Dog breeds and aggressiveness

Many people in Connecticut have dogs as pets and find their companionship to be a very positive part of their lives. Many dog owners consider the animals almost more like family members than pets in some situations. However, this does not negate the reality that dogs can be a danger to humans. Some of this might be more likely given the breed of the dog but there is also the owner responsibility factor to consider as well.

Regardless of how a person treats a dog, Forbes notes that one study highlighted a particular concern with pit bulls, commonly identified as a breed with which to be concerned about human safety. While these dogs account for only 6.5 percent of all dogs in the United States, they were involved in two-thirds of the dog attack fatalities over the course of the 13 years spanning 2005 to 2017. A total of 284 people were killed by pit bulls in that timeframe.

Rottweilers and German shepherds were listed as the second and third most involved dogs in fatalities in the same study. All three of these breeds were identified on a list of the top 10 most aggressive breeds of dogs as reported by Pet Helpful.

Interestingly, this list also included some small dogs like dachshunds and chihuahuas. These dogs may not be able to hurt many adults but could hurt babies or small children. Again, regardless of the dog breed, every owner has the responsibility to take proper care of their dog to reduce or avoid dangerous behaviors or situations.