When you think of the types of dogs that people tend to be scared of, they are generally larger breeds. People may be nervous around Rottweilers, German shepherds, or pit bulls, for example. Those who aren’t familiar with dogs may be worried even when they are around very friendly dogs that are unlikely to bite, just because of their size.
However, some studies claim that smaller dogs are actually more aggressive. Large breeds get a bad reputation as being aggressive and dangerous, but their tendencies don’t back this up. It is often the smaller dogs that will lash out and bite, snarl, bark, yip, or otherwise exhibit these aggressive behaviors. So why is it that people are more scared when they are around large breeds?
The difference in injury severity between small and big dogs when aggression turns to an attack is just in the size and power of the dog in question. A small dog may be more likely to bite, but it probably will not cause severe injuries. A larger dog may be much less likely to attack, but if it does, it could cause severe or even fatal injuries.
For example, consider that many fatal dog attacks involve children. This is because children are not as strong as adults and so they have less ability to defend themselves. They are also shorter, which means that they more often take injuries to the neck, throat, or head, whereas adults tend to have dog bite injuries on the legs or the arms.
So, are small dogs really more aggressive? The answer is it depends, but they can be. Even if large dogs tend to be more relaxed and friendly on the whole, the aggressive ones do pose a much greater risk to the public. Those who have suffered serious injuries need to know about all of their options to seek financial compensation from the negligent dog owner. Contact us today to speak with your hometown legal team about a potential dog bite case.
