Mastiff / molosser short snouts

[gatorgirl7563]

Is there a reason that molossers are brachycephalic, aka have a shorter muzzle? My Dad said that shorter muzzles equal stronger bites but I can't find a reference about it on Wikipedia or anywhere else.
It made me wonder why such powerful breeds would have deliberately shortened mouths.

Can anyone here tell me why and give me a source that I can look at myself?

 

[musicdeb]

good question.

 

[gatorgirl7563]

Well, I'm glad you don't think it's a dumb question.

 

[musicdeb]

I'd like to know the answer to the question too. Hopefully, one of the experts will answer your question.

 

[elasticpurejoy]

I recently read of a study done on a dogs bite strength. I will have to see if I can find it again. The part I do remember was the shorter and wider jaw the higher bite force was capable of developing. It had a list of the various breeds and the bite force that was generated by each breed for the study.

 

[gatorgirl7563]

Okay. Thanks.

elasticpurejoy, I love your user photo.

 

[elasticpurejoy]

Thanks gatorgirl,
That's our boy Gus as he runs for his life from an OEB pup at the local dog park. He is a Boerboel and in the photo probably 4 1/2 months old.

 

[NeoBull]

I was researching bite strength and wasn't finding that to be true... It was saying that GSDs have more bite force than Pitties, and that a wolf's bite is 2-3 times the pressure of any domestic K9...

 

[gatorgirl7563]

All right.
While watching police GSDs compete on tv once they mentioned that those dogs had super-strong / most of any breed bite strength, but I figured that that was only for those GSDs because they had special training.

Part of me agrees that wolves ought to be the strongest biting dog (since their life depends on it) and part of me thinks that mastiffs (with their massive heads) should have a stronger bite.

Can you give me any links to that info?

 

[ruthcatrin]

Well I found this: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog...-force-myths-misinterpretations-and-realities

Though I didn't check out her references cited.

 

[elasticpurejoy]

I am still looking for the original article that cited sources. There are a number that cite the information without the study. This video is a composite of several sources documenting various bite forces. I will keep looking for the original article.

[video=youtube;y-9UNEDbXAc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-9UNEDbXAc[/video]

 

[gatorgirl7563]

Thank you!

 

[Tiger12490]

Mastiffs and bulldogs did not always have muzzles the way they are today they were longer not long but longer then today anf that was for gripping prey bite force was never on anyone's mind it was how long can a dog hang on to what I put it on and the wider muzzle is much better for that

Tapd on my skyrocket

 

[gatorgirl7563]

Wow. Thanks everyone for your helpful responses! I've had a super busy week and haven't checked my thread in a while.

Does anyone else have other information to add?

Tiger12490, you bring up a good point about grip but can I suggest you work on your punctuation? It's hard to read a paragraph where you have to figure out where each sentence starts and ends.

(I actually feel kind of silly. :slapme: My problem was that I was overthinking it and searching for things like "relationship between brachycephalic skull and bite strength". Yikes! I forgot all about googling for the much more simple "dog abite force".)

 

[Kelly]

Loved that Neo in the video....

 

[Bentley]

The Bandogge (the precursor to the modern Mastiff types in the UK) was portrayed in the couple of pictures I saw of them. This is speculation, but I suspect the shorter muzzle was a consequence of the Bandogges being bred with the bull and bear baiting dogs of the time rather than a deliberate attempt to acheive a shorter muzzle.

 

[Tiger12490]

Sorry gator as some know I only use phone to type on and punctuation can be a chore....I'll just make sure not to answer any of your threads for fear you can't read them
@ Bentley I'm pretty sure it was like what they did with the Neo it wasn't necessarily deliberate but they did breed for exaggeration when the show ring was started...so the bandogge added was way before there muzzles became the way they are today they were still very pit bull like at this time or even American bulldog but not EB or DDB like not yet....
Tapd on my skyrocket