The problem I have when people talk about aggression and danger from dogs is the statistics are so badly skewed by peoples influence. There have been studies done looking at the rate of aggression bites without considering damage done and the breed most likely to bite for any reason is the Dachshund - with Chihuahuas and Cockers also high up. The thing is when these dogs bite while they can do damage they are unlikely to be fatal. Then when you look at fatalities associated with dogs you get St Bernards and Great Danes high up - they have a low bite frequency but a much bigger chance that if one of these attacks it will kill you simply because of its size.
When it comes to the top 3 on lists looking at fatalities you have GSD, Rottweiler, and Pit bull which at first glance suggests these are the dangerous out of control breeds but when you look closely at the figures you find the first 2 include the statistics from trained working dogs and those used specifically for protection work and pit bulls are of course used for illegal fighting and are forced into being more aggressive than they would otherwise be.
