By the latest count, there are around 78.5 million dogs in the United States. They are valued for their loyalty and the unconditional love that they provide members of a family. They allow people to enjoy the great outdoors in the company of a canine companion – and have provided a friend to generations of children.
However, sometimes the relationship that we have with dogs can go horribly wrong. In the period from 2005 to 2018, there were 471 fatalities in the United States caused by dog attacks. Clearly, those who interact with dogs – and their family need to show some caution when interacting with certain breeds of canine. Bite statistics show that certain breeds seem to be more likely to attack – but are these statistics reliable?
The statistics available for 2018 show that Pit Bulls were by far and away the breed that was most likely to attack human beings. In fact, those statistics show that (for 2018 at least) 72% of canine attacks were the result of interactions with Pit Bulls – a disproportionate number given that Pitbulls only make up around 7% of the U.S. canine population. Add to this number the other attacks which have been attributed to ‘guard type’ dogs (rottweilers, mastiff types) the percentage rises to 89%.
The other dogs that are responsible for attacks are (in descending order of the number of attacks) German Shephards, mixed breeds, American Bulldogs and down the list to Labrador Retrievers (9 attacks 2005 – 2017), Boxers and lastly Doberman Pinschers. There are also a number of attacks reported that are caused by so-called ‘fighting breeds’ such as Dogo Argentino.
However, taking a look at the statistics may not give the entire story. The case of Pit Bulls is the perfect illustration of just how difficult it can be to classify attacks by breed. firstly the Pit Bull in the United States is a general category. Dogs with ‘blocky’ heads, a squat muscular body weighing between 30 and 100 pounds can loosely be defined as fitting into the Pit Bull category.
Clearly, the statistics may need some fine-tuning. It is also true to some extent that Pit Bull attacks are over-reported in the media. The breed has achieved near bogeyman status. However, there may be some truth to the old adage that ‘where there is smoke there is fire’. To somewhat belabor the point ‘if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck – it’s a duck’. A Pit Bull is a Pit Bull. The problem to a large extent with this breed is that for many years they were bred for dogfighting.
One of the results of this selective breeding is that Pit Bulls, unlike many other dog breeds do not signal aggression. they simply attack. They are tremendously powerful with a savage bite. They also exhibit ingrained instincts that allow them to perform attacks in a strategic manner- often targeting vulnerable parts of the human body.
Making these dogs even more frightening is the fact that a disproportionate number of of these attacks involve children. It appears that Pit Bull breeds do not cope with new situations and are especially likely to attack children – often seemingly without provocation.
Those who will be interacting with dogs need to aware that any dog can attack. Some breeds are just more likely to do so than others. Parents should be especially wary when introducing their children to unknown animals.
If you have been attacked by a dog in North Carolina, you need to contact Asheville dog bite lawyer Lakota R. Denton for a free consultation.
