Dogs are the perfect companions – exceedingly loyal and unfailingly faithful. But while they can be your best friends, they can also be your worst enemies. This is particularly true if you do something to threaten their well-being, their owners, or their owners’ property. After all, there is a good reason why canines are also used as guard dogs; they can be aggressive and, in some cases, even fatal.
Here are the top 10 most dangerous dog breeds you should be wary of. Keep them as pets, but never inadvertently provoke them.
1. Pit Bulls
Pitbull (Photo credit: maplegirlie)
Pit Bulls are at the top of the list of the top 10 most dangerous dogs. It was reported that approximately 67 percent of fatalities from dog bites could be attributed to this particular breed. Weighing about 25 to 30 kilograms and sporting an extremely powerful jaw, a pit bull can take on just about any opponent, stubbornly bite on its victims, and maul them to a painful and final death. Because this breed of dogs is known to be aggressive, fearless, and superior fighters, Pit Bulls are one of the most sought after for dog fighting.
Note: While statistically speaking, pit bulls are responsible for the highest percentage of human fatalities among dogs, it should be noted that properly trained and cared for Pitbulls are extremely social and friendly around humans.
2. Rottweilers
Rottweiler (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Next on the list of most dangerous dog breeds is the Rottweiler. This is based on studies conducted by the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Humane Society, as well as the Center for Disease Control. With a weight that ranges from 46 kilograms to 59 kilograms, Rottweilers pack a lot of stopping power that surely no one wants to put to a test.
The territorial instincts of this particular dog breed is second to none, while the power of its jaws is unrivaled by any other dog all across the world. Rottweilers are remarkably smart, but you’ll have to devote a ton of attention and love to them. A poorly trained Rottweiler can be quite defiant and hostile.
3. German Shepherds
German Shepherd (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
If you examine households and armies throughout the entire world, you will find that most own at least one or more dogs of this famous dog breed. This is because German Shepherds have all the characteristics of an excellent guard dog: smart, loyal, fearless, adaptable, and easily trained. The level of loyalty of this certain dog breed is such that when you find yourself in the line of fire, the animal leaps to take the bullet to protect you. So what makes them part of this list of the top 10 most dangerous dogs? It’s quite simple. Owing to their fiercely protective nature, German Shepherds can be a terrifying enemy for all intruders and robbers.
4. Huskies
Huskies (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Dogs belonging to this breed were responsible for roughly 6 percent of deaths caused by dog bites from 1979 to 1997, according to a US study done in 2000. Although they are generally considered very intelligent and energetic dogs, huskies aren’t really the ideal guard dogs. Huskies, in contrast to all other types of canines, pose some serious behavioral issues for dog trainers since these dogs were historically bred only for work and did not really socialize with people. Even children may appear as targets for these animals.
5. Alaskan Malamutes
Alaskan Malamute (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Being the closest in nature and appearance to wolves, Alaskan Malamutes find themselves included in this list of the top 10 most dangerous dog breeds. As working dogs, one can’t find any fault with them. They are capable of putting in a lot of work and are extremely valuable in areas where normal transportation methods just aren’t feasible. What makes them dangerous is that they are awfully hard to calm down once they get started. Since they always travel in a pack, you can also expect that they attack in a pack as well. Imagine a bunch of 35 to 46 kilogram-dogs hunting you down. That has got to send shivers down anyone’s spine.
6. Doberman Pinscher
Doberman Pinscher (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This breed is known for loyalty, brilliance, and alertness. As such, Doberman Pinschers are regarded as one of the breeds you’ll want to consider as guard dogs. Typically, the dogs in this category only attack when provoked or when they believe that their family or their property is being threatened. If this is truly the case, then a Doberman will most likely respond aggressively.
7. Chow Chows
Chow Chow (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Because of their cute and cuddly stuffed-toy appearance, Chow Chows don’t really appear that intimidating. However, you shouldn’t be fooled by such an attractive and deceptive façade. Owing to the fact that they have a very limited peripheral vision, these dogs are easily startled and annoyed, which might also make them quite unpredictable and aggressive. Extremely devoted to their master, Chow Chows can be the ultimate foe for strangers and intruders alike.
8. Great Danes
Great Dane (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Although the dogs in this category are considered mostly gentle giants, they can develop aggressive and hostile manners when trained poorly. Armed with inches-long and razor-sharp teeth and weighing as much as 150 pounds, Great Danes are a biting tragedy waiting to happen.
9. Dalmatians
Dalmatian (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The rise in popularity of this spotted dog breed can be credited to the 1961 animated film as well as its 1996 remake. A lot of parents sought to please their children by opening their homes to Dalmatians, but little did they know that they were inviting danger into their homes, too. The high-strung Dalmatians aren’t suited for homes with little kids as their nasty and destructive nature can be easily brought to the surface by the most minor of provocations.
10. Presa Canario
Presa Canario (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Historically bred for the purpose of guarding (and fighting with) cattle, the dogs in this category are capable of leading a victim to a hopeless death. Gifted with a totally fearless nature, unbelievable power, and man-stopping ability, Presa Canarios definitely deserve their reputation for being among the most dangerous dog breeds of today.
Dogs, even potentially dangerous dogs, when given ample and proper training, are useful and friendly creatures. However, if your intentions are shady, the sinking of a dog’s teeth into your body may be the very last thing you’ll ever want to put up with.
Great list! I used to work at kennels run by a woman who bred Chow Chows. She had 6 dogs which lived indoors with her and around 30-odd chows chows which lived outside in large runs and kennels. Thankfully I wasn’t aware of their potential to be aggressive or I may have thought twice about cheerfully climbing into a cage full of them! Lovely dogs tho, with their unusual blue tongues. Thanks for the great memories!
please take pit bulls off this list your lying
Lying about what specifically? That pit bulls weigh 25 to 30 kilograms? That they have powerful jaws? That they can be trained to be game fighters? That they’re highly sought after in dog fighting? That pit bulls are responsible for approximately 67% of dog related fatalities?
That last statistic can certainly vary depending on the study. I’m not sure where specifically the writer sourced that particular figure, but most of the studies in the US agree that the number is at least close to 50% or above. Whichever study you go by, it certainly doesn’t qualify as a lie. Feel free to look it up.
They’re beautiful dogs and they can make great pets if properly trained, but that doesn’t change facts.
THESE ARE JUST STEREO TYPES. YOU CLEARLY DON’T HAVE THE FACTS.
GOLDEN RECEIVERS BITE MORE PEOPLE EVERY YEAR THEN PITBULLS…
Thanks for your comment Stephen. To address it, I will point to two facts:
1. Many, many more people own Golden “Receivers” (Retrievers?) than own pitbulls, so even if your statistic is true (which it likely is), it doesn’t really mean all that much.
2. Pitbulls bites are more likely to be fatal than a Golden Retriever bite. Here’s a link to a wikipedia article listing dog related fatalities in the U.S. by year http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_dog_attacks_in_the_United_States#Fatalities_reported_in_2012. If you’d like a link to official studies, I can provide that as well.
I understand that you probably love Pitbulls, but if you’re going to accuse others of not having the facts, it’d be great if you could cite statistics or studies to back your assertion.
Some of it is subjective anyways and I’ll acknowledge that not everything here is going to be without mistakes,. At the same time, what does “most dangerous” mean? Does it mean most aggressive? Most likely to cause fatalities? Most likely to cause severe injuries? The list is just for fun, no one is claiming that all pit bulls are bad. However, if you can link to statistics that show there are more fatal Golden Retriever attacks every year than Pitbull attacks, I’ll have the writer modify the article and issue a retraction.
Thanks.
I dont agree and think you are narrow minded and completely misled by some studies by people whom ten to one never owned a dog. i grew up with Pitt Bulls and still own two and the latest to be added to the family is the second generation Great Dane in our family. so get a dog treat it like a family member and you’ll realise what the meaning, “man’s best friend means”!!!
Hi Jacques,
Thanks for sharing. I’m not the writer of the article, but I think I can speak for anyone involved with opishposh.com and say that we love dogs. I own a German Sheppard myself whom I love to death, and I don’t disagree that dogs are man’s best friend. I’ve also played with Pitbulls before, and I know they can be awesome, loyal, affectionate dogs.
Again, that doesn’t change the fact that – on very rare occasions, dogs DO attack people and other animals. It doesn’t change the fact that some dog breeds – by their very nature – are more dangerous than other breeds. These are undeniable facts – I would argue that not accepting easily verifiable facts is the very definition of narrow minded.
I’m not going to disagree with you on the Pitbull statistics, even though I’ve owned three and they’ve all been big babies that just liked to be cuddled with. The problem is, and will continue to be, the fact that most people that selectively get Pitbulls (especially from profit-seeking backyard breeders), get them for the wrong reasons. They WANT a dog that looks, seems, and acts ferocious, because it’s ‘cool’. Even if they don’t fight them, they don’t exactly treat them like a loving house dog.
Staff Writers,
A few things about your facts about pitbulls.
Pitbulls do have natural aggression towards dogs & other animals. They’re naturally prey driven, as are many dogs. The aggression towards dogs can be socialized out of them, as with almost all bad behavior.
Pitbulls are not inherently aggressive towards humans, that is a developed trait. Looks like killing these dogs and/or banning them from certain areas haven’t stopped anything, let’s focus on something other than the dogs developed problems. Pitbull were originally bred to fight and had to stop when their humans stepped into the ring so they were bred without human aggression. As with any dog, if un-socialized, the dog can become aggressive towards other humans.
Sadly, pitbull attack statistics are not reliable. Most times the media or uneducated people refer to any “bully” breed as a pitbull. Most times when a dog has one or two characteristics of a pitbull it will be labeled as such, even if the dog has no pit in it. One of my dogs is constantly mistaken as a pit but has no pit in him. (we had him DNA tested when we rescued him) If the media reported attacks without the breed of the dog, do you think people would care as much? Do you really think that the media would report all the attacks?
Pitbulls are high energy and intense animals and can be the best family pet around when raised properly. These dogs need exercise daily, not just some time to romp around outside, they need structured exercise.
And good GOD can you please stop spreading the lies that pitbull’s jaw’s LOCK. They don’t. They’re strong but there is no locking mechanism. “However, pit bull-type dogs exhibit “bite, hold, and shake” behavior, which is seen in all breeds of dogs, and at times refuse to release when biting; methods to force pit bull-type dogs to release their grip include breaking an ammonia ampule and holding it up to the dog’s nose, or using a “break stick” to lever the dog’s jaws open if it bites a person or animal”
While I appreciate trying to educate people regarding the potential dangers of owning a dog but what happened to fact checking, outside of wikipedia? I mean the lock jaw myth was dispelled years ago. Making blanket statements about these animals is poor journalism. I’m sure that there are other issues with statements made about the other dogs but I don’t know much about the other breeds because I do not own them, although I’m pretty sure my mutt might have some great dane or dalmatian in him. This list just seems like it was hurriedly put together without the proper fact checking.
Here are some articles/blog backing up what I’ve said.
http://www.dogster.com/dog-breeds/pitbulls
http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/advocacy-center/animal-laws-about-the-issues/pit-bull-bias-in-the-media.aspx
http://blogs.denverpost.com/fetch/2010/07/18/the-media-takes-its-lumps-over-reporting-about-pit-bulls/1387/
http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/dogbites/media-myths-politics/
http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/uploaded_files/tinymce/2008%20Media%20Bias_1.pdf
http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/uploaded_files/tinymce/Media%20Reporting%20of%20Canine%20Aggression.pdf
a few years ago we owned a pitbull our friends own pitbulls and the one dog that bit my son was a black lab. my son had to get six stitches due to the dog bite. Your statistics suck!
With all due respect, I’m not sure you understand how statistics work…
Dogs are pack animals – they behave benignly toward pack members. In contrast, they are often deadly aggressive with non-pack dogs and people. How a dog behaves around you and his family may be very different than how he behaves on the loose with strangers. Moreover, breeding leads to a common, though not uniform, temperament – some breeds tend toward aggressiveness, while others are docile. If you were truly knowledgeable regarding dogs, you would understand these features.
fairly good list but somewhat vague, simply see a few not so common breeds that are far more potentially dangerous than lets say the dane,doberman,shepard,and dalmation….boerbel,staff,am.bull, and a few others,not based soley on aggression but ability.
The pitbull defenders are missing the point and therefore becoming part of the problem.I am a dog lover, believe they are the preferred living creatures on the planet and my only child is a 4 year old German shepherd. In raising him I can see, that with not enough exercise, not enough mental stimulation and not enough affection he could be a dangerous dog. Knowing and accepting this fact, you work to prevent any such neurosis in your dog and you havea great pet. Pitbulls are naturally aggressive. They were bred to be fighters in a pit, not in the wild in response to stimuli, in a pit in response to another thing in the room. Accept it and spend your time neutralizing it. Denial creates the problem. Yes, because of this reputation they attract the owners with wrong intent also. And yes, the numbers are correct. Any random person has a pitbull story. I have 5, and I have never owned one. Stop being a part of the problem. Respect their history and spoil it out of them.
Please note that the list is titled breeds to be wary of, not breeds that you are most likely to be bitten by. I own a doberman and love love love her. But I knew the breed would be on the list. I also have a Black Lab (who is the most likely to lick someone to death) and a Jack Russell. Everyone avoids the Doberman and wants to pet the Jack Russell–that’s the dog that is most likely to nip at someone. The only breed I was surprised by (and can’t quite believe) is the Great Dane. I think I’ve been nipped at by Spaniels more than any other breed. What info/data did you use when making your determinations?
I don’t see what the big deal is here. This article is about dogs who can “potentially” be “dangerous” and to be “wary” of them. It never said these breeds were down right evil or totally dangerous. I recall each synopsis reiterating proper training. Heck, without training a chihuahua will “probably be likely” to gnaw your finger off. Lol. Apparently “some” people don’t understand modifiers. Well done to the Staff Writer, I like your defenses, sucks that you had to say the same thing that was already written. Lol Good day
I won’t disagree with the statistics, but I think it should be noted that pit bulls used to be considered nanny dogs for children and studies have shown that pit bulls have one of the highest tolerances for provocation after the Golden Retriever, the docile dog poster breed. What your statistics don’t take into consideration for any of these big breed molosser dogs that have such a bad reputation is that the wrong people choose these dogs. The most aggressive dogs I know are a Newfoundland and a Yellow Retriever – the Newfoundland bit his own master who tends to hit the dog a lot and the Yellow Retriever bit the son of the master who hits her a lot.
Meanwhile I have a Fila brasiliera/pit mix who is great with other dogs, children, and while she will bark at strangers she does not do anything without running it past me first. Both of the owners of these two other dogs (neighbors who I’d love to hit like they hit their dogs) have commented on how well-trained she is and how great her temperament is and while I don’t say it to their face I know it’s because out of respect for my dog as a living creature and respect for myself, I trained her to know what she needs to know for us to be able to live together. Not all owners take dogs for companionship. I wish a dog license was more than just a way to register a dog. Dogs were bred to be our companions, to help us with work, protect us. It disgusts me when I see dogs poorly treated, but mistreat your dog and I know exactly what kind of human you are.
And the most Aggressive Dog Award goes to…..
Yep, the Dachshund….
Can you imagine if they were the size of Pitbulls?
The issue I have with this list is the fact that pitbulls are dangerous is more in reference to the fact that they are often selected for dog fighting and bred to be more aggressive. They are not in fact any more aggressive than any other breed, As seen in the study referenced in this article http://stubbydog.org/2012/03/a-new-pit-bull-study/ The above list, while not necessarily incorrect, misrepresents pitbulls and causes me personal frustration because it is these broad generalizations that are made without taking into consideration all the facts that causes breed specific legislation and all in all is bad for any dog lover.
That’s a well reasoned critique, but I would be a little wary of trusting the objectivity of an article about a dog study that starts with “My heart was stolen by a Staffordshire Bull Terrier 17 years ago”.
What about the Japanese Tosa? One of the most dangerous dog breeds in the world.
Great list? Wow, really? Alright, I am willing to tale your opinion into consideration, IF and only if you will provide the statistics to your research. Where exactly did you get your information again, I don’t believe you said.
Statistically speaking, and with founded research and credits, people are far more dangerous to Pit Bulls than Pit Bulls are to humans; primarily by spreading ignorance. Also, and I quote this from a legitimate source and not my own opinion, the American Temperament Society states, “Temperament evaluations of American Pit Bull Terriers shows that this breed has a very high passing rate of 82.6%.
The average passing rate for the other 121 breeds of dogs in the tests: 77%.”
The average amount of actual Pit Bull attacks against humans is 0.00125%, and the majority of those attacks are actually against the humans that abuse and fight them.
I’m not an advocate, nor am I trying to say that there is no valid reason to be afraid of ANY dog breed, but at least do the proper research first before spouting your opinion.
Did you also know that statistically speaking, and by statistically I really mean “PROVEN” that the most vicious dog breed is actually a Chihuahua, then a Jack Russell Terrier. People laugh and scoff at this because these are small dogs, but it is the truth. Pit Bulls statistically make fantastic house pets, child companions, and friends, as does nearly any other dog breed in the world that is raised and treated properly.
“Alright, I am willing to tale your opinion into consideration, IF and only if you will provide the statistics to your research. Where exactly did you get your information again, I don’t believe you said.”
Is the CDC reliable enough for you?
http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/images/dogbreeds-a.pdf
” people are far more dangerous to Pit Bulls than Pit Bulls are to humans”
Is the article titled who is more dangerous to whom: Pitbulls vs. Humans?
“The average amount of actual Pit Bull attacks against humans is 0.00125%”
.00125% of what, exactly?
“Did you also know that statistically speaking, and by statistically I really mean “PROVEN” that the most vicious dog breed is actually a Chihuahua, then a Jack Russell Terrier. People laugh and scoff at this because these are small dogs, but it is the truth.”
You realize the article is entitled “Most Dangerous Dog Breeds To Be Wary Of” right? I’ll keep your “PROVEN” statistic in mind if I ever have to write an article entitled “Angry Dogs That My Cat Can Beat Up”.
The pit bull advocates need to give it a rest. We get it. Take your message to the inner cities where all the scum bags are buying this breed and raising them improperly.
Hey how come no Tibetan Mastiff??
How about boerboels – there are many (apocryphal?) stories about them attacking without warning.