Did you know, statistically speaking, hounds are less likely to injure than working or sporting breeds of dogs? Puppies are also more likely to injure than an adult dog too.  Other factors can influence the chance of a dog biting.  For example, there are social trends towards training and keeping dangerous animals by inexperienced dog owners. Aggressive guard dogs are trained for self-protection.  Some people seek out specific breeds on protection; the breeds with biting power or "biting instinct."  It is true any dog can bite, or has the potential to bite, but the following includes the "top-biting breeds:"

  • Pit Bulls
  • Rotweilers
  • German Shepherds
  • Huskies
  • Doberman Pinschers
  • Chow Chows

Other problems influence the bite rate statistics.  For example, the increase in population of large dogs has resulted in an increased severity of bites. German shepherds were identified as the breed involved in 44% of all bite cases but accounted for only 22% of license registrations. Small purebred dogs accounted for less than 20% of bites but more than 40% of registrations. The pit bull terrier is a common cause of urban dog bite injuries in children. The major problem is that they are frequently (94%) unprovoked. These dogs are also freely roaming animals 
(67%).  Any dog can and will bite in certain circumstances (like if they are in pain, hungry or have an illness). The tendency for dogs to bite is the product of many factors beyond their control. Some breeds have a genetic predisposition towards aggressiveness. There is less tendency to bite with early socialization to people, training, quality of care and supervision. 
Factors that may increase the tendency to bite include maltreatment, behavior of the victim, and others.  This would point to a human factor in aggressiveness in certain breeds.

Mark C. Blane is a San Dog Bite Injury Attorney and the managing lawyer of the Law Offices of Mark C. Blane, a San Diego, California Personal Injury Law Firm dedicated to representing families of people injured by a California dog bite. If you or a loved one has been killed or injured in a dog bite injury or attack accident in California, please order your free copy of Mr. Blane's book, The 10 Secrets You Need To Know About Your Injury Case, BEFORE You Call A Lawyer. It is full of helpful information that will help you protect your legal rights and it normally sells for $16.95.  However, it is free to all California residents, or those injured in a California accident.