South Florida Personal Injury Blog

Broward dog bite attorney Andrew Alitowski knows that animals can run the gamut from the most docile of household pets to dangerous menaces. Certain dog breeds have a reputation for causing trouble, especially bites.. This perception is so widespread that many condominium and townhouse homeowners’ associations in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach Counties go as far as to ban vicious dog breeds. Not surprisingly, the county animal shelter and privately-run animal welfare organizations are brimming with these dogs for adoption, as they are the most likely to be surrendered. But which dog breeds are considered to be the most dangerous?

Homeowners insurance policies may even refuse to cover households which have a dangerous dog breed, says Fort Lauderdale injury lawyer Alitowski. The Centers for Disease Control, which compiles statistics on serious dog bit injuries, reported that between 1979 and 1998, there were 238 dog bite attacks that result in a person’s death. The dogs involved varied, however: 25 different breeds of dogs were involved in the deaths. Still, certain breeds stood out. Over half of the deaths were caused by attacks by pit bulls (purebred or mixed) and Rottweilers.

Aside from pit bulls and Rottweilers, Chow Chows, boxers, Doberman retrievers, and any wolf-dog hybrid, or dog with wolf ancestry. German shepherds, which are commonly used by police, including to stop suspects fleeing on foot, are also responsible for a disproportionately high number of dog bites.

The breed of dog alone is not the only determining factor. Although certain dog breeds are responsible for a higher percentage of attacks, good socialization and training is likely to reduce risks. A dog should be trained early and learn to follow human commands. Proper socialization, including being introduced to strangers from a young age, can prevent a dog from attacking a person out of fear. It is also difficult to train a dog to act as protection or as a guard animal, yet expect it to be safe around children or even adults. Dogs are probably not able to turn on and off their working, guard dog mode, and it is far safer never to teach a dog that it is acceptable to bite or attack in any circumstance at all. Broward personal injury attorney Alitowski finds that many dogs who attack humans, even once, are unfortunately never going to be safe pets.