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The Boerboel, or South African Mastiff, is a giant dog breed with a lot of power. Weighing as much as 200 pounds, as one would imagine, this breed has a powerful bite force. While no conclusive studies have been done with this breed, we estimate a Boerboel’s bite force to be somewhere between 250 and 350 PSI.
Fortunately, although originally bred as a guardian dog, the Boerboel is considered a friendly dog that makes a good family pet and is naturally gentle around children. It is also intelligent and relatively easy to train.
About the Boerboel
The Boerboel is a mastiff-type dog, which means it is large and powerful. It was bred in South Africa to protect farms and homes. It can grow to nearly 200 pounds in weight, with the male typically outgrowing the female. Because of the large size of the dog, it won’t reach full maturity until at least 18 months of age and has an average lifespan of around 10 years.
Although it was bred as a guardian dog, the Boerboel also makes a great family pet that will form a close bond with all family members. It is known to be gentle with children.
The Boerboel can be a lazy dog, so owners need to ensure that the breed gets enough exercise and does not put on too much weight. Although there are rarely any problems with aggression when this dog is kept as a family pet, early socialization, effective training, and love and affection can further ensure a sociable and caring pet.
Boerboel Bite Force
One characteristic of Mastiff breeds is that they are very powerful. In addition to being able to pull, push, and carry heavy loads, this power extends to their jaws and mouths.
Unfortunately, there have been very few scientific studies on the PSI bite force of specific dog breeds, and the one official study that focused on police dogs was measured in Newtons, not PSI. The study was focused specifically on German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois Dogs, with trained police dogs. The dogs ran 25 meters and bit down on their trainers’ sleeves, which were fitted with force sensors. The German Shepherds’ median bite force was recorded as 360.4 N, and the Malinois’ was 247.0 N.
National Geographic’s Dr. Brady Barr has studied animal bites and tested humans, domestic dogs, and wild animals alike. According to research by Dr. Barr, the Pit Bull has a jaw power of around 242 PSI, while a wolf has a bite force of roughly 398 PSI and a shark around 600 PSI.
With this in mind, we can estimate a Boerboel’s bite force to be a fair bit more than a Pit Bull’s due to its larger size. This would put it at somewhere between 250 and 350 PSI, but this is just an estimate.
How Does the Boerboel Compare to Other Animals?
Below are some of the bite forces of wild animals, including the most powerful, as well as some that are comparable to that of the Boerboel. Take a look at some more measurements taken by Dr. Brady Barr for some added context:
- Humans: 120 PSI
- Wolf: 600 PSI
- Hyenas: 1,000 PSI
- Crocodiles: 2,500 PSI
- Large domestic dogs: 320 PSI (on average)
Final Thoughts
A dog’s bite force is not an indicator of aggression and does not mean that a dog of that breed will pose a threat to its owners or strangers. However, it does mean that if the dog is not trained and socialized properly or, worse still, is trained to be aggressive, it can cause serious damage if it does bite.
The Boerboel, or South African Mastiff, is one of several mastiff breeds that has a powerful jaw and the bite force to match, with around 250-350 PSI of pressure.
See also:
- How Strong Is a Husky’s Bite Force? (PSI Measure & Facts)
- Boerboel vs Cane Corso: Main Differences (With Pictures)
Featured Image Credit: Asonia, Shutterstock
