Types of Dogs that Bite

Whether some breeds of dog attack more often than others has been a subject of passionate debate in the public health and veterinary worlds. Although many dog lovers argue that bad training and neglect explains most mauling incidents by dogs, others feel that some breeds are violent by nature. Many cities in the United States place severe restrictions on owners of certain breeds, or ban the breeds altogether, in the belief that they are dangerous to humans. While science hasn't told us whether some breeds are inherently more dangerous than others, it is well-documented that certain breeds are responsible for a disproportionate amount of attacks on humans.

A special report published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association in 2000 looked at the breeds of dogs involved in fatal dog bite attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998. The study only looked at about 72 percent of the American dog-related deaths during that 19-year period, because it excluded bite deaths with no information on the attacking dog's breed, deaths caused by working police dogs and deaths not directly caused by bite trauma. Even so, it found more than 300 deaths in that 19-year period. And most of those deaths -- 67 percent -- were attributed to Rottweilers and pit bull-type dogs. Other breeds identified as likely to be involved in a fatal attack included the following breeds and their mixes, in decreasing order of likelihood:

German shepherds
Huskies
Malamutes
Wolf-dog hybrids
Mutts of unknown background
Chow Chow
Doberman

All of these dogs were involved in 10 or more biting deaths during the 19 years the study examined. Many of these were bred as guard, hunting or police dogs; all are larger breeds. The next most likely dogs to bite, Great Danes and St. Bernards, are two of the biggest breeds that exist.

Regardless of whether a particular breed is known to be dangerous, it is well known that abuse, neglect and irresponsible training increases the likelihood that a dog will attack humans. If you or someone you care about has been a victim of a violent dog bite attack and you believe you have a legal claim against an individual or corporation, PageCagle can help.

Missouri Dog Bite Law Legal Rights Of Dog Bite Victims Dog Bite Statistics Types Of Dogs That Bite What To Do If A Dog Is Going To Attack Types Of Dog Bites What To Do If You Are Bitten

1232 Washington Avenue,
Suite 220
St. Louis, Missouri 63103
P: (314) 322-8515
Toll Free: (866) 290-3535
john@pagecagle.com