Do dangerous dog breeds exist?

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Our country seems to be in the grip of a dog-bite epidemic. Current statistics are approximately 4.7 million bites per year, with about 1 million of those bites requiring medical care. One to two dozen people each year in the United States will lose their lives to a dog attack. These numbers may actually be underestimated, since the cause of death may be listed as bacterial infection if the victim dies days or weeks after the initial incident. The financial cost cost of this epidemic is very high, estimated to be over one billion dollars per year. In 2005, the last year for which figures have been published, over $317 million dollars were paid in insurance claims for dog bites, accounting for approximately one-third of all homeowner's liability claims.

In response to this overwhelming problem, many localities have attempted to put restrictions on certain breeds of dogs. Some insurance companies now deny coverage to homeowners who own breeds that are "blacklisted." In each study that references the breed of dog involved in fatal attacks, Pit Bull Terriers are cited more than any other, followed closely by Rottweilers and German Shepherds. These studies claim that Pit Bull Terriers are responsible for over 1/3 of the attacks on record in the last twenty years.

Are some breeds of dogs truly more dangerous than others?

Certain types of dogs were selectively bred for tasks that require aggressive behaviors. Pit Bulls and other game dogs were developed for fight drive and high prey drive, which allowed them to excel in blood sports, where they were encouraged to kill other animals. But they were also bred to be loyal companions to their people. Other types of dogs--dogs not bred for aggressive behaviors, such as Golden Retrievers and even a Pomeranian--have also been involved in fatal attacks.

The most extensive study to catalog breeds of dogs involved in attacks was done by the American Veterinary Task Force on Canine Aggression and Humane-Canine Interactions, published in June 2001. Some analysts have stated that this study indicated that dogs that were consistently high on the list correlated to the breeds of larger dogs which were more popular at that time. In the 1970s, Dobermans were very popular, hence a higher number of attacks by Dobermans during the 70s. Pit Bulls started rising in popularity in the 1980s, which is when their numbers began to rise, and Rottweiler numbers rose for the same reason in the  [Continued]

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