Properly raised “aggressive breed” dogs. Pitbulls are the goofiest, most loving and loyal dogs I’ve ever met when they’re raised properly. Doberman Pinschers aren’t very goofy, but they’re pretty needy, loving, and loyal, preferring to lean against their family at all times.
Bears in the wild, or the wild in general. Yes bears and other predators can easily kill you if they want, but they almost always don’t want to. They’ll run from you well before you know they’re there. I’ve been going backpacking in the high country wilderness my entire life and have never had an altercation with a bear, cougar, coyote, or wolf. Follow proper procedures when you’re in their home (the wilderness), and they’ll leave you alone.
The AVMA documented 66 human fatalities caused by pit bull type dogs, 39 by Rottweilers, 17 by German shepherds, 15 by husky type dogs, 12 by Malamutes, 9 by Dobermann Pinschers, 8 by Chow Chows, 7 by Great Danes, and 7 by St. Bernard dogs.
https://www.forbes.com/advisor/legal/dog-attack-statistics-breed/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_dog_attacks
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breed-specific_legislation
And if you think the numbers are skewed due to popularity…
Top 10 Dog Breeds of 2023
It’s no surprise to dog lovers that the Frenchie remains in the No. 1 spot, and the rest of the top five breeds follow a similar pattern. Same as 2022, the Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd Dog, and Poodle are ranked No. 2-5 respectively.
There’s some shuffling in the top 10 from 2022 to 2023. The Dachshund is making moves, jumping from the No. 9 spot in 2022 to the No. 6 spot in 2023. Rottweilers took their spot at No. 9 in 2023, moving down from No. 7 in 2022. Bulldogs went from No. 6 in 2022 to No. 7 in 2023. The Beagle remains at No. 8, and the German Shorthaired Pointer remains at No. 10 with no change in rank.
“Properly raised”. Of course a strong animal with sharp teeth who is abused, neglected, or forced to fight for its life in illegal dog fighting rings is going to be aggressive.
What about the pitbulls that were raised properly and then attacked anyway?
"The dog bred to point is pointing at a leaf, haha.
The dog bred to fight fought another dog, it must not have been raised right."
Just get a dog that has been bred for companionship if it’s going to be a house dog and save the heartache.
I understand, most pitbull owners don’t change their mind until blood has been spilled. I’ve seen it firsthand several times and these dogs were not being mistreated.
For other people, please look into dog breeds natural ability. Nurture will get you a well behaved dog but some have nature hardwired into them and it takes mountains of training to get it out of them. There are different breeds for a reason and it’s not just for looks. Just get the dog breed that fits your lifestyle.