Most Dangerous Dogs in the World (2021)

What makes one dog breed get a reputation for being more dangerous than others? Should you be more cautious around specific breeds? And does a dog’s breed even matter, or is it always a case of bad training?

Let’s explore some of the world’s most dangerous dogs together. You’ll also learn about what makes us think of certain dog breeds as dangerous. Additionally, we’ll cover the role and history of dog training in building these reputations.

Dangerous Dogs (by Design?)

There are a number of reasons people tend to think of certain dog breeds as more dangerous than others. Not all reasons are valid in the same way: Some are hard statistics, others are personal experiences. But they all can play an important role in our understanding of these animals and our discussion about what might make some more dangerous than others.

Here are some of the reasons we tend to consider certain dogs to be the most dangerous dog breeds:

Reasons for (Perceived) Dangerousness

  • There are more reported incidences of dog bites and serious injuries from some breeds. This is one of the big reasons some municipalities consider Pit Bulls the most dangerous dog, even requiring special insurance if you want to have one in some areas.
  • The sheer size of some breeds can increase that perceived “danger factor.” Many of the largest breeds actually have very calm temperaments. Their danger has to do with the potential for more serious injuries if those dogs happen to attack or even accidentally injure someone.
  • Some dogs give us a feeling of danger because they were literally designed to instill it over the course of history. For example, we’re used to seeing German Shepherds used as police dogs. We’re used to seeing breeds such as Rottweilers and Doberman Pinschers being trained as guard dogs. And we’re used to stories of American Pit Bull Terriers being trained for dog fighting.
  • Another big thing that affects our opinions of dog breeds is our personal experience with them. Similarly, anecdotal stories we hear from others can affect us. They may have had either positive or negative experiences with certain types of dogs.

Let’s focus more on that last reason, as I believe it can have the most impact.

Beware of the Dog Sign
Credit: Mandee Sears (via Flickr)

How Our Personal Experiences Affect Our Views of Dog Breeds

Whether it’s right or wrong for us to judge a dog breed based on our limited experiences and the stories we hear about them, it’s something most of us do on some level (myself included). So I’d like to share some personal stories and how they’ve affected me (or not affected me, though you might think it should have).

We saw this in your comments on the original list. For example, we had people saying Pit Bulls aren’t dangerous because their own experiences with the breed have been pleasant. Others shared experiences on the other side of the spectrum.

Personally, I come in somewhere in the middle. I’m not naive enough to think that breed alone makes all pit bulls dangerous or more vicious than other dogs. But I’m also not naive enough to ignore the evidence that this breed has a history of causing more frequent and more serious injuries than most, if not all, others.

Clearly the breed plays some role. Some breeds lean toward different temperaments, or have different loyalties. These might make them great with their own families but naturally suspicious of strangers or other animals or even small children, who have less self-restraint than adults.

My Brother’s Pit Bull Encounter

Personal experience is also a factor, though. My brother has a small dog. He took the dog outside at his apartment building into the parking lot. Another neighbor was outside with their Pit Bull. It wasn’t on a leash (while this is a requirement, going unleashed isn’t terribly uncommon around here). By all measures the dog would have seemed like a normal, calm family pet.

Until it saw my brother’s dog.

It immediately charged at them and grabbed his dog by the throat. There was no provocation, no unusual noise, and they were across the lot — not close to the pit bull’s owner in any way. My brother was able to rescue his dog by lifting the Pit Bull and literally prying its mouth open (which, by the way, is a stupid thing to do — please don’t ever follow that example). The dog let go and his dog was okay after being treated for its injuries. The Pit Bull then latched onto my brother’s arm though. Again, he was okay after being treated, but the wound wasn’t insignificant. It could have been far worse.

My Take on Breed vs. Training

That puts me in that middle ground territory I mentioned before. Personal experience with this breed is terrible. There was no warning sign that the owner trained this dog to attack or fight. In fact, the aggression caught its owner completely off-guard. It just snapped at the sight of a smaller dog. That kind of sudden reaction is far from unheard of with this breed.

But that said, I don’t fault an entire breed (in the case of Pit Bulls, actually three different breeds) for the actions of that single dog. The lack of predictability of some breeds would make them “more dangerous” in my view. But the same goes for poor training and bad behavior by an owner (like allowing any breed with known issues with children or other animals to run free without a leash).

This is far from the only example I could give. Saint Bernards are also sometimes cited as some of the most dangerous dogs. But they’re also known for being calm-tempered and being good with kids. It’s their fierce loyalty that can be an issue.

Guard and Danger

A family member had one years ago. That dog was a great dog for most of its life. It even helped to stop a burglar in the family’s building. But years later it lunged at another family member who the dog knew for its entire life. They came to visit, and out of the blue the dog lunged and went for her eye. She’s still terrified of the breed to this day (and understandably so after an experience like that).

We can’t explain the unprovoked attack. It might have been a breeding issue. The dog might have been having a bad day in some way. We just don’t know. I understand her fear of the breed. But it’s not one I hold myself as a result — perhaps because I didn’t see it first-hand.

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Some people find my dog’s underbite to be intimidating. But I know this is just her smiling after eating her favorite treat (with crumbs still all over her face and the floor). But even happy pups can be dangerous in their own ways.

I personally own a mixed breed dog — Border Collie mixed with a Lab. At this stage in her life, I would also consider her to be a dangerous dog, especially around children. She is in no way violent. She’s great with cats and other dogs.

Why my Dog Isn’t Harmless

She’s still at that point where she’s young, wants to play all the time, and she doesn’t realize her own size or strength. The hyper aspect is specific to breeds. Both Labs and Border Collies can be very high strung, especially in their first couple of years.

Neighbors and family members don’t want her playing with their tiny dogs, and I think that’s understandable. And I wouldn’t take her out to play with small children for fear that she’d accidentally hurt them by jumping up or knocking them over as she tries to play. Being dangerous isn’t always a case of being naturally vicious, and that’s why so much falls onto the owner. It’s our responsibility to make sure our dogs aren’t put into situations where they’re more likely to cause harm.

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It’s this little guy that my guests should be most concerned about. He can be more vicious than any dog I’ve personally known. He mauled the last stranger who tried to rub that tummy (never, ever, ever pet an animal you don’t know without asking the owner first; she tried even after being warned).

How About Your Experiences?

If you’ve had experiences that have shaped your own views of what makes for a dangerous dog breed, let us know in the comments. Tell us what happened and whether or not you think it’s a fair way to judge a larger group of dogs based on the action (or actions) you’ve seen first-hand, and why.

Now let’s get to our original list of some of the seemingly most dangerous dogs, based on breeds. Now that you know why certain breeds have earned their “most dangerous dogs” reputations, can you think of others that might also have a similar history? Tell us in the comments.

Every person that I know deeply cares about his or her pets. They are their best friends. They tenderly love each other. Sometimes they eat together, sleep together, and go for walks together.

I’m more of a cat person, but I can’t sit still when I see little puppies or big dogs with big soft fur. I want to hug them, play with them, and give them some of my love and tenderness too. I’ve also seen many adult dogs of different breeds worth praise and true admiration. They are clever, sociable, and funny when you want to play; calm and patient with kids.

And they’re something I can’t credit cats with: They are faithful.

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The Human Influence

Personally, I don’t know any dog that would bite without warning or just snap. It’s my firm belief that behavior of the dog doesn’t depend on its breed so much as it being the right training and the “master” that matter. In my opinion, humans are most often responsible for dangerous dogs. That said, there might be some truth in the idea that some breeds have more unstable temperaments than others. Knowing this, we should never provoke them.

Think for a minute and analyze your own life. Are we always polite? I can think of several situations when I would have gladly slapped a man in the face, but thank God I’m weak enough and I can control myself (at least I think that I can). Now think about animals. They have instincts too, and they may forget about good manners. It’s not as if they understand them in the same ways we do.

It’s also important for dog owners to protect both other people and their dogs from unexpected circumstances and thus the unpleasant situations. For example, when going outside, they could always use a dog-lead and a muzzle. They could be careful and not let the dog play on its own without a leash, especially when there are other people around. When you have a dog, you become forever responsible for the animal you’ve trained and tamed.

Why I Wrote This List

In any case, it’s good to know what breeds of dogs might be most dangerous, just to keep yourself safe. Sometimes the danger in a dog isn’t even a nasty personality, but a matter of them not knowing their own strength.

Even though I personally still find it hard to believe that breed alone determines whether a dog is “dangerous,” you never know what a dog’s owner has taught it. Reliable research into the most dangerous dogs included below comes from the American Veterinary Medical Association, the CDC, and the Humane Society of the United States.

We’ll start with least dangerous of the bunch. Sorry, but there won’t be any terrifying photos today.

Read Also: Ready for a Dog? What Breed?

Dalmatian

Origin: Croatia, Middle Ages
Weight: 40-70 lbs
Height: 20-24 inches

Dalmatians are active and energetic dogs, and love to be outdoors. They are very playful and love running.

There’s still no definite info about what this breed was originally bred for. What is known is that it is the oldest spotted breed in Europe, Asia and Africa. They were serving as warriors, hunters, and shepherds long before finally becoming the symbol of the US fireman.

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Boxer

Origin: Germany, 1850s
Weight: 50-64 lbs
Height: 20-25 inches

The boxer is a very strong “square” dog. Boxers love to walk, but the owner should never forget the leash. It’s also better to refrain from aggressive games. Still, boxers recognize all members of the family and can play well with the children.

The boxer breed has its origins in feudal Germany and dates back to the line of bulldogs that existed in Europe in the 16th century. These ancestors lived for hunting wild boars and other big wild animals. The first puppy in the new breed received the name “Box”. Boxer’s qualities, such as their strength, were highly valued by farmers and shopkeepers.

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Presa Canario

Origin: Canary Islands, Africa, 18th century
Weight: 100-125 lbs
Height: 25-26 inches

The Presa Canario hails from the Canary Islands. Dogs of this breed had two jobs: Hunting – and war. During the 18th century, English traders and merchants came to the Canary Islands, bringing with them their working and gladiator dogs, notably the Mastiff of England and the bulldog. Englishmen also brought with them their traditions of pit fighting for which their breeds and the island dogs were inevitably mixed and eventually bred to produce the ultimate fighter. Nowadays the breed finds use in guarding, handling, and driving cattle.

The dogs of this breed can be gentle and noble with their families, showing great affection to their owners, but are highly suspicious of strangers.

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Saint Bernard

Origin: Switzerland, Middle Ages
Weight: 110-180 lbs
Height: 24-29 inches

Saint Bernards are amazingly big and easygoing dogs, but due to their impressive size they can look a bit awkward. They are quiet and peaceful, love children, and are not inclined to active and rapid games. A Saint Bernard will need all of your attention, so if you spend days in the office, this dog is not for you. They are tremendously strong and, of course, they require a good bit of space.

Most likely, the ancestor of the Saint Bernard was the Alpine Mastiff, a pretty aggressive breed. The original Saint Bernards were working dogs and scouts. They were also much calmer than their Mastiff ancestors. For that reason, they make for excellent home companions today.

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Great Dane

Origin: Germany, Middle Ages to 19th century
Weight: 90-120 lbs
Height: 27-32 inches

Great Danes are beautiful and majestic animals, with a gentle and loving nature. They love to play with children and participate in all family events and activities, especially in the outdoors. They are happy to go for a walk and don’t mind the company of other dogs. Despite their gigantic size, Great Danes can even feel quite at home in a city.

In the Middle Ages, these dogs earned their living in dog fighting and by hunting big mammals.

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Chow Chow

Origin: China, Antiquity
Weight: 40-65 lbs
Height: 18-22 inches

The chow chow is an independent dog often focused only on its own needs. Chow chows need constant physical activity and communication, even if they don’t seem to like being disturbed much.

The chow chow’s original purposes were hunting and helping shepherds.

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Doberman Pinscher

Origin: Germany, 19th century
Weight: 65-90 lbs
Height: 26-28 inches

Doberman Pinschers (often just called Dobermans) are dogs whose traits emphasize protecting and defending instincts. It is important to avoid any type of aggressive play and struggle with these dogs. Instead, use the games to develop the Doberman’s intelligence. Even though they aren’t small dogs, Dobermans can adapt to life in a city and become a perfect companion for an experienced, physically active owner.

This breed has its roots in in Germany. The breeder Louis Doberman decided to combine the qualities of guard dogs and and the terrier. Luis was a policeman, and so saw the need for a dog that would devotedly defend its owner.

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Alaskan Malamute

Origin: North America, Ancient times
Weight: 80-110 lbs
Height: 23-28 inches

The Malamute is a friendly dog, but it has rather an independent temper. It’s better to keep this dog in a village, far from the city. Sometimes violent and energetic, they constantly need to move or play.

Note that Malamutes are a working dog breed from a colder climate.  So, if you don’t live in the deep north, make your Malamute a nice playground. That’s because they are always in need of physical activity.

The name of the breed comes from a local North American tribe. They used the Malamute to transport goods on a sleigh.

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Husky

Origin: Siberia, Ancient times
Weight: 35-55 lbs
Height: 20-24 inches

Training a Husky is not that easy. For these reasons, breeder don’t recommend this dog for beginning owners. Initially, these dogs transported goods on a sleigh. Not afraid of cold weather, they’re very active and loving dogs. Huskies love to get together with other members of their breed and howl at the moon.

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German Shepherd

Origin: Germany, 19th century
Weight: 70-85 lbs
Height: 22-26 inches

German Shepherds are very beautiful dogs, distinguished from other breeds by their reliable and obedient temper. They are in need of constant and serious physical activity though, and they seem to  prefer long walks and active games.

Originally (as obvious from the name), the dogs guarded grazing sheep. They are great home guards and often participate in programs for the disabled.

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Rottweiler

Origin: Germany, 1820s
Weight: 85-110 lbs
Height: 23-27 inches

Rottweilers are powerful dogs with strong jaws, primarily meant to protect. Their original breeders selected those traits especially for that purpose. They often don’t like strangers and other dogs — they are guards at heart, and the dog owner should always remember that.

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Pit Bull

Origin: US, 19th century
Weight: 30-55 lbs
Height: 18-22 inches

The Pit Bull is named after its original purpose: The questionable amusement of dog fighting in pits. Sad as it is, that bloody tradition has survived in places, and Pit Bulls still have to take their part in it.

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Photos source: Flickr

American Bulldog

Origin: Southern U.S., 17th century
Weight: 60-120 lbs
Height: 20-28 inches

The American Bulldog is descended from the now-extinct Old English Bulldog, which was bred for farm guarding, livestock herding and bringing down game, and blood sports such as bull-baiting.

Today’s American Bulldog arose from any such dogs brought to America by working-class immigrants, many of them former farmers. In the South, these dogs were an important line of defense against feral hogs.

By the time of World War II, the American Bulldog almost went extinct, but was saved through selective breeding. 

These dogs are large, heavy, and have powerful jaws with a typical overbite. They were bred for aggression and protection instincts. While they are suspicious of strangers, they are also very loyal and family-friendly. However, they need lots of space and attention. 

Bullmastiff

Origin: England, 19th century
Weight: 100-130 lbs
Height: 24-27 inches

Bred around 1860 by English gamekeepers, the Bullmastiff’s job was to guard game preserves. They caught poachers, holding them until they could be arrested. They emerged from a cross of the large but non-aggressive Mastiff with the aggressive but smaller, lighter Bulldog. 

Starting in the 20th century, they became a distinctive breed. 

Today, Bullmastiffs are typical watch and guard dogs. They are fiercely loyal and love their families, but they have an extremely strong territorial instinct, and can be stand-offish towards strangers. When they’re properly trained, Bullmastiffs are also frequently used as gentle therapy dogs. 

They are easy to groom, doesn’t shed, but are very prone to drooling. Bullmastiffs generally don’t need too much attention or movement. 

Note that this dog was bred to be very quiet, so it won’t audibly warn when it’s startled or otherwise in a bad temper. In combination with their strengths, this makes Bullmastiffs one of the potentially most dangerous dogs.

Note: This post was originally published on April 1, 2009. It has since been updated with a new introduction and further background on the history of dangerous dogs.

Join the discussion

1,044 comments
    • Yep, that’s a strong dog and can get aggressive, and it also resembles some of the dogs listed in the post. Good addition, thanks.

        • Hello there, i have to say that some of these dogs are not dangerous, i strongly believe that you can change a dog from young, i agree it’s in there breed too, but still we can make a difference. It’s the owners fault for not realizing that they should of trained it in the first place, we are teaching our dogs things every day, we have to be more careful… the message i’m trying to put out is, its not our dogs fault its our fault for teaching it these things they learn from us!!! i also strongly believe that your must NOT ever HIT A DOG…. be calm and assertive, ceaser millan said that we will follow on.

          • This list is not fully accurate. check out the ATTS website. I have been around many of these breeds fro 40+ years and I have seen an agressive dog from just about every breed. You can generalize to a point but to include Great Danes and St. Bernards is adding false information. In general they are gentle giants. Especially the danes. I have raised and rescued many of this breed and even the rescues that have come from the meanest of situations showed nothing but love and gentleness.

          • I find it hard to believe someone who can’t distinguish the usage of “their” and “there”. Uneducated people need to be silenced. I actually agree with what you are saying 100% but when I see that you don’t even know the English language (“i also strongly believe that YOUR must NOT ever HIT A DOG”) it makes you sound silly and uneducated. Go back to the ghetto.

          • James Boxton is an English language Nazi who should not be allowed to comment on the Internet. I hope you are aware that some people like to loosen THEIR written English when posting comments on the Internet. Here is a little something for you:
            i hope u dont comment on each nd evry post tht doesnt tickle ur fancies coz id be sure that u’ll b doing it for the rest of ur life and i think it is there (<- see wat i did here) business nd not urs

          • Hey James: You have poor punctuation skills.

            *the usage of “their” and “there”.*

            The end quote must always go after the punctuation at the end of a sentence.

            Learn (and practice!) this simple rule before you embarrass yourself on the internet yet again.

          • Sorry Shelby, there’s a difference between American usage and British usage of quotation marks regarding the final punctuation.

        • there not the most Dangerous dogs they can if no one treats the dog properly it’s not the dogs falt itt’s the owners falt any dog can be the dangerous dog it all depends on the owner

          • HAHAHA! You don’t know when to use “there” or “they’re”??!! Hopefully you are still i n grade school. Then I can understand your lack of grammar skills. In reading your jibberish answer, I can’t make out what you are saying. Must be embarrassing..someone with an education can’t understand what you are saying “(

          • @James Dad & @Hannah, I completely agree to you guys.

            And I would also like to say that, v shud even try to keep a “JAMES BOXTON” breed as a pet. You know why, its because of their words they are soo sharp around. and dumb enough to keep looking for th things we once say, blindlyy following its own command which was once given to it.

            I am gonna order one of the breed JAMES BOXTON right away. hahahahahahaha.. And will be waiting for “there” response.. LMAO…

        • Your are an idiot. Saint bernards typically weigh from 150-210 from the one my friend ahs been rasing for 23 years. the msot dangerous dog would be a mastiff breed or molosser type do your hsitory and great danes go from 150-190 and they are very agressive if not trained correctly.

          • there is also the canary dog, which was breed for aggression. they used to call them assassin dogs

          • Wow, you’re aggressive. Lots of unkindness on this message board. I don’t think it’s aggressive dogs we have to worry about……

          • James Boxton, if you want to talk about grammar mistakes, then do not make any yourself! You forgot a few periods at the end of different sentences that you wrote. So James, don’t be an ass. If you want to discuss spelling, and grammar, find a different website. And while you are at it, suck stale fart out of a dead seagull! And be a jerk somewhere else! No one likes a cyberbully. (<look who remembered a period at the end of the sentence.)

          • recently I have seen more and more people try to show how superior they are by degrading others…yes we type mistakes, do we care? NO! It is a small minded person who feels s/he has to troll through sites for spelling, vocabulary mistakes….and it has nothing to do with the subject spoken about..These sites are to share information not degrade and be rude to others who post! Many people type in a hurry, many have health problems and do the best they can, and many just could care less!! not here to impress you with my grammar or spelling knowledge which I know is atrocious at times but you can read the contents and get what I say …..Ugly minded people are best ignored …..they want to stir things up and are just obnoxious!
            As to the subject, any dog can be vicious if treated badly or taught to fight, Although I believe many breeds are bred especially for their fighting abilities….I too find it hard to believe Great Danes, Saint Bernard and some others especially the Boxer who are big puppies most of their lives, if you buy from a reputable dealer, see both parents and so on, Boxers are great family pets….But they have been interbred with more vicious dogs to make the Pitbull!….The Pitbull is bot a breed …it is a mix of the Stafordshire bull terrier, these dogs are one master dogs! lock on bite and never let go, very territorial to their family and will attack! English Bull dog though not as vicious, have the right build breeders want, are also in the mix, and then add Doberman and Rottweilers and you have the perfect fighting dog….We must remember that all dog breeds were used as working dogs centuries ago, so sometime no amount of training will stop the animals natural instincts …All breeds can be vicious if treated poorly…And never ever let children annoy them pull hair and so on, might be cute! but so unfair to the animal!! and you have to teach children how to respect and care for animals, soon enough the dog will be wanting to play with them, but it has to their choice, not your rambunctious 2yr old pulling him by his leg ! I love all dogs! but am wary, even afraid of many….

          • Mastiffs r the most gentle breeds. Any and all breeders and websites will tell u the same. U never hear about mastiffs attacking people or other animals. They r known as the babysitter breed. They r too lazy to actually put out the effort…..lol!!

          • I own a 3-year old pitbull and she is an absolute sweetheart. We rescued her at 4 months (she was previously abused). She LOVES kids, is very gentle even when playing, listens great and plays well with other dogs. They’re only dangerous if you abuse them…..just like any other breed. Any pit owner needs to know how to properly handle their 4-legged friend and know when somebody should not be holding them. There was a good chance that she was not paying attention to him and noticing that he saw something. Always be aware of your pet and surroundings.

          • Lexi, what have YOU been teaching your Pit Bull? They are NOT naturally agressive!! What was your mother doing to make the dog pull her off her seat? I hope you didn’t hit the dog! That’s called ABUSE and it was probably doing something you considered “cute” when it was a puppy and failed to train him not to do that.

          • thats just a idoit to let a dog do that. if my dogs did that they know they would get popped hard on the nose. even thought i had a pit mix he was as sweet as sugar his name was puddles. he was so sweet.

          • Just one more this to add. James Boxton, we are talking about dogs, not grammar!

          • Just like any other breed or animal its about the training that they are given. I have been around Pitbulls my entire life and the only ones I have ever come across that dd things like that were the ones that were not trained or given attention. By pulling your mom off of a seat shows that you dog is in need of attention and hasnt had proper training between right and wrong. Any dog that isnt given any amount of traing is subject to do things like that not any specific breed.

          • There is no such thing as lock jaw…..pitts just have bigger jaw muscles. Rottweilers actually have the strongest bite and PSI [pressure per square inch] than anyother breed. Even larger breeds. Pitts r definently strong too!!

        • You are speaking nonsense. Ankle biters bite frequently, but really harm few. These breeds are big and have the capability to seriously injure or kill a person and some of them do. It is a mistake to assert that it is always the owners fault when a dog attacks. Some dogs are trained well and do not have any incidences with anyone until that one guy or kid that is threatening in some way we cannot know. Most people who sit here and try and refute the facts and statistics are owners of these breeds and have never had any issues and thank God for that. But are you gonna argue with the parents of a mauled kid? You gonna look them in the eye and tell them it was their fault that dog ate their kid. I lost 3 fingers to a pit bull that was raised without abuse or neglect. The dog didn’t know me. I came into it’s house, invited by the owner. The dog immediately went for my hand and as you know, removing your hand from the jaws of a pit usually ends in removal of the hand.

          • that mauled kid should have been supervised and yes i would argue with its parents. dogs attack when they fill threatend. if the kid was supervised then they could have prevented the threat. and you are only saying this because you have benn attacked by a threatend dog. your fault for intrudding

          • Ankle biters may not harm much, but look what they have to work with. If you look at a Chihuahua vs a Pitbull, a chihuahua actually has a worse attitude than a pit does and is probably more likely to bite. But, nobody cares about that because they can’t inflict much pain due to their small size. Toy and small breeds tend to have horrible temperaments….and never know when to shut up.

          • Large breeds can be more dangerous. However, I have experience with large and small breeds. Small breeds tend to be more dangerous with children. The small breeds (40lbs or less) tend to be fear biters. Medium size breeds (like German Shepherds) also will tend to be more aggressive. Large or giant breeds are typically gentle. The larger breeds are more confident when raised correctly. I have had the honor of living with giants and tiny breeds. It was much easier to train a Caucasian Ovcharka than a Pomeranian. I think it came down to the fact that the Caucasian was not intimidated by me. They knew what I wanted without my saying. The Pomeranians, had to be essentially told what to do and are often a little skiddish. Yes, I have told a parent or two that their beloved brat was at fault. I have even had the police department and courts tell parents that the child provoked the attack. I’ve had my insurance polocies cancelled but luckily, I can afford attornies.

          • Zombie, please don’t blame the dog for what happened! Why did your “friend” allow the dog to greet you at the door in the first place, if he knew the dog was aggressive? Blame your friend, NOT the dog! And if you’re going to blame the dog, then blame the individual animal and not the BREED! There will always be agressive dogs in EVERY breed, but it’s up to the owner(s) to restrain the animal when iniviting someone over. If your “friend” knew his Pit was stranger agressive, he should have put him in another room before answering the door.

          • helaina, you have lost your mind. Only a fool would argue something so stupid with the parent of a child who has been mauled by a dog. I have not been attacked by a dog like that but I completely agree with zombie. Let a dog attack one of my kids for being a KID and it will no longer be a “threatened” dog but a DEAD dog. PLEASE, stick with your animals and do not reproduce.

          • tell the 25 people pit bulls have killed in the last two years in america alone. including 13 children under the age of 9 and their families why you had to have a dog created for fighting. and how when it did what it was created to do it was their fault. tell the mothers their children are dead cause you are too cool for a corgi and wanted to make a statement by showing the world pitbulls can be nice. and yes aggression is in their nature it is just capable of being suppressed using socialization methods

          • nope not true removing the grip of a pitbull’s jaws is as easy as removing the grip of a chihuahua’s jaws you should look it up chihuahuas and german shepherds have the highest bite rate in all of the u.s people(mainly the government) use german shepherds as attack dogs and mostly they dont could the attacks because they dont want a bad name on the breed so people need to stop putting bad names on the american pitbull terrier

          • And that is the fault of the owner if you never been around the dog the owner should have known better than to just let you walk in. You were a trespasser on the dogs territory making you a threat to his family. Statistics that are given about Pitbull attacks are incriminating and inacurate. There have been attemps at full statistics done my the CDC and a few other government funded studies done with all of them having them final statement that they are inaccurate and unrepetable. Facts in many attacks are distorted and when they looked into it further the breed that was accused, in most cases being a Pitbull, came out not being what was reported but another breed all together in most cases. Im sorry that something like that has happened to you and for the families that have suffered because of something like that but the facts are that the only time its broadcast and made a point of is if it is a pittbull not other breeds. Where Im from I know of someone being attacked and there have been cases were there was someone killed by dogs and it never makes the news because it was not a Pitbull so it wasnt as important.

          • some breeds almost become possessed at one point and could kill or seriously injure there owners. I had a pitbull that graduated from dog obedience and seriously injured my dad the second he came in the house from work. Also we got him only at 8 weeks old and was going to become a police dog so he was never abused. Then i got a german shepherd the best dog of all. so we still have him and are breeding them./ They are SO nice

        • i am with you brother, i have seen bully killing a pit bull in 1 min flat. no one can mess with bully.

          • Wow! What a cool ghetto dweller you must be! You saw one dog killing another! Man, I am glad that I have money, make a good living and I don’t have to be associated with minority sub-humans like you that view animal cruelty as entertainment. Know this: I am sitting in a nice house in the suburbs with not a care in the world and you are struggling to make ends meet while you have to resort to torture for entertainment. I win (and am looked at as superior in society). Dirtbag

        • you havent got a clue kid, Pitbull is the best fighting dog and always will be, all these wanna be pitbull breads n dogs that are like 8ft tall….dont mean shit. pitbull would kill off any dog 1v1 standard.

          • Pitbull is like a puppy for bully kutta you retard. The only reason pitbull are considered fierce is because of popularity. I can bet a billion on bully, ’cause I’ve seen how much it is capable of when it comes to a dogfight or guarding it’s owner. Also they are very easily trained.

          • actually dogs whom are part wolf such as huskies and malamutes in a 1v1 would kill off any pitbull as their extremely thick fur protects them from all dog attacks, they are naturally very active and extremely strong physically and are by far the most aggressive if not trained properly.

          • pit bull or bully nothing stands a chance near the great TURKISH KANGALDOG. may be a dog which may prove to be a competent rival is the great CAUCASIAN OVTCHARKA.

          • In your dreams, I have a german shepherd girl and there was a stray pitbull wearing a huge chain which usually isnt a good sign and guess what all she did was bark lunge and growl and it came closer then she tried to snap and it growled but ran off. . But i still love pitbulls! But even tho i do they arent the strongest dog in the world according to my proffesional attack trainer here

          • For those of us who are educated, employed and don’t live in the ghetto, we don’t care what the best “fighting dog” would be. We give our dogs great lives while you minorities torture yours. You are savages

          • Apparently you have never witnessed a Caucasian Ovcharka, Sivas Kangal, Tibetan Mastiff, or the like when in battle. Pitbulls while strong and aggressive, stand no chance against dogs bred to kill large predators. These dogs are bred to kill wolves, bear, and large cats such as tigers. I admire the Pitbull for what it is, a small to medium size breed that can hold it’s own with medium size breeds, even some large breeds. However, you cannot compare a Pitbull with several of the large livestock guardian breeds. Pitbulls have been bred to fight other dogs while livestock guard breeds have been bred to fight and kill any threat to their property, people, or livestock.

          • Do any of you know what a pitbull was actually bred to do?
            Did any of you actually know staffordshires were dog bred to fight beside early warriors in battle? Or that they were bred to hunt bulls? Of course not because its always size that matters to these “professionals” but bully kuttas and kurdish kangal are definatly strong dogs believe me because I’ve worked with my parent around rescues and fighting dogs but if a bully came around a pitbulls owner and got a little to close a pit it would do more damage to a bully. They are faster and have a harder bite. I dont care what anybody replies about “oooh yeah man my bully would totally beat up your dog” but in reality you’ve never handled one. I’m 15 and worked with more dogs then most people here and i can tell you its not the breed it’s the dog. I myself have a rescue named bently, he is a black lab and no matter what dog and no matter how big he will protect me. Kangals are a different story kangals will forever be the scarriest dogs, my parents have rescued a fighter kangal and it tries to fight its reflection in the mirror. In my book best guard dog is and always will be a Rottie. Dog would take a bullet for you anyday and are very good with kids.

          • PLEASE STOP PERPETUATING (?) THE MYTH THAT PIT BULLS ARE BRED FOR FIGHTING! It’s people like YOU that have encouraged society to have such an ugly view of these dogs! STOP IT!! It’s CRUEL and AGAINST THE LAW!! I pray you don’t own ANY Pit Bulls because you come off as a very cruel, self-centered, money hungry person. If you DO own a Pit Bull, I pray for the life of that poor animal. To you, it’s a tool to make money off of. To you, that dog has no heart, no blood, NOTHING! If you had a child and you could make money off that child, you’d most likely teach that child to be mean & hateful. I feel badly for people like you, Conor, because you seem to have no heart or soul. Anyone who would use an amimal for fighting to make $$$ is inhumane in my estimation. God help you, because the Pit Bull breed is HIS creation & people like you are taking a very sweet and loving animal and turning it into a MONSTER!

          • Harshvardhan, Bull Terriers are easy to train? You have got to be joking (then again, sadly, perhaps you are not). I have had several in my obedience class and have seen, first hand, their lack of understanding of basic commands time and time again. They have a VERY short attention span, making them difficult to train in obedience. A scientific ranking of various dog breeds by intelligence ranks the “bulliy” 66th in intelligence out of 79 canine (another term for dog) breeds. Look up S. Coren, author of “The Intelligence of Dogs” and see the rankings for yourself. Maybe you are confusing aggression “training” and the responsiveness of the “Bully” to this type of “training” with its innate intelligence? You do sound like you are easily confused.

          • @ James Braxton no you dont look superior you look just as ignorant as the person that is bragging about the fact that they have seen one dog kill another to brag about what you have doesnt make you better than anyone else it just shows your stupidity, ignorance, and how closed minded you are or maybe even your age because someone who actually worked for what they have doesnt brag about how much better they are than another person.

            Also @ Rook you should also no your history before jumping the gun Pitbulls were breed as Hunting dogs. They were mixed with various breeds to get the different abilities so that in packs of 3 or 4 they were able to take down Big Game animals such as bears and Ox and Bison. In the 1800’s the outlawed the use of dogs to take down big game which then theyu just became protectors of the family and it took one person that came up with the idea to use their abilities in a different way by fighting them. The Pitbull Terrier was actually one of the most popular dogs because because they were the families hunters and protectors and then man turned their backs on them because once dog fighting was banned it became underground which has created todays hype and disalusion of the breed.

          • It is very dangerous, was breed in Caucasian Mountains for protecting life stoke. Some exemplars weigh more than 200 lb. Good for farms with large land. It is very active dog, needs a lot of space, barks a lot. Not a good dog to keep in you apartment. Good with family members, but will not respect neighbors or family friends. Needs to be socialized with other dogs from young age, otherwise will try to dominate and subdue them. The best dog for protecting your farm and domestic animals that it will accept as family members. It is not shy, very aggressive, does not feel pain much, will fight to the death to protect your house and your family. These dogs are known to kill wolves, sometime more that one at the time.

          • Own three at my country house, definitely would not recommend it for any purpose other than a guard dog. Vicious to anyone, but the family. Were bred to hunt bears and are naturally aggressive. Unlike most breeds that require proper training to be guard dogs they have that instinct since birth.

        • Totally disagree. Pitbulls are NOT the most dangerous dog. Golder Retrievers are the most aggressive. Pitbulls are number 5 on the list

        • personally cant believe danes have been listed but kangals,akitas, fila brazilieros and japanese tossas have not . maybe before stating so called facts on dog breeds maybe a bit of reading would be helpfull . and why is there a picture of a staffy for a pittbull ??????????

          • yea like the fact that pit bulls were originally breed to catch rats in England bet nobody really knew that on huh

        • just spent an hour or so reading about the bully . the dog is a maniac its deffinately up there with the japanese tossa . anyone thinking the pitt is the most dangerous dog are complete morons . there are dogs out there that would you pitts as tooth picks

          • If you think the Japanese tosa, is a big dog, you should check out the Korean mastiff. It’s huge!

        • YES, AND ADD THE KANGAL, CAUCASIAN OVTCHARKA, KOOCHE AND FILA BRASILEIRO – ALL OF WHICH MAKE THE ORIGINAL LIST LOOK LIKE PUSSYCATS. AND IF YOU WANT THE DOG THAT HAS BITTEN THE MOST PEOPLE, I’D PUT MY MONEY ON THE BLOODY AUSTRALIAN CATTLE DOG FROM MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.
          MAKES YOU WONDER ABOUT SOME PEOPLE WHO MAKE UP LISTS AND WHETHER THEY HAVE ANY CLUE ABOUT DOGS.

        • Well I have been around a lot of dogs in my life, and the most vicious are those little Taco Bell dogs!! mean as heck! would never get one! very loyal to owners ,, my friends used to hide under couch and snap at your heels! obnoxious little thing! He only had 1 tooth left but his gums were hard!! Another is those tiny poodles rotten little spoiled rats!! and I know it is owners who spoil them rotten, but many people spoil their dog rotten …and they don’t attack for no reason!

        • true i own a gultair and guldong mix he is pure white he is only 2 and a half months but his aggression is on a different level

        • it says that pitbulls are the most dangerous dogs in the world but thats the not the dogs fault yes pitbulls are fighting dogs but they dont have to be if you bring them up right from a puppy then they ont be dangerous dog and they wont be banned from england so hat im trying to say is bring them up to be lovley dogs because i know they can be

        • I think you never heard aboeut mongolian mastiff used from genggis khans time in battles for hunting for humans bears syberian snow tigers veeeety large dog height around 1,2m and still you can find in mongolian countryside

      • My 7 year old Boerboel “Daisy” is so gentle, why would you consider this a dangerous breed? You’re confusing dangerous with protective!

      • Hello Anastasia;
        I am looking for a breeder of Esther Dobermans and I believe he has his Kennel in Germany. His name is Willis Romanow, are you aware of such a breeder?

      • Hi Anastasia, we have an rottie that look just the same as the photo of the one lying, its the best dog we ever had and I simply wanted to know which tipe of rottweiler that is?

      • I have to disagree with everything you’ve posted above in terms of the dogs listed, I am definitely not suggesting these AREN’T powerful dogs; and I agree that dogs don’t usually attack without a warning and most of those warnings are ignored by little children who do not understand the strength of any dog. However, all dogs are capable of harm, you also missed out the Japanese Akita, I have heard a lot more stories about Akita’s harming people/kids than A Rottweiler. I put inexperienced owners down to this.
        Sorry if you find my post biased or anything, I do own a Rottweiler myself; and I am a child so of course I am going to be slightly biased about Rottie’s placing 2nd on the list.

      • Most of these dogs arent dangerous at all, this needs to be updated and the name does not go with the article, SORRY

      • I beg to differ from your No. 1, I own a American Pit Bull Terrier and he is the MOST loving dog I have ever seen. He is just as loving as any other dog. People only Think they know a Pit Bull by what others do to them, but I say own a Pit Bull First before you judge them. Any dog will be danegerous if YOU as owner raise them to be dangerous.

        • why does your dog being nice have anything to do with the breed they kill people pits have 25 kills in the last two years in america alone

          • If you actually look at statistics that number is completely inaccurate the CDC doesnt even stand behind those numbers because reports that have been taken in alot of cases they automatically stereotype the dog as a pittbull and in a few cases they dogs stated to be a ptibull had no attributes or caricteristics of one. Also I believe there are 3 cases alone were children were on the receiving end of an attack were it is stated in the headlines that the family pitbull did it and if you actually do some digging it wasnt the pitbull, Which is included in the statistics, but actually the family Ferrett.

          • hmm well most people i see that hav pits are either crack heads, gangster wanna be, people with lots of tatts and probably really small u know wutz so guess wut thats a recipe of disaster idiots with strong dogs what else can the dog learn?? u giv these people say boxers or germ sheps or any other strong dog this will be the same thing…………….. pits are sadly givin to rejects and end up doin bad things cuz they were abused in many ways mostly treated like crap poor little pits they r wonderfull petz

        • You cant own “A” pit and know enough to judge the breed. Many lines of pits have aggression bred out of them but they are naturally more dangerous than many other breeds They are known for their strength and strong bite. They are used in hog hunting as catch dogs because of their lack of fear and willingness to bite and hold on till the hog can be caught by hand. The dog breeds used to find the hogs are typically too timid to catch a hog by themselves but pits rarely think twice about taking on a hog 3 times their size. You can take just about any ole pit from the pound or any of your ‘gentle’ family pet pits and make a catch dog out of it with little trouble. This isn’t so with the majority of other breeds. They have little to no fear. That is why they are dangerous. Also unfortunately the pitbull is very popular with dog fighting. While many lines of pits have been intentionally breed to have low aggression, many other lines are bred to have super aggression.
          My dog is a pit mix. He is a very loving dog to me and my wife as well as anyone I welcome onto our property but I have to watch him carefully around other dogs, mainly alpha males. He just can’t help himself. Believe me he knows I don’t approve but it is in his breeding.

      • sorry casey but pittbulls have always been bred for fighting hence the name they have always had pittbulls. to fight in the pitt . and i think you will find staffys were bred for badgor baiting . and the breed is not old enough to fight with early warriors lol . dogs like the akita irish wolf hounds great danes and chow chows have been used in war as these breeds are as old as the hills and unlike your bullterrier breeds have high enough intelligence .

      • i have a labrador but i want to agracive doges han i sugges root rottweiler for security & guard in my shop can u tell me that my good sugasation

        • A Pitbull is a Pitbull
          I love my Pitbull and we walk 10km a
          day but he is what he is… If you love your
          Dog like I do you need to have him or her muzzle
          all time . Because it would kill me inside if I had
          to put him down because of something that he did.
          LOVE YOUR PITBULL PLZ

      • Why would you list a St. Bernard, this breed is one of the most loving, docile breed you can buy!
        They are like big loving cuddly teddy bears..their ancestry doesn’t make them aggressive. They were bread to be work dogs and rescue. I have NEVER met a St. Bernard that was even the least bit mean or aggressive. Even in your description of them it says; peaceful, good with children, easy going, and quiet. Also I’ve never met a Great Dane that was mean either…they are gentle giants.

      • If you are going to include Alaskan malamutes and husky’s, then you should add the wolf hybrid. Owning a wold dog is not like owning any other dog, you have to think of it as a wolf, rather than a dog. If someone does not know how to handle the breed they can become aggressive. They also tend to be overly dominant with other dogs.

        • Also..a wolf has the strength of 10 dogs, when say wolf, I am including the wolf hybrid dog. They are huge and very powerful. They can and if provoked will take on and kill any dog that they do not like. My father had a wolf dog when he was growing up, they are good with the family but very wary of strangers. His dog was always getting into fights, and easily took down any dog that was dumb enough to challenge him. Including Rottweilers and Pitbulls.

          • lol maybe they were malnutritioned rotts and germs…….. just because one pit or wolf or dogo or wut evr doesnt mean that this dog can kill the entire race of that breed i have a 160 pound rott and once loose at the park a so called wolf hybrid beautiful dog got aggresive and went for my dogs neck 20 seconds later 15 people were hitting my dog with bats and broomsticks to get it off once he let go the wolfs leg was nearly severed had to be takin to animal hospital but im not gonna say just because this one incedent that rotts r the toughest dogs in the world and can kill all wolfs im sure there is a wolf out there that could do damage to him…. as well as pits ive seen really weak ones that i could slap around if i needed then ive seen ones that i wouldnt go around agn it doesnt mean all pits can kill evry dog all these breeds r tough and which evr breed there may b some that excell others within there own breed. bottom line most of these dogs u r talking about on this site are very tough dogs and u cant say one is tougher then the other it all depends on the dog,

      • I really wish people like you could get there facts straight before posting stuff like this. Its people like you that give these dogs bad names. If you want to post stuff like this put there owners up, because they are the problem not the dogs…. Do a little more research next time and you will learn a few things ie….Pit Bulls were not bread for fighting. They have no proven record of when the breed came around. They just have an approx time frame and they were used for taking down bulls, then used in protection of tribe invasions,baiting, then brought to America and that where the problem began. Also look up the definition of dangerous..the only thing you are correct is part of that definition “able” and yes any animal is ABLE to harm someone. In conclusion i think you are dangerous in giving these loving animals a bad name. just my 2 cents.

    • as a owner of now my second st bernard
      i dont know why you would say that they are dangerous
      more teddy bears than dangerous

        • I have what is referred to as a ”Gator Mouth” pit bull. I have never owned a more gentle or loving dog.Dogs are not bad unless they are made that way.The bpeople who fight and abuse dogs …well I would like to put them in a pitt with the animals they have trained.(but first they need their caritid severed)the only time my dog was ever aggresive was a time when my life was in danger

          • Kim…I agree…well said. I own a lab/pit mix-from a rescue shelter. We have been fortunate to have owned another rescue dog-shepherd/lab mix and a purebred-beagle. They were wonderful family members. But my current dog-the lab/pit is the most affectionate, loving, funny and gentle and absolutely beautiful and fyi Conan has been very easy to train! She is intelligent and picks up on new commands quickly. It is the fault of so called human beings who turn these dogs into fighters-pits are so loyal to their masters-they are attempting to please these horrid people. At one time, in England, they were called nanny dogs, as parents used them to watch over their children. Finally, Conan, this is a forum to discuss breeds, not to correct and insults others if their spelling or grammar is not perfect! I guess we all cannot be as well educated (I did not say intelligent) as you. Stick to the topic.

    • The title Dangerous Dog suits to many, Borboel is one which is missing from list.

      but except Chow Chow none must be called Aggressive Dogs :-p

      the smaller breed ones are more aggressive, and tend to bite and bark at other dogs and humans.

      Yes what makes diff. is the list above (incl. borboel) they attacks are Fatal.

      Especially Rotty and Pitbull. They are sweet lovely ones, but when provoked they can attack which can be fatal.

      • While some smaller dog breeds tend to be more aggressive, the article is about dangerous dogs. Although small breeds may be more aggressive, they are not as dangerous as say, an aggressive pit bull, because they lack the size and strength do major, life altering damage.

        • Thats bull crap about Pitbulls. My brother rescuses and reahabilates Pit Bulls that PEOPLE have abused. They are very loving and loyal and kind dogs. They are great with kids and love to please they’re owners. You need to get your facts straight before you start talking bad about a breed of dog you know nothing about. Alot of these dogs on this list wouldn’t hurt a fly. And just because they’re big enough to cause damage to a person it’s more likely that your gonna be attacked by a small dog then a large one. Get your facts straight before you start giving dogs a bad reputation like so many have already done with the Pit Bulls. Judge the Deed NOT The Breed!!!

          • I love the last part of your comment. Judge the deed not the breed!! The list of breeds on here confused the crap outa me???? But when I looked back I seen it says LEAST DANGEROUS which makes more sense to me but is still really wrong!! I’ve seen more dalmatian’s bite and turn on their owners then any of the other breeds on this list. So regardless of the way this list is supposed to be it is still false information.

          • The list is perfect. it is based on the number of fatalities caused by these dogs in the past.

          • Then, could you please explain to me how “very loving and loyal and kind dogs”, such as a Pit Bulls, just so happen to be banned from breeding in Ontario, are required to be muzzled in public, and must be sterilized?

          • I agree with you on this just to the simple fact that I own a rednose pitbull and a rottweiler. They get along great with my wife and daughter and yes they are protective. I also believethe reason why all the dogs mention get a bad rep is cause of dumb owners. All it takes is tlc(tender, love and care)

          • that is so right i have 2 pitbulls,2german shepherd,2 rotties and 2 bullmastif they saved my life.i was being attacked by a grizzly bear 4 of my dogs died saving my life.1 of my german shepherds died,Roxy she had a broken back.my rottie Lucky i put down because he had brain damage.and my 2 bullmastifs R-kie and AJ R-kiis was killed, is 4 legs were broken and so were is ribs he and Roxy were the first to attack AJ was eaten all that was left was his head and his 4 legs. the my other dog were hurt nu not bad.But the point is dont say crap about a dog cause no dog are dangerous it is what people make them.Ohya and all of my dogs were abused so it dose not matter if they were abused or not no dog should be abused or dangerous so don’t abuse dogs

          • They seem to just be nasty dogs but I supose not all of them are nasty.My friend has a rottie and even though they seem to be overlooked as vicous she is a lovely dog. But still I think that is a lie, I do not think they are great with kids.

          • GN, the key word in your posting is “provoked!” ANY dog would attack when provoked! It’s a defense mechanism! But it seems the Pit Bull is blamed for something that it did not instigate! Again, key word here being “provoked!”

          • It’s the bad owners that make the dogs dangerous not the dog. I have an 8yr old Red nose pit bull that we have had was since he was a pup. He has been the best dog I have ever had. I have 3 special needs children and would never trust a dog more around them then him. He has been our best friend our companion for the past 8yrs. He is going to be an impossible dog to ever replace. So before all you big mouthed ppl say anything about the breed take into consideration who the owners are. dogs are a product of there enviroment just like ppl are!!!!!

        • I think these lists should be labelled a little clearer than “most dangerous” How about dogs capable of inflicting the most damage if left in the hands of irresponsible owners?

          • i agree with u no dogs a dangerous it is what people mack them i have 1 german shepherd,1 pitbull and 1 rottie and they r so nice and loyal they save my life.

      • Why stand up for a Rotty and Pit, but discriminate against a Chow? We have a Chow Chow and she doesn’t have an aggressive bone in her body. She loves all people, will probably lick an intruder to death. I trust her 100% around our other dogs, cats and kittens, chickens and parrots. She is a real teddy bear. It depends on how you raise them!

        • ChantalI am not just standing up for the pit and rott but all dogs. This is is not perfect it is based on some things that are and true. Just another way to give the dogs we grew up with. Also the great dane was never bred for fighting but for hunting game where did you get your information and facts from

        • wrong guys most dangerous dogs are bully kutta, afghan saga kochi, pakistani gulldong.they are not familiar in the west but soon they will arrive.

        • all dogs are great.. i was bitten by a rottie and they did not know if it had rabies. but while i was bleeding i begged my parents not to let them put it down..but now i have a rottie and i love her very much…plus our chow mix was shot,because she was part chow and our neighbers did not like her

        • Chantal, thank you for posting this! I am looking to get a chow chow puppy and have been doing lots of research on their temperament. Most of what I have been seeing is that they are a loner breed who can be very temperamental and dangerous at times which has made me wary. However I have always believed that a dog is only as loving as how you raise it and treat it. so thank you for posting this it has eased some of my worries and confirmed what I had already believed. If you have anymore info you could tell me about chow chows please let me know. Thank you very much

      • Ummmz sorry but pits arent really agresive if u raise them rite cuz i own on and i own a rotty and she is the most gentle and sweet dog ive ever had just saying.

        • i agree with all the comments about it is how the dog is raised and treated, however i do believe it is in the nature and breed of some to attack. my lab as you notice is not in the dangerous catergory, was just attacked by a Pit Bull. I believe that to be the case, the dog was not nurtured. However in the area that I live in there is a lot of that, therefore I would like to have them outlawed in our town.

          • You were attacked by a Pitt? Did you know most attacks brought on by Pitts are because of people so no u being attacked by a pitbull dose not make them a bad breed and I think it’s stupid that u want them outlawed in our town I mean I was attacked by a lab dosnt mean I want them outlawed… Just sayin o ya BLAME THE DEED NOT THE BREED BAN BSL

          • Phyllis-on one list on the net, labs were cited as being responsible for many attacks-I was surprised as I have owned lab (mixes)-gentle, sweet, loyal, but my pit/lab mix is the sweetest, most affectionate, loves everyone, etc. Read up more on pits-it is almost always the owners, who take advantage of the breeds incredible loyalty, who turn these sweet dogs into the “attackers” the media portrays-and very often it turns out they were either mixed breeds or not even pits!

      • dogs are aggressive due to the owner, we have had 3 chow chows and while they are very self absorbed, they have not been aggressive dogs and were very well mannered especially around children

    • [Insulting comments removed.]

      Rottweilers are the best dogs in the world and no other breed can be so caring and alert as Rottweilers.

      Pitbulls are clownish and will do anything for you.

      It’s all the fault of owners. They all are potential dogs with great capabilities but its the owners responsibility to train them and socialize them.

      If the owner is the pack of leader then no dog can show aggressive behavior.

      • i agree growing up we had a german rott and he was the best dog ever! he would just lay there not bark but if you came in the yard and he didnt know yu he let you know to get out!! and pits are verry frindley i have had many i curenlt have 3 it is all how they are raised my 2 year old can do anything to my dogs and they dont do nothing!!!!

      • I have to disagree with this comment. We did our very best with our doberman pinscher. We did everything right. Consulted vets and behaviorists, obedience training was completed, socialization, etc. But the dog was poorly bred. To put it simply, she was a few sandwiches short of a picnic. People always blame the owners of the dog; in many cases we should be blaming the breeders. We loved our doberman to death but after she bit our son when he touched her bone, we had to make the choice to put her down. Broke our hearts.

        • Owners fault again…..why would your son want to take the dogs bone away???? did he let the dog know that is what he was going to do? did he approach her in the right way. If he wasnt old enough to adhere to the rules then he should not of been left unsupervised……poor dog….

          • Again–deed not the breed!

            I always wonder why boxers are listed here. They are wonderful with children, known for their patience with little people.

            In response to the comment about the dog attacking the child over the bone–sorry, doggy has to go! I would rather re-home him to a child-free environment, but you cannot raise a child in a hazardous environment. If the dog attacked a child in his own home, a member of his pack, then he’d go after a stranger and that would be a real disaster. You’ll lose homeowner’s insurance in a heartbeat for a dog bite!

          • All dogs should be taught to allow anyone to take their food, toys, etc. We raised our staffy puppy where we and our children would take his food and toys away at any time and then return them so that he understood they were not his belongings, but ours. It is very important with powerful breeds to let them know who has ownership of everything because no matter how well supervised your dog is it only takes a split second for them to react. The rules should be applied to the dog not the child.

          • The dogs actions all come down to the owner. We are the humans and they are the dogs…….humans should be responsible and act like humans therefore fatalaties, attacks and bad behaviour would not exist or at least be minimal if the owners took responsibility for their actions or inactions should I say!. All dogs no matter what breed can be brilliant domestic pets if brought up in a good loving environment and socialised as every vet will tell you!

          • Granted that training a dog should include teaching it not to be food protective but I have to defend someone who sounds like they made an obvious attempt to keep their dog and saw it as a part of the family. Why else would someone go to so much trouble for behavioral consultation? I love my boys with all my heart but if they hurt my children despite all of their training then sometimes you have to make a tough decision. Don’t get me wrong. Our boys walk away from the food bowl when the kids start reaching for it as they have been taught but we also teach our children to be firm but loving and patient with the dogs. Its a two pronged approach. Both the kids and dogs know to respect each other. Its completely unfair to say a child was in the wrong in this situation.

          • I’m really surprised at your reasoning. A child should let ba dog know his intention. A dog that can attack a child for taking its bone is a dangerous one and should not be kept as a pet dog.

        • wow thats sad that poor dobie you realy shouldnt have a dog if your an irrisponcible owner and a bad parent you obviously didnt train your dog against food agression and not to watch your kid is just dumb. i have a properly trained 120lb rottie and my children can take a steak from his mouth if i would let them.

          • This arguement is stupid, as are most of these people. This is a simple discussion of Nature vs. Nurture. Some dogs are born aggressive, just as certain people are, others learn the trait from poor ownership. Don’t act superior because one person failed at raising a dog you once had success with.

            Again, this is about dangerous breds, and while I own a 250lb English Mastiff (sweet as pie), I understand that she is dangerous. Little dogs yip and yap, nip and bite. One bite from my mastiff could kill a grown man. That makes her dangerous, even if she has never attacked and probably never will.

            When purchasing a dog that is powerful, even if your friends told you the bred is soooo sweet and would never hurt anything, they, like these people on this comment list, have no idea what they’re talking about. Take responsibility for your dogs, understand the signs of aggression and train train train train train.

            All of these dogs are DANGEROUS, maybe not aggressive by nature, but definatly DANGEROUS.

          • i to own a mastiff and have trained close to 40yrs. thats one of the reason i own a english mastiff what a breed.ive trained many of the akc breeds and its called reading breed…. then you read the dog no to dogs are the same.THE same for people. You made more sense then all of the them put togeather.May i ask where you got mastiff from? Randy

        • Doberman poorly bred I disagree with you. Did the doberman come from a bad home, and was it around kids, cause they are good with children if they were brought up with kids from puppies.Number 1 what are you doing allowing your child to be unsupervised.The missing some screws hmmm, I think you were missing some screws.Simply put your child had no buisiness going for the bone Hello.

        • I disagree with your comment. Why would you leave your son unsupervised with a dog bred for guarding is beyond me. And why he went for a dogs most prized possession is also beyond me. Every doberman I have ever met has been the sweetest thing. Either the dog was not taught not to be aggressive when someone reaches for their food or she was not oriented very well with the child. Those are the only way that any of that could have happened. As for the other dogs on this list, this is a bunch of crock. I’ve owned 2 rottweilers, an american and german, and they were the best dogs. the american even let my 2 year old sister sleep in the same bed as her and use her as a pillow on car trips. And i know a Pitt Bull that right now i could walk up to off the street and as long as you let your attentions be known pet and take its food.

      • I completely agree with the comments regarding the duty of owners and how the owner train the pet eventuslly being the deciding factor as to how your pet turns out to be- its totally wrong to blame a particular breed of dog and keep on writing bad things regarding them online- I am a proud owner of an eight month old Rottweiler and that is the most (loyal,loving,trustworthy,huggable,playful,intelligent,obidient,always trying to please) dog i have ever been around – its sad that media and internet has dented the reputation of such wonderful breed of dogs- I have a friend who has a four year old Pit Bull and has all the qualities which i mentioned above in my Rottweiler- they are simply man’s best companion.

      • I myself have a rottie and to be honest he is more dosile and loving than the dog i had while growing up which was a collie spaniel cross.

        I have to say that rotties were not bred for guarding the romans used them as hearding/droving dogs who would also pull carts full of meat for them.

        I am a great believer in the fact that the tempermant of a dog has a lot to do with how they have been brought up! However i also understand the fact that an animal is an animal

        • i would like to know where you got that info about rotties being used by the romans seeing as they werent bred anywhere near there or that time frame. the were bred in rottweil, germany to guard the butchers shops. thats why they are named rottweilers. so please disclose some links or refernces.

          • You cannot have a guard dog and a family pet…..just as you have to choose if you want to show your dog…or is he going to be a family pet?.
            No dog should be around children if he is food aggressive,
            A guard dog is not a dog who barks at end of chain all night long at least little thing, a true guard dog will walk the perimeter of yard, be silent, and will attack as soon as someone tries to get in…He may be trained to bark at intruders, to alert household…these dogs do not make good pets…. They are focused on one thing keeping intruders out…

            Someone said the Pit Bull was its own breed, I stand corrected then, but I also learned that most real trainers breeders, do not want any brown fur, not the tiniest bit ….because the original dogs were black and white and any brown markings show it has another breed in it’s back ground… Also was told they were called pit bulls because they fought in a a makeshift pit ? or again was it because they were put down in the pit mines to kill rats? I do not know ….

            Dogs, any dogs will do anything for approval of it’s master, they can be lovable and eager to please, especially rescue dogs…..Still genetics do come into this, otherwise why would these scum breeders choose very carefully to breed the most aggressive dogs to train their puppies to fight? some of these puppies go for thousands of dollars…big money in fighting dogs…

            We all love our fur babies….but I can truthfully tell you of three cases when the beloved family pet turned, and still the owners kept them…One man was on his patio relaxing in his chair, with his 8 year old Doberman lying at his side, he fell asleep he really was in a deep sleep and his arm relaxed and fell on dog, dog immediately savaged the arm and tore it off, Dog was a family pet, grandchildren slept with him! But somehow his natural instincts caused him to attack..
            My neighbor’s little boy was sleeping on floor he was like 2 beside him was the family rottweiler, that dog would growl at anyone!! he scared me! anyway same thing boy turned in sleep, dog thought he was being attacked and bit him in face! Normally the dog was well behaved and tolerated the kids, so what made him turn on the little fella who learned to walk holding on to the same dog? they kept the dog!!

            Have had several friends who gave their dogs away when the new baby came and dog would growl,every time it saw the baby, one was a spaniel, other a cute mixed breed, …When we had our first, I set crib up early, dog got used to it, I went in first and made a big fuss over him..while hubby put baby in crib, we asked everyone who came to see us to make a fuss over dog first, That dog was baby’s best bud!! he would howl if I was not quick enough to change or feed him!
            Each of us has to realize there is potential for all breeds to go bad! I went to buy a one year old Shetland Sheepdog….he was timid, but I noticed every time the woman’s 2yr old came near he growled ? was going to go without dog, but something made me buy him…I did tell the woman to wait until her son was grown before getting another dog, I never heard him growl again, kids loved on him! cat’s loved on him!!! He died of cancer 12 years later…we were heartbroken…

      • I agree, I own a Rotti and he is the most loving dog I inturduced him to my 3 year old step son about 8 months ago and considering the dog has never been around children he loves my step son and has never shown any aggresion I only have to make sure he doesn’t get too excited because he can become a bit clumsy.
        Rotti’s are a lovely bred and a pleasure to own

      • You must be talking about the Presa canario they are not really aggressive but there is a case involvling them with Diane whipple it is a sad story. You should look it up.

    • It is good to see that there is no real measure of a dangerous dog……Each has there own good and bad experiences of every breed. I must say to some of the posts regarding a dog biting a child when having it’s bone removed…How would you feel if someone constantly gave you something to eat and then took it away . Man that would make me cross.

    • I have got to say you are completly right…I have a FULL BLOODED PITBULL people and Im thirteen and have a 11 year old sister and they are the sweetest dogs I have ever seen in all my life!!! She snuggles up with me and is one funny dog full of personality. So everyone do you really wanna know what the MOST DANGEROUS DOG IS???? Well there isn’t one…. ITS THE OWNERS!!!!

      • My family and friends have owned pitbull’s and a few of the other various breeds and any one of them can be very dangerous. One of my friends loved her Pitbull’s and you could go to her house and they would run to you and give you kisses and would stay right next to you for you to pet them constantly. I liked her dogs and never thought they could ever be capable the being straight out vicious. I was aware of the breed and I worried about her baby being around the dogs. One day she heard a horrible scream and it was of her puppies. One of the pit’s was tearing the puppy to pieces while its mother joined in and helped in the vicious attack. Her and her husband tried everything to stop the attack. The thing that bothers me the most is that it actually turned on it’s own innocent baby instead of protecting it. I could have been my friends son playing instead of the puppy. Any dog can be dangerous just like a human. Anyone who owns a dog should always study the breed and be prepared. They are like children and sometimes act out which can be dangerous to others. Any dog can turn for any reason or no given reason even if they are the sweetest lovable animal in the world. I believe the biggest mistake of dog owners today is getting the wrong breed and not being educated on their animal. I love and have been rescuing animals including some wild animals most of my life. I was attacked by a dog as a child. I try to educate myself on each breed that I have came in contact with so I may be prepared. The biggest mistake an owner can do is think their animal would never bite. I personally don’t care much for the breed since I have seen what they can do without being provoked. I would still rescue them if they were in danger and I am sure they are wonderful dogs but they can get upset very easily. A little girl riding her bike down my street set one off the dog. It seems it attacked her because of the shiny spokes on the bike set the dog in a frenzy. This dog had to be shot so they could pry it loose off of the little girl. She never even acknowledged the dog until latched onto her. I have seen first hand what German Shepard’s, Boxers, Pitbull’s, Rotweiler’s, Dobermans and many other breeds can do and I don’t wish that pain on any person or animal. Serena you are very right about some of the owners because they can be careless and that can be a very dangerous situation for the dog and anyone else involved. Everyone should know their breed and make sure they can handle the animal at all times.

        • i agree to a point with both dog breeds an owners .i think people have to understand that dogs are just like humans in the sence that some of us are just born with a few srews loose! whether it be this dog or that dog some are good an some are bad . it just take experience to be able to see early signs of agresssion in a dog an train accordingly . everyone likes to say i trust my dog 100% but that is bull crap it is or was a wild animal ! all considered . peace guys just love an respect these awesome animal.

    • what you think about the argentinian dog.. They protect the flock of cows against pumas.. I.ve got a mixbreed of argentinian dog with american stafford..who fought against pitbull and split the leg of the pitbull.. Comparing to my dog all other dogs are weak

    • Okay i just have to say that i look up on the doverments and they was breed for wiching flocs if sheep at by there sell this person don’t know what there talking about

    • i am a proud owner of a pit bull and her name is Roxie and she is 8 months old, she is one of the biggest babies i know and i have grown up with pit bulls my entire life and hate that fact that people will list these dogs as most dangerous that is not the case these dogs are the most kind and forgiving and would do anything for some love and affection if any animal should be considered dangerous it should be the human that forced the dog on a vicious life style not the dogs so i can only hope that one day people will get the big picture and realize that the pit bull is NOT the problem the HUMAN is…

    • Everybody forgets the bordeaux dog one of the powerful dogs in the world. My bordeaux dog has a bite strength of more the 650 kg per bite.

    • well they are fierce dogs…… but if you rais them as pups you can make them nice. like a dovermin pincher…. you can make em nice if you had it as a pup…. i have a golden retriver it is nice it would not attack a fly! soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo my dog dose not atack my cat ally but… my cat ally attacks ruby…. my dog and ruby dose not attack ally back……

    • Yes the boerboel but you ve forgot the bravest dog in the world ŠARPLANINAC,the strongest dogs in russia KAVKASKI OVČAR and ALABAI,you also forgot the KANGAL.

    • Excuse me, I have two boerboels and they love people. They very cuddly and they love to sleep. It’s all the matter of thow the owner treats the dog!

  • We have a pitbull. She was a rescue dog. She is the sweetest, most gently animal we have ever owned. She quickly made her way into our hearts and our family. She is good with our cats and dog. The only thing she has any aggression towards are rabbits. She thinks they are chew toys…..

    • I fully agree with you, this stats don’t mean that every dog that belongs to the breeds listed is dangerous. I believe that they can be best friends and the loveliest creatures in the world!

    • hi how old is your pitty i have two girls almost three and they are starting to get agressive towards each other.
      They are social with other dogs so i might have to give one up, but not till i’v explored EVERY option
      Any tips ?

      • one main reason most dogs fight after they’ve been together, is they start to get jealous of one another. if you think you’re babying one more than the other, that could be a very good reason. they think they need to get more out of you, so they fight over it. check into it, I have a pitbull myself & he always got along with my sheltie that I had, but when they were together for a few years and I would start showing the sheltie a little more attention on some days, the pitbull would instigate a fight (which of course I never let happen)

    • We own 3 Pitbull’s !We have a 4 yr old female , 3 yr old male and 1 yr old male . They are great with our kid’s ,other dog’s and people very loveable think they are lap dogs when we are sitting.Absolutly loveable, Never so much as raised a hair in aggresion toward anyone or anything . Teach them how to behave and they can behave. We have 4 yr old female , 3 yr old male and 1 yr old male .

    • i love pitbulls most gentlest caring sweet loving dogs in the World!! i wish the media knew that same with the idiots who train theses wonderful dogs to fight so sad i have rottweilers not a mean bone in there bodies

    • are you kidding me?! those cane corso’s look like Giant Teddy Bears:) I am getting my own place soon, & I’m looking all over for large dogs. Pitbulls are my #1 favorite, but I want to explore with the different bully & mastiff breeds.

      • altho they look like giant teddy bears they have a powerful bite and are alot more engrytic then most of the large dog breeds witch makes them more dangerous then lets say a Saint bernard.it is also rpeated over and over a dog wont become dangerous unless the owner lets them become it and that what it comes down too

      • are you kidding me a cane corso outweighs a pit by like 50 pounds, pits are nothing compared to large molasser type breeds. a large doberman would destroy a pit. a caucasian ovchakra, kangal dog or bully kutta would eat one for breakfast.

        • you know what my fathers 80 pound black lab destroyed a 3year old cane corso. there is no superior breed of fighting dog. but a*sholes like you are the reason certain dogs gain a reputation for aggression you want your dog to be a bad a*s. the reason for this is because you are a coward! you are the type of person that trains a dog to be aggressive all because you have NO BALLS!

  • I have a pitbull.. and like JeanJean said above, she is the sweetest dog I’ve ever had. Over my lifetime we’ve rescued six or seven dogs, and Harley Jane was the first dog I’ve ever bought from a breeder. And she is the best pet I’ve ever had.

    • everyone who has good things to say about pitbulls are right. commenting on the statements of other people is not going to save this amazing breed. the problem lies in the information that is recorded! the people who say which type of dog is to be feared establish the lists using only the negative parts of the breeds history. pits as a whole are judged by the bloody path dog fighting has left. you never see a pit touted as a hero on the news. but at the same time labs which do attack are never on the either! i have been bitten by 2 labs in my life. never once has a pit ever showed aggression towards me the media is the problem too not the breed

    • hello
      i have just got a brown staffy he is so sweet 7 months so i dont agree when people say they are nasty

  • I really loved that you prefaced with the fact that it depends on how the dog is taught. But both my pit bulls were abused before we got them and they’re still the best dogs I know. I would have liked if you talked about their amazing temperaments more, despite their bad rap.

  • Yes, I do agree with you that the training is the one that will make the difference in the dog. It also depends on the owner. If the owner is a good person, naturally the dog will be influenced too. Some of the dogs here can really make my hairs stand just looking at them.

  • I am and have always been a responsible American Pit Bull Terrier owner. I have had them all of my life. I currently own an APBT, an American Bulldog, a Boxer, and a Pomeranian. My fiancee and I have 5 children in our home and ALL of our dogs are great with them. The APBT is by no means inherently dangerous. These animals will do anything and everything to please their master, owner, or handler. It takes a higher caliber of dog person to correctly raise, love, and care for an American Pit Bull Terrier. Once you and your dog bond, that animal will do absolutely do whatever it can to please you – even to the death. That is what is exploited with the creeps and scum that fight them. The person that wrote this site is obviously ignorant to the fact on what the APBT was originally bred for – they were not bred for fighting at all! That has been exploited. They were actually bred for small animal hunting. Several American Pit Bull Terrier throughout history have done and accomplished great things. So, next time – you can keep the APBT off the most dangerous list. The other ones on the list you never hear about. There is no Breed Selective Legislation going against them. They are not trying to be eradicated by certain cities and states in this country. No one ever hears about the attacks of the other breeds listed above. I will end with this question. After the American Pit Bull Terrier is gone, which breed will be next?

    • finally someone who understands the wonderful sweet loving natured dogs pitbulls are my favorite breed in the world!!! american bulldogs are so pretty im glad you enjoy your bully breeds i have rottweilers second best dogs in the world but no dog breed can beat the pitbulls teddybear quality!!!!

    • hold up! do you know the real reson the APBT is listed as dangerous probably not. dont get me wrong APBT’s are without a doubt the breed i love most! like you i feel these amazing dogs are wrongfully getting a bad rap. but it is the love of the breed that fuels the laws regulating them. the true origin of the name we know so well is part of the problem none of the breeds listed as pitbulls were not bred for fighting. but the dogs selected for this cruel bloodsport were collectively known as pitbulls. that is something you will not find in government legislature!so it definitley is not the breed. any dog can kill but the most common information on all dogs of the pitbuul type is their bloody past. the truth is there thousands of dogs that die defending the people they love many more than any other breed but the only ones that get recognized are the ones that have attacked someone while cowardly labs are regarded as brave protectors because they are only recognized by the good they have done most unfair!

  • Boxers are smart, and possessive. If socialized properly, they are no more dangerous than golden retrievers or Labs.

    They are ACTIVE, though, and some might take this for some form of aggression, it is part exercise and part pecking-order exercise (fast, physical, and tall are likely to improve your standing in the pack).

  • I am involved with Boerboel rescue in Southern California, and I have yet to meet a really aggressive Boerboel.

    I am the proud owner of a 150 pound Great Dane therapy dog — a wonderful, sensitive, calm, intelligent, and loving creature.

  • I’m a pet supply store owner and see lots of dogs come through our door as all are welcome. Our “store” dog is a great dane Halle who people will stop in just so they can say “Hi” or show her to friends. She’s 150 pounds of pure mush. Most times she doesn’t even get up to greet anyone..she will lay in her bed while kids sit on the floor next to her and gently stroke her. She is a pampered princess.

    Her boyfriend is Hudson, a Katrina dog and a Rottweiler, they greet each other with lots of “kanoodling” and I always get a big smooch from him myself.

    Then there was Sue, another Rottie, abandoned and found roaming. She would come in with her little pink polka dot collar and sit side saddle on the floor and watch as her owner walks up and down the aisles buying her lots of goodies. When her Mom came in and told me Sue had passed I cried like a baby. She was the perfect picture of what a rottie is not..aggressive.

    We have pitty customers as well as boxers..not one has ever shown agression towards me or our customers.

    Oh..we did have one agressive dog in our store…as I was handing her a treat I was bitten..by a poodle…not miniature..standard size. She is no longer allowed in the store to protect our customers.

    Any dog can be aggressive…ANY!! A list like this could do more harm then good as the ignorant will use it as a basis to hurt these particular breeds of dogs because “their aggressive”.

  • First, why do you say in your article, ‘Going outside always use a dog-lead and a muzzle,’?? If you’ve worked with your dog and bonded with it, you really shouldn’t need a muzzle!!
    Unfortunately, not enough people consider the historical function of many of the breeds when they purchase their pup. The fact is there are breeds who were bred for fighting or for being more aggressive (guard) than other breeds. Just fact-and through the years of breeding for these traits, the temperments of these breeds are more inclined toward the traits they’ve beed bred for. Doesn’t mean they are ‘natural born kilers’ just means they have the potential to slip into the function the were bred for, when placed with an irresponsible owner.

  • excuse me.. but the South African Boerboel is the most fierce and strongest dog on earth. as said by poster #1

    • that is so not true.

      it depends on how it’s brought up. if any dog is aggressive, blame the owners that weren’t responsible enough to properly train & raise the dog!

  • The research was performed by the American Veterinary Medical Association, the CDC, and the Humane Society of the United States, it’ not me personally who made the list of the most dangerous dogs, so sorry guys that’s what the facts say. Believe me or not, but even my cat sometimes looks more dangerous than a pit bull 🙂 thank you all for sharing!

    • Theres nothing about bull,terriers.I think there the most powerfull dog in the world and the friendliest dog in the world. I know because i own one and his 14,year old.,..

    • If your cat even looks more dangerous than a Pit Bull, why in the world would you create an article that would point to the Pit Bull as the most dangerous dog? Pit Bulls are not the only dogs used in ILLEGAL DOG FIGHTING. I don’t agree with the rest of this list either. Have you ever owned any of these breeds of dogs? Do you personally agree with the list you have presented? Do some surfing on the internet, do your own research. Please stop contributing to giving the Pit Bull a bad name. Why don’t you write about the hundreds of thousands of Pit Bulls that are abused, neglected, starved, beaten and they never bite a soul. They live in fear and die unloved. They just want human contact, not so they can bite, but so they can love. Far more dogs live and have earned the right to bite, but don’t. Why don’t you start writing about these dogs? There are far more of them, then those who responded to a bad situation with aggression.

    • if the research done is by american vets why have you titled the worlds most dangerous dogs . im sure america is only one country out of 196 .

  • who ever wrote this article on pit bulls is WRONG! This is the reason pit bulls have a bad name because of articles like this…also, do your research. The pit bull was not called a pit bull until it came to the states in 1970! They were not bread for fighting solely! The breed is called american staffordshire terrier!! NOT PIT BULL!!!! They bread this dog for BULL BAITING..NOT PITT FIGHTING… BECAUSE OF THE DOGS SIZE AND FEARLESSNESS IT WAS FIERCE IN THE RING THAN ANY OTHER DOG….PLEASE DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE YOU MAKE CLAIMS ABOUT PITT BULL…. YOU CLEARLY HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT THE BREED!!!! OR ITS ORGINS… I HAVE A REGISTERED AM STAFF…THIS DOG IS FEARLESS BY NATURE…IS THE MOST GENTLE ENERGETIC DOG AND IS GREAT AROUND CHILDREN…. http://WWW.YANAKKENNELS.COM

    • Perhaps you should do some research. The pitbull and the American Staffordshire terrier, while very similar, are two different breeds. The bulldog mix that originated in Europe was used for bull baiting, but when it came to the United States, the breed was used for fighting. When dog fighting became an illegal sport, the breed split into two types: a show breed and a fighting breed. The show breed is the American Staffordshire terrier, but the fighting breed became known as the pitbull. Today, the AKC will not register a pitbull, but will register an American Staffordshire terrier. If your dog is registered with the American Kennel Club, you don’t have a pitbull. Your dog came from the line that was used for show purposes. Before you go off on someone, you need to check your facts.

      • You should do some research aswell the pitbull if you where to look it up by wikipedia woulds include four breeds in this area including the American staffordshire terrier. It was not breed for fighting but it was mainly used for fighting

    • you are the one that needs to do research! the American Bulldog was the most highly prized bull baiting dog! and if you think there is no difference you are wrong! the easiest way to tell is the size.you obviously have no clue what you are talking about!

  • WRONG! pits were NOT bred for dog fighting! they were bred to protect farmers while they worked with the bulls and cows. before you wirte something do your research! and how come doxies, cocker spaniels and other small dogs arent on there? those guys would bite you long before a pit, rottie, dobie or german shepherd

    • Niki I agree with you,chiuahua,s and smaller dogs are the ones that gowing to be the ones to try to attack you or even bigger dogs. Also articles like this are going to contribute one day to all dogs being put down. Then what domesticated animal is next.

  • Well, I’ve already mentioned that this article was written based on the research performed by the American Veterinary Medical Association, the CDC, and the Humane Society of the United States, it’s not my personal opinion. As for the history of the breeds, we’ve reviewed many articles and websites and published the most widely spread info. Of course, there are different opinions about origins of the breeds and there’s a place for the different history as well. Also, I’d like to repeat myself, every dog can be dangerous and this article in no way means that all the pit bulls are fighters, or killers or will bite you to death. Here’s the link to one of the researches made: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00047723.htm As you can see, that’s the list of Dog-Bite-Related Fatalities in United States for 1995-1996 and pit bull is number one is this list. However, this doesn’t mean that this is the “bad” dog, or any other dog from the list as well.

    • Does this list take into account the number of dogs of each breed that exist? If there are (im just using these nos as examples)a million pit bulls and a hundred st bernards then it stands to reason that there will be more bites by pitbulls. Perhaps these stats should be interpreted by percentage of each breed that has attacked rather than purely the number? Sounds to me that the list could merely represent the most popular and readily available breeds.

    • hey I understand but by putting this article out on the internet you have better have actual stats reseached on your own and not through a vet

    • all the big animal associations say that they love animals but they always suspect that every pitt they see has been used for fighting. they always try to find any scratch or scab possible just so they can put it down.

    • All of your research comes from those agencies? Seriously because everything I have read that you comes from those agency is different from what I read. It’s like getting a jail house letter with half of the context blackened out. You took bits and prices from multiple agencies information and sewed together a little article that makes you look like YOU know what you are talking about. Most of my research from those same agencies say that the boxer is more aggressive than a rot and pit. And I find my nieces boxer to be the sweetest thing but very restless; always wants to play and just do something. I recommend that you reference your resources in their entirety and not pick and choose the nuggets of information you have gathered , for the next time you decide to write an article on something you know absolutely nothing about.

    • Are you kidding me again?!?!!! You write an article in 2009 and use as your source of information stats from 13 years prior? That’s ridiculous! That’s like writing an article about the economy in 2012 and referencing the the cost of living in 1970. Get up-to-date information please. What has happened in the canine community nice 1996? I bet plenty has changed.

  • Actually, old english bulldogs were bred then with the boston terrier. What they were looking for in the 1800’s was the bite of the bulldog and the agility and fearlessness in the terrier.. they were bread to bait bulls,bear…but when they changed the law… the common people started to turn the dogs on each other! The blue paul terrier also in the mix as well as the great dane! SO, they called them “pit dogs”.
    so, in 1970..ukc reconized pit bull as a breed.. akc would not..they do reconize however,
    stafford shire terrier…american stafford shire terrie..not pit bull..the pit bull here in america is nothing more than in line breeding…in my opion they are not a breed!
    you have this article that is 20 years old.. they should not be on your dangerous list.

      • Anatasia you mention that you own cats. If someone had mentioned lets say the worlds dangerous cats you would probably jump to defend cats that are beeing thrown through the washer. When post articles like this where it seems to me that you are basically quoting the Humane Society and Veternarians. Why not go out try find people that actually own these type of dogs or breeds them for one and ask them what is there take on it. Oh my god so you did very little research. Anybody will tell you that Louis Dobbermann was not a policeman he was a tax collector. There are other areas in your article that you posted are not current. Why even post the article at all

      • sorry anastasia but how because its said by the us veternarian group whats the most dangerous dogs have you titled it the worlds most dangerous dogs ? america believe it or not is not the world

  • I Understand and i think it went out into left field a little.
    your article means nothing to me!
    reason: pit-bull type dogs.
    no. in the same rticle they mention rotties straight away..not rottie types…
    get my point! what is a pit bull type of dog????? what does it look like??

  • This is so not true. Pit bulls should not be on this list and niether should the Rottweiler. These are two of the most dosled dog you can ask for. If you think that a pit bull is mean you are so wrong. The smaller the dog the fast it will bit you. I once had a begal and that little bastrad would bit you in a new york minute. Where as I now own a pit bull and she is much more intellegent then the begal was. The pit bull is not mean you can make any dog into a fighter. It just depends if a dumbass raises them or not.

    • It’s talking about how dangerous a dog is – if a small dog bit you what’s the possibility of getting seriously injured versus a pit bull or rottie where it is much bigger and aggressive – I mean come on…..

  • I have owned 3 boxers. They are very gentle and very good with children. The only time they were aggressive is if they felt we were threatened. The boxer is also on the top ten most popular dog list.

  • I just want to say that all dogs have the potential to be dangerous just as us people or any animal for that matter. It’s all about the upbringing. As for small dogs like cocker spaniels or chihuahuas being on lists like this, please don’t fool yourself. Yes these small dogs have the tendency to snap or bite more often do to their smaller stature but the breeds of dogs on this list are being recognized for the potential damage done with a single bite and reports made by people of course.

    Pit bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios and so on have bad reputations solely because when not properly cared for and when put into hostile situations, they are without a doubt among the worlds most damaging dogs. They can inflict large amounts of damage in just a single bite. Im talking torn flesh, punctured arteries or even bone.

    I have been bitten by a chihuahua and by a pit bull and believe me, I’ll take that chihuahua bite over the pitt bulls anyday. And the pitt bull didn’t even get me all that good. I was breaking up a fight between my friends 2 pitt bulls. Normally they are very sweet and gentle dogs but for some reason that day out of nowhere, they jumped at each other and locked up. I hold no grudge against pitt bulls or any breed. I blame owners and people who just don’t understand what kind of attention and environment these dogs need.

  • After reading this article, I feel the need to comment. I am a dog lover but I have always been very questionable when it comes to pitts. Well, about 5 months ago all that changed. My brother found a pregant pitt and she had been abused. She had a huge scar on her leg, that had been sewed up with a neddle and thread. She was used as a bait dog and then as a bredder dog. Well, the first time I meet her she walked up to me and just started licking. She was the sweetest dog. On the day she had her pups, I was still afraid she would try to bite because most mother dogs will. Well, instead she licked me and I ended up helping her give birth to the pups. All the pups were little poop heads and would nibble at you as most pups do. Well, 5 months later I now own my first pit bull. He is one of puppies I helped deliver. I now wake up very morning being attacked with kisses from him. He is only a pup but is turning out to be one of the best dogs I have ever had. I also read on a website that pitts were harder to control. That’s bs, because I also own a black lab and my pitt is easier to control then he is. I now have a better understanding of the breed and love to be around them. I will agree that ppl need to becareful around them because just like any other dog, you never know how the owners have trained or treated them. I would also like to mention that as a child a played with my cousin rotties and they were great dogs too. Altought, one of them did bite me because he was scared of my bike. Wierd right but, I have notice with just about every rottie I have been around has an issue with bikes. Even the one my brother owned. But still rotties are wonderful dogs. And just for the record just about every pitt or rottie I get around seem to be so sweet. Damn the stupid ppl that give these dogs a bad repitation. I am not saying that about the author because she only wrote the information she had been given. I just hope she doesn’t believe it. But for the next time she needs to mention that pitts are wonderful animals with great dispositions. Oh, and I have also always heard that pitts are not good with other animals thats also bs because my pitt loves our cats and other dogs too.

  • To all people going on and on and on about your wonderful PitBull dog that won’t harm a soul: READ THE ARTICLE NAME. “Most Dangerous Dogs in the World”.

    PittBulls, bred for FIGHTING, guess f*cking what, fall into the ‘dangerous dog’ category. Yes we know, any dog can be brought up to be nice – DUH. You still cannot deny the pittbull belongs in the dangerous dog category. If you have ever seen a couple pitbulls rip the face off a kid (I have) and scar/deface the kid for life, you too might smarten up.

    READ the friggin article name before you post off topic.

    • I have like 10 and they are all sweet and loving and get along with anybody and any dog

      [Insults towards other commenters removed. And do not comment multiple times about the same thing just because the first comment is still in the moderation queue.]

    • they are not Dangerous my BFF has 4 pit bull ND THEY ARE THE BEST AND THEY LOVE MY GERMAN SHEPHERD THEY PLAY WITH HIM ALL THE TIME.THEY ARE SO LOVING AND SWEET AND THAT BULL CRAP ABOUT PIT BULL AND STUFF.IT IS ARE SO MEAN.AND I HATE IT WEN PEOPLE HIT THEM AND BE MEAN TO THEM.SO PIT BULLS ARE NOT MEAN OR DANGEROUS.BUT SWEET AND LOVING.

    • Yes I have seen it, on top of that I have even seen a little sent to icu behind being nearly mauled by to death by a pitbull that was brought up wrong. The peopple who are commenting against this page feel that she is against dog period, and this is her article that she decided to post on the internet.

  • I understand a lot of dog owners feel attacked when someone mentions “their” dog in a list like this, but it’s getting silly here. The list is based on research, as the author says. Dangerous also does not mean aggressive. Clearly, getting attacked by a rottweiler is more dangerous than getting attacked by a poodle, even if the rottweiler attacks once a year and the poodle attacks once a month. Dangerous means big, strong dogs that were breeded for hunting, guarding, fighting, etc.

  • Any dog can be a biter and most of the comments above are accurate in that the way the dog is raised has more to do with its tendency towards agression than anything. As with most things the impression of certain breeds to be agressive is media driven. Cocker Spaniel bites child is not news. Rottweiler bites child is big news. I operated a very large pet store for years which encouraged people to bring their dogs in. Only two dogs did I ever see behave agressively were a cocker spaniel, a breed that is squirrly from in breeding, and a Rottweiler that was raised as a “bad guy image dog” by a thug. One day a nice lady came to me to tell me she would not be able to shop there anymore because we allowed dangerous dogs to come into the store. I thought some dog had growled at her and asked her to show me the dog and owner. She took me to a lady who had a Rottweiler on a leash who was shopping. The lady who was bothered said to me “they are agressive dogs that should not be in the store”. I asked her to watch me. I introduced myself and her to the lady with the dog and then to the dog. Long story short, in about 5 minutes the first lady was on the floor with the Rottweilers head in her lap and she was petting it. A month later she came in with a Rottweiler puppy. It is all media driven perception.

  • Owner of 4 Huskies..why would this breed show up on this list? Personally, i think even a poddle can hurt you if you really make them mad. I have mine for over 9 years now and i will continue to love this breed as they are loving, strong, challenging almost human-like animals. No one ever was in danger when they walked in to my house, unless you consider licking dangerous behavior. It is possible, that some abused huskies fought back , or their animal instinct kicked in and they reacted. No matter what breed- people make the bad choices – leaving small children with a dog that is not trained or introduced properly to the new kid on the block is never a good thing. They are all good breed – but they are still animals, and only bad people will bring this out from them. Good owner – good dog. I dont agree with the labeling of the breed – i will swear by mine always

    • The research was performed by the American Veterinary Medical Association, the CDC, and the Humane Society of the United States

      This list isn’t a list for dogs that are predisposed to bite. It is a list of dogs that can do the most damage if they bite. There is no doubt that Huskies can be brought up to be great pets.

    • We have an Alaskan Malamute and there is no way there dangerous! Seriously! It’s the owner not the breed. We also have an American Bulldog x Bullmasstiff. Both gentle giants! Any dog is dangerous if not trained right. Pitbulls pack a good bite hence why there number one but it doesn’t make them the most dangerous breed. I honestly think The Chiwawa is most dangerous. So aggressive towards nothing.

      • I can’t beleive someone said a Mastiff was dangerous. I have an English Mastiff. He’s big, but the worst he would do is squish you as he climbed on your lap to lick you to death.

  • (Sorry for my very bad English so if i offend anyone or got some other things wrong in other ways i did not meant to do that and i am realy sorry if so… )

    Here in the deepest forests of the noth 😀 We laso hawe some dog races that are very much like those dogs.

    Yes, poddles (for example) are MUCH more agressive than (for examples) Huskies, Malamute and other similar races, but i guess that we had to remember those dogs are (at least i guess so…) much closer to mother nature than “city dogs” and i think, (correct me i i am wrong) they are not so far from the volves, in fact volves are much like modern domested dogs, but they are slightly different and will not always act exactly as as modern domested dog. I Guess to take care of those dogs one must understand them and undestand how they work and how they will response to Your command and (friendly, personaly i dont think “human style violence” will work here,)) tell him that You are the one in charge not him, if one fail with this step or doing it wrong he will often try to tell You what rank he think You will hawe. dvs, the dog not mean to attack people for hurting, just tell one who is now the true leader of the pack. I think many people dont allways can handle that the right way and understand that cooperating with the dog as a companion and a god friend rather than just a cute pet. We had to remember that Those dogs are very much smarter than most of the other races. (Than remember volves fur is much thicker than human skin so if one get some small scratsches it was not alwas the meaning to hurt You, often just he wanted to play around with You as a friend.)
    It´s all about thrust and understand each other.

    Yes, those dogs are not for beginners, but once one learn how to handle them correct You will hawe wery good friends for long time.

    So, Yes, the list is probably correct.

  • Always use a muzzle??? Do you even own a dog? I own a doberman that’s never bitten anyone. I have no need of a muzzle.

  • You have an interesting article here, but I am afraid it simply shows people pictures of dogs that almost anybody would just assume are capable of being dangerous. When I volunteered for the Humane Society in 1993 the most dangerous dog to own as a pet was the Cocker Spaniel It had, and I believe still does have though I have not checked this recently, the most reported bite incidents per year in the US, which is unfortunate seeing as quite a few people get the dog because it is small and they assume it would be a good family dog. It is however the “family” part that is the problem, becoming easily jealous of children and easily scared because of its smaller size.

    You are right, none of these breeds represent a “bad” dog necessarily, but this article doesn’t go deep enough into the subject matter. If someone buys a Doberman, most likely they are getting it because they want a guard dog, that is what it is known for. If someone buys a large dog, they already know that if the dog were to bite there would be trouble due to its size. If someone buys a Cocker Spaniel however, are they aware that it is so prone to biting? Would they still get it if they knew that? As it is, it just seems like you took some of the more popular larger dogs and through them in a pictorial list with an attention grabbing headline. That isn’t going to help anyone, least of all the dogs.

    • We have 3 dobermans. We love these gentle giants. My family and I live in a semi-rural community and there have been times when they are our first warning to anything that seems out of place. In fact our female refuses to go to sleep until all of us are safe in our beds. One evening, several months ago, I was the only one still up. She followed me around the house as I finished my chores. All of the lights were off in the front of the home. Someone attempted to break into our home! She went into protection mode. She was barking at the door and the perp ran off. I called the sheriff’s department and they came out. If there are some out there who think we have 3 dobermans for only protection, they are very wrong. They are a part of our family. We love these dogs. They are spoiled rotten! They own us! In return they love us, are gentle as lambs and yes they to protect us just as I or my husband would protect each other, our son and our beloved dogs. One of the saddest days of our lives will be the day our dobermans leave this Earth.

      • u might have some very nice dobies but I was bit in the face as a child by one whom on all other occasions had been sweet and loving and then I went to kiss him on his head and he snapped and bit me. I am now 31 and I still have some scars. Dobies seem to b unpredictable but u would b cautious too if u had been bit too. So most of my life I had ben terrified of most big dogs but especially dobies. Then we happened to adopt a white boxer which helped me not to fear all big dogs. Then after Armani passed we took a huge step and got a rottweiler/tibetan mastiff. Who is the best dog. He loves everyone, cats, small dogs,kids and even our turtle. So now I have learned not judge a dog based on their breed but on the individual dog. I still find myself not a huge fan of dobies or any dog with a pointy snout. Eventho I do love shepards.

      • I agree with you about Dobies. I have owned 4 in my life…..or rather they owned ME. All of them were remarkable dogs and I love the breed. Clownish and sweet with their family……..friendly but reserved with strangers, quick to learn and anxious to “make the connection” with you from an early age. I have never been watched so intently and loved more intensely than by this breed. I cannot, to this day, resist approaching a Doberman and I have never yet met with anything but friendliness. My husband was a vet for 50 years here in this rural area of Arkansas……..and over the course of his life had many many dogs………but had never owned a Dobie until we married and I gave myself a birthday present of one. His name was Klaus and he lived happily on our ranch, growing up with our son……..for more than 16 years before we had to finally put him down because of cancer. My big strong husband cried when he buried him. We all did. Klaus probably wasnt the smartest Dobie I ever had, but he certainly was the most loving and handsome of them all. I expect to be met someday “on the other side” by a big red Dobie, who leans against me and wags his stub of a tail…….good dog, Klaus.

  • You mention basing this partially on “research done by the American Veterinary Medical Association”. Slight problem there: 1) the AVMA does not perform research, 2) the AVMA strongly and actively opposes designating any breed of dog dangerous.

  • I call BS!!! So what if a site lists a dog as “dangerous” There is no such thing as a bad breed, only bad owners. PERIOD!!!

  • Dogs are always nice if owners are nice to them. Two cousins of mine had a Rottweiler and a Pit Bull each, both animals rescued from some idiot who wanted to kill them because they did not respond to the fight training. Both dogs were the most amazing, tender, caring dogs I’ve met. It was their “personality”, so to speak.
    BTW cats are loyal and loving…I guess you’ve never had a cat friend who fights a cocker spaniel to defend you. My cat did that. He is the best cat ever.

  • I used to take my sister’s Australian sheep dog to a dog park, and observed many dogs. The sweetest, most tolerant dogs by far were the Great Danes. The small terrier types would get all macho and confrontive with them, and they’d just peer down at them with interest. One tripped on a little dog and fell down, and was very careful to avoid landing on a dog. What sweeties!

    Did anyone mention the Great Pyrenees? They look like horses in the show ring. By the way, my vet has gotten “fear bites” from more daschunds than any other dog.

    • YOU ARE SO RIGHT GERMAN SHEPHERD ARE THE BOMB AND SO NOT DANGEROUS I HAVE 2 AT HOME AND THEY ARE SO LOYAL AND SAFE I LOVE THEM THEY SAVED MY SUN’S LIFE.THEY’LL PROTECT ME AND MY FAMILY TELL THE END.AND I DON’T WANT PEOPLE SAYING THEY ARE MEAN AND DANGEROUS SO PEOPLE WILL BE MEAN TO THEM.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Under husky you pictured a siberian husky which unlike other breeds have been reared for thousands of years in north siberia. In which if they ever bit their owner would have had their teeth filed down and not allowed to bred. Quite possibly the oldest example of selective breeding in dogs. Siberian huskies are one of the least dangerous dogs to people but most dangerous to other smaller dogs and small animals. As well as not a good dog for any climate that is not arctic.

    • yes, that’s the siberian husky, and yes this breed exists for a long time now but still, they are considered as dangerous if treated in a wrong way

  • Any and every animal can be aggressive under the right circumstances. I got bit by a stray Labrador once in front of my house. You have to know your dog. The more you know the better prepared you are, and the safer you and you canine companion are.
    I love dogs and I hate to see them pushed to aggression.

  • What you really need is a Most Dangerous People list. The problem with injury inflicting dogs lies in the breeders lack of fore sight, the owners ignorance, and everybody else being racist against big strong dogs. Any and every dog will bite. It is a hard wired behavior. But there are learned behaviors that we need to take control of if we are going to keep such an animal as part of our society.

  • I am not going to enter into a debate about which dogs are dangerous or not. The author makes a blanket statement in the title and list generalities to each breed. There is nothing in this story that is offered as proof. Poor poor journalism. I’ll be sure to add dirjournal.com to my s*** list.

  • Hey guys, I’m not trying to prove anything in this list, this makes no sense at all. It’s not my personal stats and it’s not my personal opinion, these are the FACTS. Take it easy, I don’t want any of the dog owners to be upset or hurt, you love your pets deeply and that’s a great thing.

    As for the muzzle, my bf has a dog, and the dog is not from this list, but still any time they go for a walk they take a muzzle. Surely, your dog is the best dog in the world, but I don’t speak about your dog in personal.

    • why dose he muzzle the dog its stupid and a lasy way of keeping your dog from biteing take the time and responcibility to train it like a real dog owner

    • Really so why put the list on the internet so what you are basically saying is that you did no pure researchcause it is not based on facts. So do you agree with list

  • The thing is these are not facts, and do not come from the sources you quote. Perhaps you should give your actual source rather than just expect people to take you word for the undeniable truth of what you are saying?

  • Very nice pictures, but it is downright ignorant and misleading to suggest that these breeds are more dangerous than others. Frankly you should be ashamed of your misleading statement.

  • How factual is an article of which the authors in their research do not even know what Dalmatians were bred for?

    (Military guard dogs and then the breed was refined in England for use as carriage dogs – this is where the fireman mascot was born back in ye old days and just held over once mechanical engines replaced the old horse and buggy ones)

    A more relevant study would be this one…

    The 9 Breeds of Dog That Bite the Most

    According to a 27-year study of dogs in the New York City area made by Dr. Robert Oleson, of the U.S. Public Health Service, these are the 9 dogs most apt to take a nibble out of a human being. They are, in the order of their aggressiveness:

    1. German shepherd

    2. Chow chow

    3. Poodle

    4. Italian bulldog

    5. Fox terrier

    6. Mixed chow chow

    7. Airedale

    8. Pekingese

    9. Mixed German shepherd

    and even he states that this may be inaccurate as people bitten by a small dog are less likely to report it as the bite itself is less serious. Continuing to perpetuate myths about certain breeds like the pitt is just wrong. There are some people who are serial killers… does that mean everyone is?

    • When I was 5 years old I was nearly killed by a German Shepherd. I agree with the German Shepherd’s position on the list. I also think that the owner’s must take most of the responsibility in the training of the dogs. Of course some dogs will be poorly bred and have mental issues. I have trained horses for several years and no matter how well one trains a horse some have issues that cause them to be dangerous period. People are the same in that regard.

    • pit bulls can be very loving pets. but they are dangerous. if not trained properly they can be a desaster.
      people say that dogs should not be tagged dangerous because of its breed. this is wrong. if you research pitbulls and rotties, you would find that they have caused more fatalities than all other dogs put together.
      so if you are a beginer, it is very risky to start with a pitbull or a rotty.

  • as for the history of the dog breeds, there are many and many histories online, they are same in some way and they are different in some way. we can make it in the following way: you can give your suggestion for the history and I will post it online with your name as the author. Same, if you think that any dog should be added to this list, please give some stats why it should, not just because it’s a big dog. Everyone is welcome to contribute.

    • Also here is some thought why not title instead of what you have titled it why not have say we as people are the reason these dogs on this list becoming aggressive. Do you own dog? If you do then ask your self a few question concerning some these comments before posting this article

    • try having all breeds you put on your blog, then you can say anything you want about YOUR dogs,
      not all dogs of these breeds are vicious as you say it. All will depend on how the owner trains the dog.

  • i think you should also mention, despite the rumors and myths about pit’s, tons and tons of research conducted stated that pitbulls canNOT lock their jaws, yes their brains DO in fact stop growing and the only reason why they’re considered the most aggressive is because they’re the most dangerous when put with other dogs…when put with human’s, they’re the most loving. i have a pitbull and an akbash and yea, they fight sometimes but that’s only when i am petting one and the other gets jealous but they’ve never harmed a human. we’re actually required to have a specific dog tag for a pit otherwise if you get caught in the city without one, your animal will be confiscated and put down. sad, i know…all the while the people two houses down have had their 9 year old daughter bitten by their boxer more than once…

    so technically, is this list directed at “most dangerous to humans” or “most dangerous to other animals” because if the first is the case, then a few of these should be taken off of the list and your research should be reconsidered.

    by the way, this is “not my opinion” …as you clearly stated. i am clearly stating facts as well.

    • Breeding pitbulls is very irresponsible!! There are so many shelters full of pitts. Thousands lose their lives everyday cause of people like u. Pitts r the most likely to b euthanized. I call u selfish so u can look toughb with ur (badass) pitt. People like u make me sick!! Get a real job thatrequires u to do someting without killing dogs cause almost everyone of those dogs will be in a shelter or put to sleep. U should b ashamed of urself!.

  • I’ve two doby’s one is 7 one is 8 they love all people they meet,if they don’t lick you to death then your safe.I can not speak for people who own and treat any dog bad,before anyone judge’s any dog they should look at the owner.if you want a killer dog,treat it like sh#$!it will deliver.any dog can be aggressive.givin, the dangerous dogs are bigger,but don’t be so shallow to judge a dog for
    it’s circumstances.be active and report neglect!!!who’s the dangerous dog here?THE OWNER!

  • When you write an article like this you must be responsible for it’s content. How many sites did you gleen your information from, did you talk to actual owners of these breeds of dogs? Did you talk to vets in large city’s or inner city areas? Did you talk to rural vets?

    The PDF file you reference to is from 10 years ago..and published 9 years ago. Is this what you based you article on? Where else did you get information from? Did you look to find something that was more up-to-date?

    There are many ignorant people out there who will take your article to heart. These same people will hurt or kill a dog based on their breed because “its one of the most dangerous dogs in the world”.

    Think before you write. Is my article going to do more harm than good? In this cases, in my opinion it did more harm. In this day and age where we are hearing more and more about abuses to animals in sick ways did you need to put out an article which would “sterotype” a breed of dog.

    You want to know the most dangerous breed in the world…HUMANS! They are responsible for more deaths then any breed of dog could ever cause.

  • will people u all are correct even i a have a pitbull and a boxer i got them ever since the time they ever born and the became great dog and a friendly with friends and family members i have researched so much bad things about pit bulls and boxers but the are wrong it the owners that make the mistake the dog they are very much loyal to the handeler and afre great with kid this article is bull crap

  • I was expecting the classic: ” I have a pittbull and he he’s the sweetest thing” comment.
    Sure enough.
    Stupid people are so predictable!

  • My five year old pit bull was thrown out of a moving car window into a parking lot when she was five weeks old. She was malnourished, had flea anemea, tapeworms, and road rash. She was quickly nursed to health, and has become the greatest dog our family has ever owned. While she is an obidient protector of our house, our family, and our guests. She warmly welcomes those we welcome into our home.
    All dogs are pack animals that are only a product of the environment in which they live. Any dog that spends it’s life in fear of humans is a threat to all people it encounters.
    You should be ashamed for writing and posting an article based on nothing but your opinion and not the facts. Try doing some research next time. Better yet, stop writing articles all together.

  • I have a pitbull as well and he is not danerous, needed training as he was rescued, I wonder if the reason they are higher is because of the numbers of them? And, every dog that even looks pitbull is called pitbull, look at the list here, half could be mistaken for a pit!!!

  • DearTeam Members,

    I think you guys are doing a great job by informing all dog owners
    how to react when they have a problem with they dogs.great going
    guys keep up the good job

    Regards,

    Clayton.

  • The Pit Bull is a very Sweet Dog. I have known people with them as pets and guess what they never ate the kids! Just because a few “Idiots” Abuse and miss train the is not the dogs fault. Is it the fault of a car because some drunk slides into a bus load of children?

  • can anyone tell me how dangerous dogue de bordeaux are.Ours is 4 months old and i didnt realise how big and strong they are are they suitable as pets iam learning how to use a computer at the moment and i would really appreciate some advice

  • I had a Neopolitan Mastiff from when it was a pup, it was the nicest dog. At age two it went from nice to agresive within 2 days after we had to put down 2 other dogs. It suddenly become agressive towards family members. It stayed that way, couldn’t let it near anyone. I took the dog with me constantly for it’s entire life. we drove everywhere together, he sat near me as I worked, we slept next to each other, he loved the twisty slide on the playground. We were like best chums his entire life then suddenly he even attacked me 2 days after I took his bone away, bit me on the skull. Had to put him in a head lock when he did that. He was 145 pounds. He died a few days later a couple days after a vet did a botch job on the neutering surgery from internal bleeding.

    Someone had told me that Neos can suddenly change like that. i was worried I might have to have him put down. Oddly he loved going to the vets office and was always nice to everyone there. I’d say Neopolitan Mastiffs could possibly be one of the most dangerous breeds and most aggresive. I’m sure they would kill virtually any pitbull that gave them enough gruff.

    I don’t think most anyone should own a neo. I’m a very experienced dog owner. There are only a few people that should have one. They are your entire life once you get one. They need costant attention, I mean truly constant.

    • You are very correct! He needed a dog that was loyal and that could protect him. He had a dangerous job…

      I love the fact that his job created such a wonderful breed!

      Hate the tax thing though. Grrrrrr!!!

  • Pit bulls were not bred for fighting. They were bred to bring down bulls in the pits where the owners needed to brand and/or neuter the bulls. The dogs provided a defense for the men against an angry bull. Men in their idiotic wisdom thought it would be cool to use these dogs to bring down bulls for fun and as time went on got bored with it and decided that to fight them against other dogs would be more fun and bring in more money. But as I pointed out in the beginning they were first bred to protect the men in the bull pit and that is where the name pit bull comes into name not the pit that dog fighters have. I just feel that people should know the true origin of their name and use because it did bother me when it was stated that they were bred for fighting, maybe now but that was not the original intention.

    • Pitbulls in particular were actually bred for sport fighting. The European breed they originated from, the Staffordshire terrier, was bred for the purposes of which you speak. When they came to the United States, the dog was bred to be larger and more muscular than its European counterpart. The American version was split into two distinct breeds: the pitbull and the American Staffordshire terrier. The pitbull was used for fighting while the American Staffordshire terrier was used solely for show.

      • they arent diffrent breeds its reconised name and street name amstafs and pitbull is same exact dog its just a name

  • I need to make another comment. I have 11years of dog grooming behind me and some years of animal shelter work and I have only once out of all those years and places been threatened by any of the so called dangerous/aggressive/intimidating breeds ( it was a dog taken from an abuser ). The dogs that are dangerous are the small breeds, poodles being at the top and most of your so called pocket dogs. they bite your fingers, face, arms, and whatever they can reach. I talked to a lady who’s friend had a poodle and when she was at her friends house her friends daughter came over with her two and a half year old. They put him in the corner with the toy basket where he started to play quietly. the friend let her poodle in from the back yard and it made a beeline for the child who did not even know the dog was there and the poodle proceeded to rip off half of the child’s face. I asked the lady if it had been reported and she said no because it was just a poodle. This is what is being kept from the public that these small breeds can be equally as dangerous as the large breeds but people just think that they are so cute and if they bite then the one who got bit deserved it ( scared it or looked at it wrong ). There is not enough recording of small dog attacks and there are A LOT more than people are aware of.

  • My mom has a German Shepherd Dog. He’s the biggest baby there is. He’s never truly physical harmed anyone. He has snapped a few times. But he’s a gentle beast.

    My sister and brother-in-law used two pitbulls. The oldest is my brother-in-law’s and she’s the sweetest and gentlest pitbull.

    It’s the owner who causes these animals to be “dangerous.” Not the breed!

    • U totally contridicted ur self. How can a dog be the sweetest biggest baby but in the same sentence u say she has snapped a few times. A dog of that size could reallyy hurt a child or small animal with just a snap. U sure are a bright one aren’t u??

  • Why did leave you leave out all information about Pitbulls except that they have been bred to fight? Mine’s sleeping on the couch with me right now, but when he is awake, all he wants to do is play. You should have atleast talked about how they make great companion dogs too. You talked up the other breeds.

  • I really think dingo’s are the most vicious dogs in the world because they live in asturilla and they have to live off what ever they can find to eat, they don’t care what it is they will eat it if they want to survive(ex human). Dingo’s are not picky eaters.

  • Irish Wolf Hounds are great big sappy eyed gentlemen and ladies. They will be a lap dog if allowed. They may look scary but looks are deceiving. They are quick, smart, gentle and loyal. They are great with children and will protect them with their life. They need to have a job to do or get exercise and attention as not to be stir crazy.

  • My cousin was a Dalmatian breeder/horse farm operator and told us that Dalmatians were used as carriage scouts, running near carriages and horses to deter wolves etc. I’m told they were particularly used because the gate of a Dalmatian falls strangely in tune with that of a horse.

  • Is that all you can say about pitbulls? What about them being bred to be especially loyal and obediant to humans? Or that they were and are still popular FAMILY pets. You seem to be able to name some redeeming qualities for all the other breeds except pitbulls. If you don’t know enough about the breed to at least elaborate on its history and qualities, I do not understand why you would put it on this list, especially as the most dangerous one on here. What makes them dangerous are the people that own them. Any dog that is unsocialized or eager to please can be made “dangerous”. And you’ve seem to left out terrier breeds, which were bred to kill. Even trained and socialized, a lot of them still retain their hunter instincts, such as the dogs you’ve listed above with guarding or protecting instincts. Even the small terriers can and have killed young children or mangled limbs.

  • Actually, the most dangerous dog I’ve encountered was a Jack Russell Terrier.
    She was my dog, Dixie.
    That little dog had more balls (hypothetically, of course) than any of these dogs.
    She would’ve fought, and won, a fight with any of these pit bulls you all think are so dangerous…
    My little dog stood up to every dog- even the great dane we saw on the beach once.
    She was always stealing toys from them. She may not have gotten them right away but she put up a fight for so long they’d get tired.
    She was always showing her pearly whites.

    R.I.P Dixie Marie

    🙁

  • The list is for most dangerous dogs not most aggressive. I have been bitten a few times by smaller breeds, but that does not make them as dangerous as a Husky that I’ve owned which has never bitten me or my young children. I know the responsibility of owning a larger breed and would never leave the dog unattended with smaller children no matter how friendly my dog is. Any dog can hurt you, but a poodle or chihuahua can not do as much damage as a larger breed. It’s like comparing a garden snake to a rattlesnake. They both can and will bite, but it doesn’t make them equally dangerous and you will never see the garden snake bite on the news.

  • There was a guy that worked for my dad that owned a chow chow. One day he was in the park playing with his dog and kid and the thing latched on his arm and put the guy in the hospital. The argument continues … one side claims you never know when these “dangerous dogs” will snap and the other claims that it is all based on environment and upbringing of the animal.

  • I recently got a third pup… The person that i bought this pup from saves unwanted litters and vaccinates, vet checks, worms and hydrobaths them before selling them for ridiculously low prices to good homes… Even she said that Pitbulls and american staffy’s are bad breeds to have… I disagree with this comment as I’ve known a friend to have a pitbull and american staffy and whatnot.. Its all in the training… Why is there a huge debate and ignorant fear of certain dog breeds? I strongly disagree with this as I think it is entirely up to the time, energy and devotion that a human has to the dog.. If you choose to buy a dog its similar to having a child… You need to research, read and then care for your pet in a way that is suited to its breed… I have 3 dogs… 1 bull arab x irish wolf hound girl, 2 x german shephard x rotty boys… They are gentle natured, well behaved and loving… They are widely socialised with other dogs and their favourite playmates are their 2 staffy friends bo and angel… they go to dog parks, get walked and have time with me for a 2 – 3 hours every week day and at least 5 hours on the weekends… if you choose to have a pet it will change your life and you can’t just buy a dog, dump it in the backyard and go out and party and neglect to spend valuable time walking, playing and training your pet… its a long term commitment… I dub my dogs my kids… and the only trouble i have with these “dangerous” breed dogs is that I may overlove them…

  • I hate al these articals on pitbulls, always putting them down, I have a pittbull (since she was 6 months old) she is now 1 year 6 months, And she is so sweet, she gives kisses,dances, walks on her hind legs, and she shacks hands, I wouldn’t chnge her for nothing and just like most pitbull owners say It’s all in the way you train ANY animal DOGS, CATS, ect……Don’t knock the pit bull intill you get to know one!!

  • I could see were ur coming from on how those dogs can dangerous but there only dangerous if u train them to be mean dogs or some dogs if u dont train them at all are mean….any ways just because of what people trained thos dogs to do like 200 years ago doesnt mean there the same now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • how can dalmations be classed as dangerous ive got one and where on that list are weinamareas cause they are very visouse and have attact several people and dogs where i live!!!

  • I think pit bulls and staffordshire terriers are a stupid animal to keep they may seem sweet but one day they will turn and you will have wished you had never ever owned them then and then there will be no one to blame but yourself!!!

    • you are stupid..you wouldn kill a child if it was brought up wrong and stole your things or hit someone now would you..poeple like you make me sick…

  • I own a pit bull. He is almost 3 now. I think that pit bulls are wonderful dogs. It’s the owner that creates the bad reputation that the pit bull has. I know in my heart that my pit will never turn on me. He is so loyal, sweet, and gentle. He is the best dog that I have ever owned. Once he passes away I will continue to own pit bulls forever. I work at a boarding facility. I’ve got bitten by more small dogs than any of the dogs on this “dangerous list”. People just need to learn more about the breed. DO SOME RESEARCH. STOP LISTENING TO THE STUPID MEDIA that’s how they make their stories because of the “Pit bull” title. Did you know that the pit bull passes its temperament test against the famous typical American golden retriever. People need to be more responsible with these type of pets. These pets need owners that know about the breed that can train them. I never thought that I would ever have a pit bull. I have one now and it changed my whole attitude about the breed. Once you have one you will understand. All the negativity about the pit bull will be out of your head. I know that a lot of pit bull owners know where I’m coming from. People also don’t understand that Pit bull back in the early 19Th century were the “lab”, golden retriever, etc in that day. They were the family dog. Their reputation changed after the 1980s when gang bangers wanted to have the baddest dog on the block, because the breed is so strong and aware of their fighting capabilities . Also pit bulls are NOT human aggressive by any means. A lot of people get that confused. They are however bred to be dog aggressive you just have to train and socialize them the day you get it as a pup. Always monitor you pit when it plays with other dogs. All I can say here is get EDUCATED stop discriminating the breed. They are very loving, smart, and loyal pets.

  • i was looking at this site to see what they had to say about the dogo agrentino.. that is the dog im planning on getting.. what do ya’ll think?

  • I think it’s very funny that those who are putting down the pitbull are actually people who have never owned one and do not know anything about the breed. Most people make broad generalizations about things they know nothing about. I’m fine with people being ignorant. It happens every day, all the time. But, for those that do not have a pbt and can honestly go on this site and say “they will turn on you” etc etc, I have to laugh.. you seriously know nothing about dogs. My husband and I have three cats and created a loving home and environment for our first and only dog. He is a 4 year old pitbull. If I could post a picture it would be of him sleeping with us, cuddling with house guests and being a normal well-adjusted dog. It’s sad that people are so closed- minded and it’s sad there are horrible people out there that will do horrible things to animals and make them something they are not. Ptbulls make wonderful family dogs, but do need a lot of discipline and training. I believe them to be like any other “bully breed/terrier”, very strong willed- independent minded and stubborn. But with proper training and a great foundation for love and kindness- just like with any other dog it will be a wonderful addition to any home. Though their appearances can be scary, he is scared of our three cats and they bully him around. I often have to watch over them with caution because they would harm him if anything.. they have chased him around the house and he RUNS from them. It’s quite funny. He plays with other dogs well, is wonderful with people… and just like any other dog is a PRODUCT OF HIS ENVIORNMENT. Just like people, they act and do.. as they know.

  • A friend of mine who owns a Rot. had an interesting experience. After coming home from work one day we walked into his house to find a kid sitting on his couch holding a VCR and an amplifier that he had planned on stealing. He knew my friend and his dog and thought the dog wouldn’t be a problem since he was around him and knew him. But as he went to leave the house with stolen stuff the Rot. walked infront of him blocking the door and growled at him. So he decided to go to the back door. The Rot. ran infront of him and did the same thing. Not knowing what to do he sat down on the couch I guess hoping the dog would get tired of watching him and step aside. The Rot. didn’t. Come to find out the kid had been sitting there for almost 6 hours. My friend didn’t tell him if he had set the stuff down he could have walked right out the door no problem. After seeing all of this we tried an experiment. I picked up one of his drum sticks from his drum set and started to walk towards the door. The Rot. walk infront of me and pushed me back away from the door with his shoulder. As soon as I set the stick down I was able to walk right out. Pretty amazing! Just another example of how intellengent these dogs can be. The dog was also born deaf and he communicated with it using sign language.
    As for Pit Bulls I have seen agressive ones and ones that would lick you to death before they would bite you. But as one person stated, just about any dog at one time or another can bite and do damage. I think pits have gotten a bad wrap because of idiots raising them to be mean and that’s what you hear about the most. Same with Rots., Pinchers, and other breeds. My father and I have had Blue Healers which are part Dingo. It seemed like the males were complete air heads one male would let you pet it all you wanted but if you stopped he would bite your arm and hold it until you started petting it again. He wouldn’t bite hard enough to break the skin but it made you nervous anyway. I had a male also and it was so hyper-active that you couldn’t teach it anytihing. It was reckless and totally out of control. It wasn’t mean and would lick you to death. The females on the other hand were always calm and very intelligent. One in particular was sent to a cattle school and trained to herd cattle. This dog could cut a single cow out of a herd just by you pointing at the one you wanted. Pretty cool to watch.

  • I don’t get everyone’s comments. From what I understood of this article, these dogs are the most likely to cause damage if they were to get aggressive. No one is saying that they are all aggressive or mean. Yes, I know lots of pit bulls and rotties, they are all friendly and nice…

    But, talk to my Lab who just got operated on last week because she was bitten by a rottie who ran out if its back yard when my parents were walking down the street. The owner swore that this dog had never bitten, and my parents saw for themselves that the kids in this family were all over the dog, climbing on him and everything without a problem. So, why did it attack? My Lab was minding its own business, but the dog felt threatened…

    The point I’m trying to make is, obviously something set the dog off.. My Lab didn’t stand a chance, because, as we all know, the Rottweiler was much much stronger. So, not necessarily more aggressive, but for sure more dangerous because of sheer strength.

    I know that when my sister’s boxer was hit by a van, we had to bring it in and get it stitched up (and what other breed would be able to walk away from getting hit by a full-sized van going 50km/h, I ask?) the vet was concerned about him/us being bitten. My sis and I were all over the dog, holding him down, but the vet made a point: No matter how good and trustworthy your dog is, you should never forget how strong and harmful they could be, if the circumstances were right. And, of course, an accidental or impulsive bite by a boxer would be much more painful than one from a smaller or weaker dog.

    • every dog owner will swear that their dog never bit before(that dog probably never seen another dog before) dogs have to be socialised,used to everything around us. most of the owners will say that their dog doesn’t like bikes or skateboards….is nonsense.you have to be the leader. if you allowed your dog to attack anything(objects,humans)that is what they’ll do. i have a 3year old Rotty and she been attacked twice by a labrador.she didn’t even defend herself, she just hide behind my legs.they are very calm and patient dogs if treated right. I’m a dog walker and I take her everywhere,bus, tube,train, walks off lead,with other dogs.her attention is on me she doesn’t even look at people around. My friends bullmastiff(always on lead) been attacked by labradors off lead. neutering is very important (lots of dog on dog attacks are to establish the leader ).If we are not the leaders our dog will be even if is a toy breed. owners should be more responsible.

  • i believe its equally important to know about wich breeds, big or small are more agressive before buying a puppy, or wich breeds are more dangerous because of their temperament combined with their physicall power, so all this article and comments are very usefull together. i have an anatolian shepherd, a rhodesian ridgeback and a dalmatian, and even though the three of them are gentle and beautiful, i have to say the anatolian shepherd is far more dangerous that the other two…so he never gets off the leash when out of the house, even in the forest.

  • i got two pittbulls and two rottweiler,and we like when is it a mass fight,pittbulls are bullsit…there is always blooded at all…

  • Most of the comments on this article seem to be by owners of these dogs that are classified as “dangerous”. The common reply by you is “MY dog won’t bite. It’s a sweet dog”. Have any of YOU ever been bitten by one?

    I personally was a dog lover, up until a few months ago. Then a friend’s pitbull, who I was told would NEVER bite, attacked me and mauled my right arm. I now have to look at a scar every day and be reminded of that night. I have a different perspective, and do not understand why anyone would want a dog like that in their house. You can train a dog as well as you’d like, but the instinct sticks!

    • yuppers i also have a scar on my rite hand due to a rottie biteing me as a child. i am a proud owner of a 7 year old rottie its my favorite breed of dog. i dnt blame the breed for my stupid moment nor sould you

      • yes i been bitten by dogs when i was little. nothing stopped me having my rotty! i come from a country where dogs are in packs in the streets and since little we are taught how to behave around them. you can’t start screaming and start running away(1-you never win;2-dogs are animals and they will chase) I think schools should have lessons on how to treat animals and how to behave around any pets

  • ITS A SHAME NO ONE HERE HAS EVEN HEARD OF, LET ALONE SEEN A TRUE LEGEND OF A DOG WHICH USED TO PROTECT PEOPLE FROM WILD GRIZZLY BEARS,WOLVES………I AM TURKISH, AND PROUD TO PRESENT TO THE WORLD, THE MOST POWERFULL……..THE MOST LOYAL…..THE MOST INTELLIGENT……THE MOST HUMBLE…….THE MOST HEROIC DOG OF ALL…… LADIES AND GENTLEMEN I GIVE YOU THE ””SIVAS KANGALI””.

    JUST MAKE SHURE THAT NON OF YOUR SO CALLED VICIOUS DOGS EVEN APPROACH THESE DOGS……BECAUSE THEY GO STRAIGHT TO THE NECK UNTILL BREATHING STOPS. LETS THINK OF OTHER ANIMALS WHICH DO THIS….LION, TIGER….THATS PRECISELY HOW BIG THESE DOGS GET…..