Which Dogs Are Most Likely To Bite?

Many households have a canine who would not harm a fly. However, even peaceful dogs can bite if they feel threatened or are under stress. Luckily, most of these bites are not serious. A report from the National Canine Research Council found that approximately 81 percent of dog bites are slight enough to where they do not require medical treatment.

While no one wants to think the family dog is capable of hurting anyone, it is important to be aware if your dog is more likely to bite someone than another breed. Additionally, you want to be mindful if you find yourself around a certain breed, especially if it is a stray.

Dog breeds most likely to bite

Mailmen have the highest rate of suffering a dog bite out of any other profession. In fact, German Shepherds have the highest rate of injuring postal workers. When it comes to overall bodily harm, pit bulls are the most aggressive. Pit bulls have injured thousands of people, and while many pit bulls are perfectly docile, there are people out there who breed pit bulls specifically to attack and fight. However, pit bulls are just part of the story, and other breeds that have an increased risk of biting people include:

• Rottweiler
• Husky
• Wolf hybrid
• Bullmastiff
• German shepherd
• Akita
• Chowchow
• Doberman

With these breeds in mind, it is important for people to follow basic safety tips to decrease the chances of suffering a dog bite. People should never startle a dog or get up close to its face. People should also never leave a child alone with an aggressive dog, even if it seems peaceful at the moment because that could change instantly. People should also never approach stray dogs. Many feel compelled to approach a stray dog to see if it has a tag to try to find its owner, but this is dangerous.