American Bulldog’s can look quite fearsome when they bite. If you own this breed you will have seen those strong jaw in action when you play with them. But have you ever wondered just how much strength there is in your dog’s jaws?
I decided to research into what the American Bulldog bite force strength was in PSI (pounds per square inch) and then compare to other dog breeds and how strong their bites are.
How strong is an American Bulldog’s bite?
What’s an American Bulldog’s bite pressure?
The bite force pressure of an American Bulldog has been estimated to be 305 PSI. This bite force strength in pounds per square inch should not be completely relied on, as it is not possible to accurately measure a dog’s bite force to an exact figure.
Do American Bulldogs have strong jaws?
American Bulldogs have very strong jaws and can grip very powerfully. For example, let’s say you are playing tug with this breed; you will find it very hard to pull the toys away from their jaws. Having said that, many owners can prise open their American Bulldog’s jaw to retrieve a toy or object they should not be eating.
American Bulldog bite pressure in pounds
Whilst many websites will list the figure of 305 PSI for an American Bulldog’s bite force in pounds, this should not be considered as being entirely accurate.
In fact, I’ve not been able to find any scientific study or piece of research where a controlled experiment was performed to get an accurate reading.
You can read more about why these bite force readings should not be considered accurate further down the page.
What an American Bulldog’s bite force feels like
So, whilst we have to err on the side of caution and not entirely believe the 305 PSI figure, you can get a good feel for an American Bulldog’s bite force when you play a game with this breed…. and that game is a good old-fashioned tug of war.
Did You Know? Humans have an average bite pressure of 120 PSI, with some adult males being able to bite down at a strength of 150 PSI.
Why dog bite force PSI is hard to accurately measure
Throughout this article I’ve been saying how you should not entirely rely on dog bite pressure statistics, and there’s a good reason why; the way in which it’s measured and the nature of a dog.
What do I mean by this?
Well, imagine asking a dog to bite down as hard as it can onto the pressure reader. It’s just not going to happen – unlike humans you won’t be able to get that commitment from a dog to get an accurate bite force number.
Think about the mentality of a dog for a moment and leading them into the test. How hard they bite down will have so many variables including:
- What the dog was biting down on.
- How the dog is feeling, for example is it aggressive at the time of the test.
- The character and personality of the dog.
Let’s be honest, the only time you will the hardest of the hardest bites from a dog is when you provoke them into a reaction.
And that’s not the case with the bite force pressure tests, because from what I’ve read, dogs are given an anaesthetic during the process, so there’s no way it’s going to be accurate.
Every time you try to record the bite pressure of a dog, it will be biting down at a different strength. Therefore, accuracy goes out of the window.
What does PSI mean in bite force?
PSI is the unit of measurement used for dog bite pressure. PSI is an acronym for “pounds per square inch” and means how much pressure the dog’s strong jaws can apply to one square inch of a pound.
Which breeds of dog have the strongest bite pressure in PSI?
And lastly, how does the bite pressure of an American Bulldog compare to other dog breeds? I would say that overall, it’s very strong, but not when you see the top 20 list as shown below.
- Kangal: Bite force of 743 PSI
- American Bandogge: Bite force of 730 PSI
- Cane Corso: Bite force of 700 PSI
- Dogue De Bordeaux: Bite force of 556 PSI
- Tosa Inu: Bite force of 556 PSI
- English Mastiff: Bite force of 556 PSI
- Dogo Canario: Bite force of 540 PSI
- Dogo Argentino: Bite force of 500 PSI
- Wolfdog: Bite force of 406 PSI
- Leonberger: Bite force of 399 PSI
- Akita Inu: Bite force of 350 to 400 PSI
- Rottweiler: Bite force of 328 PSI
- Siberian Husky: Bite force of 320 PSI
- African Wild Dog: Bite force of 317 PSI
- American Bulldog: Bite force of 305 PSI
- Doberman: Bite force of 245 PSI
- German Shepherd: Bite force of 238 PSI
- Great Dane: Bite force of 238 PSI
- American Pitbull: Bite force of 235 PSI
- Labrador Retriever: Bite force of 230 PSI
You can see the American Bulldog’s bite force pressure coming in at position 15 on the chart, in between the African Wild Dog and Doberman.
Conclusion
There’s no doubt about it, American Bulldogs do have quite strong jaws and could give a bad bite when provoked. But their bite pressure, however accurately you measure it, isn’t even in the top 10 breeds.
But don’t be fooled into thinking their bite won’t hurt you, it will, and if they grab onto you, you’ve will need to work hard to get them off.
To conclude, if you do manage to find any “real” science to explain what an American Bulldog’s bite force is in PSI pressure, then please do comment so I can update the references on this page.
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Header image credit from Pixabay on https://pixabay.com/photos/american-bulldogs-3-dogs-1504599/