We were wondering what are the most dangerous dog breeds that bite the most people, so we’ve decided to do a little research. At the very beginning, we’ve been faced with a challenge as we couldn’t find any global statistics on this topic. The Internet is, however, full of similar lists of most dangerous dog breeds, and we did succeed in finding one more or less credible research done by Animal 24-7 called Dog attack deaths and maimings, US & Canada (September 1982 to December 31, 2014). This was the most thorough research we were able to find and, therefore, we’ve decided to base our list upon it. There are, however, some issues worth considering carefully before putting any labels on the breeds that have found themselves in the list below. As a true animal lover and experienced dog owner, I will do my best to approach this topic objectively, but I won’t refrain from bringing my personal experience and passion.
1) Statistics.
There are no statistics about the number of any single dog breed in the world, so it can’t be directly calculated with which probability would a breed attack. For example, what would you say – which dog breed is statistically more dangerous if there are hypothetically 10 million golden retrievers in the world, and 200 registered attacks, and 20 million rottweilers with 300 registered attacks?
This is precisely the reason that a few of the most famous and most popular breeds, also known as the easiest dog breeds to train in the world, have found their place here. With so many such dogs in the world, chances are some will fall into the wrong hands. This naturally leads us to the next issue, which is the crucial one:
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2) Dog owners.
There is a saying in some countries that roughly translates to: “Look at the dog owner and you will know the dog”, meaning that every dog behaves in the way their owner does or in the way their owner taught them. My point here is not only that dog owners are the main culprits, but that we have to acknowledge that certain types of people are more inclined to have certain types of dogs. The unjustifiedly notorious pit bull, which dominates all “most dangerous dog breeds” lists, is the type of dog that usually ends up having a criminal as their owner. Why – you ask? Isn’t this because the dog is cruel as well? No, it isn’t. It is because the pit bulls are among the strongest breeds, and every gangster wishes to have the strongest weapon in the world, doesn’t he?
Don’t forget that precisely because of their power pit bulls are the most often (ab)used dog breed for dogfights. For those with weak stomachs, it is better not to research further on how these dogs are treated, and what happens in those dog fights. I had an encounter with one that was rescued from these cruel activities. I lack words to describe what he looked like, and how did he behave. He was a seriously disordered dog, that wasn’t aggressive to humans, but only to other dog. The trauma in his eyes was so evident that every normal person would be able to see the pain he went and still going through by taking only one look at him. To make things even worse – this dog wasn’t seriously injured, and the trauma was purely psychological.
Coming from the person who grew up with a pit bull – they are the smartest and most lovable dogs you can imagine. My pit bull was so “dangerous” that I had to defend her if she was attacked by street dogs because she didn’t know how to respond, how to bite. If you don’t believe me, check out what the world’s famous dog trainer Cesar Milan has to say about this breed. While you’re there, check out his advice on how to train your dog, to avoid making your breed one of the most dangerous.
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3) Breed recognition.
I can’t tell you how many times I witnessed people misidentifying one breed for another. Bull terriers are usually pit bulls, or any other dog that has attacked someone for that matter. So, relying on reports is not that reliable. Not many people are truly familiar with dog breed differences.
4) The severity of a bite.
Although this may sound silly, think about it for a second – if you were hit by a 5-year-old child would you report that to the authorities? And what about if you were hit by a body builder? The same goes here – chances are you won’t react the same when you are bitten by a Yorkshire terrier, and when you are bitten by a Great Dane, right? Not just that you wouldn’t react the same, but you won’t suffer the same consequences. But because of the severity of a bite, some cases are reported, and some aren’t, and finally – we don’t necessarily have the correct image of the real situation when it comes to dog breeds that bite the most people in the world.
This list is based on the number of attacks doing bodily harm (from the above-mentioned report), unlike our previous list of the deadliest dog breeds in the world which is based on the number of fatalities. But, as mentioned earlier, all these numbers below should be taken with a pinch of salt; if you want to know more about this topic take a look at the Most tolerant dogs, read Pit Bull Placebo, or Dog bites Problems and Solutions from which we bring you this quote: “The study found no evidence that one kind of dog is more likely to injure a human being than another.” We can only conclude that educating yourself is the best possible way to stop the media brainwashing.
Back to the topic – we have deliberately excluded from the list the dog breed named “Wolf hybrid” because they really have a percentage of wolf DNA, and we’ve wanted to cover only pure dog breeds. For the same reason, mixes like, for example, the pit bull/boxer mix, didn’t find its place here either. Also, you should be aware of the fact that the pit bull is not a breed per se. It is just a common name for a type of dog, under which fall the breeds like the American pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, and Staffordshire terrier (and sometimes, believe it or not, even English bulldogs and some other breeds). But, we had no choice than to include it in our list because of the enormous difference between the number of attacks made by pit bulls when compared to other breeds.
Now let’s check those dangerous dog owners… I mean those dangerous dog breeds that bite the most people:
11. Mastiff
Number of attacks: 28
We start our list with a beautiful dog breed called Mastiff. If you love big dogs that you wish to hug as soon as you see them, then you should know that Mastiff is a perfect dog to embrace. Be aware, though, that this dog requires an experienced owner.
10. Great Dane
Number of attacks: 37
We continue with well-built, strong and powerful dogs. As their name denotes, Great Danes are truly great, so naturally they need a great owner too.
9. Labrador Retriever
Number of attacks: 56
One of the most lovable and trainable dog breeds in the world. Known as one of the best guide dogs breeds, police dogs, best dog breed for the first time owners and families. Yet, somehow, it has managed to find its place on the list of most dangerous dog breeds that bite the most people. Talking about conceivability.
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8. Chow – Chow
Number of attacks: 61
One big fluffy lion-dog. Well, I guess we could have expected this breed here since lions are wild and dangerous animals.
7. Boxer
Number of attacks:64
Well, Boxers really look like they want to bite all the time, don’t they? And, according to statistics, they probably will. But don’t worry, the media reports will say it was a pit bull. Kidding aside, boxers are a medium-size breed, with short hair, strong jaws and a powerful bite. If you don’t believe it, just provoke one.
6. Akita
Number of attacks: 70
I don’t know about statistics, but I do know that Akitas are not the best choice for the first-time owners. Similarly like other “Northern breeds” (Alaskan malamute, Siberian husky, Chow-Chow, etc.) they require an owner who knows what is doing. This doesn’t mean they are dangerous, just that they require proper care.
5. Husky
Number of attacks: 83
The same things hold for the husky as for our previous breed, Akita. Yes, they are beautiful, but beauty shouldn’t be the only criterion when you are considering which dog breed to buy. You must think of everything that you can give to that dog (psychologically stable owner, space, food, walks, training, love, etc.) and not just what will that dog give to you.
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4. Bullmastiff
Number of attacks: 111
Bullmastiffs are good guard dogs, pretty stubborn though, so you want to have some dog experience before getting this breed to be your pet.
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3. German Shepherd
Number of attacks: 113
Those beautiful German shepherds, similarly as labradors, are known as incredible police dogs, guide dogs, fantastic for training. Yet, they are not good for the first time owners. Why? Because they require someone with a strong personality too, who will dominate them, train them, who will be the alpha – leader of the pack. All this is confusing you? Then, you really should learn a lot about the dogs.
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2. Rottweiler
Number of attacks: 535
The time has long ago passed when Rottweilers were the number one hated breed, the most dangerous one. They were “saved” by pit bulls. Nevertheless, alongside with dobermans, who didn’t find their place here, yet who were also the most notorious breed once, they also require a good, experienced owner.
1. Pit Bull
Number of attacks: 3.397
And finally the most bloodthirsty, violent, aggressive, brutal… the most dangerous dog breed that bites the most people. And still, the breed has the most defenders in the world. Why – you ask? If you had a pit bull, your heart would know the answer.
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