What Dog Breed Bites the Most in the US? | Bite Statistics

You’ve probably seen the headlines: “Pit bulls are the most dangerous breed,” or “German Shepherds bite more often than you think.” These claims get passed around quickly, but the real picture is more tangled than a single breed name can describe.

The question “What dog breed bites the most in the US?” doesn’t have a simple yes-or-no answer. Data from multiple peer-reviewed studies point to certain breeds appearing more often in bite reports, but those same studies also highlight serious problems with breed identification and the role of individual factors like training and socialization.

Why Bite Statistics Can Be Misleading

Breed identification in dog bite reports is far from perfect. A Faunalytics study found that up to 40% of media and animal control reports misidentified the breeds involved. Visual identification—the method used in most bite reports—is notoriously unreliable, especially for mixed-breed dogs or breeds that share physical traits.

The AVMA emphasizes that breed is a poor sole predictor of a dog’s tendency to bite. Individual factors—socialization, training, spay/neuter status, and the context of the incident—appear to matter more than genetics alone. That doesn’t mean breed data is useless, but it does mean the numbers need to be read with caution.

Because of these limitations, the most reliable statistics come from well-conducted studies that acknowledge their own biases. Two major peer-reviewed sources provide the clearest picture currently available.

The Breeds That Appear Most Often in Bite Reports

In a large study published in the International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, researchers analyzed dog bite incidents over several years and found that Pit Bull–type breeds accounted for the greatest share of bites at 25.07%. Labrador Retrievers came second at 13.72%, followed by German Shepherds, Rottweilers, and other breeds.

That study used hospital records and animal control reports, both of which rely on visual breed identification. Still, the pattern is consistent across multiple regions and time periods. A separate review covering 1971 to 2018 found that the German Shepherd was the most common pure breed identified in bite incidents overall, while Pit Bull–type breeds were more frequently associated with severe and fatal attacks.

These numbers come from studies that each used different data sources and counting methods, so direct comparisons across studies should be made cautiously. The table gives a rough sense of which breeds tend to show up in bite reports, not a definitive ranking.

Pit Bulls and German Shepherds: What the Research Says

The PubMed review covering 1971 to 2018 found that the German Shepherd was the most common pure breed identified in bite incidents over that nearly five-decade span. However, the same review noted that Pit Bull–type breeds were more strongly associated with severe injuries and fatalities. The discrepancy partly reflects how data are collected: general bite reports capture more incidents (including minor bites), while severe injury and fatality reports are rarer and may involve different dog types.

In the PMC study, Pit Bull–type dogs had the highest bite frequency at 25.07% of all incidents. The authors point out that popular breeds like Labrador Retrievers and German Shepherds also appear frequently, likely because there are simply more of them in the population. The German Shepherd bite incidents data from the longer time window suggests they remain a breed to watch, but the severity of injuries is often lower than with Pit Bull–type dogs.

Why Fatal-Attack Statistics Can Be Misleading

When people search for “What dog breed bites the most,” they often worry about fatal attacks. Data from advocacy groups and law firm analyses suggest Pit Bull–type breeds are involved in a disproportionate share of dog bite–related fatalities. However, these sources are Tier 2 and must be treated as less authoritative than peer-reviewed research.

The AVMA’s own study on fatal attacks found that Pit Bull–type dogs were disproportionately involved, but also noted that breed identification in fatality reports faces the same visual-identification problems as bite reports. Furthermore, a handful of breeds appear repeatedly, but the total number of fatal attacks is very small—around 30–40 per year nationwide—making percentages unstable.

According to the Pit Bull bite frequency data from the NIH/PMC study, the breed’s involvement in non-fatal bites is high, but fatal attacks represent a tiny fraction of all bites. Focusing only on fatalities can distort the overall picture of risk.

The Bottom Line

The breed most frequently involved in dog bites in the US is the Pit Bull–type group, followed by German Shepherds and Labrador Retrievers, based on the strongest available peer-reviewed data. But these numbers come with important caveats: breed identification is often wrong, and factors like training, socialization, and supervision matter more than breed alone. The AVMA recommends focusing prevention efforts on responsible ownership rather than breed-specific laws.

If you’re concerned about your own dog’s behavior or want to reduce bite risk in your home, consider working with a certified animal behaviorist or a veterinarian who can evaluate your dog’s individual history and needs—not just its breed label.