Seattle Animal Bite Lawyers

Types of Dogs that Bite

For years there has been a debate regarding the cause of a dog’s propensity to attack, some say it is the result of how they are raised and treated, while others suggest that certain breeds are violent by nature.

While science hasn’t proven that certain breeds are inherently more dangerous than others, it has been well-documented that there are some breeds which are responsible for a large amount of attacks on people. Throughout the United States, many cities have begun to enforce severe restrictions on owners as to what breeds they may have, and in some communities some breeds have been banned altogether, because of the belief that the dogs are too dangerous.

In 2000, the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association published a special report which examined the breeds of dogs involved in fatal dog bite attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998. The study, which researched 72 percent of the American dog-related deaths during that time period, did not take into account dog bite related deaths where the breed of the dog was unknown, fatalities which were not the direct result of dog bite related injuries, or deaths which were the result of working police dogs. The results of the study astonishingly showed that 67 percent of the dog bite fatalities (accounting for 300 deaths) were attributed to Rottweilers and pit bull-type dogs.

Listed below are other dog breeds which have been identified as being likely to be involved in fatal attacks:

  • Doberman
  • Wolf-dog hybrids
  • Dogs of unknown background
  • Chow Chow
  • German shepherds
  • Huskies
  • Malamutes

During the study, all of these dogs were involved in a minimum of ten biting deaths. Many of the dogs are larger in size and were bred to be working dogs, specifically police dogs, hunting dogs, and guard dogs.

No matter whether or not a breed is considered dangerous or violent, we all know that a combination of factors, including abuse, neglect, maltreatment, and careless training practices can increase a dogs inclination to attack.

Please contact a dedicated Tacoma dog attack lawyer at Bernard Law Group today if you have been the victim of a dog bite or dog attack in Washington.