# strongest dog breed



## Dog athlete trainer

hi im new and was wondering what is the naturally strongest dog breed in terms of pulling weight, carrying weight, etc. also id like to mention that i dont care how well they can fight or how strong thier bite is. that is of no interest to me. im looking to develop a weight training program for powerfull dog breeds that consists of sled pulls, sand bag carries, etc. i just would like to know what dog breed would be optimal to train. also i know some dogs are strong for thier size but im mostly interested in the overall strongest dog that would be best suited for this type of excercise. thx for all opinions in advance.


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## Pawper

Greater Swiss Mountain dosg are really good pullers......and beautiful! Pitts are good strong pullers


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## JayF

As stated above, Pits are probably the best pullers around. Not only are they capable of pulling a great deal for their weight, they usually are the record holders. Additionally other working breeds such as molosser (includes such breeds as mastiff, st bernard, great dane) are found to be good pullers, but due to their size often have limitations and more risk of injury.
Hands down your best breed to work with would be the pit bull, although I am not sure which distinction (american pit bull terrier, stratshire bull terrier etc) would be optimal.

Also just realized that dogs breeds bred for the work of pulling sleds in theory should be pretty good choices as well. I am no expert but I am sure a few hours of google could yeld a good concept of the optimal breed.


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## filox

I guess any of this...

Alaskan Malamute, Bernese Monuntain dog, Great Pyrinees, Great Swiss Mountain dog, Kuvasz, Sain Bernard, Siberian Husky, Tibetan Mastiff.

A particualar dog of any of those breeds may be stronger than other, deppending on idividual muscle mass and fitness.


Cheers.


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## darlin

Go to youtube.com and type in Olde english bulldog weight pulling. I know pitts can pull like 30 times their own weight and olde english bulldogs can pull 20 times their own weight. I'm starting to train mine to pull a small buggy. He loves to work and man is he strong. No bite or aggression that i've seen.


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## Dog athlete trainer

i just did a quick search and have dicovered that pitbull and pitbull cross breeds are banned in my province. which narrows down my choices somewhat i suppose. id also like to state that a friendly breed dog that will take well to other ppl and animals is a big plus for me.


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## Pawper

I understand that you have a ban but let me just say that pitts can be very people and animal friendly.......look into mountain dogs, they are great pullers!!


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## Dog athlete trainer

im also astounded that champion record holding dogs have pulled as much as 200 times there own bodyweight and over 10,000 lbs! im assuming all these loads where on wheels and not just dead weight right? if im not misaken a dog breed for pulling could even pull a minivan or a car from standstill with little to no training. wow i gotta admit im pretty amazed with these statistics.


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## Pawper

Dogs back in the day were known as poor mens horses....they pulled carts and wagons for people that couldnt afford horses


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## Dog athlete trainer

personally i believe each dog is differnet regardless of breed. and i think the bans are out of line. it's like banning a certain race of ppl from entering your country because crime rate is high among thier ethnicity. its sterotyping bottom line. and its not the dogs fault that thier owners were incompetent.


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## Pawper

APPLAUSE!!!!! I agree totally


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## Equest94

I heard that Pit bulls can pull at least 30 times their weight. So, for their smaller/medium size structure I believe that ratio would make them the strongest breed. That's a shame that they are banned in you area. A good friend of mine breed Staffordshire Pit bull terriers and hers are two of the most outgoing and lovable dogs I have ever met.


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## Pawper

Ive seen one pull down a small tree it was tied to to chase a rabbit......roots and all and went tearing a** down the street! Quite a sight!


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## trumpetjock

I've seen pictures of newfoundlands doing some pretty big pulling. They're more like horses though it seems, rather than athletic pullers.


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## Barking_Mad

Rather biasedly, I'm gonna say Alaskan Malamute or any Sled Dog/Husky. Any work dog that has been bred to pull for the past couple of milleniums.


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## Curbside Prophet

Barking_Mad said:


> Rather biasedly, I'm gonna say Alaskan Malamute or any Sled Dog/Husky. Any work dog that has been bred to pull for the past couple of milleniums.


Actually, they were bred to be efficient pullers (marathon runners), not weight lifters pulling sleds.


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## Barking_Mad

Curbside Prophet said:


> Actually, they were bred to be efficient pullers (marathon runners), not weight lifters pulling sleds.


Quite true, ta for the correction Curbside.


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## Curbside Prophet

Well, endurance is a strength too BM. So you're also technically right. The duration of time just happens to be over a longer period of time. I think what the OP is looking for is the dog that does the most work over a short period of time. 

Would it be accurate to say that since mass is a factor in how much work can be done, the dog that is the most dense is the strongest? I'm missing something here, someone please help me.


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## trumpetjock

For short burst strength I'm pretty sure the APBT holds the record for total weight AND weight in relation to body weight. As far as distance runners, it'd be have to be the Siberian husky and/or Alaskan malamute I would think.


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## Dog athlete trainer

i have narrowed it down to st bernard, newfoundlander, Great Pyrinees, english mastiff, great swiss mountain dog, and maybe a great dane though they seem more sleek and built for speed then heavy short distance pulls. what are your guys thoughts on the following dogs any of them seem hands down a better choice then another one?


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## LeRoymydog

I think American Bulldogs should be a contestant in the race for a strong puller. On another site I'm a member on, that's what most of them do is pull. They were pretty much bred for jumping and pulling.


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## Spicy1_VV

I would have to say Pit Bull would be one of the best. If you can't have one in your area then you might want to look into American Bulldogs, they can also be great pullers and are easy to train for it. 

Other breeds like mastiffs are also good, but it will depend on which mastiff breed you get. Some are not so anxious to work, which again depends on breed and bloodline. 



darlin said:


> Go to youtube.com and type in Olde english bulldog weight pulling. I know pitts can pull like 30 times their own weight and olde english bulldogs can pull 20 times their own weight. I'm starting to train mine to pull a small buggy. He loves to work and man is he strong. No bite or aggression that i've seen.


I'm not sure where you are getting this info from. Many Pit Bulls can pull well over 100xs their body weight. My dogs grandsire pulled over 150xs his body weight and other relatives have pulled over 100xs. Try to research on it, you might be able to find something online or talk with some Pit Bull owners/breeders. Chevy pulled over 11,000lbs and I believe is still world record holder. Of course he is more like a bandog at 106lbs. 

OFRN Pit Bulls rock! I'm a little biased. Here is one (nor directly related to mine, only through bloodline).








_"Cajun" is our Foundation dog and Ohio's Most Titled Pit Bull Ever!
Cajuns personal best on rails* 6,258 pounds* he weighed *57 lbs* for a body percentage of *109.78%* on Sept 14, 2003 at the age of 9!!!!_



Dog athlete trainer said:


> im also astounded that champion record holding dogs have pulled as much as 200 times there own bodyweight and over 10,000 lbs! im assuming all these loads where on wheels and not just dead weight right? if im not misaken a dog breed for pulling could even pull a minivan or a car from standstill with little to no training. wow i gotta admit im pretty amazed with these statistics.


Some are on wheels/rails and some are sled on snow or dirt, ect. You are correct. A friend of mine found this out. They hooked their Pit up to their truck temporarily and the dog ended up pulling it...lol The dog was not trained for weight pull, was hooked to the collar (no harness) and the truck was in park of course. 



Equest94 said:


> I heard that Pit bulls can pull at least 30 times their weight. So, for their smaller/medium size structure I believe that ratio would make them the strongest breed. That's a shame that they are banned in you area. A good friend of mine breed Staffordshire Pit bull terriers and hers are two of the most outgoing and lovable dogs I have ever met.


Well they can pull a lot more, if they only could pull 30xs I wouldn't see that as too amazing. If I saw a 35lbs Pit Bull only pull 1,050lbs I wouldn't be impressed. Coincidentally what I used for my 25lbs Pit Bull *training* weight was 750lbs which is 30xs, that was a cakewalk of course it was just training and competition weight keeps going up until the dogs can no longer pull. 

There is American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers and there is also an offshoot Irish Staffordshire Bull Terriers. Do you know which one it is your friend breeds?


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## echo8287

I had a little small sized male Dalmatian(Comet) one time. He had huge feet for a small dog. That dog had massive pulling power. One day I had him on a long leash and the UPS man showed up. So I tied him to my Snapper lawn mower which was parked in the yard. I came back a few minutes later and he and the mower was 5o yards down a hill in my back yard. I thought I must have left it in neutral where it would roll. But I looked and saw these skid marks across the grass, mower was in park. David


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## Dog athlete trainer

after reading your posts it occuring to me that i should prob consider what dog would also enjoy pulling as a sport as opposed to which one could pull the most but wouldnt want to train for it. however i think i should mention that me and my gf are pretty biased towards big dogs. im leaning towards getting one inside the molosser family. these are the ones that interest me the most Bullmastiff,Tibetan Mastiff,English Mastiff,Newfoundland,Saint Bernard,Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, and Great Dane. what are your thoughts on these breeds inparticular?

good news. after some discussion we have decided to get two breeds of the above dogs instead of one. so feel free to post which two of the above breeds you would choose.


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## LeRoymydog

American Bulldogs can get upwards of 120 pounds. Not as big as those mentioned above, but big nonetheless. They also LOVE to pull. My dog thinks it's a game to pull my son around the house with his pull toy while my son is sitting on his butt.

But then again, maybe I'm just partial.


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## Inga

Rottweilers can be pretty good pullers too. Not like Pit bulls or American Bulldogs but, still pretty impressive. One of my more embarrassing experiences was during my CGC testing about 20 years ago with a male Rottie I had. He had rock solid stays, but in the out of sight stay the lady had me take him into a office and she suggested I tie him to the big old wooden desk in there. It was against my better judgment but I did it anyway. (note to self, don't do that) Any way the lady got a bit distracted and it was much more then the alloted time. I was sitting on a chair in a room down the hall when I heard this horrible noise. Like furniture being slid across a floor smashed through a door way and dragged down the hall. Then I saw my handsome boy come around the corner with a few people trying to stop the desk that was dragging behind him, one lady was laying on the desk and he didn't seem to notice. He just dragged it right over to me with her laying on it. LOL It was funny and he still got his CGC because of the time thing and because the test is to prove that they don't panic away from their owner. He was not panicked at all, he just calmly came looking for mama with a huge wooden desk with a lady laying on it dragging behind him. LOL


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## Spicy1_VV

I've seen several bullmastiffs which pulled great.


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## Lonewolfblue

If you are really looking to train for pulling, then I think either the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Siberian Husky, or Tibetan Mastiff would be my 3 choices. And maybe even the Alaskan Malamute.


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## Pax

I've been doing a lot of research on the newfoundland lately, and it seems they have been used pretty extensively in draft work. This link has a bit of history on them - interesting stuff! And you just can't beat them in terms of temperament. http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/breeds/newfies.html

Also, if you are in my province (Ontario?) I think you can still adopt a shelter APBT, you just can't breed or import them. Our shelters are packed with Pits and Staffies who would probably just love to be adopted and given a job like that to do! 

Good luck with your training!


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## 7fourlegkids

I think for what you are wanting to do a "Pit" Bull would be perfect. I read where you said that you have a ban in your city. First off, you need to get the details of that ban.

"Pit bull is a term commonly used to describe several types of dogs with similar physical characteristics. Its use in media is often vague and rarely descriptive of specific breeds. There are several physically similar breeds that are often termed "pit bull" in English speaking countries, including the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Perro de Presa Canario, Cane Corso, Dogo Argentino, Alano Espanol, Japanese Tosa, Cordoba Fighting Dog, Dogue de Bordeaux, Perro de Pelea and the tomberto These breeds are usually not included by name in any Breed Specific Legislation, but are sometimes included because of a broad definition and confusion as to what a pit bull actually is. All of these breeds as well as many others (including Great Danes, Newfoundlands and Rottweilers) are members of the Molosser family of dog breeds."The term "Pit-Bull-Type-Dog" has been used to describe over ten very different breeds, including Bulldogs, Boxers,Chow chows and Bullmastiffs. Before you acquire a dog with "Bull" or "Mastiff" in its breed name, you need to investigate the ban.

Most bans will NOT allow them to enter the city once it is in place. However, that does not stop you from homing one already registered with the city.


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## Spicy1_VV

7fourlegkids said:


> I think for what you are wanting to do a "Pit" Bull would be perfect. I read where you said that you have a ban in your city. First off, you need to get the details of that ban.
> 
> "Pit bull is a term commonly used to describe several types of dogs with similar physical characteristics. Its use in media is often vague and rarely descriptive of specific breeds. There are several physically similar breeds that are often termed "pit bull" in English speaking countries, including the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Perro de Presa Canario, Cane Corso, Dogo Argentino, Alano Espanol, Japanese Tosa, Cordoba Fighting Dog, Dogue de Bordeaux, Perro de Pelea and the tomberto These breeds are usually not included by name in any Breed Specific Legislation, but are sometimes included because of a broad definition and confusion as to what a pit bull actually is. All of these breeds as well as many others (including Great Danes, Newfoundlands and Rottweilers) are members of the Molosser family of dog breeds."The term "Pit-Bull-Type-Dog" has been used to describe over ten very different breeds, including Bulldogs, Boxers,Chow chows and Bullmastiffs. Before you acquire a dog with "Bull" or "Mastiff" in its breed name, you need to investigate the ban.
> 
> Most bans will NOT allow them to enter the city once it is in place. However, that does not stop you from homing one already registered with the city.


The term Pit Bull applies to *three* breeds. The American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. It is more often used as short or slang for the American Pit Bull Terrier. It can also be used for AST or SBT but AST are more often referred to as AmStaff and SBT as Staffy or Staffy Bull. The AST is the AKC version of the APBT and the SBT is another type which continued to develop in England/UK while the APBT/AST was refined here. 

Due to physical profiling it is possible for a mistaken ID of other breeds, American Bulldog, Presa Canario, ect. Some places have adopted such a policy that if the breed has all or most of the defining characteristics of a Pit Bull then it "is" a Pit Bull. This is why American Bulldog and Lab owners have had to fight in court to keep their dogs which really are not Pit Bulls. If they have say 5 out of 8 of the characteristics they are considered to be Pit Bulls. However these breeds ARE NOT Pit Bulls. 

Bullmastiffs are not Pit Bulls nor are they considered Pit Bulls in a ban. In some places Bullmastiff and other breeds are named in bans. 

Ontarios BSL includes AST, APBT, SBT and "Pit Bull Terrier", it does also include a dog which has physical appearance similar to any of the mentioned breeds. That is where it gets tricky, it is up to the owner to have proof that their dog isn't a Pit Bull due to the fact that many breeds look so similar. 

There are grandfather laws in place for dogs already there before August 29 2005 or born within 90 days after 8-29-05. The dogs will still be considered restricted and must comply with the laws of restricted Pit Bulls. Like muzzling while walking in public and mandatory spay/neuter, ect. 

If they wish to get a Bullmastiff then the law will not be against them. As far as Pit Bulls you can also adopt them as someone else mentioned or get one which is being re-homed. You can get one as long as you follow the restrictions. These will be older dogs though, they can be trained for weight pull it is just most easiest to work with a pup usually. I trained a female for weight which was already 2yrs old.


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## OC_Spirit

Dog athlete trainer said:


> Bullmastiff,Tibetan Mastiff,English Mastiff,Newfoundland,Saint Bernard,Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, and Great Dane. what are your thoughts on these breeds inparticular?


I would scratch Tibetan Mastiff and Great Dane off your list. Tibetan Mastiffs ARE incredibly strong and large but they do not have the mentality to do that sort of pulling work. They'd be likely to give up early not because they can't make the pull, but because they just dont see the point in doing it when they already completed 3 pulls prior or whatever. American-bred Great Danes are IMO too "light" to be able to do this seriously and many have hip problems.

The others are great choices especially if you focus on looking for a WORKING breeder and not a show breeder.

Another "breed" to look into would be American Pull Dogs (these guys are specifically bred for weightpulling).


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## Spicy1_VV

OC_Spirit said:


> I would scratch Tibetan Mastiff and Great Dane off your list. Tibetan Mastiffs ARE incredibly strong and large but they do not have the mentality to do that sort of pulling work. They'd be likely to give up early not because they can't make the pull, but because they just dont see the point in doing it when they already completed 3 pulls prior or whatever. American-bred Great Danes are IMO too "light" to be able to do this seriously and many have hip problems.
> 
> The others are great choices especially if you focus on looking for a WORKING breeder and not a show breeder.
> 
> Another "breed" to look into would be American Pull Dogs (these guys are specifically bred for weightpulling).


I personally wouldn't recommend American Pull Dogs. If its the same "breed" I'm thinking. It is nothing more then an American Bully or in other words an APBT mix which would still fall under the ban. It is also bred for size and some pull and some don't really. They might slap that name on them and not ever had pulled their dogs. I'd be really worried about hips and elbows along with the other health problems that go with these dogs. So it wouldn't be your best bet for a working dog. "American Pull Dog" seems to be just another name for these APBT/mastiff crosses. I'd get a real APBT before I'd get a mutt with a fancy name. Especially if I wanted a working dog that will have health into adulthood and long life.


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## Atillla

The strongest breed for pulling is without doubt the alaskan. The pt. s for his weght perhaps very strong, but he could never beat in total weight a giant malamute. You can't make him guard anything but when it comes to strength, he is definately the number one. Also in fight he is among the top 5 breeds.(after the ovtcharka, kangal, tosa and the pure bred jeen do).


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## zimandtakandgrrandmimi

Atillla said:


> The strongest breed for pulling is without doubt the alaskan. The pt. s for his weght perhaps very strong, but he could never beat in total weight a giant malamute. You can't make him guard anything but when it comes to strength, he is definately the number one. Also in fight he is among the top 5 breeds.(after the ovtcharka, kangal, tosa and the pure bred jeen do).


this post confuses me.


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## workingdog

Pitbulls make very good weight pullers. They are strong and ready to go always.


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## jcw1503

I can not believe the bans now a days...it crazy and i agree its sterotyping....my sister has a pitbull and so does my friend and they are extrememly freindly and yeah they can have more energy than most..but with proper training they are just like any other dog....and my sisters American Pit Bull Terrier is only 5 or 6 months and he can pull more than my grandmas full boxer....its crazy he is so little, but they had him tied up to a basketball goal that was cemented into the ground and he wanted to go play with my dog who was running around...we are inside and hear a loud boom and go outside and he is dragging the basketball goal across the yard...


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## Great Dane

Dog athlete trainer said:


> i have narrowed it down to st bernard, newfoundlander, Great Pyrinees, english mastiff, great swiss mountain dog, and maybe a great dane though they seem more sleek and built for speed then heavy short distance pulls. what are your guys thoughts on the following dogs any of them seem hands down a better choice then another one?


I have a Great Dane and while they can easily pull some weight I don't think they're necessarily what you're looking for as they're better suited to other types of work in my opinion (they're also one of the two tallest breeds, so you need to be careful because their growth plates don't close until 18 months). You might want to try one of the other breeds I'm in love with called the *Cane Corso*, they're an Italian Mastiff and amazing dogs - very strong, very powerful and a breeder I have here in Alberta breeds them specifically in mind for that kind of work. I would have had a Cane Corso before my Great Dane just due to circumstance but her bitch hasn't taken twice now for some reason so she's flying in another stud from Florida I believe for Mid January.


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## harrise

Holy old thread bump batman! 


I LIKE SLED DOGS!!! I LIKE SLED DOGS!!!


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## Tofu_pup

Pawper said:


> Ive seen one pull down a small tree it was tied to to chase a rabbit......roots and all and went tearing a** down the street! Quite a sight!


That mental image was epic.


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## austinltlmn

May I say that all the breeds listed above are great pullers no matter their size or temperment, but the one truely great think I love about weight pulling with my boys is that this is a sport that the dog must love and truely love doing. You must beware that no matter breed you choose, that if that animal doesn't like to do it there is no way of making him. You are not allowed to touch or bribe (in alot of shows) your dog to move. My boys (Jack and Sisco) pull just because they like to and mom is happy that they do pull. My female (Gypsy) on the other hand same size and breed as my males, will NOT pull a empty milk jug if you wanted her too. She just doesn't like to, but you show her an agility course and boy she will try to give a BC a run for thier money. So you need to find a dog or pup that has the drive and willingness to please you and channel that into what is constructive for you and your dog.


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