Every dog can bite but some dogs bite harder than others. Depending on a dog’s jaws, teeth and character, it’s bite can be more powerful than another dog’s. In this article, we will look to understand what bite force is, discuss the Border Collie bite force measure, and what it looks like in comparison to common animals.
What does bite force mean?
Bite force is defined as the force that masticatory muscles exert upon occlusal surfaces of teeth. Sounds gibberish? It does actually. In simple terms, bite force usually refers to the strength or force of a bite – this is the most elementary I can explain it. It is measured in PSI which stands for “pounds per square inch”. It represents the pound of force per square inch.
Every animal has some form of bite force. When the animal bites on food or prey, the force exerted during this bite is what bite force is.
How much is a Border Collie bite force?
A Border Collie’s bite force has been measured to be 200-400 PSI. Border Collies measure about 19–21 inches in height, with weight ranging between 40–40 pounds (lbs).
Want to see how the border collie bite force compares to other common animals? Here you go:
- Human bite force: 162 PSI
- Crocodile bite force: 3700 PSI
- Rattlesnake bite force: 150 PSI
- Kangal bite force: 743 PSI
Compare the Border Collie’s bite force to the bite force of a human being, a crocodile, rattle snake and a Kangal to get the idea of what you are dealing with in terms of strength and power of the bite. What interesting view did you pick from this comparison? Would you rather a snake bite or the Border Collie? Let us know in the comments.
What are the chances of a Border Collie biting you?
With a bite force of 200-400 PSI, a Border Collie’s bite can be relatively powerful. While there is no correlation between a dog’s bite force and it’s intelligence or obedience, there is a lot of correlation between how people use dogs versus what their bite force is measured to be.
According to a study by renowned dog expert Stanley Coren PhD., a Border Collie is classified among the Brightest Dogs. Comparatively, it has an obedience rating of 95%. If a Border Collie is charging at you, the owner of the dog might need between 1-4 shouts at it to stop it from biting you.
The lower the obedience rating of a dog, and the higher the number of prompts it needs to hear before deciding to stop a potential bite; and therefore the higher the chance that it will actually bite you with it’s bite force if it is aggravated or triggered.
How does this compare to other dogs?
A Chihuahua is classified as a fair working/obedience intelligence. It has an obedience rating of 30%. If a Chihuahua was charging at you, the owner of the dog might need between 41-80 shouts at it to stop if from biting you.
An Akita is classified as Average Working/Obedience Intelligence. It has an obedience rating of 50%. If an Akita was charging at you, the owner of the dog might need between 26-40 shouts at it to stop if from biting you.
The two examples above apply when a dog has not been well trained.
Conclusion
We have seen what the Border Collie’s bite force of 200-400 PSI can mean in dangerous situations. In addition, we have compared that bite force with other animals to gauge it’s power. Hopefully this helps you to get the right understanding around the bite force of a Border Collie and what it means for you as a dog parent.