Did you know that dogs have been members of the domestic unit for almost forty thousand years now?Dogs are one of the most loving and loyal pets out there and have proven their loyalty and worth time and again. Dogs were initially bred to aid physical labor, protect and lead cattle herds and for hunting due to their brute strength.It is believed that the friendship between humans and the ancestral wolves was first initiated during the ice age when most of the world was covered in thick sheets of ice.This is because at that period of time there were two primary hunters in the prairies - the humans and the wolves. But studies have provided abundant evidence to suggest that these two hunters were not competitors but, in fact, worked in perfect harmony with each other. This was because of the reason that humans are not natural carnivores unlike wolves and need some amount of vegetation to stay healthy. Evidence suggests that there was a surplus of lean meat with humans which under no circumstances could they consume all of it, so they often shared their surplus meat with the wolves who can easily survive for months on small amounts of lean meat containing sheer protein.Hunters and gatherers also took in baby wolves that either got orphaned or separated from the pack. Dogs became loved and cherished members of the household only fourteen thousand years ago, that is when the first dog burial was excavated. Dogs have ever since been domesticated to lead herds, pull weights, fight off predators, guard property, hunt and protect.If you are someone who wants a mighty dog to help you with some physical labor, or a strong dog guard that can protect your family and guard your property, then some of the strongest dog breeds in the world in 2021 are Rottweiler, Great Dane, Siberian Husky, German Shepherd, Bulldog, Saint Bernard, Alaskan Malamute, Doberman Pinscher, Rhodesian Ridgeback, and Chow Chow.These are some of the strongest dog breeds that have ever been bred, read till the end to find out if these mighty dogs are safe to keep as pets in households with elderly people and small kids.After reading about the strongest dog breeds and their suitability for first-time dog owners, also check out interesting facts about the oldest dog breed and laziest dog breeds.Do these dogs make good house pets?Now that we know about the ten strongest dog breeds in the world and their backstories and that they can fit into a household but before getting a pet you must make sure if the pet is a safe and suitable choice for your home especially if you have other pets, small kids or elderly people.As mentioned above in the article, most of the guard dogs were originally bred to help with hunting and not to be members of the domestic unit, but over time these roles have changed and dogs have adapted to the change and have become more docile and loving. But while handling large dogs that hold the potential to do a lot of damage and harm you must ensure that the animal is properly trained.Although dog breeds are generally safe for the people they live with if nurtured from an early age, they can be potentially dangerous to outsiders who are alien to the hounds. If you have small babies in the house, then you must think twice before choosing these big animals as pets because even though they mean no harm they can be rough and can cause unintentional harm to your baby. All dogs despite their size should not be allowed near babies without any adult supervision.For instance, the Pitbull will make for a great pet but need constant supervision and training as they are believed to be the strongest medium-sized dogs with the strongest bite force that has killed many people over the years. But still, they are not the strongest dog breed, so you can imagine the care you need around even stronger breeds like a Rottweiler or Cane Corso.What are these breeds used for?We discussed above how these breeds were earlier developed to be used for hunting and bearing loads, but you may wonder what these breeds are used for now. Read further to find out if these animals are just friendly pets or still serve other purposes.Some large hounds are still used for hunting, but their numbers have decreased considerably. Some sniffer dogs are used to help hunt wild mushrooms like truffles while many serve as popular police dogs that help in the identification of drugs. The military also uses such large dogs for various purposes. People with large residential properties and farms prefer to keep such large dogs to guard their property.How to train these dogs?Now that we know that these large dogs can be safe pets and great companions with proper training, you may wonder how to properly train these mighty beasts.It would be wise to start the training at a young age and leave it to professional trainers. If you believe that you are an experienced owner and still want to train your dog yourself make sure that you take things easy and don’t force your dog as it can induce negative feelings and aggression. Try to make more use of positive reinforcement while training rather than using negative reinforcement while training your dog.Characteristics Of These BreedsWe have discussed how physically strong these dogs are and what they are capable of doing. To truly understand if you want a mighty pet dog, it is necessary to first understand the characteristics of the dog. Some of the major characteristics of the dogs are:Rottweiler: This breed of dog is one of the strongest dog breeds and one of the most loyal dogs on the planet. But their popularity among dog owners has decreased in the past few decades due to their ferocious nature and incidents of them hurting people surfacing the internet. These dogs were originally bred to help accompany their owners in hunting expeditions, lead herds of animals and take care of the security of the household. These giant dogs are definitely not a good choice for a pet if you have small kids or elderly people at home as these mighty dogs can be a lot to handle.Rottweilers are large dogs that are not very friendly and take time to warm up to new people. They are very alert and brave dogs who are more likely to attack intruders as compared to other dogs. This brave dog is considered a working breed, a healthy rottweiler can grow up to 27 in (68.58 cm) in height and can easily weigh up to 130 lb (58.97 kg). Female dogs are slightly smaller in size and weigh less. They have a short fur coat with minimal shedding and come in a couple of colors like tan, brown, black, and mahogany.Great Dane: The Great Dane is the original inspiration for the world-famous cartoon character ‘Scooby Doo’. But unlike the fun and cowardly scooby, the Great Dane is muscular and strong and extremely large in size. But in spite of their huge stature, these dogs are kind and gentle at heart and are great loyal pets to stay with the family. These dogs were bred to hunt boars and to become popular watchdogs. They are fast runners and possess excellent hunting skills, and are considered popular working dogs in the dog world, the males can reach up to a height of about 34 in (86.36 cm) while the maximum height for the females is about 28 in (71.12 cm). This guardian dog can weigh up to 200 lb (90.72 kg) and come in a variety of different colors.Siberian Husky: These magnificent dogs can live up to 12-15 years and weigh anywhere from 30-60 lb (13.61-27.22 kg) depending upon nutrition and gender. They can reach up to a height of 23.5 in (59.69 cm) and have blue eyes.Siberian huskies are one of the most beautiful dog breeds on the planet and closely resemble their ancestors- the wolves. These beautiful loyal dogs with mesmerizing eyes are more than just pretty, they also possess colossal brute strength that enables them to pull a lot of weight. As the name suggests, these mighty dogs are originally from Siberia, which is one of the coldest places in the world. These dogs were originally bred to help pull sleds and carry weights as they were easy to maintain and required minimal food to stay thriving.German Shepherd: German Shepherds are one of the most popular and the toughest dog breeds in the world and are known for their exceptional skills of intelligence, sense of smell, and loyalty. This is the reason German Shepherds are such a popular choice for police and military dogs. They are strong, smart, and docile and can easily be trained. These dogs can understand patterns and work in perfect harmony with their owners. Even as family dogs, German Shepherds are a great choice as they are gentle around kids and are so loyal that they would guard your family with its life.German Shepherds are strong herding dogs that have long double coats and are usually golden and black in color. These mighty dogs can reach a height of 26 in (66.04 cm) in males and 24 in (60.96 cm) in females. They can weigh anywhere between 60-100 lb (27.22-45.36 kg) depending upon a number of factors and can live up to 13 years.Bulldog: Some of you might be surprised to see this dog breed on this list because of its small size. Despite their small stature and tiny legs, these dogs have commendable strength. Initially, these muscular dogs were bred to engage in dog fights and bull-baiting where these dogs could easily take down larger bulls and hence the name. The initial Bulldogs were extremely ferocious and were far from the tamed and adorable bulldogs that we know today.Bull baiting was later banned due to law enforcement and dog breeders were forced to modify these beasts into more lovable, gentle, and caring creatures perfect to be a part of a family, but in spite of the personality, these fighting dogs retain their strength and can easily take down a target much bigger in size than themselves.Bulldogs now belong to a nonsporting dog breed that has beautiful fur which can come in a lot of different colors and patterns depending upon their genetic structure. They can grow up to be 15 in (38.1 cm) tall and weigh about 40-50 lb (18.14-22.68 kg). These adorable dogs can live up to 10 years of age.Saint Bernard: Saint Bernards are one the wisest dog breeds on the planet. These large dogs were originally bred to guard the monasteries and churches situated in the Alps. They were also used to help rescue people who traveled through the region and got stuck in snowstorms. These dogs have immense muscle strength and can dig deep in snow. Saint Bernards are also a good fit for families as they are gentle and patient.These mighty beasts are also considered to be working dogs and have a mighty appearance with a height of about 28 in (71.12 cm). Under the right circumstances, a Saint Bernard can weigh up to 180 lb (81.65 kg).Alaskan Malamute: The Alaskan Malamute is very closely related to the Siberian husky as they share the same ancestors and were bred by the same dog breeders but serve different purposes. They are protection dogs as they are considerably larger in size than Siberian huskies. Unlike huskies, they were bred for hunting polar animals like polar bears, seals, etc. In spite of being ferocious killers, in the beginning, these beautiful dogs have evolved to fit into the family picture and be loving and caring pets.Alaskan Malamute is a hound that weighs about 100 lb (45.36 kg) and lives for up to 12 years and grows up to the height of 27 in (68.58 cm) in males and 24 in (60.96 cm) at the shoulder in females.Doberman Pinscher: These big dogs are native to Germany and were originally bred to be great companions for their owners and to be service dogs to help protect and guide disabled people and be fierce protectors and guard dogs. Dobermans are great family dogs and are gentle and calm in nature and are highly protective of their family.These large dogs belong to the category of working dogs, are 28 in (71.12 cm) tall, and weigh anywhere between 60-100 lb (27.22-45.36 kg). They are usually black and brown in color.Rhodesian Ridgeback: These strong guard dogs were a result of cross-breeding between European and African dog breeds about five hundred years ago as hunting companions to hunt large animals like boars. Over time these mighty and ferocious dogs have transformed to be more gentle and loving members of families where they act as guard dogs.These hounds can grow up to 27 in (68.5 cm) in height. They have a short double fur coat and live up to 12 years and weigh approximately 70-85 lb (31.75-38.56 kg). They usually come in a slightly reddish wheatish color.Chow Chow: We know you must be very surprised to see this, but yes this adorable teddy bear-like dog is one of the strongest dogs on the planet. They are native to China and in ancient times were used as guard dogs to protect temple boundaries. These dogs also have a reputation for being one of the most ferocious hunting dogs in history and were thought of as easily triggered. Now, most of these dogs now make loving and caring pets.Chow Chows are non-sporting dogs that have a tiny stature, they can reach the maximum height of 20 in (50.8 cm) height and weigh about 70 lb (31.75 kg) in the prime of their health.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for can the strongest dog breed be domesticated? find out, then why not take a look at spotted dog breeds or the smallest dog breed in the world.
Did you know that dogs have been members of the domestic unit for almost forty thousand years now?
