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Looking for dog bite statistics?
In this article, you’ll learn about:
… and much more.
Let’s dig in.
For dog bites, these are the:
The percentage of dog bite-related deaths comes from:
There are an estimated 4.5 million dog bites each year in the US (CDC).
Of these, about 800,000 dog bites need medical attention.
About one in five of these bites can become infected.
This leads to further medical complications.
Children are the most frequent victims of dog bites.
The highest rate of dog bites happens in children between 5 to 9 years old.
About half of all children aged 4 to 9 years have gotten bit by a dog at least once.
Male children are more likely to be bitten than female children.
And the risk of boys getting bit is higher than for girls.
Of the 4.5 million dog bites per year, about 17% of all bites result in injury.
About one-third of these injuries are serious enough to require medical attention.
Injuries due to dog bites can range from minor scrapes and bruises to:
Dog bites can also lead to psychological trauma, such as anxiety and fear.
To help prevent dog attacks, it is important to socialize and train your dog.
Also, never leave young children alone with a dog.
Be aware of your dog’s body language and intervene if you see any signs of aggression.
Pitbulls account for only 5.6% of fatal dog attacks.
Studies show that pit bulls are only:
For all these studies, on average, 4.1% of reported dog bites are pit bulls.
Meaning out of every 100 dog bites, 4 are pit bulls.
Note that these reports of dog bites could:
Pitbulls are:
These are the most aggressive dog breeds based on studies:
These studies only provide limited data on aggressive behavior in certain breeds.
No single factor can determine a dog’s aggressiveness.
Prevention of aggressive behavior comes from:
The least aggressive dog breeds are:
These are the dog breed with the most attacks last year:
An “attack” is different from a “dog bite.”
Dog attacks can be a serious problem.
It’s important for people to be aware of breeds that have the most attacks.
It’s important to note that:
But, studies have shown that certain breeds attack more than others.
The dog breeds with the most reported attacks are:
They have the highest number of reported dog bite-related fatalities.
But this data:
Here are the most dog bites by breed of dog.
This is how many dog bites get reported on average per year.
| Dog Breed | # of Reported Dog Bites Per Year |
|---|---|
| Pit Bull | 2,227 |
| German Shepherd | 1,022 |
| Rottweiler | 939 |
| Husky | 864 |
| Labrador Retriever | 764 |
| Bulldog | 699 |
| Dachshund | 631 |
| Chihuahua | 563 |
| Jack Russell Terrier | 558 |
| Golden Retriever | 527 |
Per the CDC, ~4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year.
And about 800,000 of those bites require medical attention.
Pit bulls account for about 1/3 of those medical visits.
This means that ~2.6 million people get bitten by all breeds each year.
And around 266,000 of those bites get attributed to pit bulls.
There are 18 death from pit bull attacks per year.
Per the CDC, ~28 fatalities due to dog bites occur each year.
Pit bulls are responsible for about 66% of those fatalities (18 per year).
Pitbulls account for about 6% of all dog attacks.
This data breaks down fatalities caused by different dog breeds in the US each year.
The number of fatalities for each breed should get viewed in the context of:
Pit Bulls and Rottweilers have the highest number of fatalities per year.
This may not be surprising to some.
These breeds are often:
Per the CDC, an average of 36 people die each year due to dog bites.
Pit bulls are responsible for most deaths caused by dogs.
But that does not mean that they are the most dangerous dog breed.
In reality, any dog can become dangerous in the wrong circumstances.
In the United States, pit bulls are responsible for the majority of fatal dog attacks.
From 2005 to 2019, pit bulls were responsible for 254 of the 368 (~70%) recorded fatalities.
This is higher than the next most dangerous breed, Rottweilers.
Rotts accounted for 43 fatalities during the same period.
Some other breeds responsible for fatal attacks include:
| Dog Breed | Bite Force (PSI) |
|---|---|
| German Shepherd | 238 |
| Pit Bull | 235 |
| Rottweiler | 328 |
| Doberman | 245 |
| Husky | 320 |
| Labrador Retriever | 235 |
| Malinois | 317 |
| Doberman | 245 |
| Husky | 238 |
| Bulldog | 305 |
| Labrador Retriever | 209 |
| Great Dane | 238 |
| Boxer | 230 |
A dog bite force chart is a chart that shows the bite force of different dog breeds.
It lists dog breeds with their estimated bite force measured in PSI.
The bite force of a dog gets determined by:
A dog bite force chart is a useful tool for:
But, many other factors besides bite force influence the severity of a dog bite.
These things include:
These are the FAQs we found for dog bite statistics.
The most dangerous dog in the world is commonly regarded as the Pit Bull.
Pit Bulls are a breed of dog that were originally bred for fighting.
But, they have become increasingly popular as pets in recent decades.
They are one of the most feared and controversial breeds, due to their:
Pit Bulls are responsible for a large number of dog attacks.
And, often, the victims suffer serious injuries or even death.
Also, Pit Bulls often attack without warning, making them particularly dangerous.
As a result, many cities and states have enacted laws that:
The dog with the strongest bite is the Kangal. Kangals are from Turkey.
They are a large livestock guardian dog known for their:
The Kangal has a bite force of 743 PSI, the highest of any dog breed in the world.
This is nearly twice as strong as the average American Pit Bull Terrier (305 PSI).
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