Australian cattle dogs bite more people than any other dog, fact.
One, that isn't a fact, and two, we are not talking about bites, but attacks that maim, maul and kill. I am sure you will appreciate there is a difference. Bite ratios depend on location and are impossible to gauge really, because not all bites are reported nor recorded, whereas Dog Bite related fatalities are.
In terms of Dog Bite Related Fatalities, Pitbulls are truly the Number 1 Killer (see pic below). This figure is now a couple of years old, and the current pitbull related fatality is increased on average by 1 every 2-3 weeks. To give you a comparison, there has only ever been
1 Dog bite related fatality associated with the Australian Cattle Dog. Australian Cattle Dogs or Blue Heelers as they are called here aren't fighting dogs, in fact the word heeler in it's nickname is actually in reference to it's inherited trait of nipping at the heels of livestock, a genetically inherited trait, one that will be performed even with little to no training. This is one example that debunks "It''s all how you raise them" myth and highlighting how behavioural traits are passed from generation to generation.
So it isn't uncommon for a Blue Heeler if not given the right stimulation to nip at it's owner or other people, simply fulfilling it's genetic blueprint. They were bred to have a soft bite, much like labradors otherwise the dog could maim cattle (livestock), not a desirable option. Once again, this is a working dog and probably not the best option for a young family, but the family can take comfort from that if their dog does bite their child that 1) it probably won't end in fatality or serious injury 2) the attack should be easy to stop 3) there is an understandable cause to the incident (resource guarding, provocation, accidentally stepped on the dog etc etc).
DBRF = Dog Bite Related Fatality
