Boy, 4, mauled to death by dog in his NYC home

[mtnman]

This one almost threw me...

Top 10 Most Dangerous, Expensive, Loyal, Fascinating Dog Breeds

Calling them “man’s best friend” may be a cliché, but no description is more apt to describe the relationship of humans with these fascinating creatures. Loyal, smart, protective, fun and playful, dogs have served as man’s ultimate companion since time immemorial. What other “mosts” are there when it comes to these canines which man has considered to be his best friend since time immemorial? How about the world’s most expensive dog breed? Or the most dangerous? Or you probably are hoping to own a canine breed which is considered to be one of the most fascinating.

1. Dog Breed: Doberman pinscher

Distinction: One of the most dangerous dog breeds in the world


2. Dog Breed: German Shepherd

Distinction: One of the most dangerous dog breeds in the world


3. Dog Breed: Rottweiler

Distinction: One of the most dangerous dog breeds in the world


4. Dog Breed: Samoyed

Distinction: One of the most expensive dog breeds in the world


5. Dog Breed: English Bulldog or British Bulldog

Distinction: One of the most expensive dog breeds in the world


6. Dog Breed: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Distinction: One of the most expensive dog breeds in the world


7. Dog Breed: Labrador Retriever

Distinction: One of the most popular dog breeds in the world.


8. Dog Breed: Golden Retriever

Distinction: One of the most popular dog breeds in the worlds.


9. Dog Breed: Yorkshire Terrier

Distinction: One of the most popular dog breeds in the world


10. Dog Breed: Dachshunds

Distinction: One of the most popular dog breeds in the world


You'd think that with the popularity of some of these other large dogs there would be more problems with them.  At least if the owners are just a random cross-section of the population...  Let's say 15% of all dog owners are idiots.  If they own dogs based on a normal population spread, the most popular dogs might also appear to be the most dangerous...

[BnZs]

Let me get this straight.

We can reasonably say that way less than 50 people a year are killed by dogs of all kinds,  in a nation of 300 million....

Yet this "dire threat" to health and safety is enough for numerous localities to try and legislate the genetic makeup of the dogs you can own?

I don't know about you gentlemen, but the ****ing control freaks scare me a lot more than dogs.

What about statistics?  Are they any good?  I just spent about 30 minutes searching the internet, and basically found the same information everywhere I looked.  Of course, this data does not rule out the possibility that the owner/trainer can be a huge influence, and that there could be a correlation between "personality type" and the type of dog they choose to own...

In all fairness, I honestly thought I'd find some surprises (like a bunch of labs that hadn't made it into the the popular opinion poll).

"22 reported dog bite related human fatalities in the United States in 2004.
2005 - 29 human fatalities.
2006 - 26.
In 2007, there were 33 human fatalities. 45% of the attacks occurred to adults over the age of 18, and 55% occurred to ages below. Pit bull type dogs were responsible for 67% of fatalities, the next closest breed was the rottweiler at 12%. But all dog breeds are potentially dangerous. In 2000, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that 25 breeds of dogs were involved in 238 fatal dog bites from 1979-1998. Here it is the compiled list of the most dangerous dog breeds:

1. Pit Bulls
2. Rottweilers
3. German Shepherds
4. Huskies
5. Alaskan Malamutes
6. Doberman Pinschers
7. Chow Chow
8. Presa Canario
9. Boxer
10. Dalmatian

- For each US dog bite fatality there are about 670 hospitalizations and 16,000 emergency room visits, 21,000 other medical visits (office and clinic), and 187,000 non-medically treated bites
- 46.1% (nearly half) of dog bite injuries were triaged in emergency rooms as "urgent-emergent"
- Dog bites are the second highest reason why children seek emergency treatment

That's about 60,000 bites per fatality and that information is dated. It is reported today that a US citizen is bitten by a dog every 75 seconds."

And-

"While all dogs are potentially dangerous, some are more dangerous than others. Some breeds of dog are significantly larger and stronger than the average person, and it is the duty of their owners to use training and discipline to restrain their pets. Although socialization, training, and care can make an enormous difference, some dogs are by nature aggressive and violent creatures."

According to the Center for Disease Control, the top 10 most dangerous dogs are:

    1. Pit Bulls
    2. Rottweilers
    3. German Shepherds
    4. Huskies
    5. Alaskan Malamutes
    6. Doberman Pinschers
    7. Chow Chows
    8. Great Danes
    9. St. Bernards
    10. Akitas

Largely the same dogs listed everywhere I've looked...

[mtnman]

Let me get this straight.

We can reasonably say that way less than 50 people a year are killed by dogs of all kinds,  in a nation of 300 million....

Yet this "dire threat" to health and safety is enough for numerous localities to try and legislate the genetic makeup of the dogs you can own?

I don't know about you gentlemen, but the ****ing control freaks scare me a lot more than dogs.

Ha!  It's worse than you think...

They sure raise a big to-do about cancer, AIDS, etc...  When the real threat is accidental death (generally around the home, and on the road)..

And beyond the control-freaks, this is normal human behavior.  We almost always fear things that are far less likely to harm us than the unseen, but real, threats we face everyday.  My mother-in-law won't camp out in areas that have grizzly bears or black bears.  She's completely comfortable with driving though (which is far more likely to kill her).  She was scared to be in the vicinity of the volcano's around Seattle and Yellowstone, but she's comfortable sleeping in a bed on an upper floor of her house(she's statistically more likely to die as a result of falling out of bed, or down her stairs).

We like to fear the things we don't need to, and ignore the things that are actually more dangerous.

[morfiend]

Mtnman,

  while those finding dont look good for the pitbull even the CDC admits that there could be some misidentification!

  I dont even see a percentage for mixed breeds.While one could expect to see the PB at the top of the list for fatalities,they're far to common and a powerful breed,they arent tops on the bite list!


  Really this subject is a no win type of thing,some will claim they're the best dogs and others will claim they are the worst,when in reality is somewhere in the middle.As much as I love this "type" of dog I wouldnt want to see everyone with one. I was quite happy back 30 years ago when almost no one knew what my dogs were,Oh well like I said maybe it's time to raise hamsters!



    

[mtnman]

Mtnman,
Oh well like I said maybe it's time to raise hamsters!

If you get over-run with the little buggers I know someone who could help out    They'll ship fine on dry ice.

[Dago]

Pitbulls, popular among trailer park residents, those who own a Harley to buy an identity, and those with smaller packages than average.   

[BnZs]

Pitbulls, popular among trailer park residents, those who own a Harley to buy an identity, and those with smaller packages than average.   

Ad hominem, popular with those with those who have no real argument.

[SlapShot]

Ink, I'm told my beloved mongrel Holly is largely APBT.

A purpose to which a considerable number of dogs are put to where I live is the hunting large, dangerous wild hogs. This is not a task for a Yorkie. They are a severe nuisance animal that can occasionally attack people, and dogs are about the only effective means of hunting them. I wonder how hog numbers shall be controlled when only "politically acceptable non-threatening" breeds are allowed.

I love that show "Hog Wild" ... I love to see those dogs work a pig. What I didn't realize was that the Great Dane is a fearless pig hunter and very effective too.

[dedalos]

Let me get this straight.

We can reasonably say that way less than 50 people a year are killed by dogs of all kinds,  in a nation of 300 million....

Yet this "dire threat" to health and safety is enough for numerous localities to try and legislate the genetic makeup of the dogs you can own?

I don't know about you gentlemen, but the ****ing control freaks scare me a lot more than dogs.

It is a very small number.  Until one of the 50 is your kid.  Then it is a huge number.  But hey, I want a lion pet.  I don;t think the control freaks should stop me.  I mean, how many people in the world die from a lion attack in a year?  Probably less than 50.  Wait a minute, that means that lions are safer to own than a dog.  Why can;t I have one?

I also want an RPG because I am responsible.  How do you know?  I said so.  I will only use it for hunting so I don;t need any control freaks telling me what to do! 

[SmokinLoon]

I love that show "Hog Wild" ... I love to see those dogs work a pig. What I didn't realize was that the Great Dane is a fearless pig hunter and very effective too.

Great Danes were bred to hunt lions, yes?  If so, I'd like to believe that could handle a pig, wild or not.

[Bronk]

Loose pit coming at me gets ...and it will not be just 1.

[morfiend]

Great Danes were bred to hunt lions, yes?  If so, I'd like to believe that could handle a pig, wild or not.

 No!


  they were bred as boar hounds and carriage escorts,usually 2 danes and a dalmation were used as a team to alert the carriage the highwaymen/robbers. They are desendants of german boar hounds that are extinct now,a Molloser/mastif breed.


     

[Vudak]

How about instead of trying to regulate the genetic makeup of the dogs we are allowed to own, or try to impose some new licensing requirement for people to forget all the lessons of in a week, we just require that people do the right thing in the first place and purchase insurance for the dogs?

No matter what you do, a small number of people will die from dog attacks each year.  You can't change that.  What you can hope to change is how the much larger number of people who survive dog attacks are able to reconstruct their lives.

I'm sorry, but if you aren't wealthy enough to insure a certain type of vehicle, then you have no business owning one...  The same thing goes for dogs.

This is regardless of the particular laws of your state.  You shouldn't have to be forced to ensure you can make things right when you mess up.

[ink]

ok for all you who think "pittbulls" are Human aggressive and should be put down, just because of their breed, who have listened to the Media bull crap...if you really want to get some education, so you don't look like a fool next time you say "pitts" are "mean" "aggressive to humans" and should all be killed.....

well I give you some reading material to enlighten you on the greatest dog ever made by man

http://molosserdogs.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.1151


wow this dog looks exactly like the female I owned, except she was more ripped and chocolate brown.

[BnZs]

It is a very small number.  Until one of the 50 is your kid.  Then it is a huge number.  But hey, I want a lion pet.  I don;t think the control freaks should stop me.  I mean, how many people in the world die from a lion attack in a year?  Probably less than 50.  Wait a minute, that means that lions are safer to own than a dog.  Why can;t I have one?

I also want an RPG because I am responsible.  How do you know?  I said so.  I will only use it for hunting so I don;t need any control freaks telling me what to do!  

That all sounds fine to me Dedalos. I imagine you'd make a fine neighbor. I've lived near "awful horribly dangerous pitbulls" all my life, so I'm not too worried. If you want an RPG, just make one. Its not that hard. Another reason why restrictive legislation will never work. Many of my neighbors have weapons I consider more effective and useful than RPGs anyway. Maybe that is why we're not afraid of the neighbor's dog.

The truth is, trying to remove risk through legislation does not work, and moreover, as Mountainman pointed out, it is rarely aimed at the greatest risks to life and limb, but, rather at boogeymen, usually groups that are small enough they you can get the rest of the populace behind stepping on them without too much fuss.

The REAL risk to your kid is traffic on the way to school in the morning. The REAL risk to most people's health is what they eat. Legally binding dietary restrictions would have save far more lives than some piece of legislation about dog type, written only to make a given politico look good. The only reason such restrictions are not written is that a sufficient number of people would be (justifiably) hacked off to make it political suicide. Alas for humans that they seem to lack the wisdom to understand that everything they enjoy is anathema for *somebody*, and without principled respect for others freedom, the majority will always step on the minority.