Dogs come in all shapes and sizes - the UK Kennel Club recognises 221 different pedigree dogs, from Affenpinscher to Yorkshire Terrier (there are sadly no dog breeds starting with the letter ‘z’!).
Then there are all manner of crossbreeds, from so-called ‘designer dogs’ to lovable mongrels.
Each has its own list of positive and negative attributes, and it’s important to take plenty of time to think about what breed will fit into your lifestyle the best - for instance a smaller dog if you live in a flat, or a hypoallergenic dog if the mere mention of dog hair makes you think about sneezing.
There is even scientific research to guide you, in particular psychologist Stanley Coren’s groundbreaking book The Intelligence of Dogs.
Different breeds of dog also tend to have very different personalities – with some more likely to lash out with nips, nibbles and even bites.
Of course any dog is capable of delivering a damaging bite, while most dogs of any breed are unlikely to do any damage unless seriously provoked, but there are certain breeds who have temperaments making them more likely to be aggressive than others.
Researchers in the USA carried out a survey of some of the estimated five million canine bites suffered in the country each year, separating them into types of dog.
Here are the 12 of the breeds of dog they found were most likely to bite.
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1. Chihuahua
When you're as tiny as a Chihuahua it's perhaps not surprising that you feel the need to stamp your authority on situations. This can result in the tiny pups being both noisy and nippy - traits that need to be dealt with early in life or they may become permanent. | Canva/Getty Images
2. Jack Russell Terrier
It may surprise some that the Jack Russell Terrier is the dog most likely to bite. These popular small dogs were originally bred to hunt and kill rats and other vermin, so giving chase and biting are very much in their DNA - although can be minimised with training. | Canva/Getty Images
3. German Shepherd
The German Shepherd is one of the world's most useful dogs - being used as everything from guard dogs to drug detection dogs by police forces and armies around the world. One of the attributes that makes them good at these tasks is that they are willing to bite if required - for instance to stop a criminal. Inevitably a dog will occasionally make a mistake and bite someone in a way that is not acceptable. | Canva/Getty Images
4. Siberian Husky
The Siberian Husky is not a breed for a novice dog owner. They are intelligent and playful but can get belligerent, rowdy and destructive - particularly if they don't get the huge amount of exercise they need or if their owner doesn't fully assert their dominance. This problematic behaviour can unfortunately include biting. | Canva/Getty Images