Which Dogs Are More Likely to Attack?

The Center For Disease Control (CDC) lists the following breeds in declining order of fatalities: Pit Bull, Rottweiler, German Shepherd, Husky, Malamute, Doberman Pinscher, Chow Chow, Great Dane, Saint Bernard.

However, there are several reasons why it is not possible to have an accurate count for the attack rate between breeds for comparison.

For instance, the biting dog may have been reported as a purebred when in fact it is a mixed breed. 

Secondly, the actual number of reported bites that occur in a “community” is unknown, especially if the victim did not suffer serious injury or failed to report the incident to the authorities.

Last, particular breeds or mixed breeds of dogs are unknown because you cannot be certain that all dog owners have registered there dogs or updated their existing licensing data on their animals with the county they reside in.

Depending on the breed, some rental agencies and Home Owner’s insurance companies have excluded certain breeds like some of the dogs in CDC’s list.  Regardless of breed, parents should be vigilant when their children are around dogs. Unfortunately, the rate of children suffering a serious injury from a dog attack is much higher than for adults.