Meet the Strongest Dogs in the World - Top 10 Breeds

When it comes to a dog's strength, all you need to do is play tug of war with them for 5 minutes to realize how much power and stamina they have. While most of the dogs on this list are large since we are listing the absolute strongest dogs, even smaller dogs can be very muscular and plenty strong. In this article, we explore the 10 strongest dog breeds, and what kind of tasks these dogs used their strength for historically!

Rhodesian Ridgeback

This dog is large, typically weighing 70-85 pounds, and very powerful. The Rhodesian Ridgeback is an impressive hunting dog with a history of going up against some of the largest predators. Once known as the "African Wild Hound", these dogs were used for cornering and holding large animals such as lions, bears, and boars. This powerful dog would locate and arrive at the prey long before their hunter counterpart and would need to keep them in one place until the hunter arrived.

Cane Corso

Weighing between 90-120 pounds, this big, powerful animal must be trained from an early age. The Corso is a dog that was developed in Italy and was used for all kinds of farm-related work. They were used to guard the property, round up the livestock, help drive livestock to the market, and even sometimes hunt large game such as wild boar. The Cane Corso is a Mastiff-type dog and is believed to have descended from Roman war dogs. Their heritage would explain both their tenacious personalities and their drive to get any job done.

American Staffordshire Terrier

The American Staffordshire Terrier is an extremely powerful dog for its size. While these pups typically weigh between 40-60 pounds, you must hold the leash firmly when taking them for a walk because their strength will surprise you if they are in a "leash-pulling" mood. This breed also has one of the strongest jaws, so don't expect to ever win a tug of war with their favorite rope toy.

Great Dane

The Great Dane certainly lives up to its name. Growing up to 32 inches and weighing up to 175 pounds, this dog makes its presence known. Originally bred for hunting wild boar, this animal needed all of the size it could get in order to live up to the challenge. What was once a fierce vicious dog, today's Great Danes are more like gentle giants. While the Great Dane is not aggressive in any way, their massive size generates a tremendous amount of power.

Rottweiler

The Rottweiler has been a working dog since the beginning of their existence, and this is still what they enjoy doing most. The intimidating size of the Rottweiler, weighing between 85-130 pounds of pure muscle, will make anyone walking by feel frightened. That being said, there is nothing to fear with a properly trained Rottie. While very protective, they should never behave aggressively towards someone non-threatening. Often still used for police-related work, the powerful Rottweiler is certainly among the strongest dog breeds.

German Shepherd

This powerful dog was originally bred in Germany in 1899 for herding flocks all day. German shepherds, like other working dogs, thrive on having a job to do any job. These pups will be as loyal as they come toward their owners and will always be ready to protect them at all costs. While notorious for police/military work, such as searching for drugs, these dogs are also commonly used as guidance/therapy dogs. In recent history, the German Shepherd became especially famous for bravely searching through the ruins after the 9/11 attacks to assist in locating survivors.

Saint Bernard

The Saint Bernard is the perfect description of a gentle giant. These immense dogs, weighing between 120-180 pounds, may appear intimidating, but anyone that knows them can tell you that they wouldn't hurt a fly. In their history, the Saint Bernard's strength has been used primarily for rescue missions in the mountains of Switzerland. These are not aggressive dogs in any way but are remarkably strong.

Mastiff

The Mastiff is considered to be one of the most ancient dog breeds. Their ancestry dates back to 5000 years ago from the now-extinct Molossus. The Mastiff's giant ancestor was a war dog throughout their years, and depictions of the dog were found on artifacts of ancient Egypt, Greece, and Babylonian civilizations. The modern-day Mastiff was developed in England hundreds of years ago and was used as a guard dog for guarding large estates. These dogs are certainly capable of defending their territory, and their size alone should be enough to deter any intruder. They are considered the largest dog breed and can weigh up to 220 pounds!

Siberian Husky

The Husky is one of the oldest dog breeds and originated among the Chukchi tribe in Siberia. They were used by this nomadic tribe primarily for transportation but were also often used as companion dogs. Typically weighing between 35-60 pounds, these medium-sized dogs are powerful, athletic, and jam-packed with energy. These dogs would work in a pack and would pull extremely heavy sleds over very long distances.

Irish Wolfhound

This is the tallest breed in the world, standing at 32-35 inches at the shoulder. These dogs will also weigh anywhere between 115-180 pounds! This ancient dog breed originated in Ireland. They were initially used as war dogs, where their job would be to pull men off of horses and chariots. Their height, combined with their power, also allowed them to hunt large prey such as deer, boar, and wolves. The original Irish Wolfhounds were nothing short of ferocious and were admired by many throughout their history.