My neighbor is a retired vet. The only time he was bit was from a Golden Retriever.

Pitbulls were bred to fight bulls originally and later on to fight each. aggressive was basically engineered into them. so people associate them with being vicious. and again, they don't bite more than most dogs, they just have WORSE bites.

Its a reputation given to the breed..They were bred for the purpose of fighting and some exploit that for sport..that makes headlines. Most dog bites are actually from smaller breeds..they just dont have the bite force of a pit bull. :)

Most Pit Bulls are at the least PEOPLE FRIENDLY and they were intended to BE people friendly. Most may have issues with other DOGS, or small animals, or quick moving creatures...animals or sometimes children. It is the DESIGN of the Pit Bull's jaw, the force of pressure they can apply and the "locking" of their jaws that earn them exceptional attention with regards to their bite potential, not so much their temperament. For over five to eight (I can't recall the exact number) years the American Bred COCKER SPANIEL held the supreme title as the dog breed that BIT the MOST OFTEN. Poodles were in the running. In the past five years the wonderful LAB has moved up as the family dog that is earning more bite incidents. We can thank the PUPPY MILLS and IRRESPONSIBLE Back Yard Breeders for THIS problem. (not all small, Back yard Breeders ARE irresponsible... But there are enough who are to add to the problem in a huge manner!) Akitas are not yet popular enough to have been overly influenced by BYBs or Puppy Mills...they are still a very specialized and protected breed with their foundation breeders. They are NOT, however, a breed I would suggest for a first time or inexperienced dog owner, as they do require training (+R please! positive reinforcement)and understanding as to their breed temperament. American German Shepherds HAVE been poorly influenced by both Back Yard Breeders and Puppy Mills. I do not recommend most American Bloodlines as a rule...not without careful investigations of them first.

I was bit by a German Shepard once. When I was about 10 or 11 I used to stop at this house and pet the german shepard over the fence (the owners were always outside). they got a puppy, and I pet that one over the fence and the older dog bit me in the shoulder from jealousy. I have a nasty scar that probably should've had stitches, but I hid it from my mom because I wasn't supposed to be on that street and I didn't want to get into trouble! I also had a dog (dane) who was attacked several times by his owners new shepards, so he gave him up to rescue (he was my foster dog, but I adopted him). The dogs were trained to attack, though...to protect his family or some crap.

All dog breeds will bite under the right conditions. I've been bit by a doberman, a pomeranian and a shi-tzu. Some dogs will bite simply if you walk onto their property. Mine would probably kill any male that broke into my house. The big problem with pit bulls is that they become more and more unstable as they age. They also are the breed most likely to be abused and trained to be viscious. They were bred for dog fighting, and their character is such that once they have engaged in a fight, they will continue far past the point of subduing their opponent. German shepherds and Akitas have their own issues. Sheps are extremely protective of their families, Akitas are not dogs that easily trust strangers.

I'm one to say their isn't a certain dog that will just bite. But I have been workin in a boarding kennal and out of all the dogs that come and go, I am more afraid of a Chow than anything. I have only been attacked my a Dalemation and been bit many times by small poodles.

German Shepherds were bred to herd sheep - shepherd,being the clue, while Pit Bulls have been developed as fighting dogs - pit (fighting pit) being the clue. They are utterly different breeds, one having been bred for legitimate reasons and the other for totally illegitimate reasons.

I did but idk if many people do. Akitas are supposed to be the most aggressive dogs in the world. But that doesn't mean that they are all evil and vicious! But for some reason as soon as one pit bull is vicious, people assume they must all be that way. Speaking of German sheperds, I had a lovely one growing up. Her name was Mandy and we had her from when I was four till when I was fourteen. Eventually she had to be put to sleep, we were all devastated. She was nearly 16 when she died, & had traveled across the world (from South Africa to America) when my family had moved. Just thought I'd mention her, she was so wonderful.

We have had german shepherds and akitas all my life, along with border terriers. The quickest to bite were terriers, and it is always terriers I am more scared off. It always surprises me to see the GSD on the list because they are gentle dogs who prefer to make a lot of noise and LOOK aggressive to actually biting or BEING aggressive. My personal feeling is that a lot of times when people say they have been 'attacked' or 'bitten' by a GSD, they have merely been barked at and jumped on, 'mouthed' around the wrist as a warning, or at very worst got a slight nip on the wrist as a warning-off. Not mauled. People tend not to understand that GSDs (unless trained to show aggression) are naturally defensive rather than aggressive. They are often nervous dogs, and scared themselves, but have a keen sense of the pack unit and want to defend their family and territory. They don't attack, as an akita will, for fun - they are warning you away from their territory and family. Normally a GSD biting is the very last resort, after it has barked and raised its hackles. Normally the 'bite' will only be a warning nip, which probably doesn't even puncture the skin. Our current GSD looks terrifying. He runs up to people barking if they come into our yard without permission, is huge and makes an enormous amount of noise - but he wouldn't say boo to a goose and has never used his teeth on anything living. We still got accused of him 'attacking' someone though, because we went into the woods right by our house at night to walk him and a man stepped silently out of them. He barking in warning, ran up and floored them with his paws on their chest then ran back to me for approval. They still tried to report us but since it was outside our house and they weren't bitten they didn't have a leg to stand on. People really hate GSDs it seems. My worst experience was with a staffie because it just locked its jaws and would not let go. It tore right through one of the akitas flanks and bit me. And the akita didn't do anything to it! It surprises me more people aren't scared of akita than seem to be. With GSDs, people are terrified and act like they have been attacked when the dog has only barked at them. With akitas, they come up and start stroking them on the head and tell me they are 'cute'. I would never do that to a strange akita - they ARE aggressive dogs (though mainly with other dogs not with people). I would never trust our akitas with a child alone - they aren't necessarily patient dogs, they have a natural dignity and don't like being jumped all over or having their tails pulled etc. They are like lambs with the family, but they dislike people getting too close to them and invading their personal space, and they have come close to killing other dogs when they have escaped. They are still my favourite breed of dog, though. They are very intelligent and independent and incredibly loyal to their family.