All animals can bite, even those without teeth. While toothless bites aren’t too concerning, when we talk about powerful animals with big teeth, like wolves, we should worry about the force of their bites. If you were bitten by a wolf, you can bet that it would hurt, but how much? Could a wolf bite kill you? It all comes down to the bite force PSI that the wolf has.

When we talk about the strength of an animal’s bite, we refer to it as bite force PSI. PSI is the measurement of pressure. The force of pressure in pounds per square inch is the PSI of an animal’s bite force. The higher the PSI, the more strength the bite has overall. So, how strong is a wolf’s bite force, and how does it compare to a dog’s bite force PSI?

We can gauge the bite force of an average wolf, but its bite force compared to that of a dog depends on what kind of dog the wolf is being compared to. Different breeds have a wide variety of different bite force PSIs to consider. Here is what you should know about the strength of a wolf’s bite force and how it compares to different types of dogs in existence today.

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The Bite Force PSI of the Wolf

Wolves have a bite force PSI of about 406, which is thought to be one of the strongest in the dog kingdom. However, this bite force PSI was measured using a defensive bite. If the wolf were going on the offensive, its bite force PSI would likely be much higher. But there have been no official studies or surveys done to determine the average bite force PSI of a wolf.

Since there is no official chart to rely on, we could assume that the wolf has a strong bite force PSI that rivals that of any dog. However, is this really the case? Many surveys have been conducted that measure the bite force PSI of various dog breeds, so we can compare the PSI of 406 to that of other dogs and get an idea of the overall differences.

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Image Credit: christels, Pixabay

The Wolf’s Bite Force PSI Compared to Various Dog Breeds

There are many different dog breeds in existence, all of which have different bite force PSIs. Some bites, like those of a Chihuahua, are not impressive enough to note.

However, there are a few breeds with impressively strong bite force PSIs to take note of:
  • Cane Corso — 550 PSI
  • German Shepherd — 238 PSI
  • Pitbull — 235 PSI
  • Doberman Pinscher — 245 PSI
  • Great Dane — 247 PSI
  • English Mastiff — 556 PSI
  • Rottweiler — 328 PSI
  • Akita Inu — 375 PSI
  • American Bulldog — 300 PSI
  • Siberian Husky — 325 PSI

The bite force PSI of dogs can greatly vary, even within the same breeds. Therefore, these PSI points should be used only as guides.

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In Conclusion

The wolf is one tough animal, no matter their bite force PSI. They can take on even the most formidable enemies with stronger PSIs than they have. We humans are certainly no match for the bite of a wolf. However, it seems that many of the dog breeds that we live with have stronger bite force PSIs than that of the wolf, which makes them just as dangerous, if not more so, when it comes to fighting.


Featured Image Credit: christels, Pixabay