7. Doberman Pinscher

The Doberman Pinscher could easily be described as the face of the stereotypical guard dog. Their sharp muzzle, slender ears and sleek muscular body make them appear fast and strong. They are also very smart and will not hesitate to protect their family.

Their fearless, devoted personalities makes them trainable. Owners who do not properly train their Dobermans give this breed, which is already more likely to be aggressive towards strangers and other dogs, a bad reputation.

Much like the Rottweiler and German Shepherd, the Doberman is often viewed as a symbol of authority or, in some cases, intimidation. They are also a favorite to use as guard dogs or generally vicious dogs by the entertainment industry.

While the big screen snarling may be staged, this breed can be quite frightening when provoked. There is controversy over the breed’s actual bite force, which some insist is at an enormous 600 pounds. This claim is largely unsubstantiated, however, that doesn’t mean the Doberman can’t chomp down hard when it wants to.

A report covering dog attack deaths and maiming in the United States and Canada between September 1982 and December 2011 created by Merritt Clifton/Animal People shows that the Doberman falls a bit lower on the list than most other hated breeds.

A total of 7 deaths were listed with 15 incidents of bodily harm. The Rottweiler was responsible for 78 deaths and 481 incidents while the Pit Bull came to 207 deaths and 1.907 incidents. The Doberman ranks lowest among Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Bullmastiffs and Chow Chows.

A study was conducted in 2008 to determine differences in situations that caused aggression in the Doberman. What the study found was that the breed was much more likely to show aggression towards strangers than towards their owner. They came in with an average ranking for dog-directed aggression.