What is the Bite Force of a Rottweiler?

We’ve heard that the Rottweiler dog breed has one of the strongest bite forces in the dog world.  What is the bite force of a rottweiler? And, how does it compare to the bite force of other big dog breeds?  

The Bite Force of a Rottweiler is 328 pounds of bite pressure.  But, it is NOT the strongest of all dog breeds…find out about a breed of dog that has a bite force of 743 pounds per square inch!  Reference Study: Journal of Anatomy, PubMed.gov PMID: 19245503

The American dog breed with the strongest bite pressure of canines is the Mastiff family.  

The English Mastiff has a bite force of 556 pounds per square inch!  This is the Cujo dog!

The Cane Corso breed has an impressive bite force of 700 pounds per square inch!  And, there is a breed of dog called the Turkish Kangal that has a bite force of 743 pounds per square inch!!  That’s some bite!!

I’ll tell you more about this Kangel powerhouse dog breed in just a bit, For now, let me show you…

Rottweiler vs Other Dog Breeds’ Bite Force 

• American Pitbull 305 psi
• Boxer 230 psi
• Chow Chow 220 psi
• Doberman 245 psi
• Dogue De Bordeaux (the big drooling dog from the movie Turner & Hooch)
• English Bulldog 210 psi
• German Shepherd 238 psi
• Pitbull 235 psi
• Tosa Inu 556 psi (a Japanese dog breed mix of Great Dane, Mastiff, and Bulldog)

To put this in a bit more perspective for you, a humans bite force is around 120-140 Pounds Per Square Inch.  A grown man can have a bite force of 150 psi.

Did you know…The Nile Crocodile in Sub-Saharan Africa has a  bite force of 5,000 pounds per square inch!

What Does Bite Force Mean?   What Does Bite Force Tell Us?

It tells us how strong a dog’s jaw and bite power are.   The bite force is calculated in PSI…Pounds Per Square Inch.  

How is a Rottweilers Bite Force Calculated?

The bite force of a Rottweiler, or any animal for that matter, is measured in Pounds per

Square Inch or PSI.  It’s a unit of pressure that tells how much force (in pounds) is exerted on one square inch of space.  

Factors that Determine the Bite Force of a Rottweiler 

They won’t bite with the same force every time, they will bite harder if provoked or feel threatened.

If they are in defense mode, barking, growling, snarling and lunging, chances are the bite is going to be much harder than if the dog is just spooked and snaps quickly.

Why is the Bite Force so Strong on Some Dogs?

Since bite force majorly depends on the size of the dog’s body, the shape, and size of their jaw and skull.  The larger the dog breed, the larger jaw, skull, and body…and a stronger bite force!

The Dog Breed That Has the Strongest Bite Force

The Breed With the Strongest Bite Force of any domesticated dog is the Turkish Kangal. This large and powerful dog breed is used in Turkey to guard against animal predators.  Surprisingly, this dog breed is good with children, friendly with their family, but protective and defensive.

Other Animals’ Bite Force   

Curious about the bite force of some other wild animals?  Let’s compare the bite force of other animals of the wild with our four-legged friends…

• Grizzly Bear 1,160 psi ( from Canada and the United States)
• Gorilla  1,300 psi (from the Forests of Central Africa)
• American Alligator 2,125 psi (from the Southern United States)
• Hippopotamus 1,800 psi (from Sub-Saharan Africa)
• Saltwater Crocodile 3,700 psi (from Australia, India Southeast Asia)
• Polar Bear 1,200 psi (from the Arctic Circle)
• Great White Shark 4,000 psi estimated
• Hyena 1,100 psi (from Sub-Saharan Africa)
• Jaguar 1,500 psi (from South and Central  America and the Southwestern United States)

How does the Wolf Rate on the Bite Force Scale?  The normal bite force of a wolf is about 400 pounds per square inch.  But, if the wolf is protecting itself, it’s family and young, the bite force can be as strong as 1,200 pounds per square inch!

Fun Fact:

The bite force of a Megalodon is estimated to be

between 24,000 and 40,000 pounds per square inch!!

So, between (for example) the dog breeds of the Pitbull, German Shepherd and Rottweiler, the Rottweiler does have a more powerful bite force.  But compared to other dogs of similar size and weight, it’s lower on the scale.

Sometimes bite force tends to be over-exaggerated with big, strong, intimidating dog breeds.

More Animal Bite Forces

Let’s take a look…

• Dogo Argentino 500 psi…a big game hunting dog
• Dogo Canario 540 psi…a brave and loyal ancient war guard dog
• Alano Espanol 227 psi…a Spanish bulldog began as a war dog in the middle east
• Dutch Shepherd 224 psi…an intelligent herding dog
• Malinois 195 psi… a Belgian Shepherd
• Leonberger 399 psi…a mix of Saint Bernard, Great Pyrenees, and Newfie
• Bandog 730 psi…a cross between a Mastiff and a Bulldog

So, now that you’ve seen the comparison of the pounds per square inch of bite force between the Rottweiler dog breed and other dog breeds, you can conclude that there are many other domesticated dogs that have a higher bite force.

Bite Force: Chihuahua vs Rottweiler

A chihuahua’s bite force is a mind-blowing 3900 pounds per square inch or PSI. (according to what I have found online)  Is this not absolutely nuts?!

This is because of their head to jaw proportions.

So, Why Does a Dog Bite?

Knowing why a dog bites and the signs are information every person should know, whether they are a dog owner or not.

Dogs can bite for many reasons…

1. they are in a stressful situation
2. they feel scared or threatened
3. they are protecting themselves, their owner or their puppies
4. they may not feel well
5. they are startled
6. they sometimes nip when playing

The Top 3 Dog Bites by Breed in 2017

1. Chihuahua
2. Bulldog
3. Pitbull

The Rottweiler breed didn’t even make it in the list of top ten dog bit breeds in 2017.

I guess the bottom line is…bite force is important.  If you want to own a large dog, it’s important to know just how deadly your pet can be if not trained properly.

But, what is most important is how you raise your dog, no matter what breed it is.

Raising a healthy, happy dog, regardless of the breed is what’s important.  Giving your male or female canine companion your time, attention, and training will help them to grow knowing what is expected of them and what will not be tolerated.

Training, love, and commitment is key to owning any breed of dog.  Any dog has the potential to bite, the force of the bite is what makes all the difference in the world! Some owners even seek that powerful bite force out when selecting a breed for guarding.

If you’re wondering about whether  Rottweilers make good guard dogs, the answer is yes! I did some research to find out why and made it available to you HERE, in the Big Dog Den.

Do you own a dog with a strong bite force?  A Rottweiler maybe? I’d love to know if you were aware of just how powerful their bite really is or the training you have done with them.

We’ve gone over some seriously painful bite forces today, haven’t we? If you own a Rottie, I hope this makes you realize the importance of a muzzle! If the idea makes you uncomfortable, the Rottie Resource has a very helpful and informative article for you RIGHT HERE.

You Should Know

Now that you know how much bite force a Rottweiler has, find out everything else you’ll want to know about those pearly-white teeth (with a teething timeline) RIGHT HERE.

 

 

*This article has been reviewed in accordance with our editorial policy.