Their jaws Do NOT Lock. I read an abstract of a study published in the journal of american veterinary medicine which lists the bite strength of a pit bull at about 238 psi - around the same as a cocker spaniel or a lab, and less than a human's 270 psi. It also stated that there is NO enzyme, jaw structure, hormonal vehicle, or other way for the dog's jaw to lock.
I have a 3 year old intact male pit and play tug-o-war with him on a regular basis. There are two VERY important things to remember: 1. You ALWAYS win. never let him win, you winning means you are in charge. Even if you have to "cheat" and "win" by commanding him to "drop it". 2. Make sure the dog knows the release command. It's a good command for any dog to learn. Some of these dog bite incidents would be much less severe if the dog had been well-trained to release on command.
If you are leary of playing tug, play Fetch instead, but still work on the release command, it's a good one to keep practicing!!
pit bull jaws
Their jaws Do NOT Lock. I read an abstract of a study published in the journal of american veterinary medicine which lists the bite strength of a pit bull at about 238 psi - around the same as a cocker spaniel or a lab, and less than a human's 270 psi. It also stated that there is NO enzyme, jaw structure, hormonal vehicle, or other way for the dog's jaw to lock.
I have a 3 year old intact male pit and play tug-o-war with him on a regular basis. There are two VERY important things to remember: 1. You ALWAYS win. never let him win, you winning means you are in charge. Even if you have to "cheat" and "win" by commanding him to "drop it". 2. Make sure the dog knows the release command. It's a good command for any dog to learn. Some of these dog bite incidents would be much less severe if the dog had been well-trained to release on command.
If you are leary of playing tug, play Fetch instead, but still work on the release command, it's a good one to keep practicing!!