What Dog Bites the Most People?

It's easy to assume that powerful dogs such as pit bulls, German shepherds, Doberman pinschers and Rottweilers are most likely to bite. They're the dogs most often mentioned in news, but these assumptions can be misleading. According to the National Canine Research Council, more than half of all dogs in the U.S. are mixed-breed dogs, so appearance is an unreliable method of identification and results in bad statistics. Small dogs bite, too, but they rarely make the news.

  1. Statistics

    • Information gathered from hospital records, animal control agency reports and media accounts tells that 4.7 million people in the U.S. are bitten annually, and between 10 to 20 people die as a result of these attacks, according to a study by the CDC and the Humane Society. Non-neutered dogs are responsible for 95 percent of fatal bites, and 92 percent of all fatal attacks were by male dogs. According to the American Humane Association, dogs running loose off the owner̵7;s property account for 24 percent of all fatal attacks, and nearly 60 percent of all human deaths from dog attacks occurred on or near the owner̵7;s property by unrestrained dogs. Chained dogs are nearly three times as likely to behave aggressively as dogs confined to a yard or kennel.

    Size Doesn't Matter

    • According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, heredity, early experience, socialization, health and victim behavior are five factors that determine a dog̵7;s tendency to bite. Bites from smaller dogs usually result in little trauma and are often not reported, so it's difficult to gather reliable statistics for comparison. If you ask veterinarians, dog groomers and other animal-care professionals, you'll hear that smaller dogs are just as likely to bite as larger dogs. They're often more excitable and therefore likely to be muzzled to prevent bites during procedures.

    Circumstantial Factors

    • Family members in multi-dog homes are more likely to be bitten than those living with just one dog. Intervening in dog-on-dog incidents can result in a bite, and sometimes aggressive behavior between dogs is redirected toward the person intervening. Some dogs are over-protective of their toys, food and even their owners; this instinctive behavior can cause dogs to bite. Dogs who are in pain are also more likely to bite even their most beloved and trusted person. Female dogs who are in heat or have puppies are also more likely to behave aggressively. It's a natural instinct for dogs to react aggressively when startled from sleep, taunted and teased, bullied or even unintentionally injured if stepped on or tripped over.

    Profile of a Biter

    • Male dogs who have not been neutered and who are allowed to run loose, are given little attention and show inappropriate possessive behaviors are the most prolific biters, regardless of breed. Their victims are more often male than female, and more likely to be younger than 12 years old. Biters most often go for the arms, legs, hands and feet of big people and the head and neck of young children and babies. Although larger dogs inflict the most serious wounds, biters come in all sizes and strengths. Most dog bites are preventable. It's a dog owner̵7;s responsibility to familiarize himself with a dog̵7;s personality and provide adequate training, socialization and limits to prevent the dog from becoming a menace.