This list isn’t going to make everyone happy. In fact, it really shouldn’t make anyone happy. We’re big dog lovers here at Wably, as evidenced by our list of the most intelligent dog breeds and our love of ridiculously cute puppies. That doesn’t change the fact, however, that dogs are animals, and sometimes they turn dangerous — even if it’s an accident.
Just because a dog made this list doesn’t mean we don’t love and appreciate it, but there are some disturbing trends that just can’t be ignored. Any of the breeds on this list can — and do — make amazing pets, so don’t be discouraged from adopting one of these pups. Just know that you might have to spend a little more time socializing and training your canine to get him to be the safe and well behaved pet you want.
23. Staffordshire Bull Terrier
With a history involving bull baiting and dogfighting, the legacy of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is steeped in blood. But this doesn’t mean the breed is bad. In fact, for the most part, Staffies are super loyal and obedient pups, so long as their owners have socialized them well and trained them to be family pets. When that’s not the case, however, Staffies can easily get out of control and go out of their way to assert dominance, which can occasionally turn aggressive. Combine that with the fact that these dogs are very strong for their size, and things can spiral out of control quickly.
As you can see from the photo above, however, overall these dogs are playful and loving.
22. Boxer
The Boxer is the right kind of dangerous — dangerous to intruders. Very protective and loyal to its family, the Boxer is most likely to be dangerous only when it perceives a threat to its humans. This can be a very good thing, but without proper socializing it could become a problem down the road. Remember, dogs can’t reason, so sometimes it might perceive a threat and respond aggressively.
Boxers also tend to have a bit of a prey drive, meaning smaller animals and babies might look like a toy or prey, so it’s best to be careful.
Overall, and as a personal owner of one, boxers get our seal of approval as a great family pet.
21. St. Bernard
Bred to be a rescue dog, the St. Bernard is generally very passive and obedient. They don’t have a strong prey drive and they love children. They are truly a great family pet. Except that they’re massive (up to 155lbs), so play time can easily turn into a trip to the emergency room.
The American Veterinary Medical Association found the St. Bernard to be the 10th most deadly dog as part of a 20 year study, so there is a basis for him being on the list. Just know that it’s almost entirely not because he’s mean. He’s just big!
20. Great Dane
Great Danes are known as gentle giants, so their appearance on this list must be a shock to many of our readers. It’s a shock to us as well, but the American Veterinary Medical Association listed it as the 9th most dangerous dog in America.
Originally bred as hunting dogs, the Great Dane does have a small prey drive, so children and other (smaller) animals might be looked at as lunch to your Great Dane. Chances are, however, that your Dane is perfectly calm and loyal, preferring a cuddle to anything else.
They’re on our list not for their disposition or demeanor, but simply because they’re big and sometimes they can get carried away whilst playing. What a Great Dane thinks is playful mouthing might be a dangerous bite to us and others. If you just train your Great Dane that mouthing isn’t okay you shouldn’t have a single problem.
19. Pharaoh Hound
Pharaoh Hounds make great pets. They’re highly intelligent and very trainable using positive reinforcement methods. However, and this is a big theme throughout the rest of the list, if not socialized well they can be aggressive with other dogs — especially males with other males.
18. Boerboel
If you’re in a Boerboel’s family he will love you and defend you to his death if he must. This is also what makes him potentially dangerous. Coming in anywhere from 110-200 pounds, the Boerboel is huge, and if he senses a threat to his humans he will attack. While he might not mean to cause too much damage, he’s big enough that he can throw down some serious hurt.
The Boerboel isn’t a dangerous breed based off of temperament alone. In fact, we’d have him in the St. Bernard category of mostly being dangerous just because he’s so bloody big.
17. Rhodesian Ridgeback
We feel guilty putting the Ridgeback on this list, because he really is a very sensitive dog. The only problem is that he’s quick and strong enough to do quite a bit of damage if he does decide to turn aggressive.
More aloof than anything by nature, the Rhodesian Ridgeback has often been turned into a guard dog, which is ever so slightly against his nature. That means there are a lot of them out there who’ve been made aggressive, and these traits are starting to find their way into the bloodlines of this beautiful breed.
16. Alaskan Malamutes
Known for their resemblance to Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes can be very friendly and loyal pets. So why are they on this list? A poorly trained Maly can quickly and easily overpower children and other pets. Without proper training and obedience work these dogs can be wild and temperamental. When there is a firm human leader in the house, though, they’re gentle and loyal. The problem is that they’re big and very strong, so innocent playing can quickly lead to a child or small pet getting hurt or killed.
The American Veterinary Medical Association found the Alaskan Malamute to be the 6th most deadly dog in the United States. We should put him higher on the list, but we’ve kept him where he is just because by nature these dogs are not overly aggressive, just accidentally dangerous and fairly difficult to train.
15. Perro de Presa Canario
Weighing in at a big 80-100lbs, the Presa Canario is a loyal companion — unless you’re another dog or stranger. If socialized properly the Perro de Presa Canario makes a great pet, while also still serving well as a guard dog. However, not letting this pup meet other dogs will only increase whatever aggressiveness is inherent to the breed, and other dogs will not be safe around him. The same goes for strangers. Your pup should meet a lot of people early and often if you don’t want him to be overly protective.
14. Dogo Argentino
Bred as big-game hunters, the Dogo Argentino, or American Mastiff, is strong and fearless. Which is precisely why they’re dangerous. It isn’t that their nature is inherently aggressive — it’s not — it’s just that when things go bad they go really bad. This is a dog that was/is used for hunting wild boar, and that requires a certain kind of temperament and bravery.
It’s this fearlessness than can quickly get the Dogo Argentino in trouble. If he’s poorly socialized or is trained specifically to act as a guard dog, then the Dogo will tend toward being aggressive.
13. American Bandogge
A member of the mastiff family, the Bandog, or American Bandogge, is a great family pet. At least when trained properly. The trouble comes when an owner doesn’t know how to properly train his pet. When these pups don’t learn that aggression is bad it can quickly become a more dominant trait. Even worse, a lot of owners specially train for this trait, because the Bandog wants to please its owner and will make an excellent guard dog.
With the right breeding and training the Bandog is no more dangerous than a Yorkie. Unfortunately they are so often poorly bred and poorly trained, hence their place on this list.
12. Siberian Husky
Listed at #4 of the American Veterinary Medical Association’s list of most deadly dogs, the Husky is incredibly smart and active. They’re much stronger than their pretty looks let on, and with poor training they can be overly aggressive. This is especially heightened when they aren’t given the exercise they demand.
The fact of that matter is this — a well trained Husky is one of the best dogs you’ll find. They’re very smart, loyal and obedient, but only if its owner has done a proper job of socializing and training the dog. Otherwise they’re aggressive.
As the 4th deadliest dog in America, the Siberian Husky could have ended up much higher on our list, but we’re blaming the owners more than the dog.
11. Gull Dong
Also known as the Pakistani Bull Dog, the Gull Dog is big, athletic, strong, aggressive and protective. This is also a dog that can quickly get out of control if its owner doesn’t know what he is doing.
This is not a dog for first time dog owners, as he will greatly test your patience and push you to your limits.
10. Cane Corso
Naturally protective and loyal, the Cane Corso is an amazing family pet. Really, they are, which belies them being so high on our list. The problem is that they were bred to be big and strong working dogs, and somewhere along the way the guard dog trait came forward. If not properly socialized and trained by an experienced dog owner, the Cane Corso will soon become too protective.
He’s not going to go out looking for a fight, but if your Cane Corso finds one he isn’t going to back down for anything. Yes, that means if another dog or a small child does something the Cane Corso perceives as a threat there is going to be a problem. That’s why training is so important.
9. Chow-Chow
Not the biggest dog on this list, the Chow-Chow is surprisingly deadly, ranking #8 on the American Veterinary Medical Association’s list of deadliest dogs. Part of this is demeanor, as they tend to be weary of strangers. This is a great trait in a guard dog, but there are risks associated with that.
The breed can also get aggressive and disobedient if not given enough exercise, so it’s best lazy owners steer clear of the Chow-Chow, just to avoid the problems associated with the breed.
8. Akita
While some dogs are on this list because they’re big and get carried away, the Akita has a long history of being labeled dangerous. They work best alone and usually do not get along well with other dogs. They’re also not for first time dog owners, and tend to get protective and territorial. If Akitas were larger and stronger than they are, like other dogs higher on this list, they would easily rank as more dangerous than #8.
7. Bullmastiff
Inherently independent and naturally protective, the Bullmastiff is a remarkable dog. He can also be very difficult to train. They don’t like repeating the same task again and again — like a Border Collie would do — so owners often get frustrated training them and quickly take a corrective approach to their training. And that’s where things go wrong.
A well-trained Bullmastiff is gentle and loving, but a poorly trained one is 100+ pounds of animal instinct looking for an outlet, and since this breed can be more difficult to train, this creates a whole new set of problems.
6. Doberman Pinscher
Listed as the 5th most intelligent dog on our 30 most intelligent dogs list, the Doberman is one of the best dogs out there. Smart, loyal, protective, trainable, hard working and so much more, but he can also be downright dangerous.
Coming in 7th place on the American Veterinary Medical Association’s list of most dangerous dogs, the Doberman is a bit misunderstood. If he comes from a reputable breeder and gets proper socializing and training from an early age, aggression won’t be a problem. Yes, they were bred to be guard dogs, but they’re also smart enough to differentiate when they need to be a guard dog and when they can just be a loving family pet.
Unfortunately, however, so many people breed them for their aggression in dog fighting and for guard dog purposes. Sometimes it’s hard to tell which kind of dog you’re getting, which just adds a little bit to the danger of owning one.
One of our favorite dogs, the Doberman would get our seal of approval for almost any household*, but potential owners should be prepared to do a pretty extensive background check on whichever breeder they choose.
* Dobermans do have a fairly pronounced prey drive, so houses with smaller animals and children will want to carefully monitor and train their dog to overcome that prey drive.
5. German Shepherd
The 3rd most intelligent dog and third most dangerous, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, the German Shepherd is a big, strong and highly intelligent dog. Also known as the GSD (German Shepherd Dog), this canine is a favorite of law enforcement agencies all around the world. They are unbelievable guard dogs and will fight for their families to the death.
Sadly this protective nature also gets them in trouble, and if they’re not properly trained they can mistake common situations for threatening ones, leading to deadly accidents.
Like the Doberman before and the next dog on our list, a GSD from a reputable breeder will make an excellent pet for most families.
4. Rottweiler
Number 2 on the American Veterinary Medical Association’s list of most dangerous dogs and # 4 on ours, the Rottweiler suffers from many of the same problems as the Doberman Pinscher.
We listed this breed as the 9th most intelligent among all dog breeds, so our appreciation for him is sound. We love these dogs and their big goofy grins, but sadly so many irresponsible dog owners have really damaged the breed’s reputation.
As you can see in the picture above, the Rotty isn’t a bad dog, but poor ownership over a long period of time has really hurt his reputation. Families do need to be careful, so researching and finding a reputable breeding is very important before bringing one of these guys into your home.
3. Wolf-dog
As the name might suggest, the Wolf-dog is a mix between a wolf and a dog. Which wolf? Which dog? Well, that’s another story altogether. You see, that’s part of what makes this type of dog so dangerous — you can’t anticipate its personality. Does it have more wolf than dog in its background? Because that could be a problem. Wolfs are at the top of the food chain, so a wolf-dog could easily consider other dogs, and even children, as prey.
With heightened aggression inherent in its nature because of its wolf background, owners will need to quickly determine which style of training — positive reinforcement or corrective training — is best suited for their individual pet. Owners will also need to quickly establish themselves as pack leader before things get out of hand.
The American Veterinary Medical Association named the Wolf-dog the 5th most dangerous breed out there, but we disagree. We rank him higher because of the uncertainty of personality. Yes, every breed has a range of personality traits, but more often than not people can anticipate at least some of their dog’s quirks; that’s made much more difficult here.
2. Tosa Inu
Also known as the Tosa Fighting Dog or Japanese Fighting Dog, the Tosa was, you guessed it, bred for fighting — and still is. There are many places in the world with restrictions on ownership of this breed, and it’s reputation as a dangerous canine precedes it.
Can these dogs be good family pets? Yes, they absolutely can, but so often they aren’t. Most of the lines in this breed come from fighting backgrounds, so aggression is at the forefront of its personality. We really hate being so blunt, but the Tosa Inu is not the type of dog we’d bring home to our families.
If you’re going to own one of these cuties, we recommend strong and consistent socialization. You also need to establish yourself as pack leader immediately and train hard to dissuade any sort of aggression from your pup. If more people owned Tosa Inus in the United States, this breed could have easily been labeled the most dangerous dog breed. We almost went with a 1a and 1b designation for the last two, but ultimately stuck to our gut on the final placement between the top two breeds.
Before we move on to the dog occupying the top spot on our list, we hope our readers understand that we are fans of all dogs, and we don’t want to discourage anyone from seeking out the pet they feel is the best fit for their home. Hopefully we’ve stressed the important role that owners play in this equation to help alleviate any fears one might have of the dogs on this list.
1. Pit Bull
Some say they’re misunderstood, but the reality is that Pits are the deadliest dogs in America.
Are there good pit bulls out there? Absolutely. Can you find well-bred pits that are docile and loving? Absolutely. Are you more likely to find an aggressive pit bull than any other breed? Absolutely.
Municipalities all over the world have restrictions on pit bull ownership, so this is either the most pronounced overreaction to dog ownership the world has ever known, or there is legitimate concern over this breed.
The pit bull was long bred to be a fighting dog, and it was the best at it. It is very strong and has a dangerously firm bite. Even if we dismiss the claim that they are more aggressive than other breeds, the pit bull is still physically imposing enough that typical roughhousing can turn dangerous — even deadly.
That being said, we still love them, and their smiles are the best in the dog world. We just hope a day comes when they stop being used in dog fights and start being bred for a life of leisure in a home.
