You’ll often see claims that the Sarplaninac has a bite force of 200, 400 or 700 PSI, but these figures are mostly guesswork.
People keep copying and pasting these figures from one site to another without any real evidence.
Having grown up with these dogs, I know what they are capable of, but I also know that verified scientific studies for this breed simply don’t exist yet.
If you want to understand where these viral numbers actually come from and what is actually true about their power, let’s look at the facts.
What Does PSI Actually Mean?
To understand why most dog bite force numbers are exaggerated, you have to look at the math.
PSI stands for pounds per square inch, and it is a measurement of pressure, not just raw strength.
In a dog’s mouth, that pressure isn’t spread out; it’s concentrated on the tips of the teeth (the canines).
One square inch is roughly 6.5 square centimeters. When a 40kg Sarplaninac bites, all its jaw power is focused on a surface area much smaller than that, which is why the PSI numbers can get high – but also why they are so easily manipulated in online “top 10” lists.
PSI signifies the intense pressure an animal exerts on its food or prey. But without knowing the exact surface area of the tooth and the precise muscle force used during a test, any “700 PSI” claim is just a math equation with missing pieces. [1]
Flaws in Bite Force Measurements
Scientists use three primary methods to measure jaw pressure.
In Vivo Live testing forces a dog to bite a pressure sensor. While working breeds trained for sports might strike on command, a flock guardian usually bites only under real threat. Without genuine protective drive, the dog rarely exerts its maximum force, making the resulting data inaccurate.
In Silico (Computer Modeling) Digital simulations use Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to estimate force by combining skull structure with estimated muscle data. While these models are useful for comparing species, they rely on mathematical averages rather than the physical reality of a specific dog. A computer can calculate the mechanical limits of a skull, but it cannot account for individual muscle density, current conditioning, or the actual “drive” of a working animal.
In Vitro (Lab Testing) Testing isolated skulls or muscle tissue in a laboratory provides raw anatomical data. However, lab settings cannot capture the adrenaline and dynamic power of a living dog in a defensive situation. [2]
Sarplaninac PSI – Test and Results?
To the best of my knowledge, in science, facts are of utmost importance.
The fact that I haven’t come across any scientific study confirming Sarplaninac’s Bite Force as XYZ PSI is notable.
Some questions that necessitate answers include:
- How many dogs were involved?
- What were their ages and genders?
- What were their average height and weight?
- What methods were employed during the test?
- What were the results?
Unfortunately, we remain without answers to these questions.
To the best of my understanding, the Kangal breed ranks highly in this regard, and there might be data indicating the successful completion of such tests, taking into account the breed’s global popularity.
I believe that subsequent steps involved creating 3D models, constructing graphs, and performing mathematical calculations for other dog breeds based on an “ideal specimen.”
They likely considered each breed’s standard, which describes the ideal dog!
Afterward, influential media outlets picked up the story, and “keyboard experts” copied and pasted this data on their websites, without delving deeper into the subject, as they assumed the information was sourced from “reliable references.”
In this way, space was left for many dogs to be characterized as predators, beasts, aggressive, that they have no place in the city and only through socialization and training is it possible to keep things “under control”.
Shame!
This is not how serious scientific research is conducted, and labels should not be applied to specific dog breeds lightly.
In the end, I will take a picture of one of our Sarplaninac dogs named Rex and ask the following question: “Has a dog like this been tested when it comes to the Sarplaninac breed?
Leading Internet Portals and Their “Expertise”
I want to show you exactly what the leading internet portals are writing about the Sarplaninac’s bite force.
They present their numbers with total confidence, as if they have access to secret, reliable scientific data that I “and the rest of the world” somehow missed.
When you look at their “facts,” you start to see the cracks.
They all claim different numbers, yet none of them link to a real laboratory report or a peer-reviewed study.
Conclusion
Based on my attached photos, you can conclude that the Sarplaninac’s bite force ranges between 200 – 700 PSI.
However, I find this information unreliable as it lacks a scientific basis. A similar situation applies to Sarplaninac DNA testing.
I may reconsider my stance once I receive answers to the previously posed questions.
I’m well aware of the practices in the 90s, where some owners and breeders crossed Sarplaninacs with other breeds to obtain larger dogs, stronger skeletons, and desired coat colors.
Thank you for your attention and for taking the time to read this article!
Sources:
- Top 10: Which animals have the strongest bite? (more information).
- Bite Forces and Their Measurement in Dogs and Cats (more information).
