How Strong Is A Belgian Malinois Bite Force In PSI?

Belgian Malinois’ are medium to large-sized dogs with strong and muscular bodies. Because they look dangerous, some people may wonder what their bite force is.

The Belgian Malinois bite force is 195 PSI. This is a very strong bite force compared to other dog breeds. The strong bite force paired with the large and frightening size, makes these dogs perfect for police work and guard dog jobs. But there is more to know about this dog.

Short Introduction To The Belgian Malinois

How To Measure Bite Force?
What Is The Belgian Malinois Bite Force?
Comparison Of Belgian Malinois Bite Force To Other Breeds

Why Do Belgian Malinois Bite?
How To Stop A Belgian Malinois From Biting
What Jobs Do Belgian Malinois Dogs Have?

What Are Some Notable Dog Bite Statistics?

Short Introduction To The Belgian Malinois

The Belgian Malinois is a medium to large dog with a height of 22-26 inches and a weight of 40-80 pounds. This dog originates from Belgium, hence the name. It was initially used as a herding dog but later joined the police force for its great guard dog traits.

Personality-wise, this dog is affectionate and loyal to its owners, but very vigilant of strangers. It is a very intelligent dog that is eager to please and training it can be easy. It is very protective of its owners and territory, so it makes for an amazing guard dog.

How To Measure Bite Force?

“Bite force is generated by the interaction of the masticatory muscles, the mandibles and maxillae, the temporomandibular joints (TMJs), and the teeth.” says Dr. Se Eun Kim et al. in their study. To find out what the Belgian Malinois biting force is, you need to know how to do the dog bite force measurement.

Bite strength is measured in pounds per square inch, or PSI for short. This shows how much force is applied in a square inch of a flat surface. To appropriately measure it, one would need the dog’s weight, the size of its strong jaw, the surface which is bitten and its hardness, as well as the angle of biting. A testing device called a “bite sleeve” can be used for better calculation.

It’s important to mention that measuring the PSI will not always give us a correct answer. Usually, only the bite force of the front jaw is measured and it doesn’t take into account the strength of the back jaw.

What Is The Belgian Malinois Bite Force?

The calculated bite force of the Belgian Malinois is 195 PSI. That means that once this dog bites, 195 pounds of pressure is applied to every square inch. This is enough force to fracture a bone. However, “A lot depends on the bone itself, its position in the body, and the angle of attack. The age, diet, and lifestyle of the bone-owner also plays a role.”, according to an article on Discovery.

This force is as strong because the Belgian Malinois is quite a large breed. It also has an appropriately made jaw to deliver a powerful bite to its victim. Depending on the reason for the bite, it can also be stronger or weaker. Playful bites are quite tame compared to biting an intruder in the home.

Comparison Of Belgian Malinois Bite Force To Other Breeds

Compared to other dog breeds, the Belgian Malinois does have a very high bite strength. However, it isn’t the highest bite strength. In fact, it isn’t even in the top 10 highest. Even Poodles can bite stronger, with a bite force of 200-400 PSI.

The strongest dog breed with the highest bite force in the world is the Kangal, a breed that comes from Turkey. It has a bite force of 743 PSI, making it a very fearsome dog. Following this, comes the American Bandogge with a 730 PSI, and Cane Corso with a 700 PSI, in the top 3. Other dog breeds that complete the top 10 include:

Tosa Inu – 556 PSI
Dogue de Bordeaux – 556 PSI

English Mastiff – 552 PSI
Tibetan Mastiff – 550 PSI
Dogo Canario (Presa Canario) – 540 PSI

Dogo Argentino – 500 PSI
Wolfdog – 406 PSI

If we take mixed dogs into consideration, there may be even more dogs we can put on this list. For example, the Bullmastiff Cane Corso mix can be expected to give a very powerful bite.

Why Do Belgian Malinois Bite?

The Belgian Malinois was bred as a herding dog. Its genes are encoded with the need to chase, hunt, and bite if needed. Every time this dog feels frustrated, scared, or protective, it might resort to biting its victim. But this dog might bite for other reasons too.

Because the Belgian Malinois bite power is so high, it is reasonable to question if this dog bites its owners. If the owner trained and socialized the dog properly, there will be no problems with biting. It could only end up with a powerful bite if the dog has a health problem that causes pain and frustration.

A healthy Belgian Malinois will bite a stranger if the stranger enters the home unannounced or threatens the dog’s family. Dog bite prevention is important to know for any dog owner.

How To Stop A Belgian Malinois From Biting

Because the Belgian Malinois bite pressure is so high, you wouldn’t want yours to bite you and cause you pain. So there are things you can do to prevent that.

Early Training And Socialization

You should start training the dog from an early age so it doesn’t keep its biting habit once it grows up. In fact, the training starts with the dog’s mother and siblings. When they are young puppies, they bite each other as a form of play while trying not to hurt each other. This is called “bite inhibition” and is a thing that the owner should continue teaching. The ASPCA says that:

Bite inhibition refers to a dog’s ability to control the force of his mouthing. A puppy or dog who hasn’t learned bite inhibition with people doesn’t recognize the sensitivity of human skin, and so he bites too hard, even in play.

To teach bite inhibition, play with your dog, and every time the dog bites hard, stop and say “Ouch”. Do this a few times until the dog realizes its biting is too strong for you. Besides bite inhibition, you should also do obedience training and socialization.

Chew Toys And Exercise

To control the Belgian Malinois forceful bite, you can get the dog a few chew toys. These toys will help by allowing the dog to follow its instinct while not endangering anyone. Chew toys are also great for the dog’s dental health. Just don’t buy any rope toys. If the dog swallows the string from a rope toy, it may suffer from digestive problems.

The Belgian Malinois is a very energetic dog due to being bred as a working dog. It needs around 60-90 minutes of exercise every day. This should be split into more sessions during the morning and evening. Besides physical exercise, these intelligent dogs will also need mental stimulation to spend their energy.

Supplements And Professional Help

There are some supplements that can calm a dog down if it feels frustrated and anxious. One good supplement for calming is valerian root made for dogs. You can also calm the dog down by giving it sufficient nutrients and preventing hunger.

If you can’t deal with the Belgian Malinois bite potency by yourself, the best thing to do is to ask for help from a professional. There are dog trainers or canine behaviorists who can help you and your dog. They do K9 training to fix canine behavior and prevent dog aggression. You can also enroll your dog in obedience training courses where it will learn to be obedient to its owner and follow commands.

What Jobs Do Belgian Malinois Dogs Have?

Because they are strong, athletic, and very trainable dogs, Belgian Malinois’ are often used for other jobs besides herding.

There are records that the NYC Police Force purchased five of these dogs in 1908 to work as a police dog. These days, law enforcement dogs still serve in police departments. They are used for gas detection, drug detection, search and rescue dog operations, and bomb detection.

Due to the high Belgian Malinois jaw strength, the dogs are also used as part of the Navy SEALs in special K9 units. In fact, a Belgian Malinois called Cairo helped the team of Navy SEALs that took down Osama Bin Laden.

Some Belgian Malinois’, like the 3-year-old Rouse, are also capable of skydiving. This dog works as a rescue dog in the Columbian Air Forces.

What Are Some Notable Dog Bite Statistics?

“Almost 4.5 Million People Become Victim of Dog Bites Annually in the US”, according to the World Animal Foundation.

Out of all dog breeds, there are some that are noticeably more prone to biting. One dog that is responsible for the highest amounts of dog bites is the American Pit Bull Terrier. A surprising breed that is responsible for a lot of dog bite attacks is the German Shepherd. The German Shepherd bite force is also quite high, standing at around 238-291 PSI, higher than the bite force of a Malinois. Surprisingly, the German Shepherd that bites often is also a police dog.

Other dog breeds notorious as aggressive are the Cane Corso, Doberman Pinscher, and American bulldog. The American Bull Dog and English Bulldog are actually quite calm and relaxed contrary to their appearance. Other dogs that look scary but aren’t include the Chow Chow, Irish Wolfhound, and Dutch Shepherd.

So Is The Belgian Malinois Bite Intensity High?

The Belgian Malinois is a big and strong dog originating from Belgium that was initially bred for herding. This is an affectionate and loyal dog, that is very protective of its “pack”. The high intelligence and eagerness to please make it very easy to train, which is why this dog is still used as a working dog.

The bite force of a Belgian Malinois is calculated to be 195 PSI. PSI, meaning pounds per square inch, is used to describe the bite pressure of dogs. There are dogs with an even higher bite force. The dog breed with the highest canine bite force is the Kangal.

Because the Belgian Malinois bite PSI is so high besides the strong canine anatomy, the dog is used in the police force and as a military working dog. These dogs can bite intruders but don’t worry, they don’t bite their owners.

FAQ

Are Belgian Malinois more likely to bite than other breeds?

This dog does like to bite a lot, but it will not purposely harm its owner. Besides this dog breed, there are other breeds that like biting as well. However, this one can be specifically trained to bite if needed.

What should I do if a Belgian Malinois bites someone?

Knowing how strong is a Belgian Malinois bite, you must take the situation seriously and act responsibly. Offer help to the bite victim and try to securely confine the dog in a closed area. Then, call for emergency, as bite wounds can be problematic.

How strong is a human bite?

The human bite is calculated to average around 162 PSI. This is less than the average bite force of a Belgian Malinois but it can still cause damage to the body.

What is the bite force of a wolf?

The bite force of a wolf is around 400 PSI. This is almost double the Belgian Malinois bite force. But it is also lower than the strongest bite force of the Kangal which reaches 743 PSI.

What’s the strongest bite on Earth?

The strongest bite force in the world belongs to the saltwater crocodile. Saltwater crocodiles have a bite force of 3700 PSI. Great White Sharks have also shown an incredible bite force, but the calculations were unchecked.