Most Dog Bites By Breed 2021

How Likely Are You To Get Bit By A Dog In The Us

As an American, you may be wondering what your chances are of getting bit by a dog.

It doesnt matter if you have a dog as a pet or if you dont have any dogs, because anyone can get bit by a dog.

Based on data that you will see below, an estimated 4.5 million dog bites happen each year in the USA. That means you have a 1 in 73 chance of getting bit by a dog in the US.

Fatal Dog Attack Statistics In 2020

Looking specifically at 2020, the most recent year for which reliable data has been collected and made publicly available, we can see that pit bulls continue to lead the nation in fatal bite incidents. Taking a deeper dive into the data, pit bulls , mastiff-type war and guard dogs , and additional bull breeds dealt over 80% of lethal bites. One-third of the victims were children nine years or younger.

How Do You Handle A Dog That Bites

As we mentioned dogs bite for a reason. They may bite to defend themselves, their territory, a member of their pack, or their puppies. Dogs that are startled, injured, ill, molested, and abused may also bite.

There are several solutions to this problem, and they include training and socializing, i.e., letting the dog interact with people, children, and other dogs. Taking care of the dogs health and regularly vaccinating it may also help.

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Are Pitbull Attack Statistics Misleading

While these numbers may appear shocking, they could be telling a different story. Instead of arguing that Pitbulls bite more, it could be that they are more deadly once they strike.

The AVMA1 shares that any dog can bite if provoked. Dogs generally bite as a reaction to defend their territory or themselves. So, while Pitbulls may not necessarily bite more, their bite may do more damage, whereas a smaller breed involved in an attack is less likely to be fatal.

Studies Show That The Majority Of Fatal Dog Attacks Involve Pit Bulls

When it comes to dog attacks, not all breeds are created equal. From 2005 to 2019, dog attacks and dog bites killed 521 Americans, according to data compiled by DogsBite.org. Despite being banned in many cities and towns, breeds known to be dangerous made up the vast majority of dog bite fatalities: 69 percent of the dogs involved in fatal attacks were pit bulls, while 8 percent were Rottweilers. German shepherds, Australian cattle dogs, and boxers rounded out the listbut overall, 76 percent of people killed by dog bites in this fifteen-year period were killed by pit bulls or Rottweilers. 27 percent of the victims were children 77 percent of those children were infants and toddlers under the age of two.

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Dogs Are Responsible For 99% Of The Rabies Cases

Antarctica is the only continent thats rabies-free, while 95% of rabies-related deaths occur in Asia and Africa. The most common victims are children between the ages of five and 14.

Luckily, more than 29 million people around the world received a post-bite vaccination that prevented millions of fatalities.

Hybrid Wolfdog 85 Attacks And 19 Kills

It does not appear as PDD because the Hybrid Wolfdog is hardly present in the United States. Even so, it ranks in the U.S. statistics on dog bites.

Its attacks are justified by its marked predatory character, that is to say, of preying. The crossing of a wolf with another dog, hence the name hybrid wolf, still maintains a strong instinctive character.The great majority of their attacks were made on children, who with their games, it is all too easy to awaken in them their wildest instincts.

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Dog Bite Statistics And Bites By Breed

If you pay attention to news stories, then you may think that dog bites are a big problem in the United States.

However, thats not exactly true.

While dog bites and dog attacks to happen, the occurrence is not as wide spread as you my think.

And, those dog bites and attacks may not be coming from the breeds getting all the blame.

Below well go through the latest data on dog bites and attacks in the US, including dog bites by breed.

How Many People Get Bit By Dogs Each Year

While death from dogs is quite rare in the grand scheme of things, dog bites are considerably more common.

And when you consider that there are almost 90 million dogs being kept as pets in the United States, these numbers seem even smaller.

Since 1994, the reported number of dog bites has remained constant at around 4.5 million per year.

In the early 2000s another survey came up with the same number, though it could be as high as 4.7 million dog bites per year.

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Pit Bull Bite Statistics

According to a study from the Center For Disease Control , approximately 4.5 million dog bites occur in the United States each year, and 800,000 of those bites result in the need for medical care. The U.S. population is approximately 331 million people as of 2020. That means a dog bites 1 out of every 73 people. There are alarming figures. Yet anxiety becomes much less when the right information is available to you.

To understand the overall U.S. statistics on dog bites, it is best to start with the Pitbull. No dog has a more egregious reputation, but are these fears clouded in myth or reality? Let’s look at the statistical period from 2005 to 2020. According to Canine Journal, an organization that collects and analyzes all dog bite attacks in the country, Pit Bulls accounted for 284 deaths in those years. That’s a staggering 65% of all dog-related deaths, with 473 Americans killed between 2005 and 2017.

Another dog known for its brutal reputation is the Rottweiler. If you combine the numbers for both dogs, you’ll find 76% of the total fatal dog attacks. These numbers may seem shocking, but they might say something more. Instead of arguing that Pit Bulls bite more, you could argue that they are more efficient once they attack. Whereas a bite from a smaller dog may not be fatal.

How Can I Make Sure My Dog Doesnt Bite Or Attack

While any dog can bite, dog owners need to be responsible and raise their furry friends to understand appropriate behavior. Starting young is essential, and following a few simple routines will be your best bet at preventing your dog from becoming a biter:

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Are Some Breeds More Likely To Bite Humans

According to a large 2019 study in America, Dog bite injuries to the face: is there a risk with breed ownership? the breeds with the highest percentage of bites are:

Although the study was a detailed meta-analysis of a number of smaller studies, its still hard to interpret for the UK.

First, the greatest percentage of bites were by unknown breeds, so that tells us nothing except that many dog bite victims cant identify the dog that attacked them. Its the same for mixed there are no clues about the size or shape of dog involved.

Second, the top named breed on the list isnt a breed at all in the UK. Pit Bulls are considered a type identified by certain characteristics and they are banned in the UK under the Dangerous Dogs Act. That means youre pretty unlikely to be bitten by one here as its illegal to own, breed or sell one unless its exempt in which case it would be muzzled at all times in public.

What is interesting about this study is that there are some smaller breeds and typical family dogs showing up that you wouldnt usually associate with biting Terriers, Cocker Spaniels, Retrievers, Collies and Shih Tzus.

Dog Breeds With The Most Bites

Based on our surveys these are the dog breeds that bit the most taking the popularity ratio into consideration. These are dog on human bites only. They do not include dog on dog.

• Rottweiler

The likelihood of a dog becoming a biter has more to do with the type of owner and how that person treats the dog. Certain breeds appeal to people for different reasons. For example Lhasa Apso owners are more likely to be a type of owner that tends to baby a dog, whereas a large majority of K9 German Shepherd owners pick that breed expecting them to guard and protect. There are also factors such as Cattle Dog owners who often do not satisfy the dogs incredible drive to work, ending up with a dog who finds its own jobs.

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Tracking Fatal Dog Attacks Between 2005 And 2020

We were able to uncover data displaying fatal dog attacks in the United States for a 16-year period spanning 2005 to 2020. Pit bulls were found to have been responsible for most of the fatal dog attacks over this timeframe, with Rottweilers a distant second. 251 of the victims were age nine or younger, with children aged 0-2 suffering the highest number of fatal bites.

Fatalities From Dog Bites

Every year, thousands of people die from dog bites and rabies. WHO reports that annually about 60,000 people will die each year from rabies that results from a dog bite. In areas where rabies vaccines are common in the United States, the number of fatalities that result from rabies is a lot lower. In the past year. the US has only had one out of three rabies cases that result in death, but they were caused by bats and not dogs.

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How To Avoid Becoming A Victim Of The Dogs That Bite The Most

Heres how you can ensure your safety and avoid a fatal canine attack.

18. Never Run From an Aggressive Dog.

• Know the warning signs: growling, lunging, barking, and baring teeth. If you see any of these, slowly turn to your side, look away, and pretend to yawn a non-threatening sign like that can help.
• If you arent familiar with the dog, standing still is your best bet at protecting yourself that and avoiding eye contact.
• Dog attack statistics by breed show the dogs you should be most careful around. But make no mistake any chained-up animals, no matter their size, will attack if provoked. So avoid them at any cost.

As long as were responsible owners and civilians, we can prevent further dog bite fatalities.

List Of Fatal Dog Attacks In The United States

Fatal dog attacks in the United States cause the deaths of about 30 to 50 people in the US each year, and the number of deaths from dog attacks appears to be increasing. Around 4.5 million Americans are bitten by dogs every year, resulting in the hospitalization of 6,000 to 13,000 people each year in the United States . A 2018 literature review with meta-analysis by breed, focusing on dog bite injuries to the face, head and neck, concluded that “of the cases in which the breed was known, the Pit bull was responsible for the highest percentage of reported bites across all the studies followed by mixed breed and then German Shepherds,” and that “injuries from Pit bulls and mixed breed dogs were both more frequent and more severe.”

Injuries, illnesses, and fatalities resulting from encounters with dogs are a major public health concern worldwide. Dogs not only cause morbidity and mortality as a result of bites, but they may also transmit zoonotic infections, which may also result in illness or death. Dogs are the main source of rabies transmission to humans worldwide. It is estimated that 3% to 18% of dog bite wounds become infected, with occasional cases of meningitis, endocarditis, and leading to death reported. Children have the greatest risk of death.

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Homeowners Insurers Paid $797 Million In Dog Bite And Dog Injury

The homeowners insurance data reveals that the number of dog bite liability claims increased by 2.9% in just one year from 17,297 in 2018 to 17,802 in 2019.

Conversely, the dog bite insurance statistics show that the cost per claim increased by 14.7% in just one year. Namely, in 2019, it was $44.760, while in 2018, it was $39,017.

Dog Bites And Third Party Pet Insurance Claims

We can get some insight into dog bites by breed by looking at how many third-party liability pet insurance claims are made for each breed, but there are some huge caveats.

First, as with the hospital dog bite data, only the most serious incidents are likely to be recorded here. In this case, because someone has pursued legal action against the owner of the dog. This means that larger, more powerful dogs are over-represented in this data, simply because they have the size and strength to cause more serious damage to animals, people or property.

Second, third party claims dont just record bites and certainly not just dog bites to humans.

Third party claims against dog owners might involve:

• Bites to humans

• Fights between dogs

• Bites or attacks on cats or livestock

• Damage to property, for example a dog running in the road and causing a car to swerve and crash

We examined all third party claims we received between July 2018 and March 2022 and found that 22% were for dog-on-dog bite claims while 29% were for dog-on-human bite claims. A small amount of claims were for bites or attacks on other animals like chickens or sheep.

The other 46% were for all sorts of things like people being knocked over by dogs by or tripping over them, road traffic accidents, or even tearing clothing, but didn’t specifically mention biting.

In the 12-month period up to 28 March 2022, the dog breeds with the highest ration of third party claims to the number of that breed insured were:

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Are Dogs Playing Or Fighting

Dog play could seem very aggressive to humans, but there are ways to differentiate between playing and fighting.

If the dog is acting silly, has an open-mouthed grin, performs the play bow, growls, falls voluntarily, and comes back for more its just playing.

However, as dog bite statistics reveal, if the dogs body is stiff, its hairs are raised, and it has a closed mouth and curled lip, the dog is ready for a fight.

Additionally, low growls, quick and efficient moves, and flat pinned ears are also signs that there might be a fight.

Recognizing these signs is crucial for stopping a fight before it happens. However, if your dog gets into a fight, dont try to separate them by grabbing their collars, or you may get bitten. Instead, try to distract the dogs with a loud noise.

On Average There Are 12 Deaths Caused By Dog Bite

The Canadian Veterinary Journal has recently published the dog bite statistics for Canada for the period from 19902007. The data reveals that, during this time, there were only 28 fatalities caused by dog bite injuries.

The research didnt specify if Pit Bulls were responsible for these attacks, but Toronto had banned the breed in 2005.

The 2010 data showed that there were 28.2% fewer dog bites compared to 2005, and the number of Pit Bull bites has declined by 92% since 2002.

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Claims In California In 2019

California is the US state with the highest number of dog bite claims in 2019.

While the Golden State may not be the place with the highest percentage of dog owners , it does have a city with more dogs than children.

According to a 2016 survey, there were an estimated 150,000 dogs in San Francisco and only 120,000 children .

How Can You Protect Yourself & Your Loved Ones From A Dog Attack

One of the best strategies to protect yourself from a dog attack is to reduce the chances of a bite occurring in the first place. You and your loved ones, including children, should familiarize yourselves with common signs of canine aggression, such as:

• Loud, aggressive snarling or barking
• Bared fangs
• Stiff ears and slowly moving tail
• Standing tall with a wide stance

If you notice any of these warning signs, try to remain calm. Dogs may attack when they notice a fear response, so you should not run or turn your back to the aggressive canine. Some experts suggest standing indirectly of the dog and making yourself appear bigger, while not making eye contact.

Once a dog attacks, immediately shout for help. If a passerby comes to your aid, the dog may feel threatened and retreat. Dogs oftentimes clamp on the first thing they can get their teeth on, so you may be able to redirect the attack with a baggy article of clothing, a stick on the ground, or an object youre holding. Protect your face and throat and ball your hands into a fist a large dog may be able to sever a finger with a bite. If the dog bites and will not let go, do not panic and attempt to pry the dog off. You may worsen the injuries and, worse, not dislodge the canine. Try to overpower the dog and force it to release you.

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