and just like humans are susceptible to their environment so are dogs. This is a fact!

Yvette

You hear more about pitbull type dogs in the news in the USA for two reasons. Media tends to cover more stories when it involves a “pitbull.” Pitbull isn’t a breed but a type of dog. Many breeds are often labelled pitbulls including the American pitbull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier and American bullies. Also, there are many other breeds mistaken as pitbulls that don’t have any bully breed plus mixed breed dogs are often mislabeled pitbulls because of their appearance. Taking all of this into consideration, the estimated population of “pitbull” type dogs is 18 million or 20% of the total dog population. Some organizations undercount them as only 6%. These are some of the reasons you will hear about these breeds more often. In Canada, only one or two deaths on average each year are attributed to dog attacks, the breeds most involved are Husky/sled type dogs as they are the most popular strong breeds. Breed bans in Canada have always been against pitbull types even though Huskys are responsible for the most incidents probably due to influence from certain “studies” from the USA. The UK has seen increasing incidents involving dog attacks and dog bite related fatalities even though many strong breeds are banned. The fact Is, there will unfortunately always be dog bites and fatalities by dogs no matter what. With increasing dog and people populations, there will inevitably be increases in attacks and fatalities. With that being said, it is still very rare to be attacked seriously and even more rare to die from a dog attack.

Maryska Giunta

I guess I didn’t see. Where does it say thousands of people are dying from Pit Bulls?

Gregory S. Reese

@Jon Mosher Oh no Jon, those unfairly stigmatised dogs were misidentified or abused, or weren’t pure pit-bull but rather were mixed breeds.

Jonas

What is a pure pit-bull? Can you provide reference to that breed please? I have never heard of it…

Paul

A more telling statistic is the percentage of deaths from dog attacks according to dog breed. The prevailing belief is that once a pit bull begins an attack, nothing short of killing it will stop the dog. That’s probably an exaggeration, but likely not that far from the truth.

Sherri

Actually, while still very terrible, the number of fatal dog bites is only 1% of all dog bites over a 20 year period study that was done here in the US. These dogs were bred for hunting and there is somewhat of a natural instinct I’m sure, but with proper training and not abuse of their owners these dogs are quite lovable. Again, it is the owners responsibility to learn about their dog breed and if they aren’t responsible this is where the breakdown occurs.

Yvette

Paul, an even more telling statistic is factoring in breed risk rates. The more popular a breed the more incidents there will be (strong breeds of course.) Breed risk rates are a universal standard and only scientifically accepted method for statistics. Some organizations do not factor breed risk rates, they record numbers of incidents only.

Kim

Not true at all…and I speak from experience.

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