Are pitbulls, Rottweilers and Dobermans naturally more likely to attack people?

Question

I know some people say that it is ALL down to the way the dog is raised, but do any of yu believe that certain breeds are just naturally more aggressive and more likely to "turn" on a human and tear them apart? I knew a woman who got a Doberman from a rescue shelter. She treated the Dobe really really well and also treated her other dog well. She adored animals, lived for them. One day her new Doberman turned on her out of the blue and tore her to pieces. She is now dead.

What are your thoughts about Dobermans, Pits and Rottie's?

PErsonally I have a well behaved Min Pin. Even if my Pin were to go nuts and attack me, she weighs 9lbs and the worst she could probably do is bite up my ankles. Whereas if a Pit turned on me, that would likely be the end of my life.

Answer 1

My daughter has two pit bulls.big babies!!! They both have grown up around my two granddaughters who are 3 & 5 year olds. NEVER any aggression. I, myslf presently have three Dobermans and have had a total of nine Dobermans during the past 30+ years. NEVER have I had one turn on me. All dogs are what the humans raise/teach them to be. Rottweilers, I have never owned one, but I have never heard of one attacking anyone that I know that owns them. I've recently read that these dogs are the top on the list for bitters, Chows,Mastiffs, Toy Poodles, Chihuahuas, Schnauzers and Llasa Apso.

Answer 2

I have the sweetest doberman in the world. My 3 yearold son can do anything he likes to her and she has never even growled at him. When someone strange comes around she sounds like she is about tu rip their throat out but if they step toward her she just backs up and keeps the distance between them. Dobermans are a large dog so can do some damage. Some breeds were bred for aggressive behaviour and i think that the larger dogs that could hurt someone because of size not their disposition are unfairly pigeon holed. People are more tolerant of a small dog that bites, like you said the worst they can do is tear up your ankles.Personally i have found that some smaller breeds are more likely to bite than larger ones especially as they get older they lose their patience. You didnt say how long the woman had the dobe or how it was treated before she got it. Most animals from a shelter have issues and can be problem dogs

Answer 3

If you select and breed the most aggressive dogs from a litter you will end up increasing the aggressiveness of a breed. Some of the breeds you mentioned were bred to be more aggressive as protection/guard dogs. Today however, many breeders have bred them to be well tempered family animals. How the dog is treated and trained influence temperment as well. If you go with a good breeder and they are breeding for good temperment and train and socialize them you shouldn't worry. I have Dobe and she is the sweetest coward I ever met. She put up a heck of a show when someone comes to the door but once they are in the house its all kisses. Any dog can behave in ways that surprise you under certain circumstances.

Answer 4

No - I think this is not a question of most likely to attack as most likely to cause the worst bite. A pit bull bite will hurt like no other. Then with the Rottweiller you are looking at the size of dog and the power of bite. Again with the doberman you are looking at speed of attack and bite power.

With other breeds of dogs when they attack they may not inflict as much pain or damage but they are no less aggressive. I think it's unfair to blame any breed for an attack. You should look at the individual dog and how they have been tret by their owners. I would agree that owners of dogs that have guarding ability should do more to protect the public from harm.

Answer 5

The lady that got the doberman from a rescue, did she have any idea what the dog had been through before she got it? He/she could have been abused and taken away or neglected and picked up 1/2 starved to death.

And yes, I am a firm believer in "it's all in how the dog is raised".

I have 4 dobermans, and any of the neighborhood kids can play with them. But my mother had a miniature schnauzer that would rip a kids fingers off. He wasn't raised around small children and was even testy around older children.

SOCIALIZATION!!!!

Answer 6

No, they are not. I have owned a Rotty and she was a sweetheart, a 110 pound lap dog. My brother has always had a Rotty and now also has a Pit and they are all big babies. Dogs only attack and become wary of humans if they have been abused. The Dobie you mentioned came from a shelter. No telling what the poor thing endured before it was adopted. Dogs are a product of the environment they were raised in, end of story.

Answer 7

I have owned a Min Pin and as it got older , he became so angry. He was well trained and we loved him. Being they are so tiny the skull doesn't have much room for the brain. He was ok as a young dog, but the brain kept growing a little and the skull did not have room for the growing brain and our sweet Min Pin became mean. This is a known fact in the small dogs. He just got so mean, that we had to uthinize him. So sad.
The other dogs you mentioned , we have bred all of them. They are wonderful dogs and our pups were so sweet. We asked all of the buyers to please use good training methods and do not teach them to fight or be hostile. It is all in the handling of these wonderful breeds. If you teach the dogs to be aggressive they will be that way. Teach them in the way you want them to go and that is exactly what you will have. We stll have a beautifu Red Dobie and He is Magnificent. So kind and obiediant. If you train a dog to be mean, he/she will be . It is all in the way you train them. We have been raising pups for years. We Love them and only hope and pray that our pups will have a good responsible, loving owner. If not the pups life will be sad and short.

Answer 8

Dobermans, Rotties and Pitbulls have been bred to PROTECT and guard people. Not attack them. Any dog that has been ill treated, or has mental difficiency can "turn", this is not something breed specific.

I'm sorry to hear about your friend. That's really a one in a million case. Statisically speaking, Golden Retreivers are number one, on the list of dogs that bite.

Answer 9

The second breed you mentioned was the pit. a well bred,well tempered dog will not go after a person. The problem is that; one: many people are breeding dogs that LOOK like pits, when in reality they are bad temperamented mongrels.And second, this breed, even though it was originally bred to fight to the death, when those dog that survived the fights were taken home they lived in the house with the people who fought them, with their children and families. These dogs can attack just like any other strong breed. but the chances of this happening with a well bred dog are slim. If you are considering owning one of these beautiful dogs please research the breed and talk to a reputable breeder before you decide to get one. I have to pits myself and I love them, but I am also careful of who's around them because some people can be stupid and just want to see if your PIT is mean. I'm also a single parent with 4 kids and these dogs are around my family all the time. Hope this helps.

I don't believe in it's how the dog is raised. It's how the dog was bred.

Answer 10

To answer the question about Pit bulls, Rottweilers and Dobermans. It all depends on the way they are raised . But all dogs can turn on you . It doesn't matter what kind of breed it is .It can be the largest dog to the tiny dog the all have their own behaviors and if people raise their dogs to be mean and we all know that their are people out their that do that .