The reports can seem terrifying. We read of a child, an elderly person, or virtually anyone, who has been attacked by a dog and it is frightening. Americans love their dogs and spend billions every year on them. To imagine their friendly "Rover" lunging at the neck of a small child seems like something from a horror movie.

While some breeds are seen as inherently dangerous, in reality, much of the viciousness exhibited by dogs in attacks is learned behavior. Even pit bulls, the fearsome dogs of many media portrayals, in the abstract are no more likely to attack than any other breed.

A much stronger indicator of a likelihood to attack is whether they are an unneutered male. According to the American Humane Society, 86 percent of fatal dog attacks involve such a dog.

Dogs that are abused and tortured are most likely to become vicious and dogs that are poorly socialized are likely to become aggressive. Which means it is rare that a "normal" dog would turn on its owners or others unprovoked, and that it is appropriate that owners of aggressive dogs who attack humans should be held responsible for any injuries caused by their often-mistreated dogs.

Attacks can be deadly, and even if not fatal, the type of injuries can lead to psychological trauma and multiple reconstructive surgeries to repair the damage.

Legal action is often necessary to ensure that adequate compensation is obtained from a negligent owner. An attorney can review the facts of your case and help determine if you have a valid dog bite claim under Indiana law.

Source: rawstory.com, "Pitbulls used to be considered the perfect 'nanny dogs' for children -- until the media turned them into monsters," Joshua Holland, August 31, 2015