CDC's 10 Most Dangerous Dogs List [you'll never guess which one is the most dangerous!]

NBC17 ^ | 1-14-04 | NBC17

[ambrose]

NBC 17

CDC's 10 Most Dangerous Dogs List

POSTED: 3:58 PM EST January 14, 2004

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Tuesday's fatal dog attack in Harnett County is not as rare as you may think. Dogs kill 10 to 20 people in the United States every year.

Last year in Orange County, 300 dog bites were reported, and 350 were reported in Raleigh.

	DOG SAFETY Stay Safe Tips For Parents Own A Dog? Been Injured By A Dog?

While national statistics show at least 30 breeds have attacked humans, 10 dog breeds are on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's most dangerous list, meaning they tend to bite the most frequently. They are:

Pit bulls
Rottweilers
German Shepherds
Huskies
Alaskan Malamutes
Doberman Pinschers
Chow Chows
Great Danes
St. Bernards
Akitas

The breeds considered most likely to kill are pit bulls and rottweilers, and the CDC says that a chained dog is more likely to bite than an unchained dog.

The CDC also says the majority of dog attacks happen at home or in a familiar place, which is why choosing the right dog for your family is crucial.

Copyright 2004 by NBC17.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[.38sw]

I haven't had a dog since I was a little kid, so this will be quite an experience for me. We expect the shepherds will not only be loyal companions, but be first line of defense for the house. If anybody makes it past the dogs, well, both my husband and I shoot.

[JSteff]

You did the right thing. The alpha is the alpha of the minute. The faster that is established (if necessary) the more likely the success

Alpha means... current alpha, not necessarily original alpha. Dogs are happier once that is all sorted out. They are much happier when they know the order.

It was the deal they made with humans when they decided to not be wild any more; "I'll be part of the pack, but there needs to be a clear alpha...oh, and food".

Unspoken but clear deal between our species from way back when.

[CaptRon]

Maybe. I'm sure he's dead now, though.

[hotpotato]

Pitt Bulls are reported as "Pitt Bull types" which is code for mixed breed.

It usually means "pit bull types"... American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Bulldogs, mixes of any of the above breeds, or mixes that ressemble any of the above breeds.

Breed Information

[ATCNavyRetiree]

One dangerous dog.

[Cold Heat]

The vet swears that Doxies are the worst!

If a Doxie were full sized, it would be pound for pound the baddest dog on the planet!

But they are not, and they respond well to discipline and training.

I have a big male(for a mini) named Barkley who is probably the most lovable animal I have ever owned. It is also the first small dog that I have owned.

He just met some small children for the first time this past Xmas(my Grandkids) and was absolutely on his best behavior.

What the vet experiences is the Doxies response to getting a shot or poked around. They are a bit snippy about stranger causing pain. So, I hold him and he does not retaliate.

Besides, most of it is just noise.(false bravado) But, they do have a righteous set of canine teeth.

[Indy Pendance]

Our 11 year old German Shepherd is a rescue. We're her fourth family, she picked me when I was at the shelter, she was 8 then. Of course, I had no intention of getting another Shepherd. She'll never leave this home again. Since we've had her, she's gotten arthritis and just started epilepsy. She's been a real trooper though, and the vet techs loves her.

[honeygrl]

"I've never met a chow I couldn't trust. Their owners can be a different story."

Then how about you come down and catch the black chow that runs lose in my neighborhood growling at anything/anyone that comes within 20 ft? lol (animal control refuses to come get him! they claim they've tried to catch him for years which I don't understand because this dog does NOT run.)

[Ichneumon]

Hey, if we're going to go there, I'll take Mel Gibson and a case of Chrystal. But we're talking about K9s here!...:)

Oh. Well in that case, "wiener dogs".

Dachshunds are 80 pounds of personality in a 10-pound package. Plus they make good bed warmers (they *love* to burrow under the bedcovers).

Stubborn as hell though, but that's part of their charm.

[Indy Pendance]

Our Shepherd just had 7 attacks on New Years Day. They were all under a minute or so. She's had a couple in the past year, but I tell you, we were really scared. At that time the vet told us to monitor her and let him know if the condition worsened. It sure did. Got her on phenobarbital now, and that seems to help. Her muscles are still sore, poor thing. Can you give any advice?

[BibChr]

Neatest dog I ever knew was a black Lab.

[Exit148]

A niece is a school teacher, and a student came in one day with dog bite. The teachers asked her what kind of a dog did it. She told them it was a Golden Retreiver. EVERYONE asked the kid what SHE did to provoke the Golden!!!!! LOL!

My only dog bite was from a Chow Chow -- (on the face)

[NicNacPattyWac]

LOL! What a couple cuties! (Yep she looks like a man eater ha ha)

[not_apathetic_anymore]

Stubborn as hell though, but that's part of their charm.

Hummm....I think I've used that exact line to describe mine. Dealing with them once they've made up their minds is a true test of wills:)

[honeygrl]

I had a doxie for about 6mths. She chewed my couch to peices, pulled up a whole lot of my carpet, chewed up cabinet doors, walls, anything BUT her toys! LOL I gave her to a friend of mine that had raised and bred the breed for 15-16 yrs and she's now happy a as clam. (but still a chewer)

[Orangedog]

The Dobe mentality truly has to be experienced to be appriciated. I can't think of a breed of dog that I can trust more with my family. Of course, the owner is the biggest variable. Treat them right, like any dog should be, and they will treat you right.

[mean_people_suck]

Just ask my Dad. When I was a kid we had a St. Bernard that was never abused and had been properly socialized. My parents did everything right by the dog...
One day the dog got into a fight with the neighbor dog and my Dad tried to break it up. He sprayed them with the hose and our sweet lovable St. Bernard turned on my Dad and picked him up by the thigh and held him up against the fence! My Dad needed 22 stiches and almost lost a testicle. That was the end of our sweet lovable family pet. Up until that day my parents also believed St. Bernards were harmless teddy bears.

[Varda]

OK, I see your point. In some reports I have seen "type" was a catch all phrase that generally meant the author didn't think the dog was purebred. The phrase that blows the idea of catagorizing by breed is "mixes that ressemble any of the above breeds."

Our local dog bite task force (of which I was a member) found that it was hospital personnel who were identifiying the breeds of dogs that were doing the biting. These people thought all fuzzy brown dogs with black faces were German shepherds and couldn't tell the difference between a Boxer and a Pitt Bull. And why should they? It didn't really help them treat the patient.

Among the so-called bull breeds are usually some rare kinds of dogs including Bull Terriers (which I don't see on your list) and Staffordshire Bull Terriers which I do see there. SBT are simply wonderful little dogs and are known as great kids dogs.

[hotpotato]

Stubborn as hell though, but that's part of their charm.

Westies are stubborn. But that is only a part of their charm, too.

[Central Scrutiniser]

Pheno is the norm, there is another medicine that has to be mixed, and can be kind of dangerous. Make sure to be constant on the Pheno, and not miss any days. There really isn't much you can do, some dogs have seizures once and never again, its a crapshoot.

My Airedale had cluster attacks of about 20 or so siezures over a 3 day period every 6 months or so. What may have killed him is that we used a different type of medicine on him during his last siezure, in any event, he died a few hours later.

Epilepsy in dogs is a terrible thing to have to watch or treat. My greatest worry was him having them and falling into the pool. Best of luck. The Shepard is vulunerable because there was some real bad breeding in the last 20 years as the dog became real popular, ruined lots of dogs.