However, a dog’s head shape plays a more significant role relative to its strength. Generally, larger breeds are overall stronger than smaller breeds. In terms of strength, it appears that size plays a role. They’re solidly built with strong skeletal systems and well-defined muscles. The American Pit Bull Terrier is a medium-sized dog weighing between 30 and 90 pounds as an adult. A Dog’s Size and Head Shape in Relation to Strength They’re often feared due to their strength, despite being gentle canines. Unfortunately, their negative history continues to follow the breed. As such, they’ve created a powerful, strong yet gentle breed that’s intelligent, companionable, and easily trained.

Today, reputable breeders continue to make it their duty to produce only quality stock without aggressive behaviors. Many also began breeding the aggressive tendencies out of the breed to create family companions. By the early 20th century, people used pitbull-type breeds as catch dogs and to drive livestock. People brought these dogs to the United States in the mid to late 1800s - as such, these are the direct ancestors of the American Pit Bull Terrier. Since dogs involved in dog fighting required more agility than their bull-baiting counterparts, people bred the heavy, muscular bulldogs with terriers to create a faster, more agile breed that retained its strength. Sadly, due to their impressive strength, people also selected the breed for more nefarious reasons, including bloodsports like bull-baiting.Īfter Britain outlawed bull-baiting and other bloodsports in 1835 with the introduction of animal cruelty laws, many bull-baiting proponents switched to dog fighting. Old English Bulldogs were notoriously strong with extremely well-developed muscles and described as “the most ferocious and unrelenting of the canine tribe,” whereas the Old English Terrier had significant jaw strength. It’s unfortunate, but the American Pit Bull Terrier and other pitbull-type breeds have a bad reputation due to their history and strength.Ĭenturies ago in England and Ireland, people bred the now-extinct Old English Terriers and Old English Bulldogs to create a strong, athletic bulldog capable of performing multiple tasks, including cart pulling and hunting. The American Pit Bull’s Strength Plays a Role in Its History I’ll also cover how a dog’s size and cranial structure contribute to its bite force.įinally, I’ll discuss the breed’s involvement in weight-pulling competitions, so read on to learn more. In this article, I’ll look at the American Pit Bull’s strength and how it plays a role in the breed’s history. Pitbulls make up the majority of breeds in weight-pulling competitions and naturally excel at the sport. Their slightly brachycephalic heads indicate a stronger bite than those with narrower heads.

Unfortunately, their strength is often cited as a reason for fearing the breed due to misconceptions regarding aggression.Īs such, there’ve been skewed numbers regarding the strength of the American Pitbull and other pitbull-type breeds.Īmerican Pitbulls are incredibly strong canines (but not the strongest) with a bite force of 235 PSI. The American Pit Bull Terrier and other pitbull-type breeds have a stoic demeanor, muscular build, and incredible strength.

Pitbull bite force psi