Although domesticated dogs may seem quite friendly andapproachable, there are occasions when they can be dangerous. Therehave been a number of cases in the U.S. involving vicious dogattacks on both humans and other pets.

The breed of dog you own could make it more difficult to secureHomeowners insurance. Insurers are hesitant in offering coverage tohomeowners who own breeds and mixes that insurers believe are morelikely to bite and cause injuries. According to DogsBite.org, more than 700 cities in the U.S.have adopted breed-specific laws since the mid-1980s, following therise in popularity of pit bulls in the general population.

A report from the Centers for Disease Control(CDC) revealsthat between 1997 and 1998, dog-bite attacks were the reasonbehind the deaths of at least 27 people. Of that number, 19 (70%)were children, eight were adults, and approximately half (56%) weremale. Five (19%) of these deadly attacks involved unrestrained dogsoff the owners’ property, 18 (67%) involved unrestrained dogs onthe owners’ property, three (11%) involved restrained dogs on theowners’ property, and one (4%) involved a restrained dog off theowner’s property.

Seventeen states reported fatal attacks, including Californiawith four deaths; Georgia and North Carolina reported three deathseach; Kansas, Texas, and Wisconsin reported two each; and Alaska,Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan,Missouri, New York, South Dakota, and Tennessee each reportedone.

The CDC report cited that Rottweilers were themost commonly reported breed involved in fatal attacks, followed bypit bull-type dogs. Together, these two breeds were involved inapproximately 60% of human deaths.

Einhorn Insurance, a San Diego, Calif., agencythat assists responsible dog owners in finding carriers that don’tdiscriminate, has compiled a list of the 10 breeds most oftendeemed dangerous by insurance companies. Let’s take a look atthem.

(Photo: Shutterstock/Otsphoto)

1. Pit Bulls and Staffordshire Terriers

Pit bull attacks make the news more than any other dog.According to DogsBite.org,between 2005 and 2014, pit bulls were responsible for the deaths of203 Americans, about one person every 18 days. In early 2014, a10-year-old boy in Newark, NJ, was critically injured after he wasattacked by his father's two pitbulls.

The term “pit bull” comprises both the American pit bull terrierand the American Staffordshire Terrier; the breeds were originallydeveloped as fighting dogs, by breeding bull dogs and terrierstogether. Advocates from The Humane Society of the United Statesand other groups say the breeds, which have a reputation for beingunpredictable and dangerous, are unfairly demonized.

A report released by DogsBite.org in 2009 revealedthat of the 88 fatal dog attacks recorded in the U.S.between Jan. 1, 2006, and Dec. 31, 2008, pit bulls areresponsible for 52 (59%) of these attacks. Accordingto TheAmerican Veterinary Medical Association, of the cases thatresulted in very severe injuries or fatalities, pit bull-typedogs were more frequently identified.

Mary Grace O’Brien from East Rockaway, N.Y., toldthe Huffington Post in March 2015 that, afterher house was gutted by fire in October 2014, her insurance companyrefused to pay her fire claim because, the company said, they wereunaware she owned a pit bull. O’Brien claimed she was never askedabout any of her six pets.

(Photo: AP Images)

2. Doberman Pinschers

As the breed’s popularity grew in the 1970s, so did cases ofDoberman attacks. A pet Doberman for a Brooklyn, N.Y., familykilled their eight-month-old baby in 2008, while he was lying on ablanket. Neighbors said the dog clamped his jaws around the boy’stiny head, making it impossible for his grandmother to pry theanimal off.

The American Kennel Club (AKC), says Dobermans can beaffectionate, obedient and loyal, however.

(Photo: Alkestida)

3. Rottweilers

According to the AKC, Rottweilers make good police dogs,herders, service or therapy dogs and are very protective of theirterritory. North East Rottweiler Rescue & Referral inPortsmouth, R.I., notes that the dogs need obedience training,socialization and daily exercise and should always be kept undercontrol.

In 2013, an Atlanta, Ga., high school student was attacked onschool grounds by two roaming Rottweilers. Injuries from the attackleft the girl in need of reconstructive surgery.

(Photo: Shutterstock/Bokstaz)

4. Chow Chows

A Chow Chow was euthanized in 2012, after it attacked aneight-year-old boy riding a bicycle in York, S.C. The boy was nostranger to the neighbor’s dog, and played with him regularly. Theattack left him suffering facial injuries and in need of stitchesand staples.

The breed is known for its scowling expression, black tongue andthick coat, and likes to hunt, herd, protect and pull. Accordingto Animal Planet,the Chow Chow can be aggressive toward strange dogs out of a needto protect its human family and the other pets in itshousehold.

(Photo: Shutterstock/Blue Iris)

5. Great Danes

Great Danes are usually associated with the lovable Marmadukefrom the comic pages and the 2010 movie, yet two from this breedwere not so cuddly when they mauled and critically injured a womanas she entered their kennel. Vetstreet recommends that the breed, which canweigh more than 100 pounds, receives early training against jumpingor acting aggressively.

(Photo: Shutterstock/Marko Marcello)

6. Perro de Presa Canario

Also called the Presa Canario, this breed became notorious aftera 2001 case in San Francisco, Calif., involving a woman who wasmauled in the hallway of an apartment building by two of themassive dogs owned by a neighbor. The woman suffered more than 75bite wounds and the owner is now serving 15 years to life inprison. The Perro de Presa Canario usually makes the list of bannedbreeds, in places where this is done.

(Photo: Shutterstock/sbolotova)

7. Akitas

Akitas are popular show dogs, but have strong guarding instinctsand temperaments ranging from calm to aggressive. The AKC advisesconstant supervision of this breed when they are around smallchildren and other animals.

In 2013, a three-year-old boy petting an Akita on a leash in aMurrieta, Calif., home improvement store was reportedly attackedand bitten on the jaw, neck and forehead, and below the right eyeby the animal. His wounds required 50 stitches.

(Photo: Shutterstock/Liliya Kulianionak)

8. Alaskan Malamute

Alaskan Malamutes have become popular as family pets, but theywere originally bred as sled dogs for work in the Arctic. Known fortheir strength, endurance, intelligence and ability to learnquickly, the breed also can be strong-willed.

The Alaskan Malamute Club of Canada says the dogs may requireconstant behavior training because they want to fight. Inearly 2014, police in Britain seized a pet Malamute after the dogwas suspected of killing a six-day-old infant.

(Photo: Shutterstock)

9. German Shepherds

The AKC says the German Shepherd is the world’s leading police,guard and military dog. According to The AmericanVeterinary Medical Association, GermanShepherds frequently appear in lists of dogs implicated inbiting incidents.

In New Athens, Ill., two German Shepherds, owned by the town’sformer police chief, mauled an eight-year-old girl in 2013. Thegirl was bitten on her left leg, chest and back.

(Photo: Shutterstock/Eric Isselee)

10. Siberian Huskies

Not all dog-bite incidents involve humans. In 2012, a SiberianHusky reportedly killed a Chihuahua at a dog park in South Euclid,Ohio. Patrons of the park said the woman with the Husky could notcontrol him. Declared vicious under a city ordinance, the dog hasto be muzzled whenever he’s in public, and the owner was requiredto buy insurance, post a warning sign on her property and have thedog microchipped.

(Photo: Shutterstock/Tom Reichner)

Also: Wolf Hybrids (wolf dogs)

The Einhorn Insurance list also includes the wolf hybrids—orwolf dogs—which are technically not a breed but are the animalsthat result from mating a wolf with a dog. Although loyalsupporters say wolf dogs make good pets, critics argue that theanimals are dangerous and unpredictable. In 2002, a WolfHybrid killed a five-year-old boy in Ballard County, Ky. The ownerpled guilty to reckless homicide.

Although domesticated dogs may seem quite friendly andapproachable, there are occasions when they can be dangerous. Therehave been a number of cases in the U.S. involving vicious dogattacks on both humans and other pets.

The breed of dog you own could make it more difficult to secureHomeowners insurance. Insurers are hesitant in offering coverage tohomeowners who own breeds and mixes that insurers believe are morelikely to bite and cause injuries. According to DogsBite.org, more than 700 cities in theU.S. have adopted breed-specific laws since the mid-1980s,following the rise in popularity of pit bulls in the generalpopulation.

For the full report, visit the Centers for Disease Control(CDC).