New Hampshire law imposes “strict liability” on dog owners when their dog causes injury to another person. NH RSA 466:19 states that “[a]ny person to whom or to whose property, including sheep, lambs, fowl, or other domestic creatures, damage may be occasioned by a dog not owned or kept by such person shall be entitled to recover damages from the person who owns, keeps, or possesses the dog, unless the damage was occasioned to a person who was engaged in the commission of a trespass or other tort. A parent or guardian shall be liable under this section if the owner or keeper of the dog is a minor.”

A dog owner is responsible not only for their dog’s direct injuries to a person (like a dog bite), but also for indirect injuries (like when a dog jumps up and scares you and caused you to fall down).

The dog breed doesn’t matter in terms of liability. Some dogs have a greater propensity toward violent attacks, but any dog can cause injury – causing any dog owner to become liable for the injuries their dog caused.