Dogs have lived alongside man for thousands of years since the first wolves were domesticated. There is little doubt this relationship has been hugely beneficial to both, leading to dogs being commonly referred to as “man’s best friend”. But over recent years there there have been a steady stream of stories in the media cataloging what appears to be an increasing trend of horrific attacks. Based on one UK survey (Hospital Episode Statistics) dog attacks resulting in hospitalisation are up over 300% in 20 years.
Whilst there is nearly always a reason for a dog attacking, these incidents show that certain dog breeds are capable of being deadly. This is recognised by the fact many of these breeds are banned in countries throughout the world.
The breeds listed below are those which have been involved in numerous incidents. I haven’t just taken the statistics for which breed has been responsible for the most hospital admissions; this list based on the potential and temperament of various dog breeds. There a three ingredients to a fatal dog attack; size and power of the dog, aggression and not to be overlooked a reason – usually lack of training and maltreatment…
10. Cane Corso
This large breed of Italian mastiff is a descendent of the dogs Roman soldiers used in wars. It has a sleek muscular body weighing up to 50kg (110lbs). The business end of the Cane Corso is its large, intimidating head with powerful jaws. One look would tell most people that this is a dog that could inflict a good deal of damage. The Cane Corso generally has a good temperament but is protective and suspicious of strangers. Therefore training and early socialisation are essential.
This dog is restricted in several US states and European countries.
9. Wolf-Hybrids
I imagine the name itself here is enough to start alarm bells ringing! Often referred to as wolfdogs these dogs are at least half wolf and as such may be virtually indistinguishable from a pure wolf.
Behaviour varies according to the dog / wolf content. Wolf-like traits make the animal less likely to attack protectively but they retain a strong prey drive making them a real risk around other small pets, and potentially young children.
The cross-breeding also has implications on how aggressive the hybrid will be. Crossing with a dog with a protective nature, e.g. a German Shepherd can breed out the wolf’s shy retiring nature, making a less predictable more dangerous dog.
Weighing in at up to 55Kg (120lbs), with power and intelligence of a wolf – in the wrong setting these dogs have the potential to be dangerous.
8. Neapolitan Mastiff
On size alone this massive mutt has the ability to intimidate. Reaching up to 90kg (200lbs) that more than an adult human. It was a Neapolitan Mastiff that played the part of “Fang”, Hagrid , the half-giant’s dog in the Harry Potter films. The large mastiff-type head is complemented with an equally large body in which the musculature is barely hidden by thickly folded skin.
The Neapolitan Mastiff is thought to be the direct descendant of the ancient Roman Molossus used for both war and the bloodthirsty arena. In essence this dog was bred to be a capable killer making it a popular guard dog and defender. That said, these are generally calm and loyal dogs but correct training and socialization is essential. As is a firm owner – these dogs have and can kill.
7. Fila Brasileiro
Also known as the Brazilian Mastiff this is another very large powerful dog. Weighing up to 75kg (170lbs) the Fila Brasileiro was bred as a hunting dog trained to restrain but not kill its prey. During the days of slavery the Fila was allegedly used to return fugitive slaves, unharmed, to their masters. More recently it has become a popular guard dog.
What separates the Fila from other big mastiff type dogs is its temperament and potential for aggression. The dog is banned the UK, Norway, Israel and Denmark to mention a few along with being restricted in many more. It is often said that the Fila Brasileiro can be highly aggressive towards strangers if not correctly trained. Given the name Ojeriza, this behaviour may be desired by some owners but can make this a particularly dangerous breed.
6. Dogo Argentino
Although a little smaller than the mastiffs and the Dogo Argentino makes up for it in power. This agile and muscular dog was bred as a big game hunter’s companion able to bring down wild boar and pumas. The Dogo originated from the Cordoba Fighting Dog which was crossed with Great Dane amongst other breeds. The resulting dog is 60kg (130lbs) of lean muscle recognisable with its short white coat.
It is said that the aggressive traits have been largely bred out of the Dogo Argentino and it can even be a good family dog. However, the potential is there for this dog to attack with lethal consequences and as a result it is banned in many countries including the UK and Australia. The fact that it is a breed preferred by dog fighters further cements its reputation as a dog to be feared.
5. Rottweiler
The Rottweiler is a medium to large sized dog with a stocky powerful body. It used to be known as the butcher’s dog but that was due to it working with livestock and pulling the carts to market rather than anything more sinister. I remember a few years back when this was definitely the scariest dog around. Alongside some of the more exotic, bigger breeds the Rottweiler seems to have lost some of its edge. The fact remains though, that Rottweilers are capable killers and the statistics reflect this. As a more common breed the numbers are bound to reflect badly on the Rottweiler, and they do. In the US it has consistently been the second most frequent dog to attack causing death or serious injury.
4. Caucasian Ovcharka
This enormous dog goes by several names including the Caucasian Shepherd Dog. It was bred to defend sheep flocks on the edges of the Soviet Union from thieves and, well, anything! A big dog can weigh anything up to 90kg (200lbs) with huge paws and equally intimidating set of jaws. Their thick fur hides a powerful muscular frame. Virtually fearless and able to exhibit ferocious behavior these dogs have long been a favourite for hunting bears. This is also the breed of dog used to patrol the border between East and West Germany during the Cold War.
Accompanying this size and power is a strong will and a loyalty which will see the dog attack practically anything when it feels its owner is under threat. Still favoured amongst dog fighters in Russia this dog is banned in some countries and restricted in others.
3. Tosa Inu
This huge Japanese dog was bred as a fighting dog. It varies in size but the biggest Tosas weigh in at a massive 100kg (220lbs) justifying the nickname of the “Sumo mastiff”. Over the years the breed has been crossed with mastiffs, Great Danes, Bulldogs, St Bernards and Bull Terriers. It tends to be significantly smaller in Japan but has been bred for size in the West.
The danger posed from this dog comes from its size, strength and fighting credentials. Usually a very calm breed, good training and an experienced owner is essential for the Tosa. Without this the potential for this dog to do damage is unlimited and fatal attacks have occurred. For this reason the Tosa Inu is banned in a whole list of countries.
2. Presa Canario
The Perro de Presa Canario or Canary Dog is one of the most intimidating looking dogs you will find. Its enormous, square head is almost as wide as it is long. It has the body to match too; big boned and muscular the Presa Canario can weigh around 60kg (130lbs). Bred as a fighting dog they retain a good degree of this aggression making them only suitable for experienced dog owners. If not shown absolute authority the Presa Canario can be an extremely dangerous dog. It is also said they gain aggression in numbers as they are pack dogs. This is certainly borne out by a number of fatal attacks most notably that of a San Francisco woman who was torn apart by a pair of these dogs owned by her neighbour.
The Presa Canario is banned in many countries.
1. Pit Bull
Barely a week goes by without a story of an horrific attack involving a Pit Bull does not feature in the news somewhere. Is the Pit Bull actually the most dangerous dog in the world, possibly not. However, in the face of overwhelming statistical evidence it it difficult to argue that this dog is not the most likely to attack you. Studies have consistently showed that Pit Bulls have been responsible for nearly a half of all recorded attacks including many fatalities.
It is worth pointing out that Pit Bull is an umbrella name referring to any number of dogs with particular physical characteristics. Even the experts can disagree as to what constitutes a Pit Bull but in general the dog is very stocky, muscular with a squarish head and powerful jaws. Despite being the smallest dog on the list, weighing less than 40kg (95lbs) the Pit Bull makes up in power, agility and ferocity. These dogs were bred for the pit (fighting) and more recently to look intimidating.
Of course much of the dogs reputation is the result of irresponsible owners. The worse the reputation the worse the owner and so it goes on. Perhaps another point in defence of the Pit Bull is many of the animals involved in attacks are crosses with other breed such as boxers.
At the end of the day this is the most notorious dog on the planet at present and is banned in too many countries to list. On that basis I’m giving it the top spot.
DO YOU NOT READ!? Quote ;
‘Whilst there is nearly always a reason for a dog attacking, these incidents show that CERTAIN DOGS ARE MORE CAPABLE OF BEING DEADLY’
‘The danger posed from these dogs comes from there size, strength and fighting credentials and what there originally bred for. Usually most are very calm breeds, good training and an experienced owner is essential’
‘The breeds listed below are those which have been involved in numerous incidents. I haven’t just taken the statistics for which breed has been responsible for the most hospital admissions; this list BASED ON THERE POTENTUAL and temperament of various dog breeds. There a three ingredients to a fatal dog attack; size and power of the dog, aggression and not to be overlooked a reason –USEULLY LACK OF TRAINING AND MISTREATMENT as most are owned by people who are uneducated or buy idiots who buy them because they want them to be be aggressive!’
Not one breed of dog on this planet is bred or born to attack humans! Its hour fault when a dog bites or kills someone not the dog! We genetically bred all the the breeds above for either fighting, guarding or taking down other animals. As well its us that breed these dogs and us that choose what bitch is to be mum! Let a female have puppies who shows behaviour like barking at other dogs, aggression towards strangers etc then her pups also learn this behaviour and before there even sold now have an unpredictability.
Any breed of dog has the potential to kill us! The only difference with these dogs is what WE have bred them for and there’s no legal, qualification or experience laws on who can own these dogs!
I’m one of a dozen people in my country who have a licence to own dangerous breeds and I have a kennel full – 2 Dogo’s / 5 Pits and 1 Dogo mix. All of them have attacked people and removed by police. 5 of them were taken off of gang members who were deliberately encouraging there breeding behaviour! Yet all 8 of them since being with someone experienced, knows what there doing and shows them love, respect, leadership, structure and correct ways to discipline have never shown any more aggression towards people! I even have a weekend couple who comes to pick each one up at a time, drives them to the privet land I use, walks and plays with them. In the 3yrs they’ve been doing it not one problem!
I get sick to death of people blaming the dogs then putting them to sleep all because of what we have caused! Just like kids its how you raise them and the environment they live in!
I too have owned pitbulls in fact I had one that weigh 225 lb and he was the most gentle dog ever. A good family dog good around people never barked never caused the problem however my son had a little bully pit weighed about 35 lbs and that dog was pure trouble and not because of how he was raised because of these two dogs were raised together but he had that aggressive nature and he would attack a hundred and twenty-five pound pit and therefore a dog bite would break out so yes it is and how you handle your dog and train your dog however bully pit he was me no matter what you did he wanted to be the dominant male dog and we could not stop him from trying to fight with the other people we had to literally keep them separated so I agree with it goes on how you train the animal but there are some dogs just by Nature are just downright aggressive because they were raised the same
These dogs are all really ugly to me also. I’ve known very sweet pits and very aggressive ones. Even if it’s a sweet one, they have been bred to be fighting dogs and I think they always have some of that trait. I was a mail carrier for 12 years and had to interact with many dogs. My worst bite was from a 1/2 basset hound on a leash.
Everyone puts the impetus on the owners, so I will be shooting the owner first if their dog attacks anyone I know … then I will put the dog down for good.
DO U PEOPLE READ OR LISTEN TO THE NEWS PIT BULLS ETC VICIOUS DOGS LIKE THAT HAVE KILLED OWNERS CHILDREN ALL THE TIME THEIR TEETH COULD KILL A HUMAN IN SECONDS AND IT DOES HAPPEN ALL THE TIME WHY SHOULD I TAKE A DEADLY CHANCE AND HAVE ONE WHEN I CAN HAVE POODLE A CHICHUA A SILKY ETC THESE BEAUTIFUL DOGGIES ARE ANGELS NOT KILLERS
Lol, bro no one is asking you to get any of these dogs
not all pit bulls are the same it really just depends on how you treat the dog.
my two pit bulls are so nice ok so do not say there the dangerous !! bc my dogs and me will kill you ok 😀
You are a idiot. If your dogs attack and kill someone you will be charged with murder.
not true in the united states the dog would be put down unless it was proven to be in self-defense as in a home burglary or someone attacked the owner
Deep inside the world of all living creatures of this world since the beginning of time is the certainty of DNA will always be there.
Without a doubt some living creatures are naturally extremely gentle and loving and some living creatures are natural born killers.
you guys are such ass holes. PIT BULLS ARE GOOD DOGS ALL DOGS ARE GOOD DOGS ITS ONLY THE PERSON WHO TAKES CARE OF THEM MAKES THEM GO CRAZY EVEN STILL A DOG IS LIKE A HUMAN AND IF A DOG ATTACKS YOU THAT MEANS THAT YOU MAY HAVE SCARED THEM!!! ITS BECAUSE OF PEOPLE DOGS BECOME HOSTILE DOG YOU KNOW HOW MANY PIT BULLS AND OTHER DOGS HAVE BEEN HURT BY HUMANS?!?! YOU CANT BLAME THEM IF THEY HURT YOU BECAUSE WE HURT THEM FIRST.
Totally agree with you…..well said…
Where does anyone blame the dogs? This list is just a list of what are POTENTIALLY dangerous dogs. Don’t see anyone defending tigers or sharks in my other articles despite they kill a lot less people that dogs do every year.
I have a dog. I love him and know he wouldn’t harm a hair on mine or my kids head. But that doesn’t mean he couldn’t rip your face off. At the end of the day he is still POTENTIALLY dangerous.
Agreed – I adopted an abused Chihuahua that’s mean as piss. I also have a pit bull rescue that’s just a big sweetheart. Owners and abusers are to blame. Not DNA.
I have no dogs because I am sort of scared of them. I have a budgie named Camila. She always pecks my mirror -_-
I’ve found dogs tend to have their own personalities and shouldn’t be judged by their breed. I’ve had a Lab. a pit, a Belgian and they’ve all been wonderful members of the family. I’ve never seen a bit of hostility or aggression from any of them. I do understand that breeds tend to have traits but they’re not bound by those traits .
Finally someone knows what they are talking about.
Do you want to put a Pomeranian on your list? I had one bite me and spent 6 days in the hospital. All I was doing is getting him untangled from a post.
and a chihuahua
I have been around all types of dogs my whole life as I come from a family that bread and showed Retrievers (the #1 safest and smartest so they say). Currently we have a pit, a cane Corso and a lab/pit mix. Out of all the different breeds of dogs I’ve had through out my life I’ve only had one turn on me and bite me in my face. It was a Labrador Retriever!! And even then I understood why it happened. I was to close to her new litter of babies. My point is at the end of the day it doesn’t matter what breed of dog it is, the instincts remain the same. I can tell you this list though, is just another way of keeping ignorance going. My pitbull, my cane Corso and my pit/lab mix thrive on making me and my kids happy everyday. They love playing with all the kids outside, they love being part of our daily lives. They LOVE!!!!
My vet told me the worst bite they’ve had in the office over the years was from a labrador.
No mention of Chow Chows? You put a terrier on the number one spot? The American Pitt Bull Terrier has consistently scored a higher temperament than almost 90% of other “family” dog breeds year after year. These are AKC temperament tests too. My Pitt has seen two children born into this world. He would lay there and cuddle both my kids as infants. For such a “dangerous” breed he knew how to act and behave so gently around a new born child. A Pitt is extremely loyal, and that loyalty is often abused by people. Funny the picture you used is clearly a dog that has been either a fight or bait dog. Look at the scarring on his face and muzzle. Showing some douche using a chain for a leash, that has probably taken an extremely intelligent dog and forcefully abused it from birth will make any dog look vicious. You people telling others how they are so lucky and their Pitt is the exception have no idea wtf you’re talking about. Any animal that is abused and trained to fight and maim will be dangerous. We project our violent nature onto these dog. Also saying Pitt Bull is a general term for several breeds is ignorant too. Pitt Bulls belong to the Terrier family, a long with Staffordshire Terriers and Bull Terriers. Quit spreading ignorance like this. A golden retriever is more likely to attack than a Pitt. Number 1 should have been the fool writing this article, who clearly did zero research. Most fatal dog attacks are not caused by Pitts. The news you see about Pitt attacks hardly ever tell you about how that dog was abused, and forcefully programmed to be violent. Ignorant people create violent dogs and make those dogs so fearful of humans. Don’t assume you know a thing about Pitt Bulls if you instantly think they are viscous. I have never owned a more loving, gentle and intelligent dog other than my Pitts. I am a. AKC certified breeder, and trainer who specializes in Bull Terrier breeds. This article is such horse shit and shame on all of who think Pitts are evil. You will never experience love like the love of a Bull Terrier given the life or deserves
Imagine you have a golden retriever and for example and American bulldog. Both are abused and (hard to imagine) brought up as fighting dogs. Which is going to be the most dangerous? That is the gist of the article – the physical attributes of the dogs in the list, along with some statistics.
There is also a secondary factor in that tough looking dogs attract “tough” owners. And these are the idiots that give any of these breeds a bad name.
It’s all in the upbringing, German Shepards are far more likely to attack you than a Dogo Argentino. The article was obviously written by someone who judges dogs by their looks rather than actually studying the realities of the traits these dogs have. You won’t ever hear of a Dogo or Fila attacking someone because they are banned because hunting is banned in most countries not because it’s a danger to people.
My daughter just adopted a rescue ………they claimed it was a Mastiff, picked up off the streets. She said she appears bathroom trained but knows no commands.
She wants to bring her up to my house to meet with my dog……a Cockapoo……….13 years old. I am afraid this dog may attack my smaller dog………
Any input??
Bad idea! Without knowing the history of the dog, you risk your small dog being viewed as prey. Many mastiffs are not good with small dogs and cats. Keep them separate!
wrong
If your dog behaves good to your infant then he should be good to the other.
We’ve had pit bulls all our lives and never, not even once had a temperamental dog. They were great with all the kids coming up and would go wait for them to get off the bus. The worst dog for aggression was my sister’s Dobermans, they were over protective & you best make a loud entrance. Then there is the Chihuahua! OMG, the meanest dogs on the planet so thank heavens they’re small!!! Give me a pit any day over a two pound nightmare that bites, barks & growls constantly. The mastiff we had was a teddy bear until he got so old & passed away, a sweet precious gentle giant that thought he was a lap dog….so see, maybe it just depends on the owners! Thanks..
If a pit bull turns on you there will be horrific damage or death.
If a pit turns on you is because of you. It’s how you raised your dog. Either you abused it, neglected it or was just a ass to it. pits love there family,live the kids. you have to really have been abusive to that dog to turn on you.
You lucked out but unfortunately the hundreds of children and owners did not. BTW the ones that killed were described as teddy bears also.
I have to agree here.. I’ve only ever witnessed one dog attack in person in my 40+ years of tramping this ball of mud.. it was a pit bull (or similar? Had the size and shape etc of a pit bull?) attacking an Australian Shepard at a kids playground. I didn’t see it start so I dont know what provoked the attack.. but when the owners finally got the Shepard from the mouth of the bull terrier.. the bull terriers owner said “Jeez I dont know what happened? He’s normally a big teddy bear and wouldn’t hurt a fly?”
I dont really have any experience with “dangerous breeds” myself.. but since witnessing this incident in person myself.. the “teddy bear” description always hits different…
This is the dumbest list. Corsos are not outlawed anywhere in the US. They are not “dangerous” – this is the kind of stupid thing that popularizes dogs for the wrong reason. Cane Corso breeders are very protective of their dogs, breeding for excellent temperament to produce breed ambassadors. Ignorant, stupid article. Know what’s dangerous? Stupid people producing misinformation.
I have to agree with you there! I was a bit taken back myself.
There’s no denying or refuting number 1 and 2 on the list.
Is Akita dog is dangerous?
I have a black lab and he is a darling. We grew up together yet he is a hunting dog. From seeing that he’s a hunting dog he does NOT get abused. ANY dog has the potential for violence they are decendents of wolves. Yeah dogs are dangerous at times but there will ALWAYS be a reason. Dogs can sense what type of person you are and if they go for you there is a reason. I’d say n.1 shouldn’t be a pitt it should be something like a Doberman but even then my dad had one called Amy and she was a sweetie, the only reason they should be on there is because when they bite, they ain’t letting go of you that’s because they were bred to be fighters.
In times gone by this list would have been headed up by the alsation, or the rottweiler etc… I think you missed the most dangerous breed at No.1 and that is:-
“No.1 The most dangerous breed: “The Warped Human” who trains it to be aggressive, abuses, or neglects or never socialises it” No matter which breed the dog is, the warped human can manipulate it to become aggressive.
neglect can include:
shutting it in a space for hours or days or even weeks on end (cruel as dogs need daily exercise)
no time for love
not feeding it properly – or giving it harmful substances
not looking after its health properly – dogs in pain can get snappy
then there is the horrific abuse and training to purposely become aggressive/fight. Dogs are simple creatures which are so easily manipulated by a warped mind. Aggressiveness – its 99% human and 1% dog.
Agreed, 100%.. As the loving owner of 2 rescue Pit Bulls I can honestly say I wasn’t sure what to expect because I very limited info regarding their up -bringing. My male does not have an aggressive bone in his body. He’s definitely a lover, not a fighter I am thankful that his owners were good people who were probably very sorry to give him up
My female came off the streets and showed what I can only describe as timid aggressiveness. She didn’t want to come out of her crate, so I left the door open and gave her a wide berth.
When she finally emerged she got food and water and tolerated me. I let her lay on the couch with us when we watched TV and I stroked her head and body which she seemed to like but she watched everything warily and growled from a hiding spot when anyone came to visit. It took her 1 1/2 yrs for her to stop eying me warily and understand I would never hurt her… today she is very protective of me but listens to all commands and is a joy as a pet. So I’m 2 for 2 and am living proof that patience, love and consistency do pay off with all breeds.
Agreed 100% I had a pit as a child. He was my boy till the end. Now I have one and I am a pit foster parent. I would love to keep them all.
I have my pit my boxer and my miniature schnauzer. Out of those my schnauzer is the only one who has bit someone lol. So vicious my pit, no. My boxer, no. But beware of the miniature one.
I agree so much and it just- I don’t know warms my heart that people care soooo much about dogs. Humans are the aggressive ones
This is an interesting list, but I noticed all the dogs except the Wolf-Hybrid and the Pit Bull are pictured at rest or in a pose that simply shows their physique. The Wolf-Hybrid has its teeth bared aggressively and the Pit Bull looks like a psychopath. I am wondering if that was done on purpose to give the idea that those two breeds were the least desirable of the bunch?
The photos weren’t selected intentionally, this is just what was available from the sources I use. Ideally, all the dogs would have been looking suitably aggressive as this is the nature of the article.
pitbulls are actually some of the nicest dogs!!!!!
There’s a couple missing off this list firstly the Turkish Kangal is one of the best fighting dogs around top 3, then also the Tibetan Mastiff is huge and very powerful.
May i just say it is dependant on how they were raised. Im currently staying in my sisters home, also a home to 2 pitbulls, rotweiler brazilian fila and a “wolf hybrid” and they are the worst guard dogs going! Lets anyone wonder in the gates. Bunch of softies
Pitbulls is one helluva blanket term. I have 2 now that love the beach, swimming, and you cant seperate em. Very onsided article. You gotta watch the little dogs if you ask me.
The caucasian shepard is hands down thew badest of them all.
The press canario wasn’t bred for fighting it was originally bred as a catch dog and as a guardian. At least research the breed before writing about them
My friend’s pit bull and my Belgian Mallinois got into a fight, and the Belgian Mallinois won by a long shot, she would have torn the pit to shreds if we didn’t stop her. Pit bulls aren’t weak dogs by any means, but a mallanois is nimble, and has more control over their movements.
Okay so I don’t proclaim to know much about Pitbulls as I have never owned one. There where quite a few where I live and some loose. I had run ins with some. Most of the fights were provoked by my dog a lab cross. Luckily the fights were not too hard to break up.
I study dogs and dog breeds in my spare time. I have noticed that mastiff type dogs are less likely to maul people. Why is this? I think it could be that mastiffs are understood more. People realize what those dogs are capable off and keep them away from strangers. Mastiffs are aldo more mellow tempered. Pitbulls are generally very well natured so lead people to believe they are safe. People tend to forget that they are terriers first of all and t erriers do tend to be more snappish then say mastiff and when a pit bites it tends to do huge damage. I remember a mauling in my country by a pit. The dog’s owners nephew who was over visiting quickly jumped off the couch and the dog reacted thinking that perhaps it’s owner was in danger. not the dog’s fault but the owner. I think that pitbull owner’s need to keep their pitbulls in a cage or tied up when strangers at around for safety’s sake. And realise that under that friendly layer is a dog that will fight to the death and protect the owner to the death. They turn off when fully angry. And its need a owner that understands the breed fully and not just generally. They can be the most amazing dogs in the right hands and the worst in the wrong hands.
You are correct. I adopted a Pit Bull type dog from the SPCA in September and so far he is the epitome of a good boy. One of my cats has even started cuddling with him or sleeping on him, He is very calm in a calm environment but when I walk him, I keep him on a harness with a handle that can be used as a restraint and I am capable of restraing him. He only weighs 46lbs. I do this not because I think he is going to attack anyone. He sees cats and other dogs in the neighborhood and barely acknowledges it. I do this because people in this neighborhood let their little dogs run off leash and if one of those little dogs started trouble with him, he has the ability to do great harm to him and even though the little dogs owners would be the ones at fault for basically not ensuring the safety (and training) of their own pet, I would be seen as the villian because I have a Bully breed. The owners of ALL breeds need to better educate themselves on the different breeds and monitor interaction closely between unfamiliar dogs. This is the second dog I have owned. The first was a Min Pin and I followed the same rules even then because of other irresponsible owners. Owners of more powerful breeds need to be more responsible and stop denying the fact that their animal is capable of doing major, sometimes lethal damage. Owners of less powerful dogs need to stop letting their aggressive little dogs off leash because if your aggressive little dog messes with the wrong breed, they might get hurt. Owners need to be responsible and work together to create a safer world for all of our pets, regardless of breed.
I just want to throw my 2 cents in real quick… I rescued and rehabilitated pit bulls from righting rings for many years, i now have a Corso… Anyways… I hear people saying pitbull attacks this and that which tells me there’s a lot of ignorance in three comments… Yes it is true that bully breeds are capable of inflicting serious damage to people i challenge you to look up the dna reports taken from these “pitbulls” that attacked people… You’ll find that most of the dogs they’re claiming to be a “pitbull” actually aren’t even pitbulls at all… Any dog no matter the breed nor the training in dangerous situations will protect themselves as well as their family members… That’s their survival instinct, even us humans will resort back to our natural instincts when we feel the need to…
Look at it like this, just humor me for a second… When a human baby is born that baby is a clean slate the parents can teach the baby to be a living humble empathetic person or they can teach that baby how to be a criminal and emotionless… The same thing goes for puppies of alllllll breeds, the owners are responsible for how they raise and what they teach that puppy, the only difference would be that the child will grow up and eventually think and make decisions on their own while dogs can not… They live to make their owners happy… People need to realize that you can never 100% completely domesticate any animal. If dog owners respected that i believe there would be less issues… You can’t blame the dog, the finger should be pointed at the owner…
Yeahhhh no.
There’s one major aspect you’re failing to make mention of: Genetics.
You can spout the typical Pit Bull apologist crap all you want (aka “it’s all in how you raise them” etc.) but there are -countless- instances (which you could easily find via Google) where Pit Bulls, who were raised with love since birth, one day snapped and attacked a child, completely unprovoked— an example of this is a Pit running across a street and jumping -into- a van to -MAUL- a child in a car seat.
Now how the hell do you explain that one, huh? Again, there are recorded instances of this happening to Pit Bulls who were raised -since birth- with love and attention and -everything- they needed… no previous history of aggression… but then one day, -snap-.
It’s happened. And there’s no excuse for that other than ‘a Pit’s genetics and history of aggression cannot be dismissed just because ya’ll feel special or brave for adopting or advocating for such a breed.’ We’ll news flash: like literally a quarter of Millenials seem to have a adopted a Pit, so you’re not so unique and special anymore, lol. Best go find another reason to be a martyr.
(btw not talking crap on Millenials — I am one actually)
Can I upvote this?
The number of elderly, toddlers & infants mauled or killed leads me to wonder if treating the animal horribly is the only possible reason these dogs attack. I mean some smaller breeds can be quick to snap at you but their ability to cause long lasting physical injury or death means people aren’t as intimidated by them so might be quicker to approach them inappropriately. Also being smaller likely makes them feel more vulnerable. But a full grown pitbull has no reason to jump into a crib and murder a child.
When I was five years old a German Shepard I owned grabbed me by the throat; if it was not because an uncle immediately restrained the dog I would be dead. I would argue that nearly all big dogs are dangerous, particularly to children; pooches have the same bad temper, but at least one can make them airborne with a good kick.
My Chihuahuas have problem bitten and snapped at more people than a lot of dogs . They even have bit a pit bull and the dog looked at him ! The thing is their is no advertisement when that happens cause it is a little dog.!!! But visciouse little dog ! And he is a spoiled rotten dog !!!
there are no bad dogs just really bad owners..i have a 4 yr old pit bull an have been around many many more … i personally find that they are the worlds biggest sucks …my bby boy has so many emotions its crazy …but anger has never been seen in him… i dont physicaly disapline my dopg my voice is all it takes… i dont spank kids so why would i spank or hit my dog… out of the dogs i have had i must say that my mini pom was the lil agresive one lol… wouldnt bite but well i guess annoyed all but me i just blocked him out… but point is that ppl need to stop beating an training dogs to kill… as much as ppl wanna say its the breed noooooo its not its the crappy owners that got no balls an so the take inocent dogs an train them to kill… i guess u can say they use them to compinsate for the lack of balls they got lol… HERES TO MY LUV 4 PITBULLS <3 an down with bad owners
See this is so wrong cause Pit Bulls can be dangerous yes but who’s the one that tough them to be “dangerous” I know there will be people that disagree but I personally do not care us humans we are the ones creating the so called dog that is “dangerous” so take a step back and look at what your about to judge cause most Pit Bulls are there to love and watch out for you not there to attack another dog to make you happy and if that’s the case then why in the hell do you even own it
pitbull isn’t a breed
It’s lists like these that cause innocent puppies to be put to sleep. You should be ashamed of yourself. Where are your statistics?
All pitbulls should be put to sleep
I think these dogs can have a nasty temperament, but a lot comes down to the owners as well. Depending on weather they are trained, disciplined and cared for.
Its a good list pit bulls are a tough breed.
what a pity putbulls are good life savers , those who tell they are aggressive are dumb , cowards , some dogs have bad owners like people like those who tell shit , if you don’t train your dogs to guard and if your dog is good what the problem , if a stupid guy with a stupid dog let it do shit , my old pitbull sleep with babies ,with other pets , your dog list is a shame ,where are dogs that bite the more ,not here , caucasian and fila can be very aaggressives with people who are not their owner ,pitbull is the kindest ,they are good to save people , dogo argentino are good family dogs too , all big dogs are fighter males against males, cane corso are good with human too but poor dogs fighters
These dogs are lethally dangerous. And they top the list because of hard statistics. You can believe what you want.. data doesn’t lie.
There are a few more other dogs who definately belong in this list like the alabai, bully kutta , kangal … An average rotti is a joke for these breeds.
I had a Rottweiler for 10 years and despite their reputation it was a truly amazing dog in looks and character. I have two kids and the dog was extremely sweet and never shown any signs of aggression. I loved the dog but I never trusted the dog as I knew that if he turned my kids would not have a chance, so I always took the precautions with my kids, friends and strangers. But rest assured that if he decided to go for someone he would kill with his size, he was the big type Rottweiler. So the lesson is love but don’t trust, take care of them but accept the fact that they are not kids, they can do damage at any time.
Dogs are only deadly depending on how they were raised. I’m not disagreeing nor agreeing with people saying that these dogs are harmless. If any dog was raised in a way that would make them vicious then they possibly could be deadly, but if they were raised with love and compassion it is unlikely that the dog would be vicious but it would always have a dogs instincts. Moral of the story it’s how you raise your dog.
Got a mixbreed pitbull with dogo argentino… sweetest dog to all animals, very softminded to children, bitches (talking bout dogs now) can do bitchy to him.. he even likes cats and had a duck as his friend (until he accidentally sat on her.. then she attacked him but my heroe ran away). There is only one problem… all dogs who are not castrated he wants to kill…. and believe me.. he turns into a ninja when he fights…. he severa times fought with another dog…sometimes with two dogs at once, but i never had to go to medical care with him, while i have payed at least two thousand euro for the damage he brought on to other dogs
i have also read about this phenomenon of neutered dogs showing aggression to intact males.
Where is the German shepet
A lady friend in her 60’s is well loved and protected by two Caucasian Ovcharkas, who are well trained and an asset to this world. I always feel better knowing they have her back. They are sweet, but would do anything to protect her..
Presa canario should be first. because of its agression against other pets and children, also no tollerance against straingers and ofcours its power and more lethal consequences.
It’s all comes down to how the dog is raised. You can not assume that every single Presa Canario on this earth is the same killing beast. Do you own a Presa? Or have you just heard the terrible stories of the ones that have unfortunately ended up in the hands of owners that chose to selfishly use the dogs strength to cause harm. I DO own a stunning female Presa and she is the goofiest, laziest, cuddliest dog I have ever met. I don’t have children of my own yet but she adores all of my nieces and nephews, they crawl all over her and she just licks them like crazy. She is friendly with every stranger she has ever met AND, she has never shown any aggression towards another animal. My dog is pure love because from the day she was born she has only been shown pure love. She is extremely powerful yes, (I love to sit on our hardwood floors and play tug with her because she just pulls me around the house lol) but that doesn’t mean she is an automatic killing machine. Also, I have no idea where the author of this article got their information from but Presa’s were not BRED for fighting, they have been used since the 16th century as working dogs for cattle and pigs! Eventually the wrong person got the idea to use their strength for a different reason and there began the fighting. Such a shame. I’m sorry for the novel I’ve written here but I just wish I could introduce everyone to my dog so they could see how loving and affectionate this breed can be if placed in the right home. This goes for any breed though! Rottie’s, Presa’s, Pitbulls, you name it. All it takes is love people.
She sounds just like my Presa, Daisy. I got Daisy at 5 yrs of age from SPCA not knowing what her breed was (apparently these dogs end up in SPCA a lot due to owners inability to handle them) . I visited her with my niece and nephews and we all fell in love. She is a big loving girl and has been great. I’ve had he for almost three years now and although very hard to train in the beginning as she is a confidant and lazy girl she has been wonderful. She is protective and guards our back yard from all animals known to man including chasing birds but we’ve had a few incidents of people coming into our yard and breaking into our house and besides pinning them to the spot they are in with her stance and barking she has not attacked anyone. She is cuddly and affectionate with us and gets the zoomies about once a month but otherwise is quite lazy. I have not seen aggressiveness but I know what she is capable of so because of this I am very careful with her and have had some special training since we got her as an adult dog. Even then trainers were a little intimidated by her but soon fell in love and actually told me if we ever had to rehome her they wanted her. No way!! lol
Well my family has had 9 pits and in-laws have had 5, all of which are the most loving and caring babies. Not to mention other family members and friends that I know who have pits, they are all so sweet and have done no such wrong as people believe they do. I absolutely do not care what anyone says about these sweet dogs the only reason why they would cause a sad fatality is lack of a caring owner. You have to show your dog that you are the leader and they follow. They are very protective dogs which is a wonderful thing. And They will listen to the owner if tought to.
My whole point is, pits are not deadly. Their breed and name has evolved into a human known evil. But with a kind, loving, and stern and consistent owner this breed will be the best dog any family could ask for.
For the truth visit dogsbite.org
Bullshit. That site is so transparently clogged with one sided, anecdotal “evidence” and anti pit propaganda
aggressive pit owner how boring
BTW in this article it says “recorded attacks” about every dog on the list. If we had total actual numbers the statistics would vary from the parameters of this research. Not to mention the statistics change every year. Possible reason for discrimination against any breed is how so many terriers out there are automatically called “pit bull” by the media and assumptions in filed reports.
I concur with the knowledge that any dog has the potential to attack. Especially any dog that has ever been used for hunting. Any animal that tastes blood has the possibility of going primal and lashing out. This list should also contain breeds such as chows, who have been known to eat a new baby out of nothing but jealousy, completely unprovoked, Shepards, which are more likely to just go straight for the throat instead of an arm or leg, and doberman pincers, which used to be the number one guard dog because of not only it’s wiry power, but the speed. Also, any animal that thinks you’re afraid is likely to act on that fear. Most of the time when people see a big dog, they tense up and radiate anxiety. The animal response to tension is aggression. We see it all over the world with wild animals and for some reason people as a whole forget that no animal ever can unlearn millions of years of instinct of fight or flight. As dog owners we have to remember that any dog can snap at any time unprovoked.
The photograph of the pit bull really horrifies me. That stupid choking collar is so tight, it’s throttling that poor dog. His owner is irresponsible, and creating a potential killer. Scumbag.
All of these are relative to how the dog was raised and how the owner trains them. This is the case with all dogs. I’ve been around huge dogs since I was a baby (Pit Bulls, Boerboels). I have had zero issues with any of those dogs. I’ve met Beagles and Chihuahuas more aggressive. Pretty much every dog can be just as dangerous in their own way. Plus breeding is a bad business; they screw up a lot of the dogs.
All I can say is that every dog has the same amount of risk. It’s an animal, it’ll have negative and positive instincts. It’s mostly up to the owner to make sure of this. But you can’t help shitty inbreeding :/
Agree with most of what you say. But this article deals with which dogs are POTENTIALLY most dangerous as well as statistically. I would rather be attacked by a chihuahua than a mastiff any day, even if it is less likely…
Miranda, you may not have had any issues with pit bulls, etc., but the stats are very much solid evidence that these dogs are unstable and many well-loved family pit bulls have killed their family members. These dogs aren’t safe because of their unpredictable nature, which has been selectively bred into them. Famous last words before a child is dispatched is that a family pit bull is precious and wouldn’t hurt a fly.
pitts are not as violent as people think they are ive have been raised around pitts. ive never been bit by any of my dogs. And they have never bit anyone ever. ive had one for 7 years now and he is nothing but a big baby he is an albino gater and grey line pitt. he is the best dog ive ever had and he would be the smartest one ive had too
I have met a pit bull that was a total baby, too. When they are treated well and raised right, they can be adorable dogs.
Half of you people on here don’t have a pitbull or a bully breed like some of us an my pit is more well behaved than your dogs if you even own one my son will ride him grab his tail and ears and he does nothing the only thing is bad breading like inbreeding treating ur dog like shit like training to fight and when you own a bully breed you have to know how to be a responsible owner because their instinct kicks in and it is hard to break their focus on small prey like squirrels but when you known how to walk and do the right things you will have best pet you could emagine like me I have a male fixed staffie pit mix and a female boxer lab mix and she is a puppy and tourchers him and he might not like it but he knows his place that he can’t do anything that’s how you know you’re doing the right thing and spadeing and neutering your dog does matter because most pitbull or mix breeds will end up in the wrong place even a kill shelter like they usual do so before judging the breed(s) get to know the breeds right owners that represents that breed so rember if you want a great dog if you do the work this is the breed for you
True! Can’t expect a dog to be well behaved without care and time invested just like children. People get a cute puppy and do nothing with them in regards to training and the dog ends up hard to handle. Then we blame the breed. Dogs have their own personalities and capabilities. We have to nurture them and develop their best abilities. Pit Bulls are at nature lovable and good family dogs. I believe this because I have had them since I was a kid. People ruin them with neglect and cruelty.
Pittbulls are more dangerous then you know. Please go to you tube and take a look at the Pittbull attacks on humans or other animals. Pittbull will never let go of the victims body, even if you beat him up almost till death.
This breed is extremely dangerous and every pittbull owner should have a huge umbrella policy, just in case!
I agree to disagree with you. I’ve raised Dobermans and Pitties. They are NOT aggressive. They are sweet, big lap babies who love children! Yes, there are idiots who train dogs to be mean, just look at Michael Vick. Please, take the Pittie off your most dangerous dog list. It disgusts people like myself who love Pibbles and it gives them a bad rap. Instead, look at the sick humans who treat them so horribly, cutting off their ears, tails, burning them, etc. Why don’t you change it to humans are the most dangerous animal in the world. A loving Pibble rescuer and owner<3
I love Dobermans! I saw a TV show on animal odd couples a bunch of years ago, and there was this male Doberman who absolutely LOVED bunnies! Not to eat, but to foster! He helped his human take care of foster bunnies. They would cuddle up with him, sit on his back, and he would give them huge tongue baths and sleep with them at night. I dearly wish I could find the clip on YouTube or something; it was beyond adorable.
Let me tell you a little story about Dobermans. When my son was just a toddler, my husband made him a sandbox to play in. One afternoon, father and son were playing in the sandbox when two Dobermans came barreling down from the neighbors yard in full attack mode. They were snarling, barking, and trying to get to our son. My husband is a large, strong man and was able to drive them off by throwing rocks at them and shouting, and it was hard for even him to do so. If he had had a gun at the time, he would have been fully justified in shooting them. We have no doubt that if our son had been alone outside at the time, that they would have killed him. So don’t tell me that Dobermans are not aggressive, they absolutely are.
This is based on all wrong criterias. A pitbull is number one? Give me a break, that is based on the owner and how thy are raised.
No, Audrey, it’s not based on othe owner and how they are raised, it’s based on 600 years of selective breeding to not only fight, but fight to the death. Numbers don’t lie and out of all of the US human deaths caused by dogs, pit bulls cause 67% of those deaths, many innocent babies, toddlers and elderly. The rottie is a close second and together those 2 breeds are responsible for 76% of human deaths caused by dogs. The numbers don’t lie. dogsbite.org
No such thing as a bad dog, bad owner, yes ! I have raised pit bulls for over 25 years. None of my pits have ever bitten anyone, ever! I raised my 2 children around pit bulls, I taught both my children respect all dogs, regardless of breed.
Labradors attack people to you know, people just don’t tell stories about it because the media intentionally tells stories about pitbull attacks
That’s because when labs attack the end result is usually NOT death. Pit bulls are responsible for 67% of all dog attacks resulting in death of the victim. Dogsbite.org
Seriously? Just seriously? Not all dog breeds are dangerous, and I as a dog lover think this is just horriable about what your saying. Your basically saying ” These are the breeds you shouldn’t get at all.”. I can understand Wolf Hybrids. I can understand ALOT of things. And I don’t understand WHY. DOG. SEEM. TO. BE. SO. FREAKING. DANGEROUS. Y’all can hate me all you want, but I’m just speaking my own opinion. A pit bull can remove a girls scalp or anything, but did you ever consider their abusive past? They were breed attack dogs, a face that I personally know. I’m just saying, don’t let this change your opinion on dogs like these.
To those complaining about the pitbull, you must stop. It is a certified fact that, as this classification shows, the pitbull is the most dangerous. Please rethink what you say, because statistics, in every sense, will always beat opinion.
I’m not going to argue that pit bulls are harmless dogs, although they are if raised in a good environment, the statistics on them are skewed as many people don’t know the difference between a pit bull and any other fight breed with beady eyes and a broad build. Thus the amount of reported pit bull attacks are far higher than they should be because people just assume that it’s a pit bull.
NO. If you research some of the over 3000 deadly attacks over the past few decades, MANY of them were committed by family pets against children or adults that the dog knew. And they were not abused animals… they simply snapped. And if it looks like a pit bull, it’s a pit bull.
There are 30 fatal attacks a year on average, half of which are committed by the dogs listed above.
There are 30 fatal attacks a year on average in the USA…it would take 100 years to reach the 3000 number that you gave.
The reason pit bull attacks happen more often than any other dangerous dog is for 2 reasons, one they’re far more popular than other dangerous dogs, and two, if they do attack they can do more damage than a smaller dog. I live on the Upper West-Side of Manhattan where there must be thousands of pitbulls, nearly all rescued, and I’ve never heard of an attack. My pitbull was an alpha dog but highly intelligent and more likely to lick someone to death than bite them. I do have a friend with an aggressive pitbull which should be put to sleep. Pitbulls used to be known as “the nanny dog” due to their protective nature of children.
Many of the dogs called “pitbulls” in the United States, are actually Mastiff breeds, including the non-pitbulls mentioned in this article. Most of the dogs in the article would be called “pitbulls” in news reports and by witnesses, even though they are not considered to be such by actual breeders and dog fanciers.
Even among true pitbulls, “pitbull” covers multiple breeds, not one, and among these, the American Bully is probably the more dangerous, and might be responsible for a disproportionate percentage of attacks.
The American Veterinary Medical Association studied nine years of dog caused deaths and found that in 84% of cases, the actual specific breed of the dog could not be verified or credibly ascertained. The CDC keeps no record of the percentage of breeds involved in attacks because of the difficulty of reliably discovering the breeds.
pit bulls are most certainly not the most dangerous dog…
In the 80s it was the doberman. 90s, the rotty, now its the pitbull. My two have never bitten a person in their lives. 14yrs and 10 yrs. This is just a shit article.
Sadly, the abuses you speak of are true but your conclusion is a bit off. The dog men who bred pit bulls are the men who have done the most evil by creating a dog who is loving but whose inherent traits of attacking without provocation or cues giving its purpose no place in society. Denying the negative traits in the breed only furthers how they are truly misunderstood. Truly responsible ownership is accepting all traits of the breed and being prepared just in case.
Your point is? It may be us who are responsible, but I do not see the need to state this. This is but a page to inform us of dangerous breeds. At no point did I see anything about humans being uninvolved within the transformation of a normal dog to a fighting/ aggressive dog. And, how, may I ask, is this a ridiculous site? It is but giving statistics and facts to those in need of it, maybe with Essays or homework. It is not a site telling people what dog they should get because such and such is dangerous, but it is giving off information. It is not using favouritism to persuade people to buy a certain dog. People have asked for this page to assist them, and this page they have got. If you are so defensive over the reputation of but a canine, I suggest you stay off of sites like these.
Why would you use such an awful picture for the Pit Bull? The pictures of the other 9 dogs you’ve listed show placid, relaxed dogs (a simple Google image search for Pit Bulls shows pictures along the exact same lines) and then you get to the Pit Bull and it looks like the most vicious creature on the planet! Are you purposefully trying to instill further fear when it comes to one of the most misunderstood and prejudiced breeds of dog? Absolutely any breed of dog can be extremely dangerous if they’re mistreated or encouraged to behave as such from an early age, just as all of the breeds you’ve listed here have the great potential to be the sweetest, most loving, caring family pets you could ever ask for.
Could you not? This factfile is to educate those of the canis lupus familiaris. I doubt they care about the picture used to give a pixelated representation of the canine itself. Of course, if the dog is classed as Number 1 on the most dangerous, they would use an “awful picture”. It impacts on the readers emotion and makes them think logically of the possibility of owning a dog, such as a pitbull. I personally, but factually too due to justification, believe that the owner of this site, or page, wasn’t purposefully trying to create a bad image of the dog. But, no matter what, you must realize that just because thousands of pitbulls are “sweet, loving, caring” doesn’t mean the rest are. They can turn any minute. They are not misunderstood anyway. They are powerful dogs, and this power has been seen by the human eye and is being manipulated into fighting and betting. I wish for you not to act with such aggression and frustration, when the picture doesn’t matter. If pitbulls were so loving, that picture wouldn’t be able to have been found. They are aggressive dogs, and that is why that picture is available, because it was taken, most likely after a fight.
You are absolutely right!! If a picture of a vicious dog shows up when you type the breed into a search engine then the dog must be vicious!!
Poodles!! Their reputation is for intelligence and elegance, but just look at the pic I found. They are vicious and should be banned!!
Even the collie!! Lovingly referred to by children as a “lassie dog” are unbelievably vicious and cruel! Again, my evidence consists of this photo I found.
Clearly these two breeds can also “turn at any moment” and should be banned, nay DESTROYED for the good of all humanity!
None of these dogs engaged in prey-driven ambush attacks, killing, amputating limbs, and viciously attacking little faces, leaving victims looking as if they have been through a fire. Good point below. WHERE is the ACCOUNTABILITY?
The most important takeaway from that photo is how hard it is to truly restrain a pit bull! They are SO powerful indeed. Many are advertised to pull several men, 800 llbs. and some can pull a car. Also they can jump a suburban 6ft fence with ease. NO wonder they are always getting lose to attack.
Well, they are ugly.
I own to pit bulls and they are loving as hell u try saying they are the most dangerous dog in the world hell no that’s worng.
The majority of the information on this list is factually incorrect. 100%. And really, you should be ashamed of posting this.
Pitbulls are NOT dangerous. Especially if you are going by statistics. STATISTICALLY over 80% of “pitbull bites” are MISIDENTIFIED BREEDS.
Also pitbulls were NOT breed to be fighting dogs. AT ALL. Do some ACTUAL research before posting this BS.
Pitbulls were bred as working dogs, and in the early era of the breed, they were used as NANY DOGS!!!!! For god sakes. How dangerous can a dog be, that we used to train and leave at home with our infants……
Seriously, I know this is the internet, and you idiots can post whatever you want….but perpetuating incorrect, and overwhelmingly media biased stereotypes…is just wrong.
Yeh. It’s obviously an internet conspiracy written by idiots that anyone has ever been mauled or killed by a dog!
Anyway. Let’s have a look at your points:
Pitbulls are not dangerous?! OK, most aren’t but the one’s that kill people obviously are. Here is yet another link to some statistics on fatal dog attacks: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatal_dog_attacks_in_the_United_States
Pitbulls were NOT breed to be fighting dogs. WRONG! Where do you think the name comes from?? Er, bull-baiting pits maybe?
So, you can can call as idiots as much as you want, but you are still factually wrong. Idiot!
FIRST OFF……You just sighted wikipedia. Nuff said. (You may not have a college education, or even a GED….but that isn’t a valid source to represent.)
Second of all….I never said that this was a big conspiracy. Just that it was a complete misrepresentation of the breed. And it is. No amount of saying otherwise will make what you’re saying true. This is a fear, media biased article….that has NO factual evidence or sources to back it up.
But lets look at you’re argument.
Pits were absolutely NOT bred for fighting. Having a dog bred for WORKING. Such as baiting large animals such as bulls….was how people did farm work, etc back in the 1700s. (when the pit bull was originally bred). Did some people then use them to fight afterwards? Sure. But it isnt what the dog was BRED for. (You need to learn the words meaning).
So again, the dog was NOT bred for fighting, or its aggression….they were TRAINED to be working dogs and perform certain tasks….that doesnt include aggression (baiting bulls and such was work…it was a job….the dogs were trained to do it WITHOUT aggression.)
This article is saying that these breeds….are more likely to just attack you for no reason than other breeds. Which is completely UNTRUE.
Are there PEOPLE who TRAIN their dogs to be mean, or aggressive, or violent? Sure. But I could train ANY dog to do that, these breeds are no more likely to attack than any other.
And in fact….according to GENETICS/BREED BASED BEHAVIORAL STUDIES…..Pitbulls…and mastiffs RANK AT THE TOP!
But dogs like dalmatians….great danes….and chows are never spoken about in the same breath….and they are behaviorally MUCH more likely to attack…even their own owners.
http://atts.org/
The two types of pit bulls (the American Pit Bull Terrier and American
Staffordshire Terrier) they’ve studied have aggression scores that are
not as bad as boxers, bulldogs, collies, Great Danes, Greyhounds and
Shetland sheepdogs. They are in the same range as the German Shepherd
and golden retriever.
“On an even playing field, a pit bull is no more dangerous than a
collie,” said Salliann Comstock, the society’s chief tester and director
of operations.
So in conclusion….yes pitbulls CAN be aggressive IF AND ONLY IF they are TRAINED to be. Period. But thats any dog. So why try and say that as A BREED they are just PREDISPOSED TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE????? Its an illogical statement. So again….yes this article is dumb.
Whoever wrote it….is dumb…and clearly didn’t do enough research. This entire article is a complete misrepresentation of most of these breeds. Ive NEVER in my life had a pitbull be aggressive to me. Not once. And I’ve even lived in some REALLY bad areas where people would think theres lots of “dog fighting”.
Ive even had random pits that didn’t know me, walk up to me and be SOOOOO friendly.
So between my personal experience…..and the statistical evidence. The BREED is no more likely to be aggressive naturally than basically any other “family” type dog.
Also again….around 80% of dog bites are incorrectly reported. Thats from the CDC and the humane society.
Shit….there are VETS that will call a small boxer a pitbull. So again….this article IS a GROSS misrepresentation of the breed. Period.
Citing (note spelling) Wikipedia is usually fine as they reference their sources and these are often reliable academic publications.
That aside, you seem to think bull baiting is some sort of farm work. It is actually a “sport” in which dogs would be set on a tethered animal to rip it to shreds.
As for your other points – and half the other comments on here. READ THE FUCKIN ARTICLE! It says STATISTICALLY they are responsible for more fatal attacks and then goes on to blame the owner as much as the dog…
I do think that practice of owner-blaming is way out of hand, and deepening the pain that parents of toddlers killed by the family pit bull are already going through. Actually, the physical and behavioral traits favored in dogs bred to shred a freaking bull, or fight to the death with another pit, should make them on the whole, just as acceptable as a pet wolf. Some never maul, but we can’t account for all the variables- i.e. Pain, illness, even a brain tumor could render a previously perfect pet into a killer. No dog is worth the risk of endangering humans. If you’re thinking “guard dog” …any dog who can bark to warn you is good enough. You can own a gun, and take it from there. Win/win. Dog protects family-no one ever injured or killed by the dog.
Your points are well taken but seem to miss the mark. Inherent traits need not be trained into a dog. A pits tenacity and drive to fight has long been established beyond their bull baiting days. You do bring up a good point though. It is true that a dog that is working can seem very aggressive as in bull baiting but truly only be working. This speaks clearly to pit bulls being really stable acting dogs until their inherent trait of fighting is triggered and they attack. They need not be possesive, territorial or fearful as other dogs need to be to attack.
Wow, self righteous much. Nanny dog ….really? That was debunked years ago as a marketing ploy. When talking about breeds of dogs you are seeking the best stereotype possible. As for misidentification in these attacks I would suggest you look at the pics of the dogs for yourself.
Yeah, because pictures are definitely more reliable than DNA samples. The fact of the matter is that if someone reports a dog attack and says the animal “looks like a pitbull”, that is what is filed in the police report and makes up the statistics on dogbites.org and similar sites. That info isn’t intended to make pit bulls look bad, but it does none the less. Now, if you want to talk about intentionally villanizing a breed, we’ll talk about media outlets only interested in showing stories involving dog attacks when they can be sensationalized, which is the case for whatever dog is popular to dislike at the time (I believe before I was born it was German shepards, followed by Rottweilers, and then Pitt bulls). Do you really believe that during these little “eras”, only one specific breed was responsible for ALL attacks?? No, but if you believe media sources you would have to.
Now, I’m no expert of media and public campaigns and mob mentality, so I’ll shift to something I have more experience with; biology. I’m a biologist. Now, what we have here is a classic nature vs nurture debate. People who dislike Pitt bulls like to dismiss the nurture claims (“your ONE nice Pitt bull is the exception, not the norm”), so I’ll focus specifically on the “nature” aspects.
People claim that aggression and violence is inherent in Pitt bulls because of their genetics. Let’s humor the argument for a moment by pretending that claim isn’t flawed. Ok, I’ve heard the “nanny dog” claims and have no idea if it is true. Honestly I can’t picture people training dogs to baby sit, so I’m more inclined to believe it’s false. As you know, Pitt bulls are largely used for dog fights. BUT did you know that these fighters were specifically intended to be DOG aggressive, NOT human aggressive? In fact, in dog fights the owners were usually in the “Pitts” on their hands and knees encouraging their dogs to keep them focused. SO any dog that turned on a human was immediately culled, removing it from the gene pool. So even the biologically inefficient explanation of aggression based on genetics is debunked by the fact that, if it worked like that, pitbulls and other fighting breeds would tend to be more docile than most dogs, because of the heavy punishment for showing aggression to humans.
SO… WHAT? YOU THINK YOU and your DOGS are allowed to KILL OFF EVERY OTHER BREED? We have the right to have OUR PETS TOO SO…we are sick of it. More and more people are out every day, prepared to kill an attacking pit bull. BTW GSD are WAY down the list for ever ACTUALLY KILLING SOMEONE… and ROTS ARE A DISTANT SECOND, BUT we know they can be as deadly as a pit bull but they are still FAR behind PIT BULLS for fatal and dismembering and disfiguring attacks. Enjoy your dog, while you can.
Most people love to announce their dog is a pit bull until it misbehaves and kills or maims a human or someone else’s pet, then it becomes a “mix” of sorts. Not to worry, seems that lawyers are figuring out the next windfall income and a whole new field of tort is going to be opening up, and rightfully so. Irresponsible owners who let their dogs kill and maim are starting to see the inside of the prison system and pit bull owners of aggressive dog breeds will have to carry huge insurance policies to prove their dogs are nanny dogs.
The following scenario happens monthly, sometimes several times a week and yes, they are pit bulls! These dogs are HUMAN aggressive and I can’t believe the blind ignorance shown in some of these posts. Shame on you irresponsible people for promoting the lie that these dogs are not human aggressive. Shame on you for not having compassion on the victims of these dogs because their dogs believed they were not human aggressive.
A newborn was killed by the family dog while in the parents’ bed Friday morning, San Diego Police confirmed.
The 3-day-old died following the attack in a home on Flanders Drive near Camino Ruiz in the Mira Mesa area.
Parents of Baby Killed by Dog Tried to Call 911 Twice: SDPD
Sgt. Tuu Nguyen, of the Child Abuse Unit San Diego Police Department, described the baby’s death as a tragic accident. His unit was called as it is in any child death investigation.
The mother and father of the newborn were watching television in bed with the baby and the dog, Nguyen said.
When the mother suddenly coughed, “the dog made contact with the baby leading to traumatic injuries,” Nguyen said.
The parents rushed the newborn to the hospital, but the baby did not survive.
Nguyen did not go into details regarding the injuries the baby suffered, saying the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s office would determine the cause of death.
The dog is in the custody of the Department of Animal Services and under quarantine.
It was described as a 2-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier by agency Deputy Director Dan DeSousa.
DeSousa did not have details on the attack but told NBC 7 an animal is placed under quarantine any time it bites or breaks human skin.
He added that the family can direct them to euthanize the dog but they have not received that directive.
The location of the incident is near Mesa Verde neighborhood park and south of Mira Mesa High School.
Source: http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/San-Diego-Mauling-Dog-Mira-Mesa-376758441.html#ixzz48miFKm8l
READ! YOU are wildly misinformed, or LYING> Pit Bulls are WORKING DOGS…whose WORK HAS ALWAYS BEEN BLOODSPORT & FIGHTING! You sound just like Nicole Cartee before her dog killed her last week. She loved and trained that dog since it was a puppy until it reached age 10 and killed her. Her mother and sister were also injured. Very dangerous breed indeed. Only dogfighters, breeders, ‘rescues’ and the misled owners who will later learn, are supporting this. SICK people don’t even care when other dogs and humans are attacked. Good luck with that. No other breed in the history of this nation has been SO DEADLY and DEVASTATING> You can’t have it both ways. IT’s PIT BULL ADOPTION special week” OR PIT BULL WEEK” OR PIT BULL AWARENESS” As if people don’t KNOW? Look up… http://cravendesires.blogspot.com/2010/05/john-p-colby-fountainhead-of-american.html <–FULL HISTORY and Honesty about Pit Bulls. We have seen the photosl. Don't play the mystery breed game. People know better and it just makes you look cruel, and less than credible.
Your lack of statistical evidence is overwhelming. This is what statistical evidence looks like….. Between 1975 and 1980,German Shepherds led as the breed responsible for the most human deaths with sixteen; between 1979 and 1980 Great Danes led, and between 1997 and 1998 Rottweilers and pit bulls led with a combined sixty percent of human deaths. Jeffrey J. Sacks et al., Breeds of Dogs Involved in Fatal Human Attacks in the United States Between 1979 and 1998, J. Am. Veterinary Med. Ass’n, Sept. 15, 2000, at 836, 839.
Er, not sure what you’re trying to say. Yes, you have quoted a bunch of random study statistics. If you want a useful representation of the relevant stats, try this: http://www.dogsbite.org/pdf/10-year-dog-bite-fatality-chart-dogsbiteorg.pdf
You are correct in citing this examples of other breeds but your argument lends itself to exactly the opposite of your point. In fact those breeds were attacking unprovoked with deadly consequences. As pit bulls are now those other breeds then were being indiscriminately overbred causing unpredictable aggression. The difference is those dangerous trends were recognized by lovers of those breeds and acted upon. There was no defending the dogs themselves or blaming bad ownership. It was simply the dogs. This same accountability and direct and deliberate effort to stabilize the breed needs to happen for pits. Where are the responsible pit owners to do this?
NOT true. Pit bulls are more than 800% more likely to attack than all other breeds combined Actual documentation from all studies with sited sources all over America. http://www.dogsbite.org/pdf/oh-franklin-co-designation-by-breed-2013-annual.pdf
This article reeks of ignorance. I don’t even know where to begin; you clearly have no clue what you’re talking about.
And you clearly cannot read! All the article does is look at the statistics and potential ability of each breed to be dangerous.
I’m sorry if you can not bring yourself to admit that some dogs are actually dangerous and some more so than others. That is willing ignorance.
No, willing ignorance is quoting statistics without knowing their limitations. Where do these statistics come from? Police reports. And what are these reports based on? Eyewitness accounts. And what happens when a dog turns out to be a different breed than indicated (proven after the animals capture and autopsy)? Is the report corrected? Nope!
Pitt bull, by definition, encompasses about 6 different dog breeds. Because their appearance can vary so much people often misidentify dog breeds. In fact the official “breed” in these reports are “Pitt bull type dogs”. Unless the dog is an incredibly obvious and recognizable breed, such as German shepards, poodles, and Dalmatians, the police write down the dogs description and since breed is unknown, they record it as a “Pitt bull type dog”.
Understanding how these statistics are gathered, and understanding their limitations, is much more important than blindly spreading incorrect information because you don’t understand. As a scientist this was one of the first things I learned in school.
Often people are so impressed by statistics because they seem so concrete, which is why certain media outlets (*cough* Fox News *cough*) intentionally skew statistics and rely on it’s viewers lack of understanding to perpetuate false information.
TOO LATE. We have SEEN The pictures! ONLY a Molosser of great strength can do what we are seeing, and the photos of attacking dogs PROVE what you are lying about. Pit bulls are the cheap, easy, and everywhere, fighting dogs. THEY are 800% more likely to bite than other dogs. They kill MORE PEOPLE than ALL OTHER BREEDS COMBINED. Can’t wait for ciminal sentencing for willfully promoting a a dangerous animal. PIT BULLS are the most overbred and inbred dogs in the nation. Filthy, igoraant people are breeding them, selling them, fighting them, and then rescuing them. The people are sick of it. SCOOP up your monsters, and go fight in your own little world.
Pit Bull LOVERs are NOT DOG LOVERS, becuse they know and like that they kill other dogs for fun, every day! SO…you are a pit bull lover. Thanks for the bloodbath.
What a waste of cyber space…. this article was writing by a king socialist, I will be buying a cane corso, I hope it pissed you off, also i can tell by your commi logic I bet you think guns kill people too but its not the person controlling it, I have a A.K and a .50bmg and it hasn’t killed a single person, I also have level 3 body armor, does it make you mad?
Nope, not even vaguely left-wing.Just don’t have a small dick, so don’t need a big dog / gun…
I used to have a Rottweiler and we used to wrestle for fun then we layed down together a lot so these dogs aren’t always aggressive 🙂
All these animals were created by god and passed down to man none of these animals are truly dangerous look at the the hand holding the leash then will learn who the real dangerous one is
Well actually man created all dogs. They are all bread from wolves, so not only look at the hand holding the leash but the hand that bred super aggressive dogs in the first place
Doh do doh! Ha goofy kid! What school did you go to??? Man has selectively bred every domestic dog there has ever been!!!
Where did you “learn” that dogs fell from the sky? Humans have created every dog on Earth, using selective breeding. People who had sheep, kept breeding the border collies and austrailian shepherds to herd their sheep. Now, even the puppies do it as young as 10 weeks, NO TRAINNG needed. Cool, no? Labs swim, retrievers retrieve, bloodhounds track, and Pit Bulls (along with the other “fighting/war” dogs were bred by humans. Pit Bulls are bred for pit fighting, and are the single most dangerous dog because every time one dog kills another in the fight pit, the dog is bred with another who also killed in the pit. Now they are more dangerous every generation. Keep watching. You won’t believe this is truly happening, but it is.
God had nothing to do with the creation on pit dogs. Sociopaths created them for bloodsport, gambling, purpose.
Ummm…no. These dogs were artificially created by humans through selective breeding.
Love the caucasion maybe someday I could own one.
Check their strength to be sure you can hold the leash. My neighbor has one, and it was so pretty, but even as a buffed out young guy, it was all he could to to restrain him. Not good on a leash, not safe off of one.
Well this is one of the stupidest comments on the internet.
“Pit bull” isn’t a dog breed. “Pit bull” can refer to American Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Bull Terrier, American Bully, American Bulldog, Dogo Argentino, Presa Canario, Cane Corso, or any mix of these, some of which were already on the list
Thats wrong about pit bulls been dangrous they make the best pets of any dogs. we always had pit bulls and they never even barked at anyone
I totally agree. Pits are not dangerous, but some of their owners are. Even though Pits can scare people becaus of how they look, the right owners can make the pits the best and kindest dogs in the world.
I would have agreed with you at one time but have been studying this topic after volunteering at a shelter and fostering a pit. I think that pits can be pets if you understand all facets of the breed. Too often so not to dissuade people from adopting pits key information about inherent traits are omitted. If you own a pit expect dog to dog aggression. Those pits who aren’t are the exception to the rule. Understand that pits were bred to attack not only unprovoked but without cues other breeds display. It should also be noted that these are inherent traits not trained behaviors. This is key to many disfiguring and deadly attacks. Owners simply can’t believe that their loved well trained pit suddenly attacked and or killed another dog or worse without showing any signs of aggrssion before. They didn’t train or encourage this behavior.
Doesn’t the phrase dog to dog aggression sound a little euphemistic? These are normally vicious and fatal predatory attacks on normal companion dogs, not equipped with the dog-fighting features bred into pit bulls. No normal dog stands a chance. This is not a “fight”, it is quite clearly a hunt, and unless they stumble upon and take on a pit, some poor hapless victim pet will be torn to shreds, often decapitated before the horror-stricken owner’s eyes. If they do go after another pit, the ending ain’t too happy here either. If humans don’t step in, this fight goes on until one of them is dead. Hardly pet material.
I totally agree
Well…sorta kinda…
They are dangerous dogs, but that is only due to a high prey drive that is not a threat unless the dog is inbred or is haphazardly bred, with no attention paid to existing health & psychological issues the dog may have-which unfortunately is so because of so many low life’s who insist on breeding when they know absolutely nothing about genetics and are too lazy minded to bother with important information.
Or Pit Bulls who are sadly living in aggressive households & are on edge.
Dog’s with high prey drives can be caught off guard on a dime, even the sweetest of them.
Sometimes a child screaming (which parents should teach that animals HATE all the chaotic noises of children.)
They put up with it, but sometimes the screams cause the dog to react out of character & then it is often too late.
For every 20 Pit Bull’s who lick the face of a screaming child, there is one or two who will respond with confusion & then pure instinct.
It is not that they are BAD, they are just so physically fast and strong, making the damage fatal.
If every jerk who bred two dogs because they “look good” to make a buck- were forced to spend a day at a shelter where there are millions of Pit Bulls & Pit crosses sitting in cages depressed, lonely, bored beyond comprehension & alone in this world, maybe they would give it a second thought.
But probably not.
Pit Bull’s are wonderful, I’ve had 2 and they were amazing dogs.
But I wouldn’t leave them alone with a child poking, running or yelling in a room alone.
No, they are genetically bred to attack and kill to the death UNEXPECTEDLY and UNPREDICTABLY. That is the danger. You won’t know if you have the one or the 19… and your dog could be the one who destroys someone’s life. WHY would anyone have one of these dogs where there are hundreds of other breeds that do not have this instinct? It is totally irresponsible.
There are plenty of breeds that have a high drive instinct. Almost every breed of Terrier does (which is what APBTs are). And hunting or game dog. Pits are not bred to be aggressive towards humans, those that are are poor examples of the breed. This is the result of pitties being the most common backyard bred breed there is. So you have people breeding animals they have zero business breeding, bringing out traits that are not normally part of the breed. It is a very sad thing. Being high drive they may have an issue with dog on dog or small animals, again this is very common of many breeds of dogs. It would be helpful if most of these dogs were even properly identified. For instance My 126# Cane Corso is often mistaken for a pitbull by Joe Public, And my “pittbulls” are not recognized as such. Statistics are BS as “Pitbull” encompasses at least 30 different breeds of dogs and there is no guarantee the identification of the breed of dog is even correct. So give it a rest. You google any breed of dog with attack at the end and you will find stories. The media just mass publicizes what they think are “pitbull”, because people don’t want to hear about their beloved lab hurting someone.
“That’s wrong about pitbulls.” Ahh… Because from what I can see with the naked eye, those statistics seem pretty right to me.
Personal experience so NOT science. I wish you could be held liable when After reading your glowing endorsement, another “perfect” pit like “Kissy Face” murdered the family’s two year old after being raised lovingly from a pit, and going all the way up to 8.years old before the fatal mauling. Pits have an exploding reputation for their unstable prey drive. One ran up to a red wagon with two one year olds, plucked out a poor little 15 month old, and removed her scalp!
Thankfully more and more people are going to jail for the damage their aggressive dogs do. I advocate mandatory jail time for anyone with a pit bull or other aggressive breed who kills or seriously maims. Shouldn’t be a problem for most pit owners as their dog would never kill or maim. I advocate animal control officers should receive mandatory jail time also when they ignore the pleas and warnings from citizens about aggressive dogs in their area and someone winds up in the hospital or morgue. I think anyone who wants to own a pit bull or other aggressive breed should be allowed to, but only on presentation of a $100,000 liability policy to local authorities and a stiff fine for not having it. None of the above should be a problem for owners of “Kissy Face;” it shows their support for the breed as being nonaggressive. It would show the rest of us that they are responsible dog owners. I say these things as a person with 2 bad encounters with pit bulls and their owners, 1 resulting in the death of a pet of a tenant by a neighboring pit who dug under the fence and killed her pet, and the other an attack which cost the pit bull owner $400 in veterinary bills, a $600 fine and my legal fees for attacking my horse while I was riding down a rural road. The last incident cost the pibble owner a chunk of money for her pibble also because my horse got in a good lick and kicked it in the head. She threatened to sue, lost and paid my costs and her costs. No regret that her dog had been the aggressor and caused damage, but anger that my totally legal activity caused her beloved pibble to snap, break away from her and attack.
I like your point of view. Dog owners seem forgetful about the fact that domestic animals are barely domesticated and can easily revert to wild behavior, particularly dogs, descendants of wolves all of them. And congratulations to your horse if it is still alive, a nice horse kick! Stupid dog messing around nothing less than with a horse.
Cats are more likely to return to primitive behaviors than dogs yet the number of cat killings is incredibly low,
Dogs are barely domesticated? No animal is more domesticated than a dog. Thousands of years of evolution side-by-side with humans. Guess what they are in their natural wild state as pets.
If that is the case then every dog owner should be required. I have seen some downright nasty Labradors and Dalmatians to name a couple.
While this is true I’d rather take my chance against a lab or dalmatian than any of the dogs on the list. I think it points out somewhere that it is the dog’s potential to do damage in addition to its temperament.
Labs, Golden Retrievers, Dalmatians bite more than “pit bulls” if you actually look at statistics. This has to be the dumbest discussion i have ever read online. Its NOT about a dogs name such as “pit bull”, that makes a dog a bad dog. Its the dog in general. Its how you raise the dog. It’s about the size of the dog, and the dog’s strength. Btw, do your research, “pit bulls” are mutts. There is no such thing as a “pit bull”. Its a name brand for the media to attack certain “dangerous breeds”. The media uses the “pit bull” because the media likes to scare people, it keeps their ratings up. “Pit Bull” scares people because of the strength. They media targets ignorance. Ignorance makes money. Dog is dog. Dog is man’s best friend, period, end of story. It’s ALL in how you raise the animal. Dog’s are emotionally in tune with their owner’s and family. I personally can say i believe little mop dogs and designer Chihuahua mutts are honestly the most nastiest, meanest dogs i have ever come across.. But its okay because of their size? Ive seen a yorkie rip the side of a toddlers face off before but people wont see that in the news. People can go back and forth on breeds and on what breed is bad , good, etc..
But in the end, DOG is DOG. Every dog is an individual, a bad dog does not make a bad breed. A bad dog makes a bad owner and a bad dog. With us U.S people killing thousands upon thousands due to “space”, euthanizing, abusing, and then being hypcrites over other countries and how they eat dogs… I think we U.S peeps are hypocrites and i dont blame “dog” for having bad “reps”, look what we do to them. We shouldnt ban them, we shouldnt label them, we shouldnt send them off to shelters (what a nice word isnt it? “shelter”), we shouldnt abuse them, turn them on each other for a gamble game, leave them outside in the cold, etc. We should treat dog how they have treated humanity for thousands of years, .. Like family. When you treat ANY breed of dog like family (love, respect, loyalty), no matter what their appearance is, guess what you get? You get a good dog. Thats all i have to say.