The Strongest Dog Breed In The World

It's hard to put dogs in any sort of pecking order. All dog owners worth their salt obviously like their own pet the best, and it's a well-known fact that every dog is (or at least strives to be) the Goodest Boy. However, there are some canine qualities that can be somewhat objectively measured, such as the largest and smallest dog breed, or the dog that can hold the most tennis balls in his mouth (A golden retriever called Augie, and according to Guinness World Records, five tennis balls). 

One of the more interesting measurements in a dog is its pure strength. When you absolutely, positively need to find a dog that even the most muscular dude at Muscle Beach would struggle to hold when it decides to finally go after that squirrel, what breed will you turn to? Let's find out! 

According to sites like Mysterious World to Pet Comments, the Arnold Schwarzenegger of the dog world is none other than the not-so-humble mastiff. The exact variety differs depending on who you ask — some go for the short-haired English mastiff, while others swear by its puffier Tibetan cousin. Until someone arranges an adorable, yet mildly terrifying event where teams of English and Tibetan mastiffs duke it out in a massive game of tug of war, we'll just say that mastiffs, in general, rule the roost when it comes to pure pupper power. 

It's no wonder, either. In a doggy version of Game of Thrones, the mastiff would be the Mountain. American Kennel Club straight up describes the breed as "colossal," and notes that a male mastiff can weigh around 230 pounds and its height can exceed 30 inches. Smithsonian tells us that the mastiff actually evolved into more or less their current form thousands of years ago, and decided that they were as good as it gets around the time civilization became a thing. Ever since then, they have been nobly hanging around, watching over us and letting our children climb all over them, never once losing their cool... unless someone threatened their loved ones, in which case, that someone should probably start running real fast. 

If all of this sounds too magnificent and majestic, though, it's good to remember that these powerful giants are massively fond of drooling and their noble form is often undermined by a puddle of slobber under their mouths. 

But wait, there's more! No matter how strong a dog is, it's not like it can kick, punch or arm wrestle its enemies to submission. Since doggies use their mouths much as we use our hands, their strength is inherently tied to their bite. That's why it's important to give a nod to the dog breed that may or may not beat the mastiff in a deadlift competition or a sumo match, but (over)compensates with a bite that puts it head and shoulders above the competition. As American Kennel Club tells us, the Anatolian sheep dog, a.k.a. Kangal, is another "ancient" dog breed that is clearly smaller than the mastiff; "only" up to 29 inches in height and 150 pounds in weight. 

However, Canine Weekly and Pet Guide both attest that the Kangal's bite is a true force to be reckoned. This good boy can chomp down with the pressure of 743 pounds per square inch (PSI), which is two to three times what noted fearsome puppies Doberman (245 PSI), American pit bull (235 PSI) or even Rottweiler (328 PSI) can bring to the table. So, you know, adjust your dog toy budget accordingly.