What Dog Breeds Are Considered More Dangerous than Others?

 Posted on July 20, 2026 in Dog Bite Injuries

Some dog breeds are involved in severe bite injuries more often than others, and insurance companies closely track this pattern when deciding which claims to pay. Pit bulls, Rottweilers, and a few other aggressive breeds show up far more often in serious dog bite cases than other breeds do. That pattern does not mean a smaller or less feared breed is safe. Any dog can attack without warning, regardless of breed, and Illinois law treats these attacks the same way. An owner cannot escape responsibility just because their dog is not one of the breeds people tend to fear. 

If a dog attacked you or your child in 2026, a Will County, IL dog bite attorney can explain how breed, ownership, and insurance rules affect your claim.

What Dog Breeds Are Most Likely to Bite Someone in Illinois?

Illinois law does not single out any breed as automatically dangerous. A dog earns that label through its own behavior, not its pedigree. Medical and insurance data still show a pattern, with a handful of breeds appearing disproportionately in the most severe attacks because of their size, bite force, or history as guard or working dogs. 

These breeds commonly include:

• Pit bulls

• Rottweilers

• German shepherds

• Mastiffs

• Huskies

Many dogs involved in serious attacks are mixed breeds rather than purebred dogs, which is part of why Illinois courts do not use breed as a legal test. Instead, liability generally depends on whether the dog attacked, attempted to attack, or injured the victim without provocation while the victim was peaceably present in a place where they were legally allowed to be. Any dog that meets both conditions can create liability for its owner, regardless of its size or reputation.

What Turns a Dog Into a "Dangerous" or "Vicious" Dog Under Illinois Law?

Under 510 ILCS 5/2.05a, a dog may be considered "dangerous" in either of two situations. The first is when the dog is off its owner’s property, is unmuzzled, unleashed, or unattended, and poses a serious and unjustifiable threat of severe injury or death. The second is when the dog bites someone without justification but does not cause serious physical injury.

Dangerous dogs face added safety rules. Once a dog is deemed dangerous, its owner generally must pay a public-safety fine and have the dog spayed or neutered and microchipped. Depending on the circumstances, authorities may also order a behavioral evaluation, training or treatment, adult supervision on public property, or use of a muzzle. . Failure to follow these orders may lead to the dog being impounded.

A dog may be declared "vicious" if, without justification, it attacks someone and causes serious physical injury or death. A dog may also receive that classification after three separate determinations that it is dangerous.

A vicious dog generally must be kept in an approved enclosure. The enclosure must be at least six feet tall, locked, and built with secure sides, a top, and a bottom so the dog cannot escape. The dog may leave only in limited situations, such as for veterinary care, a court order, or an emergency. During those times, it must be muzzled, restrained by a leash no longer than six feet, and kept under the owner’s direct control.

Will the Dog Owner's Insurance Cover Your Dog Bite Injuries in Illinois?

If a dog bit you, the money to pay your medical bills and other losses usually comes from the dog owner's homeowners or renters insurance policy, not directly from the owner. Illinois law affects whether that coverage exists.

Under 215 ILCS 5/143.10e, an insurer cannot refuse to issue or renew a homeowners or renters policy, cancel it, raise the premium, or limit coverage based only on the breed or mix of breeds the policyholder owns. Before this law, insurers regularly excluded pit bulls, Rottweilers, and other breeds from coverage, which left some victims without a policy to pay their claims, even when the dog owner was clearly at fault.

This affects your claim because it keeps more insurance policies active and able to pay out. According to the Insurance Information Institute, homeowners insurers paid $1.862 billion for dog bite and other dog-related injury claims in 2025, and the number of claims rose 25.6 percent from the year before. Most of that money came from policies like the one the dog owner in your case may carry.

The law does include one exception. An insurer may cancel or refuse to issue or renew a policy, or impose a reasonably increased premium, based on an individual dog’s dangerous or vicious classification when the decision is supported by the underwriting and actuarial considerations required by the Illinois Animal Control Act. If that exception applies and there is no insurance policy to pay your claim, an attorney can look at whether the dog owner has other assets to pursue, whether a landlord or property owner shares responsibility for the attack, or whether a separate umbrella policy still applies.

Schedule a Free Consultation With Will County, IL Dog Bite Attorneys

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer - Mevorah Law Offices LLC has more than 175 years of combined experience, and our attorneys are ready to take a case to trial if an insurer will not offer a fair settlement. We work on a contingency fee basis, so we will not collect payment from you unless we win your case. Reach out to Cook County, IL animal attack lawyers or call 630-552-6860 for a free consultation.