Most Dangerous Dog Breeds: As Per 1982 - 2013 Bite and Attack Statistics
This IS NOT AN ARTICLE STATING THESE DOGS ARE EVIL!! I had a boxer as a child and I have family members who own Dobermans and German Shepherds who are wonderful. This is simply a statistical analysis of attacks per dog breed, and deaths caused.
We have all heard it before, it's not the breed that causes the problems, it's the owner. In some cases that is completely true. Owners must be sure to raise their dogs properly and with love. Introduce your dog to strangers and children. Do not hit your dog ever, and do not teach your dog to act in any type of aggressive way.
However, even the best owners cannot change the dog breed's innate desires. Some breeds of dogs are more prone to attack. It doesn't mean that every dog of that breed will attack, it simply means that dogs of certain breeds have more of a chance of attacking than other dog breeds. In reality any dog breed can attack and any dog breed can be wonderful with people and children. However, statistics show that certain dog breeds do attack more than other dog breeds.
# 1 Pit Bull
Pit Bulls were originally bred in England and brought to the United States for blood sports such as cock fighting, bull baiting, bear baiting, and dog fighting. So unfortunately from the very beginning of the Pit Bull's existence it was bred to fight, attack, and kill.
The Pit Bull's body is very strong and muscular. Pit Bulls are known to be highly protective of their owners and their owner's property. It is very important to highly socialize a Pit Bull from a very young age when it is still a puppy. It is important that Pit Bulls become used to strangers, adults, other dogs, and children.
Height: 14 - 24 inches
Weight: 22 - 78 pounds
Life Expectancy: 12 years
Pit Bull Attack and Bite Statistics from 1982 - 2013:
Bodily Harm: 2,792 attacks
Child Victims: 1,114 attacks
Adult Victims: 1,047 attacks
Deaths: 263 deaths caused by Pit Bulls
Maimings: 1,677
# 2 Rottweiler
The Rottweiler is a large size dog that is very smart, agile, athletic, and strong. The Rottweiler originated as a herding dog. The Rottweiler has a pack mentality and it is important when raising a Rottweiler that the dogs sees humans higher up in the pack above themselves. Rottweilers can be very docile and calm if socialized and raised correctly, however, they are very protective of their families and may be very wary of strangers.
Height: 22 - 27 inches
Weight: 85 - 130 pounds
Life Expectancy: 10 - 12 years
Rottweiler Attack and Bite Statistics from 1982 - 2013:
Bodily Harm: 514 attacks
Child Victims: 290 attacks
Adult Victims: 136 attacks
Deaths: 81 deaths caused by a Rottweiler
Maimings: 294
# 3 Husky
The Husky is a strong, arctic, sled pulling dog. Huskies are known to be very energetic and playful. They have thick furry coats that can vary in color. In general Huskies are known to be very intelligent, docile, gentle, relaxed, and friendly dogs. This breed of dog can be very difficult to train and stubborn. It takes a lot of patience to train a Husky. A bored or lonely Husky can very destructive and ill behaved.
Even though the Husky has a lot of positive characteristics, it is very powerful and if this breed does attack is strong enough to harm or kill its victims.
Height: 21 - 23 inches
Weight: 35 - 60 pounds
Life Expectancy: 12 - 15 years
Husky Attack and Bite Statistics from 1982-2013:
Bodily Harm: 79 attacks
Child Victims: 49 attacks
Adults Victims: 5 attacks
Deaths: 25 deaths caused by a Husky
Maimings: 24
# 4 Wolf Hybrid
A wolf hybrid is exactly what it sounds like, it is the combination of a gray wolf and a dog. Wolf Hybrids are very skittish animals and dislike loud noises, fast moving objects, strangers, and new people. A wolf hybrid takes a lot of patience and consistent training. An owner of a wolf hybrid needs to realize that a lot of hard work is in their future and it takes a lot to properly train a wolf hybrid.
Wolf Hybrids are not recommend for homes with children or with inexperienced pet owners. This species of dog needs a lot of space to run and roam, it will not do well in small houses or apartments.
Height: around 26 inches
Weight: about 100 pounds
Life Expectancy: Can live up to 17 years
Wolf Hybrid Attack and Bite Statistics from 1982 - 2013:
Bodily Harm: 85 attacks
Child Victims: 70 attacks
Adult Victims: 5 attacks
Deaths: 19 deaths caused by a Wolf Hybrid
Maimings: 49
# 5 Bull Mastiff (Presna Canario)
The Presna Canario originates from Spain and was raised originally to work with livestock. This large breed dog can be a very good guard dog, and is very wary of strangers. It is very important that everyone in the family feels comfortable with the dog, or the dog may act aggressively to some people.
Again early socialization is very important in the development of a healthy and affectionate dog. The dog must see humans as the leader of the pack. The Presna's coat is short and course. The Presna comes in all colors of fawn and brindle.
Height: 21 - 25 inches
Weight: 80 - 100 pounds
Life Expectancy: 9 - 11 years
Presna Canario Attack and Bite Statistics from 1982 - 2013:
Bodily Harm: 105 attacks
Child Victims: 42 attacks
Adult Victims: 39 attacks
Deaths: 15 deaths cause by Presna Canarios
Maimings: 61
# 6 German Shepherd
This large breed dog is very popular in the United States. The German Shepherd is a very strong, intelligent, agile, and muscular breed. The dog is known to be fearless and very direct. German Shepherds need to be around people, a German Shepherd should never be isolated or kept in a cage at all times.
Again this dog needs a lot of socialization when they are young. German Shepherds must realize who the boss is at an early age. German Shepherds are known to be used as police dogs, guard dogs, and service dogs because they are very intelligent and behaved if trained well.
Height: 22 - 26 inches
Weight: 77 - 85 pounds
Life Expectancy: About 13 years
German Shepherd Attack and Bite Statistics from 1982 - 2013:
Bodily Harm: 102 attacks
Child Victims: 63 attacks
Adult Victims: 30 attacks
Deaths: 15 deaths caused by German Shepherds
Maimings: 63
# 7 Akita
The Akita originates from Japan and is a large working breed dog. The Akita is known to be affectionate with its owners but very aloof towards strangers or new people. The Akita is known to be docile and gentle with members of the owner's family and people they see regularly but it can be very difficult to socialize this breed with other pets and unknown humans.
The Akita has a very thick fur coat, which sheds very heavily. The dog is powerful, hardy, and athletic. It tends to get bored easily and needs to be trained by a very patient owner. Children should learn to be authoritative and respectful when interacting with this breed.
Height: 24 - 28 inches
Weight: 75 - 120 pounds
Life Expectancy: 10 - 12 years
Akita Attack and Bite Statistics from 1982 - 2013:
Bodily Harm: 68 attacks
Child Victims: 43 attacks
Adult Victims: 21 attacks
Deaths: 8 deaths caused by Akitas
Maimings: 50
# 8 Boxer
Boxers are compact and very powerful dogs. Originating from Germany the Boxer has short hair and varies in colors from brindle to fawn. Boxers are very energetic and playful dogs. They are known to be naturally protective of their owners and act like guardians.
Boxers are known for their affection with humans, especially children. This has made the boxer a very popular choice for families. But like all dogs, the boxer needs early socialization skills taught when they are young. This breed may be very distrustful of strangers.
Height: 21 - 25 inches
Weight: 50 - 70 pounds
Life Expectancy: 11 - 14 years
Boxer Attack and Bite Statistics from 1982 - 2013:
Bodily Harm: 62 attacks
Child Victims: 19 attacks
Adult Victims: 21 attacks
Deaths: 7 deaths caused by Boxers
Maimings: 29
# 9 Chow
This medium sized breed is strong and very muscular. Originating from China, this working dog, was brought into war with the ancient Chinese. The Chow is a very difficult dog to train and may not like being around other pets or animals. It is very important to begin training the Chow at a very young age. The Chow should be introduced to children, other pets, strangers, etc... the earliest possible. The younger the training begins with the Chow the more likely the Chow will get along and socialize.
Height: 18 - 22 inches
Weight: 45 - 70 pounds
Life Expectancy: about 15 years
Chow Attack and Bite Statistics from 1982 - 2013:
Bodily Harm: 58 attacks
Child Victims: 37 attacks
Adult Victims: 17 attacks
Deaths: 7 deaths caused by Chows
Maimings: 39
# 10 Doberman
The Doberman is a medium sized breed that is known for its strength and speed. The Doberman is very intelligent and can be a well trained guard dog if owned by the right owner. Doberman's have a lot of energy and spirit.
The Doberman has a short coat that varies in color from black, red, blue, and fawn. A Doberman can be very loyal and gentle. This breed likes to run around a lot and needs a lot of room to roam. A Doberman should not be a permanent outside dog because they are very sensitive to the cold.
Like all breeds the Doberman needs to be trained from an early age and must understand that humans are the leaders and above the dog. The dog must be respected but consistently trained in a stern authoritative manner.
Height: 24 - 28 inches
Weight: 65 - 90 pounds
Life Expectancy: about 13 years
Doberman Attack and Bite Statistics from 1982 - 2013:
Bodily Harm: 18 attacks
Child Victims: 9 attacks
Adult Victims: 9 attacks
Deaths: 7 deaths caused by Dobermans
Maimings: 10
Comments
Actually, the breed know as the "English" bulldog is a relatively recently developed animal designed strictly for the show ring. In fact, "bulldogs" were not even created until several years AFTER bull baiting (the purpose for which it was supposed to have been bred) was banned and discontinued in the United Kingdom. So, it is impossible for the pit bull to have been developed from a breed younger than itself. In fact, the show "bulldog" is developed from the original working bulldog - the pit bull.
There is some terrier blood in the modern pit bull. Terrier blood was added, just as mastiff blood was also added. This explains why some lines of pit bulls are quite "bully" in build, and at the larger end of the standard, while others are quite "light" in build, and may weigh as little as 25 pounds. However, the pit bull is a "bulldog" in action and appearance. He is a gripping dog - not a terrier (which means "Earth dog" which pursues its quarry underground.
I appreciate you included stats and not just conjecture and "what ifs" like some blogs. However, I must inform you bullmastiffs and presa canario aren't the same breed. They look similar upon first appearance however, the bullmastiff, originating in Europe (England) is taller and generally heavier. Canarios tend to be a bit longer and come from Italy. Canarios are the more aggressive of the two breeds and have a more unstable temperament. I'd highly recommend bullmastiffs to anyone wanting a giant breed that looks intimidating they are true gentle giants and will be a great companion to your children and even other pets if raised with them from puppyhood.
Pitbull is not a breed...
I do appreciate statistics, even if some have such a negitive view. It seems helpful thank you. Can i ask where this information was gathered from?
It's spelled "Presa Canario," and it is a different breed from the Bullmastiff. Those careless errors make it tough to take the info in this article very seriously :/
Hi Susan,
Despite the unwarranted, but not surprising, negative comments about your article from 2 years ago re: bite/maul/death statistics, I appreciate your efforts and your article. Although I would have liked to read a little more about the source(s) from which your information was derived, I found the article to be very helpful and extremely similar to my 20 years' worth of experience as a veterinarian and dog owner/rescuer of various breeds. I hope you won't let people who unjustly or unfairly criticize your article from keeping your comments coming our way. (I see there are several readers who accused you of lying, and we all know THEY ought to know whether you're lying or not because THEY are obviously the ONLY authorities on this subject... excuse me....gag, cough, cough, choke, lol) Please continue to share your comments, opinions, facts, and other remarks with those of us who don't judge your writing, but consider your writing as yet another source from which we all may learn something valuable. Worst case scenario, we agree to disagree. Thank you for your article!
Dr. Lori :)
You don't think that these numbers have anything to do with populations? Not only does #1 include 5 different breeds of dogs but they are the most popular also. This list could actually be called, "The most poplar big dogs owned in the US since pittie type dogs are the most popular (because everyone groups them into one group). Then rottweilers, then huskies...if there are 1 million homes that have pittie type dogs and 500k that have huskies, and 250k have German Shepard's, then obviously there are going to be "reported bites" from pitties because there are more of them. This can happen with any large dog, especially if it's untrained. Boxers?? Really?? This is ridiculous.
This list is complete trash. There is NO way a simple pit bull is more "vicious" then a freaking wolf Hybrid. I'm sorry I'm calling you out on your bullshit. You must have gotten this so called "research" from Wiki.
Hi Rachel!
I agree that the Pittbull have terrible reputation.
But as you say - "they train these dogs to be viscous! ".
So I will say in other way "Pittbull are the best option, if you need a dog that look macho and can be viscous".
But also they can make a good family pet, if you will train them to be polite.
I'm sorry but the pittbull has a terrible reputation.. and things like this don't help.. pittbulls are loved by the urban community where the bad reputation is loved .. and people get these dogs to look macho or tough.. they train these dogs to be viscous! This is why there's more bites and incidents.. if these dogs didn't have this tough reputation bad people wouldn't want them for all the wrong reasons.. I hate it because they are the sweetest!
So from 1982-2013, a doberman has a statisical history as a bully breed.
Hardly. This stale, you call factual data must have been collected by one of the nations lowest common denominators simply because poodles are not on the list which account for a much greater "bite" and "maim" statistic.
That 'pit bull' picture is an American Bully.
Maybe pit bull attacks wouldn't be so high if so many breeds weren't all lumped into the same category.
I mean, you've got American Pit Bull Terriers, American Bullies, American Staffordshire Terrier, English Staffordshire Terrier and Bull Terrier.
That's 5 breeds.
Plus, all the mixes in-between. Just googling 'pit bull' comes up with a whole bunch of different dogs. American Bulldogs are often referred to as pit bulls, as well as mastiff crosses, boxer crosses. I even saw an attack by a lab x mastiff called a 'pit bull'.
I wonder if I lumped all wolf breeds together, or all toy dogs, as well as mixes in between, I'd get similar bite rate statistics as pit bulls. :/
- AUTHOR
Attic 505 I am a strong believer in sharing our opinions but please note that these are simple statistics that researchers have gathered over the years. They are not lies but facts. However one thing you said was true. We don't know why the dogs in the study attacked. More than likely they were treated badly, which I state again and again in the article that the training of the dogs and the owner of the dogs is very important. Any breed of dog can attack a human, but these are the top dogs as per research collected on attack/deaths that have been linked to show death. You are right little dogs have probably attacked lots of people, but the truth is how many people has a shit Tzu or a wiener dog killed? I think it was incorrect of you to say I am writing lies. This hub was based off of statistics only. I understand you have opinion and I respect that, but please sir do not call me a liar. Respect the writers of the hubs especially when I made it very clear what my statistics were based off of and the fact that I stated again and again it depends on the owner. Please note that I was the happy owner of a lovable Boxer for over 10 years but yet statistics still show it is more prone to attack. I wish you would put more time and effort into reading up on dog breeds and statistics, instead of bashing writers on hubpages.
I'm sorry but this information is misinformation. I am 32 years old and I am an Electrician. I am in and it if peoples houses all day everyday. The only dogs that I have ever had any issue with and or have bitten my boots are the small little viscous snappers. And not any specific breed if snapper either. I'm sorry but this article is totally false, you need to stop lying please.
Now if there was a pit bull or Rottweiler that was not people friendly the homeowners have them kenneled prior as a responsible owner should.
Now the attacks?
How many attacks were from foods that were improperly trained by their HUMAN owners? How many were improperly trained by THUG HUMANS?
This article is false and portrays purrs in the wrong way.
The problem is that we don't post the type and mentality of pet owners next to the dogs that attack people.
Then you can write the TRUTH about dogs.
Have a great day..
Hello Susan,
Thanks for nice article and useful information.
It's really surprising to know, that Boxers had been reported for more bites than Doberman and Dalmatians.
Voted up!! - thanks
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